Photo by Darren and BradWith Halloween on a Wednesday this year (how lame is that?) most Halloween events in the area will take place the weekend before. This means you have just a week left to purchase or stitch together a costume. Consider consulting our 2011 locally relevant costume guide (though some are less relevant a year later), or check out our 2008 post featuring DCist staff members’ costumes.
Once your costume is secured, the more important question remains: what to do? We’ve rounded up a variety of Halloween options taking place this year, from a zombie party near Nationals stadium to trick-or-treating at the Zoo, a scary movie fest at AFI to pumpkin carving contests.
1. Parties
As an adult, Halloween is more about parties and less about candy (alas). Kick it with the Brightest Young Things on Friday, October 26, for their The Temple of Doom and the Lost Crystal Skull Crusade party (8:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m., $20-$25). The night promises bursleque, hypnosis, karaoke (renamed “scareoke”), free zombie make-overs, decoder rings, and more.
For the totally rad, the W is calling all Madonnas, Molly Ringwald’s, and Alfs, for their 80’s Halloween Party (8:00 p.m.-3:00 a.m., $40). A portion of proceeds will be donated to Fashion for Paws.
Looking for a little variety? The Red Palace’s Spook-o-rama (9:00 p.m. $10-$12) will be bringing out burlesque, belly dancing, and an assortment of other eerie entertainment.
On Saturday, October 27, gorge yourself on all things zombie (zombie movies, zombie dance party, zombie games, zombie obstacle course) at the Halloween Zombie Fest at Half Street Fairgrounds (6:00-11:00 p.m., $20, but for a limited time $10 through LivingSocial). The event is being put on by Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse and along with an assortment of activities and dancing, will feature screenings of Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland, and Dawn of the Dead.
2. Scary Movies
What better way to celebrate Halloween, than getting the crap scared out of you via the big screen? AFI Silver Theatre’s (8633 Colesville Road Silver Spring, MD) Spooky Movie International Horror Film Festival has concluded, but their Halloween on Screen (October 12-November 4) is still going strong.
Make a date of it with The Queen Vic’s (1206 H Street NE) Dinner and a Scary Movie nights, complete with all-you-can-drink Zombie Punch, on Tuesday, October 30 and Wednesday, October 31 (6:30-10:00 p.m., $35).
Or, head over to E Street Cinema (555 11th Street NW) at 9:00 p.m. on October 30 for the classic horror flick Halloween.
3. Bar Crawls
Roaming the streets is a rich part of the Halloween tradition. It’s also a great way to show off your costume and see what everyone else is wearing (or not wearing… we’re looking at you, sexy cat). Make your way from bar to bar at Nightmare on M Street, on Saturday, October 27, which will offer drink deals at 27 bars and a costume contest at McFadden’s. You must register to attend and it costs $20. Or, skip the organized crawling and plan your own hopping on H Street, in Adams Morgan, or your favorite collection of haunts.
4. Trick or Treating
If your neighborhood doesn’t have a lively trick-or-treating scene, or your kids want to maximize their candy collecting, you can head to Boo at the Zoo on Friday, October 26 or Sunday, October 28 (the Saturday event has sold out) or Air and Scare at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center on Saturday, October 27.
5. Pumpkin Carving
Let Halloween combine both your creative and your competitive sides, with pumpkin carving contests at Helix Lounge on Thursday, October 25 and RIS on Saturday, October 27. Get some design ideas from this past post and the DCist Flickr pool.
This is but a glimpse at all the Halloween events going on in the area. Be sure to check out both Washingtonian’s and Girl Meets Foods’ roundups for a number of other options. And as always, let us know in the comments what your Halloween picks are.
