It’s Oct. 31 and, as usual, your options seem to be restricted to donning a slutty or overdone costume and braving the Grove or binging on Kit Kats while watching “Hocus Pocus” for the umpteenth time. What else is there to do since we are clearly- and some might say tragically- past the trick-or-treating age? Distraction has a few ideas to offer you that same sugar high without resorting to knocking on strangers’ doors and begging for candy because, let’s face it, that’s kinda weird.
Spooktober at Zoo Miami: From Oct. 17-31, Zoo Miami is having an array of festivities that embody the Halloween spirit. Get spooked inside Dr. Wilde’s Creepy House, which runs every day until the end of Spooktober, and sip on a drink at the open bar and participate in the costume contest. Zoo Miami also hosts Spooky Zoo Nights on Oct. 30 and 31 which features Dr. Wilde’s Creepy house, as well as eerie walkways and a zombie tram ride.
Halloween on the Mile: A family-friendly event, this is a sweet place to head to with your visiting younger siblings before going out later. From 4-7 p.m., you can trick-or-treat along Miracle Mile and enjoy stories and costume contests. The cast of “Peter Rabbit and the Garden of Doom” will be having a show at the Miracle Theatre and there’s also a doggy costume contest for all you dog-lovers out there.
Yacht Party: Even the name of this event is emblematic of Miami. With four levels, eight flat screen televisions and a D.J. sky booth, the South Beach Lady will take any triviality out of the holiday and add a new layer of animation to it. The boat is ornately furnished for a night of unfiltered insanity, serving as a much-needed escape from the insanity on land. Costumes are mandatory.
Bayside Marketplace: Bayside is always full of culture and amusement, and Halloween night is no exception. Street performers add even more flavor to this local jewel, with Bayside’s typical live music and bright lights only enhancing the ambiance. You can embrace your inner child by trick-or-treating through the center, while embracing your college student budget since it’s free.
Nightmare on the Beach: What could be more lively than a party on South Beach? Nightmare on the Beach is a menagerie of food, entertainment and costume-clad people. With invigorating bursts of colors, costumes and music, it will leave you as happily exhausted, yet satisfied as you were your first night trick-or-treating. There’s an open bar- so you must be 21 to attend- and though the tickets are a bit expensive at $175, a portion of the proceeds go to support the Little Lighthouse Foundation.
Parade at Lincoln Road: People-watchers, rejoice. Lincoln Road will be flooded with people from all over the world on Halloween night decked out in unique costumes. Guests will enjoy special deals at restaurants, stores and bars. There will also be a live show, a costume contest, and -finally- it won’t drain your piggy banks, as it’s free and open to anyone.
House of Horror at International Mall: If you’re aching for a thrill and couldn’t make it up to Halloween Horror Nights this year, the House of Horror Amusement Park might just give you your fix. With more than two acres of land, it’s the largest haunted house in South Florida and it makes use of that space, boasting 30 rooms with daunting scenes and creepy characters. There will also be rides, free live shows and concession stands. Warning: don’t go if you have an irredeemable phobia of clowns. There will be clowns. Tickets are $30 for adults.
Asmae Fahmy is a junior majoring in journalism and psychology with a minor in creative writing. She currently works as managing editor of UM’s Distraction magazine and as a copy editor for The Miami Hurricane. When she’s not camping out in the newspaper office or library, she can be found binge watching “Friends,” eating pad Thai, or practicing yoga — though definitely not in that order.
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