Pumpkin decorations are in grocery stores, friends are texting about what their costumes will be and nighttime is getting longer \u2014 Halloweekend\u2019s almost here! This Thursday-to-Sunday celebration \u2014 with Halloween sitting in the middle on Saturday \u2014 offers endless possibilities to enjoy the spooky season. But, like me, do you ever yearn for classic Halloween festivities that aren\u2019t just dancing in packed frats? Straight from a Halloween enthusiast to you, here are the events you seek!<\/p>\n
The Vampire Lestat drag show \u2014 Oct. 29<\/p>\n
When researching events, I found this and felt like I stumbled upon gold; I absolutely adore \u201cInterview with the Vampire\u201d by Anne Rice! So if you\u2019re a vampire lover, this event is perfect for you.<\/p>\n
Dress up in bloody attire and attend this 21-plus show that also features a costume competition. There\u2019ll be mysterious prizes for the best ensemble and live music by Pretty Frankenstein. Purchase tickets for $12 online and $15 at the door. Once the clock strikes 8 p.m., waltz into Thee Stork Club in Oakland to fulfill all your vampiric dreams.<\/p>\n
7th Annual Halloween Hootenanny \u2014 Oct. 30<\/p>\n
This tradition among the Berkeley community stirs up Halloween spirit from 3-7 p.m. at the Downtown Berkeley BART Plaza. \u201cThe Rocky Horror Picture Show\u201d performers will appear, along with live bands, face painters, costume contests and more. Join this celebration to prepare for Halloween!<\/p>\n
Berkeley Haunted Hike \u2014 Oct. 30 (and before)<\/p>\n
Hikers, immerse yourselves in spooks this Halloween season! This is a semi-intensive hike chronicling Berkeley\u2019s ghastly history, led by a paranormal investigator. After being told real ghost stories and shown paranormal evidence, you won\u2019t see Berkeley the same way.<\/p>\n
Three-hour hikes are discounted for students at $49. Reach out on the Haunted Bay\u2019s website for a shorter custom tour. Sign up Oct. 17, 18, 24, 25 or, most importantly, Oct. 30! To begin this chilling experience, meet your group at 2630 Bancroft Way, right by Caff\u00e8 Strada. Who knows what you\u2019ll encounter?<\/p>\n
924 Gilman shows \u2014 Oct. 30 and 31<\/p>\n
This is my favorite spot for alternative music in Berkeley. Since its establishment in 1986, 924 Gilman has made a name for itself. Run by a nonprofit called the Alternative Music Foundation and supported by its strong community, the venue hosts events nearly every weekend. For these spooky bashes, dress up as extravagantly goth, wild and fun as you want and attend a Halloween rock show! Make sure to purchase a $5 annual membership either online or at the door. More information is available on 924 Gilman\u2019s Instagram.<\/p>\n
On Oct. 30, attend a show featuring bands from Febuary to Slinger. Taking place from 7-11 p.m., this is a great way to prepare for the chill of the Halloween season. At the door, tickets are $27 and online, they\u2019re $23.<\/p>\n
Oct. 31 is 924 Gilman\u2019s Halloween spectacular. Presales online are $18, while at the door they\u2019re $20. Celebrate with bands such as Spy, Violent Imagery, Rose Chamber and more. The fun begins at 6 p.m.<\/p>\n
Halloween markets \u2014 Oct. 31 (and Oct. 23)<\/p>\n
The quaint Fourth Street, which I adore for all its eclectic shops, is hosting a Halloween festival that makes one nostalgic for childhood fun. From 3-5 p.m. on Oct. 31, you can trick-or-treat at more than 80 local businesses\u2019 booths set up between University Avenue and Virginia Street.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re in the mood to do something before that, check out Fifth Street\u2019s Halloween Market & Animal Welfare Fundraiser, taking place from 5-9 p.m. on Oct. 23 at Donkey & Goat Winery. Rock out at live concerts, enjoy treats from food vendors and spend hours at an art market!<\/p>\n
\u201cFrankenstein\u201d \u2014 Oct. 31<\/p>\n
