Our family is obsessed with The Secrets of Sulphur Springs! This is a mystery-drama show by Disney and it’s just the right amount of spooky for our family. The kids cannot get enough of it, and we’ve been known to binge-watch an entire season in a single evening.
Since this series is something to celebrate, let’s talk about the best ways that you can celebrate the release of the new season!
About Secrets of Sulphur Springs
Secrets of Sulphur Springs is a Disney Channel mystery-drama television series created by Tracey Thomson. The series premiered on January 15, 2021.
The series follows Griffin Campbell, a 12-year-old boy who moves to Sulphur Springs, Louisiana with his family. His family just purchased The Tremont Hotel, which rumors say is haunted! Griffin and his friends Harper and Zoe work together to solve the mystery of Savannah’s disappearance and other mysteries in subsequent seasons.
The third season of Secrets of Sulphur Springs aired in March 2023 on Disney Plus.
Ambience
After several years of watching this show, I can say with absolute certainty that it’s better to watch the show in the dark. If you have to plan your party during the daytime, use blackout curtains to create a dark, spooky atmosphere in your home.
Since this series is mysterious and creepy, you can also add some other spooky features to improve the ambience and setting for your party.
- Use dim lighting or candles to create a spooky ambiance. You can also add colored lights, such as green or purple, to give a supernatural feel.
- Hang cobwebs, bats, and other Halloween-themed decorations around the room. Vintage suitcases and other hotel-themed decorations would also be appropriate. And you can never go wrong with fake spiders!
- Play eerie music or sound effects, such as creaking doors, howling winds, and screams, to create an unsettling atmosphere.
If you want to really put some oomph into it, you can rig up some props that move and can be triggered remotely. Since the show has a lot of eerie shadows, objects that move unexpectedly and other typical thriller-show movements, this could really add some zest to your party!
Activities
The activities you choose for your Secrets of Sulphur Springs party will depend on your budget, the ages of your participants, and whether or not you plan to watch the show during your party.
However, this show has so many creative elements that there are an infinite number of activities you could derive from it.
Scavenger Hunt
The characters in the show spend a lot of time searching for clues and uncovering mysteries. Set up a mystery of your own with an epic scavenger hunt!
This could be as simple as asking your guests to find items from the show (such as the radio, crystal, or hair clip) that you have hidden around the room. You could find look-alike objects at a thrift store, make them yourself, or simply print pictures to hide.
Create a Time Portal
Set up a craft station where guests can make their own time portal, using materials such as cardboard, paper mache, or paint.
If you don’t want to make the entire portal, you could have your guests make a crystal like the one that goes into the radio to power the time machine.
Make a Time Capsule
Set up a time capsule station where guests can write down messages to their future selves, along with items or pictures that represent their current interests or hobbies.
You could have each guest create their own time capsule or you could create one as a group. Either way, plan to reopen it in the future to remember what was happening at this time in your life!
Trivia
Of course, a trivia game is always a great feature to have in a party that is themed around a TV show. Some great trivia questions and answers are listed below:
- In what state is the town of Sulphur Springs located? Answer: Louisiana
- What is the name of the main character who moves to Sulphur Springs with his family? Answer: Griffin Campbell
- What is the name of the hotel that Griffin’s family moves into? Answer: The Tremont
- What is Savannah’s last name? Answer: Dillon
- Who created the radio time machine? Answer: Sam
- What was happening the day that Savannah disappeared? Answer: The Camp Dance
- Griffin’s Dad is named Ben. What is Ben short for? Answer: Bennet
- What is the name of Griffin’s grandfather? Answer; Bennet Sr.
- What is the name of the town’s newspaper where Griffin’s father works? Answer: The Sulphur Springs Sentinel
- What instrument did Griffin’s dad play when he was younger? Answer: guitar
- Who was the first character to appear in the series? Answer: Savannah
- What is Savannah’s favorite hair style? Answer: ponytail
- Who adopted Savannah? Answer: Caroline
- What is Harper’s middle name? Answer: Marie
- What does Griffin say he wants to be when he grows up? Answer: Rockstar
These questions were derived from the Trivia information on the Secrets of Sulphur Springs Fandom page.
Costume Contest
Encourage guests to come dressed in costumes inspired by the show, such as characters or time-period-appropriate costumes. Hold a contest with prizes for the best-dressed.
This is a great approach if you plan to have a LARP or escape room activity, as described below! It will help your guests feel like they’re already in character and ready to play.
Photo Booth
Have a fun photo booth set up with props and costumes from all the time-periods of the show! You can usually print off some fun basic photo booth props on cardstock and tape them to skewers for basic props.
Thrift stores are a great resource for hats and period clothing. You can also ask guests or friends to donate things temporarily for the photo booth as well.
Escape Room
However, if you want to make it more complicated, you could design your own escape room quest. You would need to come up with a mystery that your guests could solve and a few steps they would need to complete in order to solve it.
I asked ChatGPT, the incredible chatbot built by OpenAI, to brainstorm a LARP based on the Secrets of Sulphur Springs. This is what it came up with:
Title: The Mystery of Sulphur Springs
Overview: The players are characters who are staying at the old abandoned hotel in Sulphur Springs. They come across the time portal and are transported back to the day Savannah disappeared. They must solve the mystery and return to the present before the portal closes and they are trapped in the past forever.
