There was a time when Halloween was a one-day event. Now the season-long phenomenon, driven by retailers and marketing, seems to kick off the moment Labor Day weekend winds down.
But who’s to say how much Halloween is too much?
An Oregon Hill tradition, Richmond’s 20th Annual Halloween Parade takes for its always spot-on theme this year “A Funeral March for the American Dream,” so you could say everyone has skin in this game. Whether a parade newbie or veteran, don your costume, bring your own puppet, or join All the Saints Theater Company by participating in carrying a puppet head, a flag or a sign. With All the Saints, you’re not only guaranteed puppets but also 20 years of brass and drums, mega horns and beasts, dragons, stilts and yes, Mother Earth. Meet at Monroe Park. Friday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m.
New to the area and want to show off your costume or just people watch outdoors? Try Halloween on Hanover Avenue in the Fan. The residents of 1800-2200 blocks do it right, and on a Friday night, expect Richmonders to go big. Runs roughly from 5-9 p.m.
If “Damn it, Janet” means anything to you, don’t miss seeing “The Rocky Horror Show” on Halloween at Dominion Energy Center of the Arts’ Carpenter Theater. Still a smash hit after 50+ years, this unusual evening pairs the Richmond Symphony with actors from Richmond Triangle Players, so give yourself over to absolute pleasure. One night only on Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. Tickets. Read our more detailed preview by David Timberline.
If you like your Halloween to have a touch of philanthropy, head to Party Liberation Foundation’s 5th Annual Octoberween, a Halloween-themed fundraiser that’s all about the bass. It takes place at HomeGrown VA and costumes are strongly encouraged. Count on bass-heavy beats with DJs and live music, fire performances and flaming sculptures, aerial acts and circus arts, pole performances, interactive installations and live painting. Ticket proceeds support their 501(c)(3) nonprofit’s art grant program, free community events, and educational workshops. October 31, 9 p.m. Tickets
Everyone’s favorite fez-heads, The Embalmers, will headline the Halloween party at Révelér Experiences, with support from the Lonely Teardrops and Crack Fox. Expect tricks, treats and musical mayhem, but be sure to get your tickets in advance because these guys have a following. Friday, Oct. 31, 8 p.m. Tickets
If it wouldn’t be Halloween for you without your favorite goth, industrial, dark wave, and new wave music, head to Fallout, aka Richmond’s own “Bat Cave in The Bottom,” for the Monsters Ball, a night of DJs, dancing, potent potions, cage dancing and naturally, a costume contest. Oct. 31, 8 p.m. Tickets
Nothing says trick or treat quite like a good slasher film and 1996’s “Scream” delivers with an all-star ‘90s cast — think David Arquette, Courteney Cox and Neve Campbell — for Hardywood Park Craft Brewery’s Halloween movie night featuring beer, handcrafted pizzas and that classic slasher, Ghostface. Oct. 31, 7 p.m. Free. And if you’re more of a traditionalist, you can catch the John Carpenter classic, “Halloween” (1978) on the big screen of the majestic Byrd Theatre at 7 p.m. for $9 bucks.
Halloween night at Gallery 5 means celebrating the spookiest night of the year with two local tribute acts, Imaginary Boys as The Cure and Gold to Rust as The Sisters of Mercy. You can expect a costume contest, specialty drinks and, because it’s Gallery 5, stellar music. Oct. 31, 7 p.m. Tickets
For those who like a good carnival or haunted funhouse, the Park RVA presents a House of Haunts Halloween Party filled with music, thrills, and unlikely surprises such as syringe shooters (no, really). Count on a silent headphone party on the patio, multiple stages and a costume contest. October 31, 9 p.m. Tickets
Southern Railway Taphouse’s “Vampires Masquerade: A Night with the Immortals” promises two stories of terror, multiple bars and a full Halloween takeover. It’s a full-on costume party with DJ Jerm and no problem, masks will be provided. Presale tickets guarantee entry until 10 p.m. and are only available for purchase from the bartenders during operating hours. Pro tip: buying tickets at the door doubles the price. Oct. 31, 9 p.m.
Scotty’s House of Horrors Halloween Party at Scotty’s Taphouse will feature Chucky [the freckled, slasher movie villain created by former Richmonder Don Mancini] lurking about and ready for creepy photo ops. The requisite costume contest begins at midnight sharp, but first prize is $500, so well worth the effort of bringing your “A” costume game. Tickets available from a bartender and price includes a buffet. Oct. 31, 9 p.m.
Quirk Hotel is billing its Haunted Hotel Halloween as the perfect stop on your Halloween bar crawl. The $15 cover charge at the door gets you a craft cocktail — or mocktail — and, best of all, you can let the tarot cards choose your libation. DJ Aries Deleon will have you dancing with ghosts on a spooky dance floor.
Which famous dead person would you choose to be? Walk the red carpet into an immersive Dead Celebrity Ball at Harry’s at Hofheimer, complete with a Hollywood theme across multiple levels, each offering a different experience. Count on drag queens, a Dead Celebrity costume contest with prizes, and a scavenger hunt packed with social media-worthy challenges. Oct. 31, 6 p.m. Tickets
It’s not trick or treating exactly, but you will be moving door to door at the two-day Official Halloween Bar Crawl. Don your costume, the better to enjoy some creepy cocktails, as you make your way through some of Richmond’s classic bars for Halloween-themed entertainment, snapping selfies all the way. Runs from Friday, Oct. 31, 4 p.m. – Saturday, Nov. 1 at 11 p.m. Tickets
If candy and costumes aren’t your thing, consider taking an Eerie Canal Cruise. The hauntingly narrated 20-minute canal boat tours leave every half hour (that’s on the hour and half hour) with each night’s last boat departing at 8:30 p.m. Takes place Oct. 30 through Nov. 1 from 5-9 p.m. Tickets
Whatever you do, enjoy your night and creep responsibly!
