Whether you’re excited to debut your elaborate Halloween costume, or just enjoy people-watching on a night when all the freaks come out, South Florida has some tricked-out spots to get your Halloween groove on.
Lincoln Road on Miami Beach:
Lincoln Road, the epicenter of shopping, dinning, and entertainment on Miami Beach, is constantly evolving with its deco-inspired monuments such as Morris’ steel and glass sculpture and its avant-garde retail concept that attracts brands such as Tesla, H M; and Apple. But it is the bars and restaurants of Lincoln Road that draw thousands on Halloween night and fuel the fun. With its straight forward layout: 10 blocks of establishments for all tastes on each side of a boardwalk lined with restaurant tables, Lincoln Road presents a real parade of people of all ages and backgrounds in costumes on Halloween night.
Go up and down the road a couple of times and you will have the opportunity to show off your own costume, mingle with the crowd, get photographed by a newspaper or interviewed by Deco Drive. You’ll bump into at least a couple of people with the same costume as yours – just when you thought you were going to be the only one. And if you’re tired of walking and ready to have a drink, or five, you may have to use your social skills to grab a chair, or if you’re extremely lucky, a table, at one of Lincoln Road’s top bars and restaurants. Making reservations ahead of time is the best way to go, with minimum consumption ranging from $30 to $250 per table, which may include full-menu or not. Drink specials are scarce, specially in one of the top-grossing nights for the Lincoln Road Mall. But Serendipity three promises to refresh blood-thirsty customers with ‘spooktacular’ cocktails such as The Bleeding-Heart Martini and Brain Hemorrhage. More established meet-up and hangout spots include, but are not limited to, Sushisamba Dromo, Hofbrau Beerhall, Van Dyke Cafe, and Segafredo Espresso. And did I mention, there’s a concert and official costume contest happening as well? With so much going on at the same time, you’re bound to a breakdown from information-overload. So “enter if you dare”.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood:
The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is known for offering year-round entertainment, with a 24-hour casino with countless slots and high-roller table games, retail, restaurants, nightclubs and concert venues. Just like playing Poker Online Indonesia, this casino will give you great gaming experience and at the same time, they provide great ambience for their guests and players. It will be a good shot if you visit this casino. But its on the complex’s main walkway where the Halloween fun really happens. This wide-open space around the center stage and in between Hard Rock’s restaurants and stores, counts on good South Florida weather to draw in the crowds. The wide space is perfect for those wishing to debut more volumous, detailed, and costly costumes, as it gives passers-by more of a chance to appreciate the work that goes into a good costume. And at the Hard Rock, it pays to be crafty. The best costume grand-prize can be as much as $5,000, and $1,000 prize for best in each category that they have. The contest is always preceded by music and live entertainment. And if you don’t want to deal with any of that, you can easily get a table for food and drinks. Getting outside sitting can be a little stressful, as everyone wants the best view of the herds of passing zombies, monsters, and Lady Gaga’s. But after standing by for a few minutes, your party will be called. Drink prices are just above average and reservations are not necessary. Popular casual spots include Tequila Ranch, Murphy’s Law and Slims. And if you want to party ’til the sun comes up, you can try to get into Gryphon, Opium, or Pangaea.
The line can be long and clubs fill up to capacity quickly on Halloween night. Also expect to pay just to get in, drinks not included. Bouncers can be unfriendly so get in touch with a club promoter before-hand. The downside of heading to the Hard Rock on Halloween is that if you’ve planned on a full-on costume, mask included, you won’t get far. For security reasons, theatrical make-up and masks are not allowed in the nightclub district or inside the casino. The upside is that security is in full-force, so you are safe in one of the biggest party nights of the year.
Downtown Fort Lauderdale:
There isn’t anything ‘supernatural’ going on Halloween night on Southwest 2nd Street, except for the good old beer-drinking, band-playing bar scene. Bar hopping doesn’t get any easier than this. If you’re looking for a laid-back, drama-free Halloween night, to the sound of good live American music, the bars of Downtown Fort Lauderdale are for you. Drink prices are just below average. Table reservations are unpractical and you will probably end up standing most of the night anyway. The music is loud and if the band is good, the crowd will go wild. So it’s a good chance to get on your feet and get your Halloween groove on. A good bar-crawl would be starting on Tarpon Bend, then getting some grub at Rok Brgr, then back in the game at Dicey Riley’s and ending the night at Capone’s. There is also everything in between, so don’t get too caught up in one place.
Remember:
a big part of a good pub-crawl is knowing when to move on. Keep in mind that the bars are in a public street, so don’t forget to finish your drink and dump your cup, before moving on to the next establishment. There are costume contests in several of the bars, but with overmodulated sound systems, a loud crowd and little-to-no organization, fairness is a rare quality. But nobody said Halloween was fair, specially on a night when the witch is out. And since the Fort Lauderdale government is focused on trick-or-treaters and pumpkin-sized tots, sponsoring over half-a-dozen official events for kids 11 and bellow, don’t expect a street-closure or a city-sponsored concert for grown-ups.
Coconut Grove:
Cocowalk actually deserves some praise for trying to put together a semi-organized event. With the super cool Power 96 crew running the stage, party-goers are sure to get the best Halloween live entertainment. Big-name DJ’s and semi-celebrity appearances are a given and the official party lasts way into the morning hours. There is a photobooth where you and your friends can show your fangs and walk away with instant snapshots. Official updates about the block-party are posted in real-time on Facebook, if you care to check. Street closures and police presence is provided by the city. It has been said that a Halloween costume is a lady’s excuse to wear a skimpy outfit. If that’s true, then they’re excused! In Coconut Grove anything goes. The costumes may be skimpy, but for this Halloween party, be sure to put on your walking shoes. The walking begins when you have to park at least a few blocks away from Cocowalk. And don’t try to bargain, parking starts at a solid $10 and goes up from there. There is nothing keeping you from drinking in the street, as long as you’re within the barricades. There are, imagine that, drink specials provided by Fat Tuesdays. Other spots you might want to check out are Sandbar Sports Grill and Oasis Coconut Grove. If you go, expect a younger, energetic crowd. The University of Miami, with roughly 15,000 students currently enrolled, is only two miles away. With televised arrests, and brawls going viral on YouTube, in this Halloween party, things can get pretty racy. Go if you can take a joke.
There are many more spots where you can have fun on Halloween night in South Florida. Staying out of trouble is crucial on this big party night. It’s also important to account for social media: whatever you do or wear will be on the internet the next day, so keep that in mind. Drinking in moderation is always an excellent idea. Driving is unpractical and unsafe on this night, so sharing a cab is the best way to go anywhere. The biggest Halloween night might not be Halloween night after all, but the Friday and Saturday preceding it. So don’t wait until October 31st to go out. And if you’re tired of the local scene, you can head North to Orlando, for Universal Halloween Horror Nights, where you’re sure to get a real Halloween spectacle. With clear night skies and mild temperatures in the upper 70’s, Florida is really the place to be on Halloween.
