Things will get extra spooky this Halloween season as a popular, immersive pop-up bar arrives in Cincinnati for the first time.
Black Lagoon, an award-winning Halloween pop-up that blurs the line between reality and the supernatural, will take over Highball Cincy in Over-the-Rhine this October. The pop-up features hauntingly detailed decor and a creative craft cocktail menu inspired by Halloween.
“We’re so excited to be back for another sinisterly fun year with our Black Lagoon Halloween bar pop-up,” co-founder Kelsey Ramage said in a press release. “With new cities, more venues and an entirely new menu of spooky-season cocktails, this year is sure to be the best one yet.”
Black Lagoon was first conceived by Ramage and co-founder Erin Hayes in 2019 in The Dungeon, a cult-favorite dive bar in New Orleans. They launched the first pop-up in 2021 and are now expanding it to 39 cities throughout the United States and Canada, including Cincinnati.
“When we started Black Lagoon five years ago, we never imagined it would grow to become such a widely beloved Halloween tradition,” says co-founder Erin Hayes. “Over the years, we’ve had the chance to collaborate with some of the most incredible bars and bartenders in amazing cities. We’re proud to have maintained those relationships and excited to have formed new ones along the way.”
Black Lagoon arrives in Cincinnati in October, and Ramage and Hayes say the lineup of Halloween-inspired cocktails and decor details will be released soon. You can learn more about the pop-up at blacklagoonpopup.com.
Follow Highball Cincy on social media here for updates on the pop-up.
This article appears in Aug 6-19, 2025.
