Washington, D.C., 2014 Halloween Parties & Events:
Halloween is right around the corner, which means you’re probably scrambling to find something to do. Have the great costume, but nowhere to go? Avoiding a costume at all costs, but still interested in fun food and drink? Don’t worry, we have you covered.
Consider this your guide for 2014 D.C. Halloween events when you’re looking for something, anything, to do beyond the annual Nightmare on M Street, which occurs this Saturday.
Bandolero
Bandolero is hosting a “night of fright and freakish fun” on Halloween. They’re offering their house margaritas and sucking pig tacos for happy hour prices all day long.
If you win the best costume award, you’ll get a $150 gift card for the restaurant. The winner gets chosen at 10 pm.
Beacon Bar & Grill
Beacon Bar & Grill wants you to be possessed on Halloween… by their $6 “spooky cocktails”, $6 bites, and $6 Don Julio. That’s 666, if you weren’t keeping track.
There’s a live DJ, and a costume contest. But they’re celebrating all weekend long. The night before, on Thursday the 30th, they’re showcasing an “All Souls Salsa Dance Party”, and on November 1st, they’re offering a Day of the Dead Celebration with Happy Hour all night, and Mexican face painting.
For that, you’ll need to buy a $10 ticket, which also gets you a $20 food and beverage credit to use by 10:30 pm.
Bobby McKey’s
Bobby McKey’s in the National Harbor is offering back to back Halloween parties on Friday and Saturday. Their warning for you is that you’ll be visiting a “Duel to the Death” piano bar.
There’s a separate costume contest on both nights.
Boss Shepherd’s
Boss Shepherd’s is hosting a Halloween event on the 31st. Specials include the Smoky Manhattan, which is made by filling a glass with smoke from burning wood chips before pouring in the drink, and the Rum Punch, a witches brew concoction with dry ice. There’s also a special champagne cocktail for the flappers out there.
Everyone in costume throughout the evening will receive discounts all night long, and there’s also special entertainment in the dining room.
Chipotle
Who said Chipotle can’t get in on the fun? It’s not really a party, but there is a discount for those dressed in costume, and there’s also an online costume contest awarding three $2,500 grand prizes. That’s no joke.
It’s the Boorito fundraiser on the 31st. Anyone in costume can get a $3 burrito, bowl, salad or order of tacos from 5pm-close. Proceeds up to $1 million benefit the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation.
To enter the online contest, upload a photo of your costume to Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #ChipotleBooritoContest. Categories include best group costume, scariest costume and most creative costume. Find full details here.
Congressional Cemetery
It’s time for Ghosts and Goblets. Visit the Congressional Cemetery and go on a twilight tour of their most famous (and infamous?) headstones. The Public Vault will be home to a cocktail bar, where a $60 ticket gets you admission and four drink tickets. Be prepared to drink with their 65,000+ “residents”
Correction: This event takes place this Saturday, October 25th.
Crime Museum
The Crime Museum is the perfect place to spend Halloween, right? Those evil clowns are definitely creeping me out. Check out Fright at the Museum, which is basically one part horror movie, one part torture, one part brutal crimes. Tickets cost $30, but will be $10 less with the code FN14.
They’re holding events from the 24th-November 1st, including Halloween night from 7-10pm.
Dino’s
It’s a Halloween costume party at Dino’s Grotto. There’s candy, a chance to spin the prize wheel for gifts ranging from free cocktails to 3-course meals, and the $19 ticket also provides all you can eat appetizers.
Spooky eats include frighteningly delicious sounding options like Zombie Eyes, mini meat balls in a bloody-red sauce, Dead Man’s Fingers, proscuitto wrapped burrata, and several other options. There are also a variety of specialty cocktails for the occasion, along with Oktoberfest and pumpkin beers on tap.
Party starts at 7pm. Buy your tickets here.
Dogfish Head
Visit Dogfish Head Alehouse in Gaithersburg for a special daytime event starting at noon. There’s a free pint glass giveaway while supplies last, and more than the pint glass, you’ll get them filled with candy, too.
Nice start to the day if you’re playing Halloween hooky to brace yourself for whatever spooky trouble you’re getting into later.
