It’s Halloween weekend! The gay high holidays are finally here! And there’s so much going on, I had to ask for extra column inches this week just to fit it all in!
Check it out — here’s a rundown of all the special parties being hosted by all our local watering holes. If you plan it right, you can actually start your night at one place and trick-or-treat your way across the neighborhood entering (and winning!) as many costume contests as you can.
I know someone who stitched together a Lady Gaga bikini out of raw flank steak, then hit three contests and took home a bundle last year! Which he then had to spend on antibiotics because his costume gave him e. coli (just kidding — love you, Phil!).
So plan your night carefully! And make sure your costume isn’t carrying any potentially lethal pathogens, OK?
Friday, Oct. 28
Dracula’s Ball: ICandy, 254 S. 12th St., reduced cover before 11 p.m. Drink specials, DJ Domenic Romeo and $1,000 worth of cash and prizes! (Not to be confused with the long-running goth-industrial Dracula’s Ball held quarterly at Shampoo.)
Halloween Burlesque: Sisters Nightclub, 1320 Chancellor St., 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Featuring Keycifer Black, Holly Heartbreaker, Sonny Soleil, Reverend Mackenzie Molotov, Timaree, aerial acrobat Tiffany Holder and your MC The Notorious OMG. Doors open at 9, show starts at 11.
Sandy Beach’s Haunted Halloween Show: Venture Inn, 255 S. Camac St., 11 p.m.-midnight. Don’t miss this show hosted by one of Philly’s all-time favorite entertainers!
ShamBoo!: Shampoo Nightclub, 417 N. Eighth St., 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Simply Christopher and DJ Andi’s annual Halloween party; $5 admission and $4 you-call-it drinks until 11 p.m. Costume contest with Casey of Wired 96.5 FM on the main floor.
Saturday, Oct. 29
Creatures of the Night: Voyeur Nightclub, 1221 St. James St., 9 p.m.-6 a.m. Featuring “Scarey-oke” in the Ruby Dungeon until midnight and $3 drinks until 11 p.m. Music by DJ Carl Michaels, spinning classic tracks in the lounge, DJ Tripp spinning hip-hop, while Isaac Jordan and Chazz Rockwell take control on the main floor.
Philadelphians MC Halloween Bar Crawl: Starting at 9 p.m. at the Westbury, then moving to Tavern on Camac at 10 p.m., Uncles at 11 p.m., finishing up at The Bike Stop at midnight. Costumes strongly encouraged (if you don’t wear one, they might dress you up with spare parts from their own costumes — you know how those guys like to get naked).
Halloween Ho Down: Sisters Nightclub, 1320 Chancellor St., 9 p.m.-2 a.m. $1,000 in cash and prizes to the top three winners, must register by 11 p.m.
Halloween Party: Westbury, 261 S. 13th St., 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Spooky-themed menu items, $3 drink specials, Jell-O shots and a portion of all craft tap beer sales to benefit MANNA, and a costume contest with over $200 in cash prizes (judging at the stroke of midnight). Halloween Party: The New Woody’s, 10 p.m.-2 a.m., 202 S. 13th St. Annual costume contest hosted by Brittany Lynn, with $500 in cash and prizes.
Hell Part I: ICandy, 254 S. 12th St., reduced cover before 11 p.m. Drink specials, DJ Domenic Romeo and $1,000 in cash and prizes. Yes, that’s $1,000 in cash and prizes every night!
Keystone Boys of Leather Superheroes vs. Super Villains Bar Night: The Bike Stop, 206 S. Quince St., 10 p.m.-1 a.m. Drink specials, hot boys and spandex, spandex, spandex!
Stimulus’ Mischief and Mayhem: Marathon Grill at 1818 Market St., 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Dance party and costume contest with cash and prizes. Admission is $7 in costume before midnight, otherwise $10.
Sunday, Oct. 30
Trick or Treat: ICandy, 254 S. 12th St., reduced cover before 11 p.m. Wear a costume tonight and get a free shot! Drink specials, DJ Domenic Romeo and, yes, another $1,000 worth of cash and prizes!
Monday, Oct. 31
Dracula’s Ball: Shampoo, 417 N. Eighth St., 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Long-running goth-industrial party celebrating all things vampire, with live bands and DJs.
Hell Part II: ICandy, 254 S. 12th St., dance floor opens at 8 p.m. Drink specials, DJ Michael DeCero and, yes, $1,000 worth of cash and prizes!
Henri David’s Halloween Ball: Sheraton City Center Hotel, 201 N. 17th St., 9 p.m.-2 a.m. This one-of-a-kind annual extravaganza must be seen to be believed! There will be a nine-category costume contest at the stroke of midnight. Tickets are $25 with costume or $75 without.
Philadelphia Leather Pride Weekend
The third annual leather community fundraiser kicks off on Nov. 4 with the Leather Blender social from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. at the William Way LGBT Community Center, followed by a Kinky Karnival hosted by Philadelphians MC at The Bike Stop from 8 p.m.-1 a.m.
Then on Nov. 5, catch the three-hour bootblacking class at The Bike Stop from 1:30-4:30 p.m., followed by dinner at ICandy from 4:30-7:30 p.m. The main event, a live auction featuring entertainment by those award-winning sex gods also known as the Liberty City Kings, will be held at Woody’s on Nov. 5 from 7 p.m.-midnight. And don’t forget the after-party at The Bike Stop from 11 p.m.-2 a.m.
The weekend winds down on Nov. 6 with a series of special presentations at the William Way from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
All weekend there will be free exhibits at the William Way Center featuring items from the collections of the Carter/Johnson Library, the Leather Archives & Museum and the Graphic Accord art exhibit, plus classes and lectures given by community leaders.
Weekend beneficiaries include the Leather Archives & Museum, the Women’s Leather History Project, the Carter/Johnson Leather Library, the William Way, the Mazzoni Center Food Bank, Hearing from the Heart and By the Grace of George.
For more information and pricing, see www.plpn.org.
Questions, comments or news about upcoming events? Contact Jim at [email protected].