Hometown Happenings Shared The Scary Stories of Northwest Indiana

The sky was dark, the air was cold, the atmosphere frightful as Hometown Happenings hosted the True Ghost Stories of NW Indiana held at the Historic Covered Bridge in Crown Point.  The crowd of approximately 150 listened intently as Master storyteller Grant Fitch, an actor by trade, assumed the role of Edgar Allen Poe to perform one of his favorite stories.  Fitch has been performing in the area for about 15 years.  He mainly works with fiction books and stories and songs for children at schools and libraries, as well as, bringing classic literature to life for adults.  He performed at the Covered Bridge last year and was invited back by fan request.

Tim Fealy, President of the Hometown Happenings, said this was the second year for this event.  He said they had been doing a ghost story program around Crown Point since 2011.   Hometown Happenings has 3 goals.  They try to create an exciting event, make it affordable, and benefit our local business.  They often partner with other local businesses to raise funds for nonprofit organizations.  This particular event, they partnered with Carriage Court Pizza to promote and raise funds with most of the proceeds benefiting  the restoration of the Covered Bridge in Crown Point.  "We always try to give something back to the community."  He was very pleased with the turn out for the event as it doubled expectations.

John Pomeroy, a huge fan of the paranormal, and his fiancé, Karen Gresch, were in attendance for the evening storytelling event.  The couple like and frequently attend ghost tours and decided to check out the event.  "We saw the ad while we were having dinner, thought it looked fun, and decided to come.  It's fun to see what other people's experiences are with the paranormal."

Following Fitch's first act, Mark Marimen, "Haunted Indiana" author took the stage.  Marimen, a Crown Point resident, has written 7 books and 6 of them tell stories of the hauntings of Northwest Indiana.  His love of ghost stories began as a child while sitting around a campfire listening to his brother tell quote, unquote "true" ghost stories.  He began writing ghost stories about 15 years ago.  "I don't know that the magic of that has ever left me."  To me, ghost stories have always been about wonder, imagination, and the magic of life.  I think it becomes more precious the older you get."

Curt Collins, a Ghostbuster, was one of the 3 represented at the event.  Complete with all the gear, including the Ghostbuster car, they were on hand to catch and eliminate any ghosts that might try to show up.  "I love doing this, love the movie, and love building all the equipment from scratch."  This year represents the 30th year of the release of the original movie. "We are here tonight to help raise funds to restore the Covered Bridge."

Matt Paige, another Ghostbuster, and a founding member of the NWI Ghostbusters, said his affinity for ghostbusting started when he was very young.  The NWI Ghostbuster's group started in 2011 and have been going strong ever since.  They frequently help out nonprofit organizations raise funds by attending events, doing charity work and helping wherever they can.

For more information on upcoming events, please visit the website at www.yourhometownevents.com.  For more information on Grant Fitch, please visit his website at www.GRANTFITCH.com.   Mark Marimen's books can be purchased on Amazon.com 

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