With Halloween on a Saturday this year, everybody and their mother will fete it up. Now, how to do decide which parties to crash? We here at the Appeal rounded up the best of the best, with a little bit of something for everyone. You can trick, you can treat–just make sure it’s safe and consensual, folks!
Cab Rides
First and foremost, you’ll need reliable transportation. The kind people at Berg Injury Lawyers will foot your cab fare to make sure you get home in one piece. For rides within San Francisco, call Luxor Cab at 415-282-4141. Those in Alameda, Oakland, or Berkeley can dial Veterans Cab at 800-281-4488. Let them know Berg will pay the bill.
When: Saturday, October 31 at 10 p.m. until Sunday, November 1 at 4 a.m.
Where: San Francisco or Alameda, Berkeley, and Oakland
Cost: Free
Taking Back San Francisco’s Halloween
R.I.P., Castro Halloween. You were good while you lasted, and that’s why Flashdance wants to bring a city celebration back. Come to dance, be merry, and respect others and the city. Organizers ask you to wear a costume and one of their “fix it” badges, found on the official website. Obviously, the goal is to show the city that its denizens can control themselves and handle a safe and respectful Halloween celebration.
When: Saturday, October 31 at 9 p.m.
Where: Embarcadero at the Ferry Plaza
Cost: Free
Exploratorium: For the Kid Inside All of Us
First off, there will be a cash bar for adults, starting at 5 p.m. (thank goodness). The kiddies can explore a haunted Victorian house on wheels, or they can check out the Cemetery of Dead Science. Leeches, scorpions, and tarantulas, oh my! Any kid or twisted geek will get kicks from the mad science experiments, pneumatic monsters, carnivorous plants, and the aforementioned creepy crawlers (and other creatures).
When: Saturday, October 31 from 3 to 8 p.m.
Where: Exploratorium at the Palace of Fine Arts
Cost: (with costume discount) $11/adult, $10/youth (13-17), $8/child (4-12)
Halloween…What a Drag
What is a San Francisco Halloween without drag queens? Trannyshack and Midnight Mass invite you to a bash with the largest ratio of false eyelashes to people in a single building. The lovely Heklina and Peaces Christ, as Dragula and Tran Helsing (respectively), host a night of performances, dancing, and a costume contest.
When: Saturday, October 31 with doors at 9 p.m.
Where: Cat Club at 1190 Folsom in San Francisco
Cost: $15 with/$25 without costume
Vampire, With a Side of Organ
Join the San Francisco Symphony as they screen vampire classic Nosferatu (1922) with live organ accompaniment. This ain’t no regular instrument: hear the glory of all 8,264 pipes as Count Orlok terrorizes and stalks.
When: Saturday, October 31 at 8 p.m.
Where: Davies Symphony Hall at 201 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco
Cost: $20-$30 (17 and under half-price)
A Halloween Wonderland
Love Alice in Wonderland/things to trip balls on? Things are getting curiouser and curiouser at Ruby Skye, where partygoers can enjoy a tea party, comfits, “EAT ME” cakes, “DRINK ME” bottles, and dancing. No mention of opium pipes, sorry.
When: Thursday, October 29 from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Where: Ruby Skye at 420 Mason Street in San Francisco
Cost: $25 to $60
Get Cultured on Dia de los Muetros
Dia de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday celebrated the days after Halloween to honor loved ones long gone. And Davies Hall is so down with that. So down, in fact, that the San Francisco Symphony presents a special concert with twenty-nine-year-old conductor Alondra de la Parra and pre-concert festivities and refreshments.
When: Sunday, November 1 at 1 p.m. (concert at 2 p.m.)
Where: Davies Symphony Hall at 201 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco
Cost: $15 to $65 (17 and under half-price)
Forget the Monster Mash, Let’s Dance
Looking for an all-out rager with the slickest inde rock beats around? Fringe “Dress to Kill” has your back, bro. We’d recommend being not sober for the music videos mixed with visual effects, if you know what’s up. A new iPod Touch goes to the best-costumed partier, while goodie bags filled with candy and swag go to the early birds.
When: Saturday, October 31 from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Where: Madrone Art Bar at 500 Divisadero in San Francisco
Cost: Free before 10 p.m., $5 after
Thrilling Theater
Do you like a side of love with your horror fix? Black Box Theatre presents an adaptation of Frankenstein. Trevor Allen’s The Creature swirls together horror, revenge, and redemption for those who prefer something…well, live.
When: Runs now until November 7. Every show at 8 p.m., except for Sundays (7p.m.)
Where: Thick House at 1695 18th Street in San Francisco
Cost: $20-$30, pay what you can
Har Har Halloween
Get your roflcopters ready for the Romane Event Comedy Show. Halloween’s a funny holiday, ain’t it? Hey, the cover’s cheap, and we hear the drinks are strong and the comedy is loltastic.
When: Wednesday, October 28 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Make-Out Room at 3225 22nd Street in San Francisco
Cost: $7, or 2-for-1 with costume
Did we miss the event that’s making you jump in your pants with excitement? Let us know! Post its details in the comments below.
Image by Metal Chris.
