|
|||||||||||
|
 |
The Downtown Lowdown |
|
| Moonfest and more invade downtown WPB I love Halloween. It's quite possibly my favorite time of year. There's a sense of excitement and mystery that you don't find with other holidays. You would think that in South Florida, the Halloween season and spirit would be lost in the sea of palm trees and perpetual sunshine. However, as I have so delightfully discovered, that couldn't be further from the truth. Each year, the events get bigger and the costumes get freakier. Never one to disappoint, downtown West Palm Beach is gearing up for a month of Halloween celebration. The GreenMarket will kick things off with a Doggie Costume Contest and Parade on Saturday, Oct. 25 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (I only wish I had a dog to compete in the contest!) Dogs will be judged in various categories such as most original, scariest, funniest and best overall. The "top dogs" will win gift baskets from StarBarks, and following the contest all of the four legged participants will parade through the GreenMarket to show off their costumes. Later that day is the much anticipated return of Moonfest, which returns to Clematis Street from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. You simply can't talk about Halloween in South Florida without talking about Moonfest. (If you haven't been to Moonfest before, do yourself a favor and plan to attend this year.) The free outdoor event is produced by Clematis Street visionaries Maurice Costigan and Rodney Mayo. Over the past 15 years, the event has grown to be South Florida's largest Halloween celebration, attracting more than 40,000 every year. This year, I've heard Urban Dog Sitters will hold a pet costume contest at 6:30 p.m., followed by a children's costume contest at 7:15 p.m. And for the first time, Moonfest will feature a Horror Fashion Show by Lynn University students that takes place at 9 p.m. The adult costume contest, one of the most competitive costume contests around and the highlight of Moonfest, will occur at midnight with the opportunity to win $1,000 in cash and prizes. Moonfest also features live music from local bands, live DJs, a laser light show, a variety of freaky vendors and plenty of food and drinks. For the VIP experience, "RIP" tickets are available at $40 per person. These tickets grant you access to the exclusive RIP area where you have access to unlimited food and drinks. Visit moonfest.org or call 677-1030 for more information. The haunting celebration will continue down the entire street of Clematis and spill into some of my favorite places to be seen: O'Shea's, Respectable Street, The Lounge, Roxys, Dr. Feelgoods, newly opened Lost Weekend, E.R. Bradleys, Rocco's Tacos and more. I also plan to venture inside the Cuillo Centre of Arts for two special showings of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" at 9 p.m. and midnight. Clematis by Night will bring back Clematis by Fright on Thursday, Oct. 30 from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Centennial Square, featuring Hollywood Lovescene, the hot new alternative rock band opening for Pop star Shontelle, who will perform her hit new single "T-Shirt." Enter the costume contest for all ages for another chance to win all sorts of goodies. With so many events to dress up for this year, it's time for me to start thinking about a killer costume. I hope to see you all out there, and would like to wish you all a safe and happy Halloween! The Downtown Gal is the newest contributor to Neighborhood News. She lives, works and plays downtown, and in the coming issues will keep our readers abreast of the latest events and goings-on there. |
||
