The local craft brewery’s haunted anniversary celebration offers three big parties, an epic photo booth, and a big surprise!
Mad Swede Brewing’s claim at being the biggest Halloween fans around is warranted. When the pandemic limited indoor festivities in 2020, the notoriously creative craft brewery built a fully immersive haunted house on their patio that functioned like an escape room with beer. In 2021, that haunted house moved into the brewery with a “mad scientist” storyline that utilized the brewing equipment itself. This year, you can get up close and personal with the detailed, handmade props they’ve spent the last two years creating! Starting last weekend, the Mad Swede brewery and tasting room on Coal Road began to get very spooky. The decorations will get more intense as Halloween and their Helhest Helfest celebration approach.
Rather than a haunted house, this year’s Helfest consists of three big parties, all in Mad Swede’s intensely spookified facilities with an epic photo booth setup! Friday, October 28th, is a Doggie Costume Contest and fundraiser for Boise Bully Breed Rescue, with a massive prize list of treats, accessories, doggie day-care, doggie day-spa, and even custom pet portraits from a slew of local businesses. $15 admission gets you a pint of Helfest Oat Ale, a photo of your pooch in the photo booth, and benefits Boise Bully Breed Rescue. The party on Saturday, October 29th, features a costume contest for humans with big Mad Swede beer prizes and three popular local bands: soul musician Natalie Soma, psychedelic rock band Cabeza, and energetic local DJ Che. A $10 door charge goes directly to the musicians.
Sunday, October 30th, the last day of Helfest is focused on providing the ideal trick-or-treating experience for kids and families. The “Craft or Treat” is a craft fair featuring all-local Halloween-themed artists and makers from 2-6 pm, costumed kids can trick-or-treat candy from booth to booth while adults can sip on a brew a peruse the local wares. This event is free!
“We’ve got some tricks up our sleeve this year, that’s for sure,” says Helfest Helfest co-creator and Mad Swede manager Danielle Reynolds. “This year’s Helfest isn’t just an anniversary celebration, it coincides with the Grand Opening of our latest project, which will be revealed very soon.” When asked what this project might be, Reynolds said, “well, it might just take a pizza your heart.”