PLATTSBURGH, NY- Some people in Plattsburgh are getting into the Halloween spirit and celebrating the spookiest month in a new way.

The Dark Waters Paranormal Convention debuted over the weekend, celebrating the North Country’s haunted history and the mysteries of Lake Champlain.

The three-day, multi-venue Paranormal Convention – or ParaCon – was filled with haunted stops, activities, and vendors, just in time for Halloween. The co-founders of ParaCon, Frankie Fronk and Shelby Klemann, say the name has significant meaning.

“I wanted to create a ParaCon in a place that was historical that didn’t get a lot of attention, which is Plattsburgh,” Fronk said. “With the battle of 1812, there’s so much history here.”

Klemann noted, “we have to think of the sunken ships in Lake Champlain, we have to think of our giant sea monster in Lake Champlain. It’s not just what’s on the surface, it’s about what’s underneath.”

The festival offered multiple activities, including psychic readings, live music, craft vendors, a costume party, and a tattoo artist. Fronk said, “we tried to make this ParaCon very unique, especially since it’s its first time here in Plattsburgh, so we did a multi venue.”

Multiple paranormal investigators also attended, including representatives from the Ed and Lorraine Warren Legacy Foundation. Fronk noted, “sometimes when you say ‘paranormal,’ people get a little intimidated by it, but when you walk through the door and get a feel for how it is here, and the people that are here, they relax, and start to enjoy what goes on here.”

Klemann says, “we wanted this because of what we’re passionate about. Next year, I would say, look forward to more ideas.”

The ParaCon has wrapped for 2022, but the co-founders say plans for 2023 are already in the works.