Characters:
- Griffin Campbell: The main character of the show. He is smart, curious and determined to solve the mystery.
- Harper: Griffin’s friend and fellow time traveler. She is brave and adventurous.
- Savannah: The girl who disappeared. Her ghost haunts the hotel and guides the players towards solving the mystery.
- Mr. Campbell: Griffin’s father, who runs the hotel. He knows more about the mystery than he lets on.
Gameplay:
- Setting: The LARP is set in a dark, spooky hotel with multiple rooms, including the lobby, guest rooms, and the basement. Players will be provided with a map of the hotel and a list of available items.
- Goal: The players must solve the mystery of Savannah’s disappearance, using clues hidden throughout the hotel. They must interact with different characters, gather information, and solve puzzles to progress through the story.
- Time Travel: The players will encounter the time portal and be transported back to the day Savannah disappeared. They must find a way to return to the present before the portal closes.
- Puzzles and Clues: The players will encounter puzzles and clues throughout the game. These may include riddles, hidden objects, or challenges that require teamwork to solve.
- NPCs: NPCs (non-player characters) will be available to interact with, such as Mr. Campbell and Savannah’s ghost. They will provide the players with information and guidance.
- Consequences: The players will face consequences for their choices throughout the game. These may include losing time, getting trapped in certain rooms, or triggering traps.
- Conclusion: The game concludes when the players solve the mystery and return to the present before the time portal closes.
This LARP game can be adapted for different age groups and skill levels. It will require careful planning and preparation, as well as a dedicated team to run the game. But it can be a fun and immersive way to experience the world of Secrets of Sulphur Springs.
ChatGPT
When I asked ChatGPT to elaborate on some of the puzzles that could be solved in a LARP like this, the bot gave me this suggestion:
- Riddle Lock: In one of the hotel rooms, the players find a box with a riddle on it. The riddle provides clues that must be decoded to reveal the combination to unlock the box. Inside the box, they find a key that opens a door to another room where they can find more clues.
Example Riddle: “I am taken from a mine, and shut up in a wooden case, from which I am never released, and yet I am used by almost every person. What am I?” (The answer is “Pencil lead” – players need to find pencils in the room, sharpen them, and match the numbers on the sharpeners to get the lock combination).
- Cryptex Puzzle: The players come across a cryptex, a cylindrical lock that must be opened by aligning a series of letters or symbols. The cryptex is tied to a rope that is hanging above a pit of sand. Players must work together to find clues that will help them decode the cryptex and retrieve the key hidden inside. If they drop the cryptex, it will shatter, and they will have to start over.
- Logic Puzzle: In the basement of the hotel, the players find a room with a grid of symbols on the wall. They must solve a logic puzzle to figure out which symbols to push in the correct order. If they push the wrong symbols, a trapdoor will open, and they will fall into a pit. If they solve the puzzle, the wall will open, and they can proceed to the next room.
These are just a few examples of puzzles that players might encounter in “The Mystery of Sulphur Springs” LARP game. The puzzles can be customized to fit the story and the players’ skill levels.
ChatGPT
Of course, as you can tell by the LARPs that I’ve created on my other website, I’m a big fan of being creative and coming up with your own adventures. I’d love to know what kind of puzzles you’ve planned!
Food
Since Secrets of Sulphur Springs is set in Louisiana, a good food theme for the party would be traditional Cajun and Creole cuisine.
Beignets are mentioned often in the series throughout Season 3. You simply cannot host a Secrets of Sulphur Springs party without some amazing fresh beignets! Café du Monde in New Orleans has the best beignets on the planet and they have some tips to help you make the best possible beignets!
You could select other traditional Louisiana fare for the party. I’m a big fan of po’ boys and jambalaya, too!
- Jambalaya: This one-pot dish is a classic Cajun meal made with rice, sausage, chicken, shrimp, and a blend of spices.
- Po’ Boys: These sandwiches are made with crusty French bread, lettuce, tomato, and your choice of fillings such as shrimp, oysters, or roast beef.
- Gumbo: A hearty stew made with a roux base, chicken, sausage, and seafood like shrimp and crab.
- Beignets: Deep-fried doughnuts covered in powdered sugar, a New Orleans classic.
- Crawfish Boil: A Louisiana tradition, a crawfish boil is a seafood feast of boiled crawfish, potatoes, corn, and spices.
- Red Beans and Rice: A classic Louisiana comfort food, made with red beans, rice, and a blend of spices.
- Muffuletta: A sandwich made with a large, round loaf of bread, filled with cold cuts, cheese, and an olive salad.
- Shrimp Etouffee: A rich stew made with a roux base, shrimp, onions, peppers, and celery.
- Fried Catfish: A Southern staple, fried catfish is a crispy and delicious dish that can be served as an appetizer or main course.
- Pecan Pie: A classic Southern dessert, pecan pie is made with a buttery crust and a filling of pecans, sugar, and corn syrup.
Summary
With these tips, you’ll be able to create a spooky and immersive atmosphere for your Secrets of Sulphur Springs party. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the show or just looking for a fun and unique theme, this party is sure to be a hit with guests of all ages.