Nightmare on the Avenue in Alexandria’s Del Rey neighborhood serves some special cocktails for the spooky season. News4’s Tommy McFLY reports.
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Halloween is coming up on Tuesday, which means a full weekend of tricks and treats – plus more Barbie and Ken costumes than you can count (we bet). Get ready for the night of the living Barbie!
In our crystal ball, we see spooky craft cocktails in bars with haunted decor, drag brunches, chill crafting, cover bands and bar crawls for your weekend.
Beyond the boo-zy events below, we have more than 50 things to do in the D.C. area for any kind of Halloweekend.
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- For an extra adventurous Halloween, you could go ziplining and climbing after dark, or explore a zombie-filled immersive theater experience.
- Do your little ghosts and goblins want to show off their costumes and get in an extra round of trick-or-treating? Here are 20+ things to do for Halloween with kids this weekend.
- These haunted houses in Maryland and Virginia will have you screaming.
Spooky spirits and bars to haunt
Black Lagoon at Troublebird
📅 Through Oct. 31
📍 1346 4th St SE, Washington, D.C.
🔗 Details
Navy Yard cocktail bar Trouble Bird has transformed into the Black Lagoon pop-up bar, complete with cobwebs and creepy craft cocktails. Astrology Tuesdays, Emo Wednesdays and Tarot Thursdays will give you thrills all week.
Chicken + Whiskey Spookeasy
📅 Ongoing
📍 1738 14th St NW, Washington, D.C.
💲 No cover charge
🔗 Details
Skeleton chickens and spider webs are haunting this spot to add to your DIY zombie crawl along 14th Street NW.
The Disco of the Dead on the weekend right before Halloween will have a live DJ, spooky cocktails and prizes for best costume.
Nightmare on the Avenue
📍 2312 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, Virginia
🔗 Details
Del Ray’s pop-up bar is getting spooky with its spirits, including a black cocktail dubbed the Death Eater Negroni. The food menu is spooky, too, with devilish eggs and nightmare nachos.
Halloween events in Washington, D.C.
HEIST
📅 Friday, Saturday and Tuesday
📍 1802 Jefferson Pl NW, Washington, D.C.
💲 No ticket required
🔗 Details
The black-light Glow Party on Friday, Heist Halloween on Saturday and All Hallow’s Eve party with Gud Vibes and Mark Azar will feature spooky drinks and decor. Costumes are encouraged!
Nightmare On M Street
📅 Sat., Oct. 28, 2-10 p.m.
📍 Dupont Circle
💲 $20 (general admission)
🔗 Details
The massive bar crawl is coming back to life for its 25th year. Your ticket will get you into many of Dupont’s biggest bars including Decades, Zebbie’s Garden and Blackfinn without a cover. You’ll still have to pay for any drinks or food. Drink specials include $3 Miller Lites, $4 shooters and $5 mixed drinks.
The Hip Hop Halloween Bar Crawl
📅 Sat., Oct. 28, 2-10 p.m.
📍 U Street Corridor (multiple venues)
💲 $15-$30
🔗 Details
Roll through the U Street area to a playlist of parties with different hip-hop soundtracks, from the '90s Resurrected at Victory to the 2000s to now at Pure Lounge. Drink specials include $5 beers and spooky shots, $7 Jameson, $9 Titos and $11 Casamigos.
Hi Lawn's Halloween Party With Uncle Jesse
📅 Sat., 5-10 p.m.
📍 Hi Lawn at Union Market (1309 5th Street Northeast Washington, D.C.)
💲 $5
🔗 Details
Party like its 1999 with ‘90s cover band Uncle Jesse and bring your carved pumpkin for a jack-o-lantern contest (there’s a $2 entry fee). Food and drink specials will be available a la carte.
The Morrow: Apocalypse on the Rooftop
📅 Sat., Oct. 28, 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
📍 The Morrow Hotel, 222 M St. NE, Washington, D.C.
💲 $20
🔗 Details
Look out at D.C.’s skyline and a full moon while enjoying a DJ, plus a specialty food and drink menu.
Nightmare in Navy Yard
📅 Sat., Oct. 28
📍 Capital Turnaround (Southwest D.C.)
💲 $49.99-$79.99+
🔗 Details
This Halloween rager comes with two DJs, two dance floors, a five-hour open bar and haunting decor including animatronics, lasers and fog. Come in costume! Even if you don’t win a cash prize in the costume contest, you can still take a great pic in the 360-degree photo booth.
Halloween Masquerade at The Watergate
📅 Sat., Oct. 28, 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
📍 2650 Virginia Avenue Northwest Washington, D.C.
