Pub crawls, costumes with cats, and tiki bars gone wild: It must be Halloween weekend in Alexandria. Here are some of the weekend’s best bets.
Halloween Bar Crawl in Old Town
Get a head start on the Halloween festivities on Saturday with the fifth annual Halloween Bar Crawl in Old Town Alexandria. Don your best costume for a chance at a $1,000 grand prize, check in between 3 and 6 p.m. at the Light Horse on King Street., and let the party begin. Belly up to the bar for specials at more than half a dozen locations including Chadwicks (serving a $5 “blackout punch”) and Bugsy’s Pizza (serving a $4 “witches brew shooter”). Your ticket gets you entry to each location, one free drink and access to food and drink specials throughout the evening. And at the end of the night, be smart: Call for a cab or order a rideshare to get back home. Group tickets $20; single tickets $25.
Nightmare on the Avenue
Del Ray’s Tiki Bar at 2312 Mount Vernon Avenue has done it again – in keeping with the season, the festive tiki theme has changed (donned a costume, perhaps) to a Halloween vibe, right down to the Vampire Kiss cocktails and Nightmare Nachos. Pop in from 5 to 11 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and take in all the ghoulish sights, warming your belly with noshes and sips from what turns out to be a pretty extensive menu for a pop-up spot. Get in the spooky spirit and belly up to the bar, but do it quickly: The space will turn into a pumpkin after Oct. 31.
Mount Purrnon Halloween and Costume Contest
Maybe a bar crawl is less your thing – but a party hosted by adoptable cats? Now that’s more like it! Kick Halloween weekend off with some candy and drink specials – and, of course, time spent with some of the cutest cats in Old Town. Costumes are, naturally, encouraged – and the best will be rewarded. Spend the hours between 6 and 9 p.m. cuddling with the kitties (and maybe adopting two – naming them Trick and Treat, anyone?). 109 S. Alfred St. $30.50 per person. Reservations strongly recommended.
Halloween Stampede in Carlyle
The second annual Halloween Stampede kicks off on Saturday, Oct. 29, with its own restaurant crawl of sorts, featuring cocktails, party favors, giveaways and of course a costume contest at such beloved Carlyle locations as Sweet Fire Donna’s, Tequila and Taco, Lost Boy Cider and Whiskey and Oyster. Fido won’t be left out, either; there’s a separate dog costume contest just for your favorite pooches. Tired of walking? No problem: The Stampede offers trolley service between each stop. The festivities take place from 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday; tickets are $10 and 100% of the fee goes to support ALIVE.