October 27th, 2011 
As someone whose heart was permanently broken by my involuntary retirement from trick-or-treating during high school (people just get downright hostile once you’re not so young and cute and pre-adolescent), I was overjoyed to realize that the Halloween joys of dressing up could be enjoyed again. Granted, it’s a little different when the age requirement goes from being under 13 to over 21, but it’s still fun! There’re plenty of fantastic costume parties this weekend in the city, if you also aren’t ready to let the days of dress-up go.
Friday, October 28:
Elliot in the Morning’s Halloween Bash at the Clarendon Ballroom in Arlington is hosted by DC 101. It will feature three dance floors open all night long, featuring live music from Junkfood and dance tunes as spun by DJ Lil Fos. The wearer of the best costume will be awarded a whopping three thousand dollars, so get creative. Doors open at 5 p.m., music starts at 8 p.m.
WHERE:
Clarendon Ballrom
3185 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201 703.469.2244
TICKETS: $15 until 10 p.m., $20 after then.
Photo Credit: strathmore.org
Friday Night Eclectic: Rock, Paper, Zombies at Strathmore. If you’ve ever wanted to get a little in touch with your undead side, but thought those Walking Dead guys were just a little too déclassé, this is the perfect event for you. The Strathmore is a gorgeous mansion-like space, and will also be highlighting over 60 works by artist Rich Bernett, most famous for awesome gig posters for bands. There will be additional artwork by Itty Bitty Press, John Foster, and Fire Studio, and live music from Mittenfields, Devin Ocampo, and Bellflur. Doors open at 8 p.m., and music starts at 8:30 p.m.
WHERE:
The Mansion at Strathmore
10701 Rockville Pike
North Bethesda, MD
TICKETS: $10 if bought online here, $12 at the door
Explore DC’s own house of authentic mystery at the Mansion on O Street‘s Halloween bash. The Mansion at O Street isn’t open regularly, so who knows when you’ll get another chance to explore the mansion’s 100 rooms and over 30 secret passageways. If the live music and drag show (featuring RuPaul’s Drag Race finalist Alexis Mateo as well as Jessica Jade and Patti Lovelace) aren’t enough, see if you can unlock every one of the amnion’s secrets before the night is out. There will be a costume contest for over seven categories.
WHEN: Friday October 28, doors open at 7 p.m. and the drag show starts at 8:30 p.m.
WHERE:
The Mansion At O Street
2020 O St. NW
Washington, DC
TICKETS: $30, available online here
Photo Credit: brightyoungthings.com
Get after-hours access to the Newseum at the Night at the Newseum Halloween event, and party surrounded by over 500 years of headline history. Visitors get free 3-D glasses to enjoy the 40 foot digital animation, and hold on to until the end of the night for a discount for a daytime visit to the Newseum. DJ Questlove, DJ Adrian Loving, and DJ Woolfy will be putting out the music, and Wolfgang Puck Catering will provide food and drinks at three different floors. There will be ping-pong tables, access to the rooftop terrace to celebrate under the stars, and a Halloween photobooth to capture the event (and your awesome costume). This event is open to anyone over 18, but you must be 21 in order to drink.
WHEN: Friday, October 28, from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
WHERE:
The Newseum
555 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC
TICKETS: $25 available here
Photo Credit: clubzone.com
Saturday, October 29:
Nightmare on M Street is DC’s biggest costume party, and a massive bar crawl through 16 of DC’s hottest night spots, with some frighteningly cheap drink specials. There will be a midnight costume contest at MacFadden’s. You can buy tickets at the door, but it’s better to order them in advance, as prices may go up, and it’s probably going to sell out.