💲 $30-$75
🔗 Details
Roam the storied Watergate Hotel and show off your most creative costume for a chance to win prizes, including a two-night stay in the Presidential Suite. They also have haunted igloos available for rent!
The Shreking Ball: A Green Tie Affair
📅 Sat., Oct. 28
📍 Union Stage at The Wharf (Southwest D.C.)
💲 $10
🔗 Details
Bring your best Shrek look to Union Stage’s ogre-sized party complete with a costume contest, swamp-themed cocktails and all your favorite songs from the movies.
And in the morning, we’re making waffles (kidding)!
Halloween at Swingers
📅 Oct. 27-31
📍 Swingers Crazy Golf Dupont Circle (1330 19th Street NW, Washington, D.C.)
💲 $75
🔗 Details
Mini golf in costume, spin the “trick or treat” wheel for a chanc eto win prizes and avoid any errant zombies on the course.
Looking for a spine-tingling brunch? A black margarita and two other Halloween cocktails will be summoned to Swinger’s Sunday bottomless drink menu. Look for the Sunday Set option when you book.
Calico
📍 50 Blagden Alley NW, Washington, D.C.
💲 Free entry
🔗 Details
On Sunday, enjoy a crafty Halloween by painting a pumpkin at Calico. You’ll have your choice of gourds from their pumpkin patch. Each costs $5. There will also be a tarot card reader from 2-6 p.m. It’s a family-friendly event; kids must be accompanied by a parent.
For Halloween night, Calico will host extra spooky trivia from 7-9 p.m. It’s free to play.
Fray's Halloween Party of the Year
📅 Tue., Oct. 31, 7:30 p.m. to midnight
📍 Dock 5 at Union Market (Northeast D.C.)
💲 $45-$65
🔗 Details
Halloween may be on a Tuesday, but you can still find live music, Les the DJ, “Instaworthy installations,” a spooky vendor market and plenty of tricks and treats. Cocktails inspired by “Hocus Pocus” will be on offer at the cash bar. Every ticket comes with a signature cocktail. There’s also an open bar ticket option.
Halloween events in Maryland
Le Fantome
📅 Various events
📍 4501 Woodberry St., Riverdale, Maryland
💲 Free entry
🔗 Details
In addition to the adult costume contest starting at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 28, you can join a murder mystery dinner on Thursday, Oct. 26 or brunch with pumpkin painting on Saturday, Oct. 29.
BabyCat Brewery 1st Halloween-iversary Party
📅 Sat., Oct. 28, noon to close
📍 10241 Kensington Parkway, Kensington, Maryland
💲 Free
🔗 Details
Costumes are strongly encouraged for a day of live music and beer. Local restaurants will set up food tents, and kids are invited to come by to see a fire truck from noon to 3 p.m.
"Horror Story" Costume Ball
📅 Tues., Oct. 31, 10 p.m. to late
📍 MGM's FELT Lounge (National Harbor)
💲 $50
🔗 Details
Costumes are required for this party at MGM National Harbor's live music lounge.
Halloween events in Northern Virginia
Rosslyn Live: Spooky Queens Drag Show
📅 Thurs., Oct. 26, 6:30-8 p.m.
📍 Gateway Park in Arlington
💲 $10
🔗 Details
Dress in your Halloween finest to see Shi-Queeta Lee and her all-star cast put on a 90-minute show. The three attendees with the most impressive costumes are set to win cash prizes. Pub in the Park will be open to serve beer and wine.
The Legwarmers ‘80s Halloween: The Haunted Theater
📅 Fri., Oct. 27, doors 8 p.m., show at 9:30 p.m.
📍 220 N Washington St, Falls Church, Virginia
💲 $25
🔗 Details
Practice your “Thriller” dance and for the State Theatre’s ‘80s throwback show with cover band The Legwarmers. Come in costume for a chance to win cash prizes!
Spooky Saturday at Bar Ivy
📅Sat., Oct. 28
📍 3033 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, Virginia
💲 Free entry
🔗 Details
Looking for a day party with candy giveaways for kids and adults? Bar Ivy will have happy hour drinks all day, a DJ starting at 1 p.m. and live music from 3:30 to 6 p.m., including a Grateful Dead singalong.
Halloween Bar Crawl Alexandria and Nightmare on King Street
📅 Fri. and Sat.
📍 Check in at Alexandria Bier Garden (710 King Street, Alexandria, Virginia)
💲 Free
Live music is set to begin at 9 p.m. on Friday with Halloween cocktail specials all night. Revive yourself on Saturday for a DJ and a costume contest with $400 in cash prizes up for grabs.
Alexandria Bier Garden will also have happy hour until 9 p.m. and a costume contest on Oct. 31.
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