If Ronnie Lottz goes over the top about his events under the big top, it is only because it is his bar’s anniversary — and because he loves Halloween.
Lottz, the owner of Cigars and Stripes Bar, 6715 Ogden Ave., Berwyn opened his business during Halloween week in 1998, and has set his Halloween events under a tent formerly owned by the “greatest show on Earth.”
It all started when Lottz found a blood red and pumpkin orange tent listed on the auction Web site eBay. He knew he had to have it, so he and a friend got in a truck and to northern Minnesota to pick it up.
Three weeks later, Lottz received a call from the previous tent owner.
“His wife was yelling at him for two weeks to let me know they originally obtained the tent from Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus,” Lottz said. “She wouldn’t have been able to sleep unless I knew.”
Lottz estimates the tent, which measures 30-feet by 50-feet, to be at least 50 years old.
“It’s in remarkably good shape,” Lottz said. “They took care of it.”
The tent is used during the week of Halloween for all of the bar’s events.
The events began Tuesday, Oct. 27, and continue through Saturday, Oct. 31, including Vegas-style singer Vitto Zatto, a Coney Island Beer tasting of more 60 different beers during “Freaktoberfest” and a performance by Scott Xavier.
Last year, Xavier was suspended 50 feet in the air in a straight jacket and returns this year for a new act that can be found, as Lottz says, “20 minutes from anywhere.”
“Great entertainment and really good beer can be purchased in Berwyn’s backyard,” Lottz said.
Notable
Along with bar owner, Lottz makes his homemade hot giardiniera and hot sauce, which he sells at Cigars and Stripes. Lottz said he started creating hot sauce when he was a professional wrestler.
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Ronnie Lottz: “This tent was once owned by one of the greatest showmen on Earth, now it’s owned by one of the greatest bars on Earth.”
Comedy night
Cigars and Stripes holds an open mic comedy night every Wednesday night starting at 9 p.m. and Saturday nights at 10 p.m.
Favorites
HOBBIES Film making, creating new hot sauce recipes, hunting the chupacabra in Mexico
MOVIES “Black Sabbath,” “Repo Man,” “The Big Lebowski”
