Halloween is right around the corner, and here at STUFF, we appreciate any holiday that offers a chance to dress up, drink up, and get down. While we can't be held responsible for outdated costume choices that result in frightening fashion faux pas (hey, you in the Sarah Palin get-up: 2008 called, and it wants its costume back), we do consider it our duty to inform you of the options for tricking, treating, dancing, and drinking around the Hub on All Hallows Eve.
• Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Avenue, Somerville, 617.718.2191 | October 31, 7:15 p.m. to 10 p.m., Halloween with Devil Music | Way to stay classy, Boston… er, Somerville: the Devil Music Ensemble is providing a live score (or would that be an undead score?) to the classic 1922 vampire film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, directed by F.W. Murnau and starring Max Schreck as the decidedly unsexy Count Orlac. Chris Brokaw opens. For tickets ($16 in advance, $19 at the door) and more information, visit artsatthearmory.org.
• Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont Street, Boston, 617.426.5000 | October 31, noon to 4 p.m., Howloween | Celebrate the one day out of the year when it is entirely apropos for your pooch to howl to no end. Lectures and demonstrations will teach dog owners proper care for their four-legged friends, and a pup costume contest will follow. Cocktails along with treats for both humans and canines will be provided by The Beehive. For tickets ($7), call 617.426.1522.
• Faneuil Hall (multiple Faneuil Hall bars) | October 31, 2:30 p.m., Halloween Crawl | Proving once again that the bro-scene of Faneuil Hall can involve charity as well as chugging, Crawl in Boston is staging a Halloween bar crawl to support Birthday Wishes, a nonprofit that gives homeless children birthday parties. Costume-clad crawlers will start at J.A. Stats (99 Broad Street, Boston, 617.357.8287) and work their way through some of Faneuil Hall’s most popular watering holes. The event costs $5 (plus the cost of booze at the bars). For more information, visit crawlinboston.com.
• Gypsy Bar, 116 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.482.3399 | October 30 and 31, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., Uninhibited Halloween Weekend | A party so nice, they’re doing it twice! The Theater District haunt is hosting two nights of $500 costume contests and devilish debauchery that will be sure to leave you and your friends looking more than ghoulish the morning after. Cover is $10.
• Great Scott, 1222 Commonwealth Avenue, Allston, 617.734.4502 | October 30, 9 p.m., The Pill’s 7th Annual Halloween Show | Head over to Rock City to hear sounds so much like those of British music greats, it’s downright eerie. Local acts will be getting into the Halloween spirit by dressing up as some of their favorite bands, covering classics by the likes of Radiohead, The Clash, and The Smiths for you and your friends to croon along to amongst all those Allston hipsters. Tickets are $10 at the door, and you can find more information at thepillboston.com.
• Halloween Bike Ride, Green Street T Station, Jamaica Plain | October 31, 8:30 p.m. departure | Are you worried about the terrifying effects of too many treats on your waist line? Dress up yourself and your bike and meet at 8 p.m. before heading out on a fourteen-mile costumed ride through Boston and Cambridge, complete with a specially outfitted stereo bike that will provide sweet tunes as you battle some of Boston’s hills. Think of it as a free Halloween dance party on wheels — or as a workout regimen that won’t evoke any frightening memories of Jane Fonda and leg warmers. Find more information at halloweenbikeride.net.
• ImprovBoston, 40 Prospect Street, Cambridge, 617.576.1253 | October 30 and 31, shows at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., Gorefest VII: The Worster Seed | Rather than spend the night screaming at some sorority slasher flick on TV, why not head across the Charles and spend the evening screeching with laughter? Kids (especially twins) are often the creepiest characters in horror films, and the troupe at ImprovBoston is setting out to prove that twins hailing from Worcester are as frightening as you can get. Warning: you might get a little messy from all the blood squirting from the stage, so alert your dry cleaner! For tickets and more information, visit improvboston.com.
• InterContinental Boston, 510 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, 866.493.6495 | October 31, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., Captain Morgan Halloween Party | Head over to RumBa, the waterfront hotel’s chic rum and champagne bar for this second annual bash. There’s no cover, and along with a DJ and rum-caramel apples (keep the kids away from those!), there will be prizes awarded for best overall costume and best pirate costume. Arrr, matey! For those who want to remain marooned on party island, the InterContinental is offering a special “Shipwreck Package” starting at $199 throughout Halloween weekend so you and a special someone can stay the night and be showered with rum drinks and VIP access to RumBa’s Halloween party.
