VINYL Adds Dolly Parton to Halloween Tribute Alongside Mac Miller and Tina Turner

Dolly Parton Joins VINYL's Halloween Tribute

Music has been part of VINYL's identity since the South End bar opened in April 2022, so Halloween here looks a little different from a standard seasonal decorating job. The bar incorporates musicians and music references directly into the experience.

Dolly Parton is the addition specifically highlighted for this year's transformation. Mac Miller and Tina Turner are also represented, joining familiar tributes to Prince, Michael Jackson, Tupac, and Ozzy Osbourne.

Those tributes are mixed among the larger Halloween takeover, giving guests plenty to look for while moving through the space rather than placing everything into one display.

Skeletons and Music References Take Over the South End Bar

VINYL already has a strong music identity before the Halloween decorations arrive. Its industrial-style interior includes a dedicated DJ booth, a David Bowie mural, Biggie Smalls wallpaper, music artwork, and a live flap board.

Halloween builds on those features instead of covering them up. Skeletons appear throughout the room, including displays tied directly to the bar's music theme, while skulls, webs, and other decorations change the feel of the space for October.

Resident DJs continue performing throughout the week, giving the transformation a soundtrack instead of turning the space into a static Halloween display.

Charlotte Vibes Stopped In for a First Look

I live nearby, and somehow VINYL had slipped past me until NiceDay put it on our radar. I stopped by with a friend the other night just to get a feel for the place. This wasn't a formal Charlotte Vibes review, and we weren't there long enough to treat it like one.

That first visit also helped put the Halloween concept into perspective. Music isn't simply a theme added for October. It's already built into the room, the nightly DJ schedule, the drinks, the artwork, and the overall personality of VINYL, which gives the seasonal transformation something distinctive to work with.

Chef Jacob Hujar Brings New Fall Flavors to VINYL

Halloween isn't the only change at VINYL this fall. Chef de Cuisine Jacob Hujar has been working with the culinary team on seasonal additions that expand the food menu with new vegetables, sauces, textures, and shareable dishes.

Cast Iron Roasted Brussel Sprouts are served with a local honey-ginger glaze and macadamia nut dukkah for $13. The current fall menu also lists Whipped Ricotta with sweet potato agrodolce, toasted pepitas, hand-packed ricotta, extra virgin olive oil, and grilled Crumb Bakery sourdough for $16.

Other seasonal additions include the $13 Fall Mixed Greens Salad with mixed greens, pickled local beets, goat cheese, shaved red onion, and balsamic vinaigrette, plus $16 Black Bean Falafel Pita Sliders with homemade falafel, cucumber raita, pickled red onions, lettuce, and tomato.

VINYL's Fall Cocktails Keep the Music Theme Going

Beverage Director Henry Schmulling and the VINYL bar team are also leaning into fall ingredients without abandoning the music references that run through the cocktail list.

And the Beet Goes On combines Bacardi Ocho Rum, Planteray Dark Rum, cinnamon demerara, beet, and lime for $17. Boys Wanna Be Her pairs Ketel One Vodka and St. Germain with browned butter brûléed peach, lime, prosecco, and soda water for $18.

First Date is an $18 cocktail built around date-infused Ilegal Joven Mezcal, Oak City Amaretto, chamomile honey, and lemon. Another Day in Paradise, also $18, combines Volcán Reposado Tequila and Del Maguey Vida Puebla Mezcal with pistachio and coriander seed orgeat, fall-spiced pineapple and ginger, and lemon.

VINYL Has Been Part of South End Since 2022

VINYL opened in Charlotte's South End neighborhood in April 2022 with a concept built around the resurgence of vinyl records and the music that shaped previous decades.

The bar describes itself as somewhere between a dive bar and a club, with a more relaxed neighborhood atmosphere centered around cocktails, food, and music. Resident DJs perform every day, with rock, hip hop, pop, and open-format sets appearing throughout the weekly schedule.

VINYL is located at 1440 S Tryon Street and operates as a B-Side Group concept. The bar is also a United States Bartenders' Guild Founding Guildhouse.

VINYL Is Open Seven Days a Week in South End

VINYL stays open until 2 AM seven days a week, giving the South End location a mix of afternoon, dinner, nightlife, and weekend brunch traffic depending on when guests visit.

Monday through Wednesday hours begin at 3 PM. VINYL opens at 11 AM Thursday and Friday, then at 10 AM Saturday and Sunday. Weekend brunch is available from 10 AM until 3 PM.

Minors can visit with an adult during the day, while VINYL becomes 21 and older after 9 PM. There's no formal dress code, and the bar doesn't normally charge a cover.