Things That Go Bump in the Night

Parafest brings ghostly celebrities and other-world enthusiasts to Petoskey.

Oct. 9, 2014

A former employee keeps coming back to the historic Terrace Inn in Petoskey’s Bayview district. There is only one problem– she’s been dead for nearly 90 years. In 1926, the former maid returned to stay the night in room 211. Four months pregnant, Elizabeth tripped on the bed frame, lost her baby, and lost her own life. Yet, this tragedy hasn’t hindered her regular return. The Inn was full of happy memories for her, so Elizabeth continues to visit, playing music, opening and closing cupboards, and knocking on doors.

Petoskey resident John Cassidy has also noticed the spirit of a former caretaker on the property–"He still watches over the building"–and a young boy who plays in the lobby. "They didn’t die there, but they liked it, so they keep coming back," Cassidy said.

CELEBRATE THE PARANORMAL

The prominence of these spirits, as well as others in the region, prompted Cassidy and the owners of the Terrace Inn, Patty Rasmussen and Mo Rave, to join together to create the Little Traverse Bay Parafest.

Having helped found the Paranormal Research Team, which helps the public handle spirits, hauntings and paranormal investiga tions,

Cassidy had met several people in the paranormal field and attended paranormal festivals. When he suggested they investigate the Terrace Inn, Rasmussen proposed a haunted weekend. Cassidy countered by recommending a mini convention, and the event was born.

Now in its second year, the Little Traverse Bay Parafest is scheduled for Oct. 17-19 at the Terrace Inn. The festival will include speakers, workshops, ghost walks and games. The best part, according to both Cassidy and Rasmussen, is the chance to talk with people one-on-one, whether she’s the host of a TV show or a fellow "seer."

Speakers include John E.L. Tenney from A&E’s "Paranormal State: The New Class"; Scott Tepperman of Ghost Hunters International; and Scotty Rorek, a medium, psychic and radio host. Workshops range from meditation guidance to understanding what kind of psychic you are (seeing, feeling, hearing– or all three).

"Many lives were changed last year," Cassidy said. A teenager who didn’t understand her gift was given resources to help "embrace it." A family with a seven-year-old showed up frightened and left calmed. "We want Parafest to be a learning experience," he said. "Everyone involved has a lot to offer."

"Usually people who come to these things have had something happen," Rasmussen said. "They’re curious."

Festival ghost walks through downtown Petoskey are popular; last year, people saw several figures in windows and learned about the city’s gangster past. A Paranormal Match Game is "hilarious," said Cassidy. Parafest doesn’t limit itself to ghosts; anything "beyond normal," including UFOs and Bigfoot, can be a topic.

The Inn is still open to non-Parafest guests during the weekend, but Rasmussen makes sure to explain what’s going on and has these guests sign a waiver. "There’s no quiet time after 11pm, for instance," she said. Parafest attendees might be in the halls at 3 or 4am taking pictures of spirits. She’s careful to make sure Parafest doesn’t take an evil turn. "I don’t want Ouija boards," she explained. She also stipulates attendees are at least 13 years old. "That way, the festival stays fun and entertaining."

Holding a paranormal festival in the heart of the Methodist community of Bayview felt awkward at first, but Rasmussen said she’s been sensitive to their concerns. "The minister of Bayview is supportive," she said. "He even offered a tour of the 1800s auditorium."

HIS SPECIAL GIFT

Cassidy believes his job as a paranormal researcher is to help others. He didn’t tell anyone about his "gift" for years - not even his wife Jackie. "It’s not something I can spontaneously do," he said. Plus, it wasn’t very publicly accepted. The advent of television shows about paranormal phenomena (some good, some reviled by the paranormal community) changed public perception, Cassidy said. Now he and his team investigate businesses and homes found mainly by word of mouth. They do not charge for their services.

Cassidy’s own gift means he sometimes feels like he’s somewhere else, "like a memory," and can see what’s happening as if he was there. He described his mother-in-law’s apartment on moving day to a tee, down to where the boxes were stacked and how the disconnected phone rang, even though he’d never set foot inside. He saw a drawing of a unicorn with a purple horn that his wife had made one childhood Christmas morning– decades before he met her.

"Twenty years ago, I started realizing I was hearing and seeing things," he said. "I didn’t understand or pick up on them." He feels something like Parafest would have helped.

When: Oct. 17-19

Where: The Terrace Inn at Bayview

How much: All-access weekend pass = $75; Saturday lecture pass - $55

Stay: Lodging at Terrace Inn - starts at $79/single $99/double

More info: ittletraversebayparafest.webs.com