Halloween is only a week or so away, which means things are about to get downright spooky. If you still haven’t made plans for All Hallows’ Eve, however, you don’t have to be on pins and needles between now and then. Whether you’re looking for a family-friendly activity the kids can enjoy, or you want to eat, drink and be scary with your closest friends, you have plenty of haunted happenings to choose from in and around Downtown Dallas.
If you’ve got little ones who can’t wait for all things candy and costume, there’s no better place to be than the Spooktacular Sleepover at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science (2201 N. Field St.). Happening October 26, this annual overnight event introduces kids ages 6 through 14 to the “spookier” side of science, complete with creepy crawlers and explosive jack o’lanterns. The event also includes a costume contest, with bonus points for dressing up as scientifically as possible. The sleepover will start at 6:30 p.m. and end at 8 a.m. the next day, with adult supervision throughout.
For a free event the whole family — including its furriest members — can enjoy, head to the Ronald Kirk Bridge that connects Downtown Dallas to Trinity Groves on October 28. The annual Halloween Safe-tacular for Kids & Pets offers bounce houses, arts and crafts stations, live music and, of course, those all-important treats. The event also includes opportunities to meet real-life superheroes, as first responders from the Dallas Police Department, Dallas Fire and Rescue and the U.S. Army will be on hand to interact with attendees.
Downtown Dallas will also be hosting its own family-friendly activity with Trick-or-Treat on Downtown Streets. This event kicks off at 4:30 p.m. on October 31 with scary story time at Main Street Garden (1902 Main St.). From there, trick-or-treaters will have the run of both Main and Commerce Streets, where they can stop by local businesses for something sweet. Downtown Safety Patrol will be on-site to watch over the little ones, and parents will receive a map of participating businesses beforehand. Once your child is tuckered out, take them to the Omni Hotel (555 S. Lamar St.) for a free screening of the so-funny-it’s-scary (or so-scary-it’s-funny) Hocus Pocus.
If you’re most concerned about setting the proper mood for the evening, you’ll need a great Halloween playlist. Check out the Decks in the Park Halloween Bash at Klyde Warren Park (2012 Woodall Rodgers Fwy.). Promising to be the biggest Halloween party of the year, this music-themed event features top local and national DJs playing everything from house, electronic, hip-hop, pop and more. Halloween costumes are encouraged, and all ages are welcome to attend. To stretch the fun out all night long, those 21 and over can take their festiveness to the House of Blues (2200 N. Lamar St.) once the witching hour strikes. Admission is free to both events, but the after-party does require an RSVP.
Dracula may love to listen to the music made by the children of the night, but, for Halloween nightlife of a different sort, made a date of it at Le Méridien Dallas, The Stoneleigh (2927 Maple Ave.). This historic Uptown hotel will be hosting its own frightful blowout, Gatsby’s Masquerade, on October 27. Organized by Dallas Nightlife, this party takes place 13 floors up in the “Haunted Penthouse” (also known as the hotel’s presidential suite). You’ll find plenty of rooms for mingling, plus two separate dance floors, each with their own DJ. You’ll also have access to a terrace balcony that offers breathtaking views of the Downtown Dallas skyline, meaning you can capture the perfect Halloween selfie for your Instagram account. Whether you leave your mask on or not is entirely up to you.
Still looking for a good place to haunt for the evening? Plenty of bars and restaurants around the city will be hosting their own festivities the weekend before the 31st. Treat yourself to Halloween happenings in Deep Ellum at Stirr (2803 Main St., #110) and Club Dada (2720 Elm St.), on Lowest Greenville at Truck Yard Dallas (5624 Sears St.) and on Knox-Henderson at the site of the former Sissy’s Southern Kitchen & Bar (2929 N. Henderson Ave.).
What eerie and uncanny things do you have planned for All Hallows’ Eve? Say “boo” on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
