If we could offer one piece of advice on Halloween and dating, it would be this: Don’t wear something that will be a potential mix of ridiculous and hilarious if you’re caught walking home alone at 2 a.m. You could become a meme. But take a risk and make a date out of Halloween. With so many offerings leading up to Monday, you’ll need to decide what you’re looking for whether it’s achieving couples’ costume glory or maybe just taking in a frightening movie.
Dress to Impress.
Show off your wit, creativity, and personality at a costume contest. With the right touch, your outfit could be a real conversation starter. Head to the Truck Yard for a laid-back, dog-friendly event or gear up for Henderson Tap House’s five-day contest, which promises $5,000 in cash prizes for the winners. Spilt your winnings with your date, if it’s going well, but keep the bragging rights.
Feast Your Eyes.
Go above and beyond a typical museum visit. The Latino Cultural Center honors Dia de los Muertos with a reception for Day of the Dead artwork and continues with artist booths, crafts for adults, and live music and dance performances all day long. The Granada Theater and Sundown at Granada will bring a taco truck, tarot card reader, live music, and drink specials (Vampire Blood Syringe jello shot, anyone?) to Lower Greenville for its fiesta. Costumes are a must, and the winner and runner-up have cash and other prizes on the line. Denton’s fifth annual Day of the Dead festival will hit Hickory and Industrial streets on Saturday. With events like coffin races, a twilight lantern parade, the Cirque du Horror, and a salsa tasting competition, this festival is a scream.
Let’s Get Physical.
Maybe you’re both on the competitive side or you’re looking to regale your date with brawn. Either way, the Campbell Green Rec Center’s Dodgeball Bash is your stage. Costumes are encouraged to be as crazy as possible and can be advantageous to your game. (Use that shield in dodgeball battle.) If you’re less into ducking and dodging and more into scaling, all four Summit Climbing, Yoga & Fitness locations will offer free entry to climbers in costume all day Monday. (That Spider-Man costume in the back of your closet is too obvious a choice for this round.)
Have a Monster Mash.
Celebrate with a good, old-fashioned party. Grab a PBR and sing it out at Crown & Harp’s Costume Karaoke. (Bonus points for a themed performance. We see you out there, Zombie Prince.) For a night of sophistication, take your date to the 33rd floor of the W Hotel – Victory for this year’s Fantasy Halloween bash. Impress with platinum and VIP packages that include tickets for premium seating for eight or 10 people, bottle service, and a personal cocktail waitress.
Take in a Frightening Flick (or play).
Hold your date close during seasonal classic “Halloween,” which will be screening at both the Richardson and Dallas Alamo Drafthouses at 7 and 9 p.m., respectively. Show your date your appreciation for Shakespearean drama, where House Party Theatre will perform Macbeth at The Levee at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 each and can be purchased here.
Tour Hallowed Ground.
A haunted tour will allow you two to brush up on your history as you traverse grounds with a scary past together. The Dallas Historical Society and Dallas Heritage Village are leading an Oakland Cemetery Tour on October 29. Character performances will take place as you walk past the graves of a Civil War general (only one of two buried in Dallas County), the first president of the Shakespeare Club, and over 35,000 graves. After dark, Old Town Lewisville becomes the setting for Gateway Ghost Tours. Held every Saturday in the fall, guides Cindy Ross and Heidi Barr will lecture on the history of Lewisville from the 1800s to the present, let you get hands-on with paranormal investigation equipment, and promise that guests will “get to experience real paranormal activities.”
Linda Smith is a DMagazine.com intern.
