5 Ways to Get in the Halloween Spirit

My favorite season of the year is upon us and whether you’re rabid for Halloween or a casual devotee, there are a number of ways you can get yourself into the spirit of the spooky season.  Many businesses in the Metro participate in Halloween-themed events and some even celebrate the season all year long.  Here’s my list of the top 5 ways you can get into an orange and black mood before my favorite holiday passes you by.

1)    Watch a scary movie.

Might I recommend my favorite movie of the year, Insidious?  The creepy thriller starts out as a story about what you believe is a haunted house.  But the plot then becomes more, well, insidious.  Throw in some convincing proof that astral projection is possible and you’ve got a pretty decent scary movie.  The height of scary movie manipulation is using children to garner gasps and horror and Insidious goes there but not with as gruesome results as a film like The Exorcist.

2)    Pick a Halloween costume.

There are many places in the Metro you can visit to get inspired for the costume you will inhabit this Halloween season.  Remember this is an important decision.  You want to dazzle the crowd, party, or work; wherever you go to dress in your Halloween best.  A few great shops with all of the wigs, swords, shoes, bells and whistles you can dream of include:

The Theatrical Shop

145 5th Street

West Des Moines, IA 50265-4717

Nobbies Party Superstore

9999 University Ave.   Suite 1000

Clive, IA   50325

3)    Plan a Halloween Party

This can be for kids or adults-it is totally up to you how scary, funny, family-friendly or just downright crazy you want to make your Halloween Party.  Finding a location and creating a guest list are amongst your top priorities but then comes the fun part: planning.

My advice is to come up with a theme and stick with it.  This can be a general Halloween theme or a theme based on a movie or TV show where all of your decor, activities and costumes revolve around said movie or TV show.  A couple of years ago, my husband and I hosted a True Blood inspired Halloween party and dressed as two of the main characters from the show.  Themed food, drink and music will kick your Halloween party into high gear!

4)    Visit a Halloween-inspired or spooktacular business to get your creative Halloween juices flowing.  A few suggestions include:

Finders Creepers

Finder’s Creepers is injecting a unique flavor to the local art scene.  Located in the Western Gateway, west of downtown Des Moines at 515 18th Street, Finder’s Creepers is by far the most unique art gallery and shop I have heard of in town.  Winner of “Best New Store” in the 2010 Cityview’s Annual Reader’s Poll, the shop has both a physical location and on online store where they sell dark and mysterious art from local artists, horror-themed t-shirts, ghoulish accessories, cd’s, and tons more, including perfume and even lip butter.

Zombie Burger + Drink Lab

Zombie Burger opened in August 2011 in the e300 building at East 4th and Grand in Des Moines’ East Village.  Besides the kitsch factor of the Zombie theme, the skyrocket of success the restaurant has experienced proves it serves some fantastic burgers, drinks and fries at the lunch, dinner and late-night food spot.

Zombie Burger + Drink Lab features a year-round Halloween theme with it’s menu that looks like a newspaper proclaiming a Zombie invasion along with Zombie paraphernalia adorning the walls.  It will surely get your creative Halloween juices flowing.

5)   Attend the Court Avenue District Halloween Party

This party is the biggest of the season on Court Avenue and will take place on Friday, October 28^th this year.  A $5 wristband will get you into a bunch of the downtown bars and a costume contest will cap off the night of fun.  This event is a must-attend for Halloween lovers.  The joy of seeing the costume ideas people come up with is the best part.  There are so many clever, witty people out there who just wait for this holiday to show off their intellect.  You won’t be disappointed.