A&E: Fort Collins Ghost Tour uncovers haunted stories

HALLOWEEN ACTIVITIES

Fort Collins Ghost Tour uncovers haunted stories

“Every time I’d interview somebody, they’d say, ‘Oh, and did you know that it’s haunted?’”

LORI JUSZAK

FORT COLLINS TOURS FOUNDER

Umbrellas dangle in an alley outside of Happy Lucky’s Teahouse in Fort Collins Oct. 27. What was once an old jail in historic Fort Collins is now a location for the Fort Collins Ghost Tour. PHOTO BY CAT BLOUCH THE COLLEGIAN

By Emmalee Krieg

@csucollegian

Creaky floorboards, shadowed corners and the musky smell of dust fill a dark room. Did something just brush against your shoulder? Or was it someone?

Fort Collins is rich with history. So rich that some tales still leave their mark from more than 100 years ago. Spirits appear to linger right beneath your feet in places like the basements of Alpine Arts — The Colorado Showcase or Happy Lucky’s Teahouse.

Fort Collins Ghost Tour offers a guided historical experience of Old Town every Thursday through Saturday with a spooky twist. Tickets are $22 a person and available for ages 12 and up. This event is available year-round; however, if you want to get in the Halloween spirit, now is the perfect time.

Fort Collins Tours incorporated ghosts into the experience in 2011. Lori Juszak, founder of Fort Collins Tours, wasn’t initially looking to start something so spooky.

Having moved to Fort Collins in early 2010, Juszak was eager to immerse herself in the history of Fort Collins.

“I walked around Old Town going, ‘Oh gosh, I know there’s history here — it’s gorgeous,’” Juszak said.

Juszak then began going through archives and talking to business owners. This led her to discover a pattern.

“Every time I’d interview somebody, they’d say, ‘Oh, and did you know that it’s haunted?’” Juszak said.

Apparently, some businesses had more than just creepy old basements; they had resident ghosts.

“I was blown away by all these undergrounds that were so pertinent to the late 1800s that no one had seen in 70 years,” Juszak said, “other than the people who were packing boxes down there.”

One place with a particularly spooky story is Walrus Ice Cream. Beneath those old floorboards is a morbid history that has attracted onlookers for the last 10 years.

“Honestly, I tend to find most people come for the history,” said Em Gonzalez, a guide at Fort Collins Tours. “It’s a fun little history excursion.”

Gonzalez has been working the ghost tours for about four years. They create a portal to the past through their storytelling, which covers the intricate stories of Fort Collins. Tales contain deceit, adultery, possible murder and even cheating in a game of cards — an offense much more serious in the 1800s.

What perhaps is most enticing is the anticipation as tour guests travel from one location to the next.

“They kind of build up the suspense for us,” said Amy Downes, a ghost tour participant.

Each location has its own unique story and spirit.

“Granted, I’m not from Fort Collins; it allowed us to step into Fort Collins and be able to see some of the old staples and be able to walk down into some of the untold stories there,” Downes said.

Participants are also able to capture some of those stories via cell phone. Photos are welcome in the hope that everyone can get a glimpse of one of the spirits discussed on the tour.

Be prepared to take selfies in the dark corners of these basements. Try not to look too close though; you might see something scary lurking in the dark.

“We’re keeping some of the history alive,” Juszak said. “I think there are stories that we tell that would not be told and people would not know about otherwise.”

So next time you’re getting ice cream at Walrus, tread lightly. Try not to think about what lies beneath you.

Reach Emmalee Krieg at entertainment@collegian.com.

SLAY BOO

The Lyric presents a special Halloween drag show

By Alexander Wilson

@alexgrey0604

The Lyric held a Halloween drag show Friday, Oct. 21, where the performers executed an extra spooky production.

Krisa Gonna, the hostess and mastermind of the show, produced the screen projections for each routine, showing the clips of the Halloween movies the dances were based on.

Aside from her hostess responsibilities, Krisa Gonna helped the performers with costumes and makeup along with the poster design.

Krisa Gonna has always been an artist. While living in Brazil, she found herself constantly drawing or creating characters. Her artwork, although no longer illustrations, shines a light on her other creative talents.

“What brought me to drag — I mean, so many things — (was) really wanting to be free and explore things that I was never allowed as a kid,” Krisa Gonna said. “Destroying the system a little bit, as we have right now, I’m always interested in that.”

