It’s almost Halloween in Philly, and for those looking to go the extra eerie mile, Metro has rounded up creepy alternatives to store-bought costumes and theme bars.
Henri David’s Costume-Conscious Ball
Henri David’s annual Halloween costume ball —now 50+years-strong — is still an underground extravaganza for all due to its deep-abiding roots in Philly’s drag and LGBTQ communities. According to David, he was a kid hanging at Broad and Washington on Halloween in the early 60s with the crème of the city’s fabulous dress-conscious drag queens had a race to run.
“Since the end of World War II, about 100 of Philly’s finest drag queens would gather, annually, on that corner and walk the length of Broad until Locust where they’d turn onto 13th Street and hit the bars, prancing, carrying on, having a gay old time,” says David.
In 1963, “Jersey toughs” came to that parade to hassle drag queens. One Black drag queen got herself into real danger and was saved by then-Philadelphia Police Chief Frank Rizzo. “This giant man picked her up, whisked her to safety, scattered the toughs, and ended the Halloween gay parade,” David recalls.
Without a Halloween party to speak of, Henri re-created that spirit in 1968, and brought his deliciously decadent underground costume balls to various hotels in the city for decades.
“There were no major indoor nighttime Halloween parties in Philly until I started the ball – even NYCs parties in the Village were outside,” says David. Now in 2024, by bringing Halloween back to Broad Street — at the Kimmel — David has come full circle.
“Everyone gets their time on the runway, in the spotlight” during his ‘Don’t Come as You Are, Come as You Want to Be’ costume contest. “My parties are all about having fun, admiring each other’s talent.”
As for his talent of elaborately-crafted, ceiling-high costumes, David is, as always, notoriously secretive. “All I’ll say is that, so far, I’ve got three costume changes, each rivaling and surpassing anything I have done in the past, so watch out.”
PhilaMOCA’s Halloween Week of Scary Movies Not on Netflix
Everyone gets into the Halloween-mood by watching horror flicks like ‘Friday the 13th’ and ‘Saw’. But, going into the realm of fright films meant to rip out your heart (or kitsch-ly tickle your funny bone) is where the Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Arts works best.
Oct. 18’s The Spirit of Halloweentown documentary, whatever Philadelphia Psychotronic Film Society and Philly’s Exhumed Films has brewing (Oct. 21 – 22), the premier of scare-house director Scooter McRae’s ‘Black-Eyed Susan’ (Oct. 27), the 30th birthday of ‘Brainscan’ (Oct. 28) and a screening of ‘The Wicker Man’ featuring live music from Sacred Bones’ Hilary Woods (Oct. 30) all make for a cinematic black celebration.
Underground Arts & Dancing Ferret Concerts’ Dracula’s Ball
Just because DFC founder Patrick Rodgers is a cable news personality talking about real estate doesn’t mean that the fanged one can’t still scare the bajezzus out of Philly’s goth minion. His annual gathering, Dracula’s Ball, on Oct. 25 will be a haunted home to the most live, lustful metal and electronica from Red Lokust, Panic Lift and Seraphim Shock. Plus, you’re already in a spooky underground basement – the fear is REAL.
Trestle Inn’s Nights of the Go-Go Dancing Dead
This Eraserhood go-go bar always create apt moods to go with its swinging 60s and funky 70s vibe. For Oct. 26’s H-ween-weekend jam, the Bride of Trestlestein Halloween Disco Dance Party, monster DJs Lola Kinks and Telequanta go all night with dancing from The Trestle Specials’ CeCe Summers and Lucy Diamonds and a “Kiss the Bride” cocktail special that literally and figuratively smokes.
For Oct. 31’s ‘Horror on the Hill’, go early (7 p.m.) for Theatre Contra’s reading of Brian DePalma’s ‘Carrie’ script before Trestle’s Go-Go Dance Party with DJ Hardbargain spinning holiday classics, dancing from Jackie Blue and eats from Wood Street Pizza.
The Revenge of the Dolphin Tavern
Broad Street’s home to diabolical dancing starts the fear rolling Oct. 24 with its Sapphic Vampires from Outer Space jam hosted by The Zanything and Elizabeth New Jersey, spun by Outergrace, and live burlesque by Calliope, Kayo Kenshin, Vanity Killz, Halebot 300 and Tom Foolery.
For those who didn’t (and won’t) see ‘Joker: Folie a Deux’, there’s Oct. 25’s Monster: A Lady Gaga Halloween Party with DJ Xtima spinning the Dolphin’s costume contest.
Finally, for that South Philly feel: Oct. 31’s ITALOWEEN RETURNS! with DJs Shearn, Mario Cotto and G I N A spinning Italo disco while the Sights & Sounds team screen the Italo horror classic, ‘Zombi.’
A Wild Warehouse on Watts Weekend
The dance floor at N. Watts Street’s W.O.W. goes all out when it comes to its zombie retinue. First, with the Sway Philly DJs and their Nightmare on Sway Street: The Sway Halloween Bash on Oct. 25, an LGBTQ party with costume and twerking contests all night long.
And on Oct. 26, The Philadelphia Experiment team haunt their 18th Halloween Ball – the Warehouse of Horrors.
Lastly, on Oct. 31, Philly’s chilly king of technambience, Josh Wink joins his crews at Goodie + Ovum Recordings for Hallowink no.9 featuring Wink and fellow spinster, Will Clarke. Boo.
