13 ways to celebrate Friday the 13th

If you can't remember the last time a Friday the 13th fell in October, you probably aren't alone. It was 11 years ago, in 2006. Fans of the strange and unusual are surely celebrating this spooky alignment once again. As if you needed another reason to celebrate, this is the last Friday the 13th of the year. Plan accordingly with these ideas for chilling fun.

Take a haunted tour

For only $5 on Friday the 13th (and Saturday the 14th), you can take the Murder and Mayhem Tour in Farmers Branch. Tours leave every half-hour from 5:30 to 7 p.m. from Farmers Branch Historical Park, and you can expect to learn all about the town's murderers and mayhem. From the "Midnight Assassin" who stalked Texas in the mid-1880s to the deadly chef of the Victorian era, these stories, inspired by the works of Edgar Allen Poe and some actual historic events, are sure to frighten and intrigue you. Please note that children under 16 are not permitted.

Over in Lewisville, Gateway Ghost Tours is offering a special Friday the 13th tour of Old Town Lewisville. Follow local psychic Cindy Ross and paranormal investigator Vale Morehouse through the spooky side of the city that you probably didn't know existed. If a tour isn't enough for you, they're also offering a special dinner with Cindy at Tierney's Cafe, where you will get to meet the Ghost Girl who resides there. Scared yet?

Get a tattoo

If your fear of ghosts outweighs your fear of needles, you might know that Friday the 13th is a special day for tattoo artists. For some, the number 13 is a bad omen, enough to keep some hotels from having a 13th floor, but for tattoo artists, it's considered lucky, hence the hoopla around the day.

If you haven't heard of Oliver Peck and Elm Street Tattoo, you might need to brush up on your D-Town knowledge. The celebrity tattoo artist got his start in his hometown of Dallas at 19 years old and has built an empire over the nearly three decades since. The popular judge on Spike TV's Ink Master, Peck and his crew at Elm Street carve out a full 24 hours every Friday the 13th just to tattoo you. That's right -- from midnight to midnight, you have the chance to walk home with some brand new lucky 13 ink from one of Dallas' most beloved institutions. Oh, and did we mention it's only $20 ($13 + a mandatory $7 tip)?

D-FW is a big place, and Elm Street isn't the only place you can find tattoos on the 13th. If you're in Fort Worth, Lucky Horseshoe Tattoo is offering the same deal for both tattoos and piercings. Back in Dallas on Garland Road, Freak Show Studio has a whole slew of deals for the holiday, including $13 Friday the 13th tattoos or $26 ($13 with a $13 tip) for non-Friday the 13th tattoos. Freak Show also offers discounted piercings if tattoos just aren't your thing.

...

3 images

View Gallery

Catch a freaky flick

For those of you who'd rather be entertained than poked and prodded by a needle-wielding tattoo artist, there are a plethora of films playing across D-FW. Lovers of the uber weird, yet classic Rocky Horror Picture Show can do the time warp (again!) with members of Amber Does Dallas at Angelika Film Center in Dallas. The troupe of shadowcast performers will act out the movie as it plays behind them. Tickets are only $10, but the cast encourages the purchase of a $5 prop pack for maximum audience participation.

Since it is October and everyone's ramping up for Halloween, maybe a horror movie is more your speed. The Valley Ranch Association in Irving is showing Hocus Pocus at Saddlehorn Park for Fright Flick Movie Night in the Park. Bring your whole family out to this fun, and free, evening. If that's not scary enough, you can catch plenty of other spooky films around the area, including Halloween, Evil Dead 2, Clive Barker's Lord of Illusions or a Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street double feature (at a drive-in theater, if you need more convincing).

Celebrate with the whole family

We get it. You have little ones, but you'd still like to find something to do, especially since Halloween falls on a Tuesday this year.

If you're not super into the haunted holiday, grab a ticket to the Nash Farm Barn Dance in Grapevine. This 1950s-theme event is only $20 per person and gets you a fried chicken box supper, followed by a pie auction and then a dance with a live band. There are plenty of games for the kiddos, too.

In Lewisville, InterSkate Roller Rink is hosting a Freaky Friday skate. Come in costume and get ready to win prizes and food throughout the night. Every 13th person through the door gets a free glow item.