Krisa Gonna performed first with a dance inspired by the 1999 movie “The Mummy” directed by Stephen Sommers. Following the dance, Krisa Gonna gave a safety speech to the audience.

“Here are the ground rules: No. 1, do not touch the performers; we’re showing a lot of skin, but that is not an invitation,” Krisa Gonna said. “No. 2, you should tip your performers because we are putting on a show for you.”

Krisa Gonna then introduced her drag daughter, Little Sarah Tonin, who performed a dance inspired by the 1984 film “A Nightmare on Elm Street” directed by Wes Craven.

Little Sarah Tonin is an amateur drag queen, with her first performance being in June of this year. Yet she’s always been attached to the drag world.

“When I was a little kid, I used to dress around my house in my mom’s green velvet tank-top and her ‘(The) Wizard of Oz’ heels,” Little Sarah Tonin said. “So I was doing drag since I was, like, 6 years old. It’s nice to play homage to that little kid before he realized, like, ‘Oh, these things aren’t acceptable.’”

Following Little Sarah Tonin’s performance, Krisa Gonna had four volunteers from the audience join her onstage for Halloween movie trivia.

Afterward, Liz Agna was introduced. She performed a dance inspired by the 1984 film “Children of the Corn” directed by Fritz Kiersch, with the popular TikTok song “It’s Corn.”

Liz Agna is well known for her Halloween drag performances and describes herself as a “spooky and scary drag queen.”

Ursa LaBear performed the final dance of the first act.

Ursa LaBear has always found themself interested in performing, yet to her, drag has always stood for more than that.

“Drag is important and extremely relevant because we need representation throughout every single genre, every single gender identity, every spectrum of drag — whether it’s drag kings, gender performers, it’s all necessary to be out there in the world,” Ursa LaBear said. “We hid for so long that it’s hard not to want everyone to enjoy and love what we do.”

Ursa LaBear’s performance was based on the 1975 musical film “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” directed by Jim Sharman.

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is an iconic movie within the drag world, having a deep message to those who have triumphed over bias and ignorance.

“I’ve been in performance my entire life, but I didn’t consider doing drag until ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show,’” Little Sarah Tonin said.

After intermission, Krisa Gonna introduced Little Sarah Tonin again, whose performance was inspired by “Elvira: Mistress of the Dark,” a 1988 comedy horror film directed by James Signorelli.

Little Sarah Tonin originally felt very outcast when she dressed feminine, but she has now created a career out of it.

“I grew up in a conservative background; I was closeted until I was 18 years old,” Little Sarah Tonin said. “Growing up, I had to train myself to not exhibit my feminine characteristics. Since coming out, it’s still a process, and it’ll always be a process to embrace my feminine side. I think that’s what makes drag so important to me — being able to express my feminine energy.”

“Elvira” was a double feature of the night, with Krisa Gonna performing the movie directly after.

The second game of the night was then introduced — an evil laugh contest.

After the game, Ursa LaBear came out wearing a red dress with a mirror in the middle, representing the hole in Helen Sharp’s stomach from “Death Becomes Her,” a 1992 film directed by Robert Zemeckis.

Because of her past experiences in performance, the crazy special effects weren’t new for Ursa LaBear.

“I went to school for musical theatre, so there’s always this innate want to perform, and I’ve always adored it — the idea to change yourself completely,” Ursa LaBear said. “I worked in a haunted house for a while, and it was one of my favorite jobs I’ve ever had. It’s not so much a gender thing, it’s morphing into a different person.”

“We hid for so long that it’s hard not to want everyone to enjoy and love what we do.”

URSA LABEAR

HALLOWEEN DRAG PERFORMER Reach Alexander Wilson at entertainment@collegian.com.

Liz Agna performs a high kick during her final number at the drag show at The Lyric Oct. 21.

PHOTO BY SARA SHAVER

THE COLLEGIAN

Performer Little Sarah Tonin finishes up her eyeliner before the drag performance at The Lyric Oct. 21. Little Sarah Tonin first tried drag last Halloween, and after being taken under the wing of Krisa Gonna, her drag mom, she performed in drag for the first time this past summer.

PHOTO BY SARA SHAVER

THE COLLEGIAN