Uptown Dallas bar perpetrates spooky Halloween-themed pop-up for October

An Uptown Dallas bar is about to transform itself into a spooooky haunt: The Ill Minster Pub, the natty nightspot in the Gables Villa Rosa building at 2600 Cedar Springs Rd., is executing a Halloween-themed pop-up cleverly called Kill Minster Pub, which will take over the bar for the month of October.

According to a release, the new concept will debut on October 1 with a slasher/horror vibe.

Ill Minster is part of the SBBC Hospitium group, a sibling to Felix Culpa, Truth & Alibi, and The Tipsy Alchemist, and is no stranger to themed pop-ups. In fact, Ill Minster has been a Star Wars pop-up for the past year, and previously has adopted highly successful Game of Thrones and Nightmare Before Christmas pop-ups themes.

To execute the transformation, they’ll turn all of their interior lights red to create the ominous glow of classic slasher films. The entire pub will be littered with props and references to kitschy cult favorites including Scream, Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm St, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Amenities will include photo ops, such as an animated life-size Michael Myers in a red-lit dungeon.

Themed drinks
The cocktail menu will be loaded with pun-filled references to horror flicks, featuring eight themed drinks such as Bubba Sawyer (Scotch Sour, named for Leatherface’s given name), and Cereal Killer, a cocktail garnished with Fruity Pebbles.

There’ll also be a themed $5 shot wheel, with 12 classic shot options named after fan favorite characters.

Photo ops
Two main instagrammable spots will be the focal points:

  • A red dungeon lined with LED’s and chains with prop versions of a hanging axe, knife, and machetes
  • A tribute to Psycho, featuring a bathtub you can enter with a tiled backdrop and props

They’ve also added a mural that gives “Death Row records” a face-lift, replacing rap idols with Freddy, Jason, Michael Myers, and Ghostface, with chains to match the original icons.

Special events
Throughout the duration of the pop-up, Kill Minster will have themed paint nights, costume contests, and movie nights with popcorn that the release quips “would make Casey Becker (Drew Barrymore, Scream) hungry for a snack.”

It’ll close out with a massive Halloween Party October 30-31.

Themed pop-ups have become popular among certain bars such as The Whippersnapper on Henderson Avenue, which has celebrated pop culture with TV-themed pop-ups such as The Simpsons.