Around Town

Halloween-themed pop-up bar opening Saturday in Del Ray

By James Cullum
The Nightmare On The Avenue pop-up bar at 2312 Mount Vernon Avenue (staff photo by James Cullum)

For the fifth consecutive year, a Halloween-themed pop-up bar will soon open in Del Ray.

Nightmare on the Avenue is opening at the seasonal Del Ray Pop-Up Bar this Saturday (Sept. 19) at 2312 Mount Vernon Avenue. Customers can expect Halloween-themed cocktails and bites, culminating with a spooky party on the big day itself, Saturday, Oct. 31.

The pop-up is owned by HomeGrown Restaurant Group, which also runs Pork Barrel BBQ and Holy Cow Del Ray in the neighborhood. Before shutting down last month to transition to Nightmare on the Avenue, the pop-up was home to a dive bar concept for four months.

“Fall is here and summer is over,” HomeGrown Restaurant Group co-owner Bill Blackburn told ALXnow. “Halloween is a holiday that everybody loves, young and old.”

Blackburn said that the pop-up’s storage is “bursting at the seams,” as staff are working to install all the decorations.

Nightmare on the Avenue will be open until Sunday, Nov. 1.

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.