You may think we’re psychic or something, but here’s a prediction: you’re gonna end up calling out of work on Friday, November 1.
Because Halloween is not only for trick-or-treating kneehighs and bedraggled college students: play your cards right, and it can be just as fun for adults, too.
Below, we’ve rounded up five events that pass muster, from spooky soirees to artsy parties to a murder mystery dinner theater. It’s the only list you need in order to have a Halloween night to rival the kids’ — vampire fangs and fake blood sold separately.
Halloween at the Line Hotel
The trendy Line Hotel in Adams Morgan will be celebrating Halloween all day long with events ranging from kid-friendly activities in the afternoon like pumpkin painting and trick-or-treating in the lobby to a full-on Halloween bash from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m. thrown by BLCKNLIT and Full Service Radio in the hotel’s swanky bar, Brothers and Sisters. Starting at 7 p.m., they’ll also be putting on a Halloween edition of their CAMP event series, with performances by the drag queens of GAY BASH DC, costume contests judged by the Whitman-Walker team, and a view that’s “all treat and no trick.”
Hall-O-Screen Party at the Kennedy Center
Sit back and enjoy the show as Tim Burton’s classic The Nightmare Before Christmas is screened at the Kennedy Center’s REACH Video Wall. Come early at 6 p.m. and partake in a dance class led by Becky Ferrell, Executive Director of Dance Metro DC, as she teaches the moves to spooky tunes like “Thriller,” “Monster Mash” and The Rocky Horror Picture Show’s “The Time Warp.”
Creepy Chic Halloween Soiree at the Watergate Hotel
Billing itself as “the most scandalous Halloween party in Washington D.C.,” this spooky bash at the Watergate Hotel’s The Next Whisky Bar is certainly the most upscale event on our list. General admission is $99, but ticket holders will get access to a full buffet of food as well as unlimited beer and wine. Throw in an extra Benjamin and you’ll get your own custom designed creepy chic Halloween globe and private party space.
Murder Mystery Dinner Party at Maggiano’s
Spaghetti and meatballs with a side of murder mystery, please. Doors open for this spooky, interactive dinner party at 6:30 p.m. and start up with a cocktail hour before you take your seat and the real event begins — including a three-course family-style dinner, two hours of beer and wine, and a murder-mystery show that could end with you as the leading suspect.
Superfine! Art Party
The Halloween Superfine! Art Fair is perfect for anyone looking for a unique event that doesn’t involve being stepped on in a bar or waiting in lines. A ticket gets you into the fair to experience curated performances and works by more than 80 artists, all available for purchase, while you sip on two complimentary glasses of Warlock’s Punch. Those who come in costume also receive a mystery art gift from a local artist.
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