Meet New NCA Board Member Bernie Garrido, Master of Year-Round Events

Editor’s Note: Bernie Garrido, owner of Bernie’s House of Fun in Brownsville, Texas, was elected to the NCA Board in December. In this interview with NCA Executive Director Ed Avis, he gives us a brief outline of his business.

Avis: Tell us about the history of Bernie’s House of Fun.

Garrido: We opened in August of 2023. The goal behind our store was just to bring something very different to our community, really focused on the experience, nostalgia and great customer service. I studied at the University of Texas in Austin, and when I was living there, there was a store called Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds, and it was an awesome store. And so, when I was 19, 20 years old, I just was always fascinated by it and always dreamed of having something like that in our community.

So about 15 years later, I just felt it was time to do this. We did a lot of research for a couple years, studying good vendors, good merchandise and best practices. Then COVID hit and delayed us. Finally, in 2023 it was like, let’s go. So I left my job to start the business.

What were you doing at the time?

I was a director of career and technical programs at a school district. My wife Fiana and I decided that if we were going to take this leap, one of us had to stay in the corporate world. We felt that because of my personality and my skillset, it’d be better for me to take that leap. And so she still works for a laboratory company. But she helps out in the business a lot. We are a team.

It was quite a change to go from working in a school to running a store.

Yeah, definitely there was a big learning curve. But I will say that the industry was super welcoming. There was so many helpful people to really help us get started, you know?

Did you meet these people through NCA?

Yeah, definitely. The NCA was extremely instrumental to us just getting started, especially the networking and the discounts. I mean, we save thousands of dollars a year just being an NCA member. To me the networking and financial benefits of being an NCA member are priceless.

I had some retail experience in the firework industry. My in-laws own a business called Big Chief Fireworks, which I’ve helped manage for 10 plus years.

I think I met your in-laws at HPE last year.

Yes, they love it. They come with us every single season. They’ve been a great support system in so many ways. We wouldn’t be where we are today without them.

This past year we opened a haunted house inside the fireworks warehouse, which we turned into a Halloween store during the season. We go to TransWorld every year and we found some amazing animatronics and props and decor there. We’re always trying to add to that experience. People love fear. I mean, people had a blast getting a little scared then shopping.

Tell me about your merchandise. What sells the best?

Honestly, it’s a little bit of everything. Collectibles are big for us, NECA and Trick or Treat and Funko, just to name a couple. Of course costumes and accessories do well for us. Makeup, too, does well for us. And apparel. It fluctuates with the time of the year.

Do you do well in other holidays, outside of Halloween?

Well, we do coordinate events throughout the year. So, for example, in December we had our Krampus event in the store. Kids brought their letter to Krampus and we gave away gifts to the first 30 kids that brought their letters. We do a little spooky Easter, as well, where we have an Easter bunny and take pictures and we give stuff away.

We also bring actors from the horror industry into the store for meet and greets. People in our community responded really, really well to that. Last year we brought in actors from the Terrifier franchise, from Scream, from Jason, and from Jeepers Creepers, to name a couple.

Wow. And how do you find those? How do you get them to come?

A lot of it is just networking. When talent comes to our store and they have a great experience, they tell their friends in the industry, “Hey, man, you gotta go to Bernie’s.” That word of mouth from the talent has been really helpful.

What do you do that makes them feel that way?

I think it’s just the attention to detail. You know, making sure they get a good meal while they’re in town. And we put them in a good hotel so that they’re rested, and we give them the small amenities that they may need. They’re meeting people for six to eight hours nonstop, so we make sure that we manage their time well and have beverages and snacks and breaks. But honestly, just listening to them and understanding what their needs are while they’re here and making them feel welcome is key.

You pay them, too, right?

Yes, every talent has different fees and stuff like that.

But you evidently find that it’s worth it, right?

Oh, yeah, definitely. I mean, it just keeps us relevant throughout the year. There are not a lot of events like that down here. The response has been great and the community is so appreciative. It has helped grow the business immensely.

We’re also hosting our first horror convention this year in September. We’re calling it Spooky Texas Horror Convention, and it will be September 19th and 20th.

Wow. What does that entail?

We’ve partnered with the convention center, and we are hoping to bring about 10 different actors and actresses. Also hopefully we’ll have 50 different vendors there as well, and some spooky attractions. That will give our community the opportunity to again to meet some talent and also buy some really cool merchandise. We’re in the process of working through contracts with talent and booking people. So these next couple of months will definitely be a busy time for us.

You have a lot going on, Bernie! That's the end of my questions, but is there anything else you would like to add?

I genuinely mean it when I say that I’m very appreciative of the NCA. It’s been instrumental and we wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for those people and those opportunities that we’ve found. So for people that aren’t part of NCA, I highly, highly encourage them to become members. Just the discounts alone will pay the membership up in no time, you know? And then the networking, like being able to brainstorm with other people just to learn from each other. That has been really helpful.