From Oct. 18 to Nov. 9, guests are invited to attend “The Haunting of Horace Crawford,” an interactive three-course mystery dinner at the Eureka Inn in Jonesborough.
This event is the fifth dinner show the Inn has hosted, but it is the first that innkeeper Katelyn Yarbrough has co-written. Along with Derek Smithpeters, the duo wrote “The Haunting of Horace Crawford” as a sequel to the previous dinner show, “The Family Reunion.”
“Now that we have gotten our feet with this, it is more fun to go ahead and write a show that is geared specifically toward our audience and surrounding the Inn,” Yarbrough said.
The show follows the story of Aunt Mable and her ride-or-die best friend, Iris McFields. Mable has not been able to find her mother’s jewelry left to Mable in her will. The two try to summon Aunt Mable’s deceased brother to figure out where the jewelry might be.
“It is just a wacky adventure of those two characters trying to do séances and use fiji boards, not Ouija boards, and crystal balls and all sorts of nonsense trying to conjure Horace back,” Yarbrough said. “He actually does come back, but he cannot remember where he put the jewelry, so that is where the guests get to do a clue hunt after they eat dessert. They go on a clue hunt, have to solve some puzzles, and the team that finds the most jewelry will win a prize.”
The mystery dinner is about a three hour experience, according to Yarbrough. Guests can expect expect a three-course meal, including house salad, roast beef, seasonal vegetables stewed with potatoes and carrots, baked macaroni and cheese, collard greens and pound cake with mixed berry compote and vanilla bean whipped cream.
Attendants will be involved in the experience through the clue hunt, a costume contest and interaction with the actors.
“Everyone has a front row seat in this show,” Yarbrough said. “That is new; instead of it being kind of theater-style seating in the parlor, everyone’s seat is up against the wall. They are all almost sitting in a circle, so it is pretty neat.”
The Eureka Inn has served as a historical part of Jonesborough since its creation in 1797. Yarbrough believes that the 222 years of history that accompany the Inn makes it an ideal location for a mystery dinner.
“There is just a certain vibe and energy that the Inn creates, and it is already creepy on its own if you want to think in that way,” Yarbrough said. “It is the perfect venue in my opinion to hold something fun and interactive like that. Providing a one-stop shop of entertainment and a meal just seems appropriate with that venue.”
Although tickets are almost sold out, a few are available for $45 each at EventBrite.com or by calling 423-483-7242. Guests are advised to be 16 or older to attend due to mild language and special effects. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. and parking is available down 1st Avenue and on Main Street.