WHERE:
pick up tickets from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. in front of
James Hoban’s Irish Restaurant and Bar
1 Dupont Circle, NW
Washington, DC
Ph. 202-223-8440
TICKETS: $25 if bought online now
At the Annual Halloween Graveyard Jam at the Hard Rock Café, Transylvania comes to DC, and throws a fantastic party. This one will really help heal the hole in your heart that trick-or-treating left behind, as there will be candy, bobbing for apples, a caricaturist, and nuclear waste party games (whatever that means- don’t pretend you aren’t at least curious). But since we aren’t nine years old anymore, there will also be appropriately rocking dance music and drink specials. Costumes aren’t required, but they’re certainly a good idea, as the grand prize is a weekend trip to Mexico, and prizes for runners-up include a dinner for two aboard the Odyssey, a weekend A Club getaway in 2012, and New Year’s Eve gala tickets. Prizes will be awarded in the categories of scariest, prettiest, and most original. There will also be a food drive for the homeless, so find a place somewhere in your costume that can contain some canned goods.
WHEN: Saturday, October 29, starting at 9 p.m.
WHERE:
Hard Rock Cafe Washington, DC
999 E Street, N.W.
Washington, DC
TICKETS: $25, buy them here.
Photo Credit: surrealdc2011.eventbrite.com
SurrealDC Masquerade will be brought to you be the geniuses at the Artomatic, so you know it’ll be a feast for the eyes. It will also be featuring multiple performing areas and art installations, two performing stages, a special fire performance, and, of course, dancing. There will be prizes for the scariest, craziest, funniest, sexiest, most original and creative costumes, so really get in touch with your ghoulish side.
WHEN: Saturday October 19, from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
WHERE:
Washington Harbour, Georgetown
3050 K St NW
Washington DC
TICKETS: $25, and only available for online purchase
At the Annual Halloween Graveyard Jam at the Hard Rock Café, Transylvania comes to DC, and throws a fantastic party. This one will really help heal the hole in your heart that trick-or-treating left behind, as there will be candy, bobbing for apples, a caricaturist, and nuclear waste party games (whatever that means- don’t pretend you aren’t at least curious). But since we aren’t nine years old anymore, there will also be appropriately rocking dance music and drink specials. Costumes aren’t required, but they’re certainly a good idea, as the grand prize is a weekend trip to Mexico, and prizes for runners-up include a dinner for two aboard the Odyssey, a weekend A Club getaway in 2012, and New Year’s Eve gala tickets. Prizes will be awarded in the categories of scariest, prettiest, and most original. There will also be a food drive for the homeless, so find a place somewhere in your costume that can contain some canned goods.
WHEN: Saturday, October 29, starting at 9 p.m.
WHERE:
Hard Rock Cafe Washington, DC
999 E Street, N.W.
Washington, DC
Violence is Scary IV is the fourth installment of an annual party to benefit the National Network to End Domestic Violence, which would to make erasing domestic violence a national priority, and to change how communities and government officials on every level respond to issues of domestic violence. At Violence is Scary guests can enjoy two hours of open bar, hors d’oeuvres from ONE Lounge, and tricky treats from Georgetown Cupcake.
WHEN: Saturday, October 29 from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
WHERE:
ONE Lounge
1606 20th St NW
Washington, DC
TICKETS: $40, which includes open bar. Buy them here.
DJ Rekha presents Bhangraween at the 9:30 Club, which promises to be a night of some seriously rocking music. DJ Rekha is a premier DJ playing bhangra, a bouncy and high-energy form of Indian dance music, and adds to that mix dancehall, dub, and hip-hop. Rekha’s New York City career drew in a huge following of music lovers, and she has been featured in the New York Times, Time Out New York, The Village Voice, and New York Magazine, as well as on multiple episodes of NPR and in fashionable magazines such as The Fader and Urb. She’s running the whole show on Saturday, and also sharing the stage with “bail funk princess Zuzuka Poderosa, dhol drum prodigy Rani Taj, and DC’s on spinmaster DJ Dredd. As if that wasn’t enough for one bhangra-master, DJ Rekha will also be judging the costume contest, awarding $100 and other prizes to the most outrageous costume.
WHEN: Saturday, October 29. Doors open at 11 p.m.
WHERE: 9:30 Club
815 V St NW
Washington, DC
TICKETS: $18 online.
