What began as a fake crime scene with real police intervention has grown into one of downtown Harrisburg’s goriest traditions. For the past three Octobers, hundreds of partygoers have taken part in VeTour Productions’ BloodBath Bash, a Halloween party that has guests splattering themselves and each other in fake blood from head to toe.
“The BloodBath Bash is copious amounts of blood, booze and tunes all in one place,” said Sean Kunkle, executive director of VeTour Productions, the promotional group behind many of Harrisburg’s most ambitious social and music events. ”We try to create another world, a detour from the norm. It’s not the environment Harrisburg is used to.”
The first BloodBath Bash was held in 2010 as a house party on Reily Street, hosted by Kunkle and his roommates, Jon Robinson and Adam Brunson. “We had been throwing smaller parties every month or so and decided we wanted to throw a Halloween party,” said Kunkle. “Personally, I have always been opposed to dressing up. More than likely, the costume will hinder the drinking process, which is unacceptable. So, I proposed that we just have everyone wear white and do a blood theme.”
The group bought white sheets, water coolers and gallons of fake blood and began prepping the house with black lights and fog. Using the garage as a gateway to the party, guests dressed in white and received their splattering. “We hung a ton of sheets up in the garage and went nuts with blood: throwing it, spitting it and even flinging it with an old Civil War-style bayonet,” said Kunkle. “Once they had some fake blood on them, we’d send them on their way, and, thus, the BloodBath was born.”
The inaugural Bash was promoted in the manner of most VeTour Productions events, generating buzz for the concept through Facebook and word-of-mouth advertising. “VeTour Productions has always prided itself on our guerilla marketing style,” said Kunkle. “The turnout was insane. The party started at 9 p.m., and, by 10, we had over 350 people in our house and yard.”
The first BloodBath Bash was so successful at attracting guests that local police had the party shut down less than three hours after it began, prompting Kunkle and VeTour to look for an official venue for the Bash’s next iteration. “Not surprisingly, it was very hard to find a bar that would allow us to throw blood everywhere,” said Kunkle. “We got a lot of confused looks and quick dismissals.”
However, VeTour’s marketing continued well into the next year, again through the use of promotion on social media. By offering guests the opportunity to take iconic photos, images of bloodstained partygoers flooded social media feeds for weeks following the party and became staples of many users’ profiles. Eventually, the momentum was enough to attract consideration from bar owners, despite the party’s inherently messy theme.
“I got to sit down with Josiah Ferris of Ceoltas Irish Pub and go over the particulars and the numbers from the previous year,” recalled Kunkle. “With a little convincing, he eventually agreed to let us take over Ceolta’s second floor, the Raftery Room. We knew we needed to step our game up and make this something that random people would swoon over, not just our acquaintances.”
VeTour Productions adapted the house party’s splatter area for a public space by using plastic sheeting to create a “kill room” inspired by the television show “Dexter.”
“I remember scrubbing the ceiling after that one, but we had a turnout similar to the house party only without the police involved,” said Kunkle. “And with the success of the second BloodBath, we were given free reign to do whatever we wanted for the third.”
In 2012, the Bash expanded to both floors of Ceolta’s, adding a light show, blood-themed drink specials and a more sturdy and outdoor splatter booth, styled after Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho.”
“We had close to 400 at the last one and expect more this year,” concluded Kunkle. “We wanted to keep the classic horror film theme going, so this year we are doing a “Birds” theme. Expect blood stains, ringing in your ears, new friends and many pictures because your memory may be a bit foggy.”
The 4th Annual BloodBath Bash will be held Oct. 19 at Ceolta’s Irish Pub at 310 N. 2nd St., Harrisburg. Guests are advised to wear white clothes they are comfortable having “blood-splattered.” For more information, visit Facebook.com/VeTourProductions or VeTourProductions.com.