• Kings, 950 Providence Highway, Dedham, 781.329.6000 | October 31, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., Michael Jackson Costume Party | If you’re out in the ‘burbs and don’t want to brave the terrifying traffic into the city on Halloween night, then why not pay homage to the one-gloved wonder at the new location of the popular sports and bowling bar? Dress as the late King of Pop, and you’ll find yourself a contender for free tickets to the hotly anticipated Michael Jackson’s This Is It. And if moon-walking is right up your alley, compete in the “Thriller” dance competition once the clock strikes midnight. No cover.
• The Lansdowne, 9 Lansdowne Street, Boston, 617.247.1222 | October 31, 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., Halloween Ball | Fenway is scary enough when the Yankees are in town, but this new neighborhood gem is going to make it downright spooky with its first Halloween Ball. Wear your best costume and win prizes as local band Bear Fight and a DJ deliver music for you to howl along to.
• Liquor Store, The Alley, 25 Boylston Place, Boston, 617.357.6800 | October 30 and 31, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., Bull Riding Costume Contest | Some may think trick-or-treating is the norm for Halloween, but the folks at Liquor Store think All Hallows Eve is best celebrated by dressing like a naughty nurse (or, well, naughty anything) and riding the mechanical bull. There will be a $500 prize for the best costume on Friday and Saturday, but you have to ride the bull to be a contender for the cash — so liquor up and really frighten your friends with your rodeo moves. It sounds like a new Halloween tradition has emerged! Cover is $5.
• Machine, 1254 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.536.1950 | October 31, 9 p.m to 2 a.m., Bloodfeast Halloween Dance Party | Proving that Halloween doesn’t have to be entirely about trickery, the fabulous Fenway club will host a party benefiting the New England Society of Professional Journalists scholarship fund. $15 gets you a goblin of a good time with goodies by Karmaloop, a $1000 grand-prize costume contest, and four DJs spinning electro, industrial, and more.
• The Middle East Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge, 617.864.3278 | November 1, 7 p.m. to midnight, 6th Annual Mass Morgue | Refusing to costume its independent, hipster soul, the Middle East Upstairs eschews Halloween for a goth-friendly Day of the Dead instead. Expect an eclectic mix of horror-punk, deathrock, metal, goth rock, and more, not to mention belly dancers and someone called “Pete the Human Floor,” at a night that would leave both Marilyn Manson and Morrissey proud… and maybe a little confused. Either way, it’s a chance to use that costume one more night! Tickets are $10 in advance at the Middle East box office, $12 at the door.
• The Red Fez, 1222 Washington Street, Boston, 617.338.6060 | October 30, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., Tobie’s All Hallow’s Eve | The popular event producer behind Boston’s diva-licious Tribute Thursdays will transform this South End Middle Eastern restaurant into the hottest gay destination of the night. Along with gorgeous men and an almost guaranteed Madonna medley, specialty cocktails will be served to you and your fabulously costumed friends. No cover.
• The Roxy, 279 Tremont Street, Boston, 617.338.7699 | October 31, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., Thriller Halloween Party | For those seeking a little south-of-the-border flavor with their Halloween festivities, The Roxy is the place to be. Latin hits will be churned out by three DJs, and $1000 will go to the best costume. There’s a $10 cover before midnight, $15 after.
• Splash, 150 Kneeland Street, Boston, 617.426.6397 | October 31, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., SPLASH-O-WEEN | Add a little South Beach flair to your Halloween when the trendy Miami-style lounge throws its first Halloween party, complete with Bacardi cocktails, a DJ spinning some of your favorite jams, and free billiards. And if you have the best costume, you will win $1000 — some of which should be used to sample the bar’s new Pumpkin Paradise cocktail. No cover.
• Tequila Rain, 145 Ipswich Street, Boston, 617.437.0300 | October 31, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., Halloween Costume Bash | It’s Halloween, Spring Break style, at this Fenway haunt, where the $500 prize will go to whoever’s got the sexiest costume. A psychic tarot card reader will be on hand to let you know if you’ll survive the next bump and grind session out on the dance floor. Cover is $5.
• Vinalia, 34 Summer Street, Boston, 617.737.1777 | October 30, 8:30 p.m. to 2 a.m., Sinners and Saints Halloween Bash | Vinalia will host this annual Boston bash, which boasts complimentary body painting and more $1000 in prizes for the best sinner, saint, and overall costumes. Tickets are two for $25 on bostoneventguide.com or $25 each at the door.
• Vox Populi, 755 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.424.8300 | October 31, 6 p.m. to 1 a.m., Ghouls and Goblins Galore! | Kiss reality goodbye for the night and come dressed in your most creative costume, as it may just win you $500. Of course, you could find out whether you’ll win ahead of time with some help from the in-house tarot card reader and then do the Monster Mash as a DJ spins some tunes. Cover is $20 and includes complimentary cocktails by Bacardi from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
