There are really two Halloweens: one for kids and one for adults, who love dressing up, too. And for the grownups, it's a good time to let down your hair (and your fangs) and play-act for one wild, seasonal debauch. Here are a few places to have adult fun over the long, spooky weekend.
The Fantastic Hosts is a non-profit group known for its artsy soirees, but tonight's The Haunting goes well beyond artsy — in fact, it's just completely way out there, featuring spectacular sci-fi decor, some of it handmade by local artists. And costume-wise, you might think you've wandered into a mashup of sci-fi, horror, anime and comic cons. This year's bash begins at 9 p.m. at City Hall, 1144 Broadway, with DJ Lee Coombs and a host of others, and — on the second floor — the Mushroom Art Car of Burning Man fame. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door; go to thefantastichaunting.eventbrite.com.
LoHi SteakBar's Game of Thrones Halloween is a themed costume party and team challenge beginning tomorrow at 8 p.m. A grand prize of a happy hour party for twelve will be given for the best group representation of a house from the HBO series. LoHi is at 3200 Tejon Street, and admission is free; visit www.lohisteakbar.com or call 303-927-6334. And for folks who like costumes that show all, Lannie's Clocktower Cabaret, at 1601 Arapahoe Street, will host the Halloween Boo-Lesque Show three times — at 8 and 11 p.m. tonight and 8 p.m. on October 31, Halloween proper. Tix are $25; get information online at www.lannies.com or call 303-293-0075.
Have a literary holiday in the spirit of Sherlock Holmes and Mary Higgins Clark at tomorrow's annual Murder on Broadway interactive whodunnit scavenger hunt, hosted by Metro Denver Promotion of Letters to benefit the group's programs for kids. Clues — based on a play written by MDPL members called Death in a Cape and performed by actors along the way — will lead participants through old Denver neighborhoods to unravel a crime. The event kicks off at 1:30 p.m. at 3 Kings Tavern, 60 South Broadway, and goes until 6 p.m. It's $10 to play, plus extra cash for "bribe bucks" needed to pay off the clue-givers; go to promotionofletters.wordpress.com/events/mob-registration/ to register.
And finally, if Halloween brings out the pagan in you, one place to catch up with your spiritual side is Isis Books and Gifts, 2775 South Broadway, which offers The Veil Is Thin, a completely serious opportunity to receive messages from your bygone loved ones through clairvoyant Karen Fox, tomorrow from 9 to 11 a.m. (admission is by donation), and a Talking Board Class, featuring everything you ever wanted to know about the Ouija Board from 12:30 to 2 p.m. ($10 to register). Visit www.isisbooks.com or call 303-761-8627.
For many, many more Halloween events, visit the Calendar section at westword.com.
