Ever been hanging out at a friend's place when a song comes on their stereo that makes you sit forward suddenly? It's not that there's anything particularly startling about that song, but rather, you realize as you glance around nonchalantly to see if anyone noticed your breach of cool, you had it set as your ringtone for a while. You associate these sounds with an instantaneous call to action, they have preceded important events and conversations. This is the effect the word "Halloweek" has on its veteran revelers. Richmond is a Halloween town, given to morbid fantasies and the haunted nuances of graveyards and cobblestone alleys, to costumed parties, legendary throwdowns, and ritualistic excess. We can't get enough of a good thing, and we're *really* good at Halloween. It would follow then, as surely as mimosas at brunch follow a hangover, that we would not be content to allow the celebration to pass within the standard duration of lesser holidays such as New Year's Eve, Labor Day, or Thanksgiving. And all we had to do was trade in an "n" for a "k". The point, is that it's our time of year again, Richmond. Time to shine like a PBR logo carved out of a pumpkin. This is your guide to shining. Because all work and no play...
Tuesday the 26th
It's SCARY-OKE karaoke at Sticky Rice! You can pretty much get the idea from the title, AND you can make all sorts of tasteless jokes about how "scary" it will be to hear your friends try to sing. Or not. 10pm
And Shitty Halloween!
Wednesday the 27th
Ever wondered who would win at Rock, Paper, Scissors: Darth Vader, or The Dude? We're not guaranteeing this particular match, but you shouldn't rule it out.
Katra Gala presents The Return of Rock, Paper, Scissors at Bellytimber Tavern. There are costumes involved. Craziness is advertised. That's like... permission. 10pm
The daring, devilish, and demonic duo Deanna Danger & Deepa de Jour have cooked up something very special in their cauldron for you Bon Bon Burlesque fans this month THE HORROR HOUSE OF WONDER!!! A two-night cult horror movie extravaganza! Featuring two different horror movies on two different nights, with two different casts! 8pm Wonderland (Wed&Thursday)
Our Friends at EQ are proud to present their First Annual FREAKQUENCY Halloween Party at THE FEAR FACTORY (aka The Hat Factory, 140 Virginia St, Downtown Richmond) featuring the music of THE POLISH AMBASSADOR, Silo Effect's DJ CHENCHILLA and red-hot newcomer GHOST PAYNE along with an indoor Haunted House, Costume Contest, drink specials and more Halloween-themed surprises than you can shake a bat at! 9pm
Thursday the 28th
The Taint VHS Release / Halloween Screening! At Gallery 5 - screening of the local funny horror film by Drew Bolduc. Come get pumped for Halloween with The Taint. It will be totally fun!
Did you hear that? That was the sound of every beer geek in the city gasping and scrambling to rearrange their schedules. Mekong's HALLOBEER costume party is on Thursday the 28th. The New Belgians are playing, there will be amazing beer and Pho King! Mekong is for beer lovers. HALLOBEER is for... wait... yeah, beer lovers!! 8pm Mekong
At Empire hosts a Zombie Prom Dance Party. What you have to do to be named prom king and queen at a zombie prom, we don't know. The mind reels. Come out and zombie dance in your most wicked. 10pm
Friday the 29th
Friday, right around the time you start to feel alive again (10pm), is The Return of the Raging Dead at New York Deli, presented by Audio Ammo and RVA Magazine. DJs Doddie and Long make their triumphant return, and they're giving out swag from West Coast Kix and Need Supply Co. Baller.
Saturday the 30th "All Hallows eve"
6th Annual Zombie Walk in Carytown. Richmond loves to bring the apocalypse early with our gathering of stumbling, drooling, and bloody zombies parading through carytown. Its always fun to see the people that have no clue whats going on running for there lives. This year, the pre-walk meet up spot will be at Byrd Park (Boat Lake) There we will collect fundraiser donations, judge the costume contests and go over the rules for the actual event in Carytown. 12pm-4pm. Byrd Park/Ellwoods
Saturday, the day the rest of the world is likely to start celebrating Halloween, is RVA Magazine Official Halloween Party " MASSACRE-ADE BALL" at The Hat Factory with Cobra Krames, PLF's Reinhold and Mr. Jennings, Audio Ammo's Bobby La Beat, and MC/Ringmaster Parker Galore. If there were a way to write out the guttural noises this should be eliciting right now, you'd be reading it. This is madness. And over $700 dollars for the costume contest. Why would you miss this? Bring your best! 9pm. Hat Factory
Also at 10 is HALLEAUX-Ween at Balliceaux, featuring the notorious dancemaker Mikemetic Kemetic and a costume contest worth $300. Classy stuff, to be sure. We're trying to figure out how to pull of "mummy chic".
Sunday the 31st "Halloween"
Sprout is hosting a Zombie Brunch for all you ghouls to feast well before venturing out for more. There will be a flesh-inspired menu and Zombie dress is encouraged for the costume contest with prizes! Feeding starts at 11am til 4pm. Sprout
Richmond's Fifth Annual Halloween Parade! A Funeral March for the Dead with all Saints Theatre! Sunday, Halloween night. 7pm...meet at monroe park ready to carry puppets and be rowdy! need bicycles to block traffic!
Finally, Halloween night (you know, the *actual* holiday) goes out with an explosion of zombified limbs and howling spirits. The Sticky Rice Halloween Bash kicks off with plenty of freaks, food, and fermented beverages, photo shoots!!, and swag and prizes (from West Coast Kix and Need Supply Co.) and shameless indulgence for all. 10pm Sticky Rice
Weezie-ween with DJ Bobby Rock and a cash prize costume contest insures there will be a steady procession of the un-dead staggering between Carytown and Strawberry Street. Weezie's in Carytown. 9pm
This is your week, Richmond. Let's make some stories to tell around the fire next year.
LINKS to event pages:
6th Annual Richmond Zombie Walk
Sprout
Parade
Return of the Raging Dead
Burlesque
The taint
Turbo P - RVAlution
Masquerade ball
Make sure to check out Hat Factory's Fear Factorys Events HERE