Doubletree Bethesda
You don’t have to be in the District to have some Halloween fun. At the Bethesda Doubletree, you’ll find the Monster Bash event from 9pm-1am. There’s dancing, lounging, sweets stations, several cash bars, and even horror films playing in two movie theaters — popcorn included.
There’s also a costume contest, with grand prizes for best couple, best male and best female. Admission costs $10.
Drafting Table
Drafting Table will be offering $4 beer specials all night on Halloween, offering deals on Post Road Pumpkin Ale, Colette Farmhouse Ale, Great Lakes Oktoberfest, Rowdy, Pumple Drumkin, Saranac Pumpkin Ale, and more. Brooklyn Brewery reps will be on hand with t-shirts to giveaway.
Best dressed costume winners will win $50 gift certificates to the restaurant. The contest will be decided at 11pm.
Mansion on O Street
One of our favorite D.C. Halloween parties is the Mansion on O Street’s Halloween Costume Party. You’ll find all of the typical treasure hunting and exploring fun, with some spooky surprises thrown in for fun.
Decorate a pumpkin for a prize, or bring your pet for a chance at best pet costume. Other kooky awards include craziest shoes and grossest costume. Party lasts from 8:30pm-midnight, and tickets start at $40 but get bumped to $60 on day-of.
Mockingbird Hill
In the mood to drink lots of Sherry? What about hearing a dramatic reciting of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado? (A victim gets walled into a cask of Amontillado Sherry, FYI.)
Enjoy $4 Amontillado Sherry all night long, special bites, and more. Kerry McGee offers the adaptation of Poe’s story at 7pm.
Lucky Strike
Halloween? More like Bowloween, amiright? That’s what Lucky Strike is offering, with their Bowlloween Costume Bash.
It’s actually happening nationwide at all of their locations, and in Chinatown, you can get in on the fun with costumed bowling and other spooky delights. Event lasts from 9pm-2am, and tickets start at $15.
The Passenger
Celebrate death – the Death of Disco, at the Passenger.It’s a zombie disco party – you have been to one of those before, haven’t you? There’s a DJ, drink specials, costume contests and other festivities.
According to them it’s “BYOB- Bring Your Own Blood, OR blood will be provided as well.” So, that’s good to know. Admission costs $5.
Policy
Policy is hosting a Memories and Nightmares party, starting at 6pm with a special happy hour deals. From 7-9pm, you’ll get complimentary Stoli cocktails while they last, and happy hour prices lasting until 9pm. At 10 pm the DJ kicks in, and the party lasts until 3am.
The Queen Vic
It’s a Clockwork Orange Halloween at the Queen Vic. You knew they’d have something good, didn’t you?
Six straight hours of A Clockwork Orange screenings from 9pm to 3am — isn’t that the type of torture depicted in the movie?
Silver Spring
It’s the annual Silver Spring Zombie Walk, which starts at 8pm and lasts until 8pm. Do your best Walking Dead impersonation down Georgia Ave until you get to the AFI Silver movie theater, where you can watch Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead, as your reward. There’s a zombie dance party thrown in along the way for good measure.
Correction: D’oh! Second one – this one is also on the 25th.
Union Market
Union Market will be hosting a Halloween party. Check out a drive-in movie flick, get plenty of candy, drinks and other specials throughout the market, and more. There’s also pumpkin decorating, face painting and other activities. Festivities start at 6pm.
Zoo
Night of the Living Zoo is back on Thursday, October 30th from 6:30-10pm. You’ll find glow in the dark lawn games, costume contests, fire breathers, illusionists, stilt walkers, musicians and all kinds of spooky diversions. Hopefully dressing up the animals and setting them free to chase you down throughout the park isn’t one of them.
General admission costs $20, VIP tickets cost $55 and include two drink tickets, hors d’oeuvres, and other exclusives.
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This is a round-up of some of the best we’ve seen, and we’re really only focused on Halloween weekend, October 30th-November 1st, but if you know of any other great 2014 D.C. Halloween parties or events we haven’t included, be sure to let us know in the comments.
