WALLACE —  If you’re into spooky history, ghost stories, haunted buildings, or just looking for a fun way to spend an October weekend, the Wallace Paranormal Festival might be just the ticket. 

Organizer Dallas Jade Graves is nearly bursting with excitement, with the festival now just two weeks away. 

Wallace has long embraced its checkered past, often echoing the rough-and-tumble spirit of the Old West. More recently, the small city has gained a reputation as a prime destination for ghost hunting. 

For Graves and her team, the two themes were a natural fit, inspiring the idea for the festival. 

“It’s something that I’ve heard thrown around a lot over the years, the idea of a spooky or ghost festival,” Graves said. “I think it’s kind of a no-brainer and a lot of people around town thought that too.” 

Planning kicked off in May, and it quickly became clear that locals didn’t just like the idea; they wanted to know when it was going to happen. 

Over the summer, Graves teamed up with Carl Rowe, owner of the Jameson Hotel, to host special ghost hunts inside the famously haunted building. Tickets were offered in a presale and sold out within literal seconds. 

This level of interest bolstered Graves’ confidence in the event, but she still admits she doesn’t know what the exact turnout might look like.  

“We have obviously fulfilled a need and demand,” Graves said. “Everything sold out so fast. We had a 600% demand on everything. Is it going to be a couple hundred people? Will it be more like a thousand? We really don’t know how it’s going to look.” 

Wallace maintains a busy events calendar to attract tourists, but there’s a noticeable gap between the city’s Fall for History Festival and its annual Christmas in Wallace celebration. 

“We want this to be its own entity aside from Halloween,” Graves said. “The hope is that this can become that last shebang before everything really quiets down.” 

The festival will feature everything from expert-led ghost hunting lectures to actual ghost hunts at Wallace’s many haunted sites. Graves has also lined up vendors, tarot readers, live music, ghost story open mic events and a class on shufflemancy.

Graves would like to thank the festival’s major sponsors, including Squatch Juice, the Ryan Hotel, the Stardust Motel, and Silver Valley CARES.  

The Wallace Paranormal Festival runs Friday, Oct. 17, through Sunday, Oct. 19. For more information and a full schedule of events, visit www.wallaceparanormal.com, or check out their Facebook page: Wallace Paranormal Festival, and Instagram: @wallaceparanormal.