Have you ever wanted to see an iconic Halloween movie on the big screen, with monsters ready to lurch out at you in your comfy seat? You\u2019re in luck! At 3 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre Oakland, you can watch \u201cFrankenstein\u201d and get in the mood for harrowing frights as nighttime creeps closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Rocky Horror Picture Show\u201d \u2014 Oct. 31<\/p>\n
This is a cult classic Halloween celebration with iconic music, fabulous fashion and audiences screaming callback lines passed down from when the movie first premiered in 1975. Get excited as you watch live actors recreate this campy tale while everyone puts on their birthday hats and throws toilet paper. Make sure to go in as blind as you can; I did last year and loved it despite my initial confusion! I also attended a showing on Valentine\u2019s Day, something I wholeheartedly recommend.<\/p>\n
This year, \u201cThe Rocky Horror Picture Show\u201d will be showing at the UC Theatre on Oct. 31, starting at 8 p.m. with doors opening at 7 p.m.<\/p>\n
Jack London Square \u2014 Nov. 1<\/p>\n
After Halloween\u2019s festivities, Jack London Square will transform to celebrate D\u00eda de Los Muertos! This will feature live folklorico dancers, mariachi bands and chalk artists. The event takes place from 1-3 p.m. Head over to the plaza by Scott\u2019s Seafood Grill & Bar to indulge in these amusements.<\/p>\n
At-home activities<\/p>\n
If none of these outings struck your fancy or if you love staying inside, Halloween at home is just as chic. Spice up the night your way! Throw a costume party with friends or host a spooky marathon movie night with old classics such as \u201cPsycho\u201d and \u201cInvasion of the Body Snatchers,\u201d or new hit releases such as \u201cObsession\u201d and \u201cBackrooms.\u201d Maybe now\u2019s the time to pick up a pumpkin and paint a scary rendition of Oski on it, or to buy a random skeleton decoration and hang it up to frighten your roommates. Just remember to enjoy Halloween, and happy haunting!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Pumpkin decorations are in grocery stores, friends are texting about what their costumes will be and nighttime is…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":495041,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[192485,173338,192490,169355,135796,30517,764,192488,90517,19444,166380,192486,192491,8715,105773,16391,27817,585,192494,192489,169354,192497,26427,143,145,144,140422,53855,41691,192483,192496,192493,192495,192492,59116,192487,192482,192484,93920,18549,69411,121320,83544],"class_list":["post-495040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-oakland","tag-7th-annual-halloween-hootenanny","tag-924-gilman","tag-alternative-music-foundation","tag-anne-rice","tag-backrooms","tag-bancroft-way","tag-berkeley","tag-berkeley-haunted-hike","tag-caff-strada","tag-da-de-los-muertos","tag-donkey-goat-winery","tag-downtown-berkeley-bart-plaza","tag-febuary","tag-fifth-street","tag-fourth-street","tag-frankenstein","tag-halloweekend","tag-halloween","tag-halloween-market-animal-welfare-fundraiser","tag-haunted-bay","tag-interview-with-the-vampire","tag-invasion-of-the-body-snatchers","tag-jack-london-square","tag-oakland","tag-oakland-headlines","tag-oakland-news","tag-obsession","tag-oski","tag-paramount-theatre-oakland","tag-pretty-frankenstein","tag-psycho","tag-rose-chamber","tag-scotts-seafood-grill-bar","tag-slinger","tag-spy","tag-the-rocky-horror-picture-show","tag-the-vampire-lestat","tag-thee-stork-club","tag-uc-theatre","tag-university-avenue","tag-valentines-day","tag-violent-imagery","tag-virginia-street"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/495040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=495040"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/495040\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/495041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=495040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=495040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=495040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}