By By EDWIN MODLIN II
Staff Writer
Gary Ceres and Richard Snow, co-owners and operators of I Can’t Believe It’s a Book Store will host a monthly Ghost Walk that includes the history and legends of Washington this summer.
“Washington is a town not only rich in history but in legend and folklore as well,” Ceres said. “We’ll be doing the Ghost Walk once a month, starting with the third Saturday of the month after Music in the Streets.”
Ceres, who opened I Can’t Believe It’s a Book Store at 128 W. Main St. in February, is from San Diego, but he has relatives in Winterville and recommended Washington as a place to start a business.
“We were only going to be here [North Carolina] for two weeks, but came here [Washington] and fell in love with the place,” Ceres said. “Two days later, we found this building and signed a lease.”
Ceres was intrigued by the Ghost Walk that the now-defunct Historic Downtown Washington Merchants Association presented around Halloween, but he wants to do it during the summer because it is such an interesting and fun thing to do in Washington.
“I had found out that they had done it and thought it would be an interesting thing to draw people downtown as well as being a cultural event for the city,” he said.
Ceres contacted Rhonda Lucas Donald, who arranged previous Ghost Walks and Washington Haunts, and said he heard nothing but good things about those events’ tour guide, Terry Rollins.
“Rollins is very knowledgeable of the downtown area and is a very good tour guide,” Ceres said. “He’ll lead the group on an exciting and informative and spooky tour of downtown Washington. This one-hour tour will include many of the well-known ‘hot spots’ of reported ghost activity in the downtown area, as well as some of the not-so-well-known sites.”
Donald researched the stories, legends and folklore about downtown Washington and wrote the script for Ghost Walk.
“She’s been doing this for years and is so knowledgeable about the area,” Ceres said.
This year’s first Ghost Walk begins at 8 p.m. Saturday and lasts about an hour. The other Ghost Walk dates are July 17, Aug. 21 and Sept. 18. A minimum of 10 people is needed for each Ghost Walk, with a maximum of 50 patrons. Tickets at $12 a person. Tickets are available at I Can’t Believe It’s a Book Store.
“If the Ghost Walk is successful, then we’ll add additional dates and times,” Ceres said. “But right now, we’re only set up for one tour on the third Saturday of the month.”
Ceres said the event will happen rain or shine and tickets are nonrefundable unless the event is canceled or rescheduled. However, the tour will go on the first night no matter what happens with the weather. The tour will begin in front of I Can’t Believe It’s a Book Store, and patrons should arrive 15 minutes early.
“We have a feeling there will be a lot of last-minute purchases, so we’re going to stay open until the tour begins,” Ceres said. “Keep your eyes and ears open and perhaps you might even experience the legends and lore for yourself.”
Ceres said there’s a legend concerning the building that houses his bookstore, a legend tour-takers will learn about.
“It’s very interesting, and I can’t wait for people to find out about it,” he said.
The tour includes around 15 locations, including the cemetery at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.
“In the past. it has only been offered only one time, on Halloween, but now will be offered throughout the summer,” Ceres said. “It’s something out of the usual and will bring more people downtown.”
To find out more about the Ghost Walk and how to obtain tickets, call Ceres at 252- 946-0855.