Thursday, October 29
What's sweeter than honey? A sensory experience pairing dinner at the aptly named Honey (16 E. Atlantic Ave.) in downtown Delray Beach. This downtown resto-lounge will host its first multisensory pairing dinner on Thursday with a series of craft cocktails paired with the Plate + Table's selection of delectable edibles. The five-course menu includes several unique dishes, including the Berry Innocent,
Cocktail hour begins at 7 p.m., followed by dinner at 8. Tickets cost $95 per person. Visit honeydelray.com.
Friday, October 30
The Fort Lauderdale Bus Loop invites riders to don their best zombie costumes and ride the Zombie Bus Loop. Each rider gets a lift to several of Fort Lauderdale's bars. The stops include Public House, Tilted Kilt, Bahia Cabana, America's Backyard, Quarterdeck, Lucky's Tavern, Suviche and Crafti Bar. Each stop includes a complimentary drink and appetizers. If you couldn't make time for the costume, don't worry, because the Tilted Kilt and Bahia Cabana will have an onsite makeup artist who'll do you up like the dead for a small fee. And don't worry about getting a ride to the trolley, because Uber is pitching in with free rides worth up to $20 — all you have to do is download the app.
The Zombie Bus Loop begins its tour at 300 SE Second Ave. in Fort Lauderdale on Friday starting at 6 p.m. and runs until 11. Cost is $30 online before October 30 or $35 at the door. Visit busloop.org.
What do you get when you combine the hippest Halloween party with the world's most acclaimed and historic tiki bar? Hulaween, of course. The seventh-annual Hulaween celebration of all things creepy and kitschy returns to the Mai-Kai (3599 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale) on Friday. Rising from the ground at 5 p.m. and lurching past midnight, the ghoulish event will feature a costume contest with cash prizes, special giveaways to the winners, and plenty of drink specials. South Florida live music act Slip and the Spinouts will perform three sets of roots and rockabilly tunes beginning around 7 p.m., when the Molokai bar will be transformed into a rockin' retro shindig with the Mai-Kai's acclaimed tiki cocktails (sold half-price until 7 p.m.) and classic pupu platters sharing the spotlight with the lively crowd of undead revelers. This year's top prize for the best costume is $300 cash plus a $50 gift certificate from the Mai-Kai. Second place will receive $200 and third $100, provided by Appleton rum.
All night, the Mai-Kai's dining rooms, including the showroom featuring the famous Polynesian Islander Revue, will be available as usual for dinner parties large and small — and the dead or undead. Call 954-563-3272, or visit maikai.com.
Saturday, October 31
FAT Village Arts District, OpenHouse, and Red Monkey will host a costume benefit party during this month's FAT Village Art Walk to help support the burgeoning arts district. Known as the Haunt Halloween Ball, the party goes down Saturday from 6 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. at the Warehouse in FAT Village (517 NW First Ave., Fort Lauderdale.) All night long, jam to the sounds of the soulful act Ketchy Shuby, live onstage, and enjoy a full bar with mixed drinks and beer and food trucks for hungry souls. The event will feature music sets from a number of DJs, including Peppa Boxx spinning Jamaican reggae and funk, all vinyl from 6 to 11 p.m., and a DJ set by JayJoHero of Ketchy Shuby, followed by Ketchy Shuby live. Be sure to catch the live painting session by Joshua Oliveira and more than 6,000 square feet of
Costumes are strongly encouraged. Admission is free before 9 p.m. or $5 per person from 9 to 11 p.m.
This Halloween, the place to be in Fort Lauderdale's Himmarshee Village is — of course — Himmarshee Public House (201 SW Second St., Fort Lauderdale), which is throwing an extravaganza of monstrous proportions with its Haunted on Himmarshee House Party on Saturday. Sip on spooky cocktails, get down with the ghouls, and enjoy yourself with the spookiest spirits in South Florida. The night will get wild with tunes spun by DJ BJ while witches, vampires, and goblins alike can sip on their favorite drinks, like Shipyard Brewing Co.'s Pumpkinhead ale on draft.
The festivities will continue all night long as the party spills onto the street for Himmarshee Street's Halloween Block Party. Call 954-616-5275, or visit publichouseftl.com.
Wilton Manors is teaming up with the Pride Center once again for the annual Wicked Manors Halloween Street Festival. Expect up to 30,000 costumed revelers to invade Wilton Drive during this block party filled with live music, drag shows, and costume contests. This year, the festival draws upon a freaky fairy tale with a "Once Upon a Drive" theme. Don't miss the marvelous Miss Misty Eyez, along with Miss Bryan and Nikki Ramirez from the Hits 97.3 morning show, as they emcee drag shows from the main stage. The festival is not off-limits to kids and pets, as they'll be able to compete for cash prizes in several costume contests. Watch the magic of Tito Abdelredo as he choreographs a giant Halloween flash mob. The Wicked Manors Halloween Street Festival begins at 7 p.m. Saturday on Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors and ends at midnight.
The costume contests run from 7:15 p.m. to 11:30, starting with the kids' costume contest. Drink tickets can be exchanged for donations to the Pride Center. To donate, visit wickedmanors.org/donate. Call 954-463-9005.
This year's annual Halloween Block party on A1A returns Saturday with five main events in restaurants along the beach. Rock Bar (229 S. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd.) is hosting a Spider Ball from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. with DJ Robert Patroni spinning house and open-format tunes. There is also a costume contest with $500 in prizes for the following categories: scariest, best superhero male/female, most original, sexiest male/female, best group, and best couple. Also present are two-for-one select drinks and bottle specials. Dirty Blondes (229 S. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd.) will host the Dungeon of Doom, which features a free house shot for those in costume and drink specials until 3 a.m. At Sangrias (221 S. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd..), there will be the Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, celebration with live flamenco and Latin jazz music with Danny Garcia and Friends from 7 to 11 p.m. Expect photo ops with props, a candy piñata, and food and drink specials. For a more subdued time, visit Tsukuro's (225 S. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd.) No Trick/Just Treats Halloween Party from 7 to 11 p.m. Guests will enjoy live music and Halloween-themed celebratory cocktails and sushi rolls. Spazio's (239 S. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd.) Dinner & a Monster Movie Marathon is perfect for families, with movies like Ghostbusters, Hocus Pocus, and Beetlejuice shown from 1 p.m. to midnight. Free face painting and trick or treating at 5 p.m. will delight children. And get 10 percent off all wine bottles along with two-for-one specialty cocktails.
There is no cover charge for any of these events, and drink specials start when each location opens.
Monday, November 2
Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale is celebrating the spookiest time of year with a Mexican fiesta. Part of South Florida Day of the Dead Celebrations, the Sixth Annual Skeleton Processional features giant puppets, mariachi musicians, Aztec dancers, mini Frida Kahlos, drummers, skeleton pirates, circus performers, stilt walkers, tiny parade floats, and stunning skull face makeup. Dress up yourself or take in the scene. A family day in the park starts before the cavalcade in Huizenga Park (1 East Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale). Marchers are meeting at the bandshell at 5:45 p.m. Onsite makeup artists and craft activities can help with preparations for a nominal fee. Latin food trucks are serving food throughout the event.
Family day in the park takes place from 4 to 6:30 p.m. The processional beings at 6:30 p.m. There is no cost to attend.
