352 After Dark: Phantoms in the Fort Brings Grim Tales and Ghostly Fun to an Ocala Landmark

Saga CommunicationsThe Phantoms in the Fort storytelling event left the doors in the fort open for guests to explore the area and learn the history of it. Amber Battillo/352today

OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Families and spook enthusiasts gathered Saturday evening at the Fort King National Historic Landmark in Ocala for “Phantoms in the Fort,” which blended autumnal merriment with lantern-lit tales and historic demonstrations.

A small crowd of people stand around a man telling a story with a book in hand. The area is surrounded by a dense forest and lights strewn around. The man holds a book with a small light on top.
The Phantoms in the Fort event featured a storyteller in the woods, expressively reading a tale to guests walking through the trail. Courtesy: Amber Battillo/352today

From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., guests explored a themed trail through the fort’s grounds featuring decor inspired by classics from “Grimms’ Fairy Tales,” alongside food vendors and interactive booths. Dessert waffles, “dirty sodas” and themed lemonades from Sodee and hot dogs, nachos and lemonade from Urban Dawgs kept visitors refreshed. Demonstrations included a blacksmith at work and a craftsman constructing wooden coffins.

A skeleton with ragged clothing is halfway into a dirt ground with leaves scattered around it. In the background are three ghoulish decorations in the ground with a wood sign reading, "3 Little Pigs 1840 England."
A forest has lights strewn along a path. A scarecrow with a scythe and coffin decoration stand along the path creating an eerie atmosphere.
A scarecrow made to resemble Pinocchio is tied to a tree while holding a green puppet. There is a sign on a tree next to it reading, "Pinnpchio 1883 Italy." The forest dark with the object being minimally lit.
A food truck reading "Urban Dawgs" has guests lined up in front of the truck and signs surrounding the area.
A black food truck reading "Sodee" sports a menu and Halloween decorations.
A man stands over an anvil on a wood table with tools strewn around it in a wooden building with lanterns on the walls to light the area.
A man stands next to a wooden building crafting a wooden coffin with various tools. In the background is a dark forest.
A small display resembling Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf stand in a forest behind strung lights in a dark setting.

Community and vendor tents lined the entrance to the fort, as well as the inside area, including Ocala Parks & Recreation with cornhole, giant Connect 4 and a soccer game; PrintWorks3XD; the Marion County Public Library System; and FYCCN! with hula hoops and pumpkin hopscotch. Guests could also enjoy face painting by Aracelis Martinez, view historic apparel from The Ocklawaha Sutter and meet a reenactor dressed as a Fort King solider. Many brought chairs and blankets to relax for story time as dusk settled.

Two canopies stand next to each other in a dark field surround by a large wooden wall with fairy lights hanging from them. People surround the canopies.
The Phantoms in the Fort event hosted multiple vendors throughout the night where guests could get a variety of items. Courtesy: Amber Battillo/352today

Beginning at 7 p.m., storytellers including Jeremy Evans, Hannah Sloan, Emily Goodwin, Mark Sloans, Jaime Anderson and Kevin Otero spun family-friendly tales before shifting to spookier stories between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. The Sandy Back Porch Band from Orlando performed live bluegrass, filling the fort with rustic melodies that echoed through the pines.

A man stands on a stage with a wooden wall behind him and lights shining toward him. A crowd looks at him from a grass field with lawn chairs and blankets strewn around.
A girl stands on a stage with lights facing toward her and a large wooden wall behind her.
A storyteller stands on a stage with lights lighting the stag and a wooden wall in the background. Guests watch from a dark area below.
A girl in a black dress stands on a stage with lights facing her with a wooden wall in the background. There is a crowd watching her from a dark area below.
A man stands on a stage with a wooden wall behind him and lights facing the stage.
A woman stands on a stage with a microphone, lights facing the stage, a wood wall in the background and a crowd below the stage.
A man stands on a stage with his arms out with a crowd below. The stage is lit and there's a large wooden wall behind him.
A three-person band is playing music in front of a large, wood wall with hay in the foreground. The band plays banjo, guitar and cello.

Organizers encouraged attendees to bring nonperishable food donations for area food pantries and reminded guests to pack reusable water bottles, bug spray and blankets. Parking was available at the Klein Lot with ADA transport via golf carts for those needing assistance.

Three people pose in costumes in a forest setting with a food truck and multiple buildings in the background.
People sit in a dark grass field surrounded by wood walls in a semi-circle around lights with home-brought chairs and blankets.
A woman points toward a crowd of people in lawn chairs from a lit stage with a wooden wall behind her.

The evening offered a memorable blend of fall fun, historical exploration and ghost-story ambiance under the stars.