The hottest parties, biggest fun for Halloween 2012


It’s that time of year again when ghosts and ghouls come out to play ― along with thousands of Halloween revelers.

Many bars, clubs and even amusement parks are going all out for the fall holiday, with a number of festivities taking place the weekend before Oct. 31. Here are just some of the events going on.

Itaewon

DISTRICT: ON “Dark Castle” at DISTRICT

This month at DISTRICT: ON event at glam Lounge and club MUTE, Halloween revelers are in for two nights of parties. Under the theme DISTRICT: ON “Dark Castle,” guests will be regaled with a gothic-chic interior, interactive visuals created by the production design team, and music fitting for a weekend of “Halloween fun and frights.” Entrance to MUTE and glam is 20,000 won and it is highly recommended that table reservations be made in advance. For more information or to make a reservation, call (02) 796-6853, email visit.glam@gmail.com or send a message through Kakao Talk to id: districtitaewon.

Rocky Horror Halloween at Moonnight

In true Halloween tradition, the Seoul Players are hosting a night of fun and mayhem with the screening and shadow cast of Rocky Horror Picture Show at Moonnight in Itaewon on Oct. 26 and 27. Friday night will feature DMCK before the show while Saturday night will have Kite Flying Robot. Tickets are 10,000 won at the door and no reservations will be taken. Come dressed in your Rocky Horror finest, and you might walk away with a prize. Doors open at 9 p.m., music starts at 10 p.m., and the show will start at midnight, with members of Seoul Players acting and dancing along with the film. Audience participation is highly encouraged. Check out the group’s event page on Facebook by searching Rocky Horror Halloween in Seoul for more information.

Gangnam

Halloween Week at Club ELLUI

One of Seoul’s hottest clubs has gone all out for its Halloween weekend line-up. ELLUI’s main headliner is Oct. 26 when German trance duo Cosmic Gate will hit the stage with a special performance by Australian trance singer Emma Hewitt. Saturday night brings the Vandalist Halloween Fashion Night. Entrance is 30,000 won with one free drink. For more information call (02) 1577-9669 and to reserve VIP rooms and tables call 010-9111-6205.

Hongdae/Sinchon

Yaletown’s Legendary Halloween Party at Yaletown Burgers and Bar (Sinchon)

Yaletown Burgers and Bar, a popular hangout spot for expats, is having its Yaletown’s Legendary Halloween Party on Oct. 26. From 11 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. there will be free tequila and whip cream bikini shots. Selected shots will be 3,000 won all night. The 10 best Halloween costumes will receive a Yaletown VIP card. For information, call (02) 333-1604.

Absolute Kos A Halloween Carnival at Freebird (Hongdae)

If you’re of the indie persuasion, Freebird is holding Absolute Kos A Halloween Carnival on Oct. 27. The event will include sets by Harry Big Button, Magna Fall, The Studs Lonigan Experience, Dongmyo Police Box and more. There will also be a cash prize costume contest, jello wrestling, tarot reading, kissing booth and a fire dancer. The event starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are 25,000 won. To purchase a ticket in advance, send money either through bank transfer to Woori Bank 1002-546-137644, Park Mi-jin, or through Paypal to IFXKorea@gmail.com. Tickets will be available at the door pending capacity.

Others

Halloween Party at Bar Mario (Hyewha-dong)

Looking for somewhere completely different to hang out this Halloween? Head over to Bar Mario in Hyehwa-dong on Oct. 26. In true Halloween tradition, the bar is creating a ghoulish snack menu featuring caramel-dipped cinnamon apples, “actual finger food,” and vampiric sangria with lychee eyeballs. They are also hosting a costume raffle. There’s no entry fee, just put in your costume and see if you win. The winner gets a free bottle of Agwa or Swiss Vodka. For more information, call 010-3754-2154.

Woo Bar at W Seoul-Walkerhilll Hotel

For a stylish Halloween, head over to Woo Bar at the W Seoul-Walkerhill for a Cyber Halloween Party with DJ Blatta & Inesha on Oct. 27 from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. The theme for this year is funky neon colors with cyber silver, flashy laser lights and spooky dcor. The bartenders will be dressed up and guests are encouraged to come dressed “stylish” or “cyber silver.” Tickets are 50,000 won through Interpark or 60,000 won on site and include one drink. Call (02) 2022-0333 for inquiries or a reservation. For that weekend only, guests who stay at the hotel can also enjoy W Style Halloween room decorations.

Cruises

Halloween Cruise and Haunted Mansion Party

Seoulite and Kabrew are hosting an all-you-can-drink unlimited craft brew party on the Han River on Oct. 27 for 60,000 won. The cruise takes off at 5:30 p.m. It includes a line-up of original brews from Craftworks. The ticket also includes two dishes, and performances by The Total @ssholes and The Red Hot Kimchi Peppers. Following the cruise, there will be an after party at Hongdae’s Club Mansion. If you’ve got a rocking costume, there will be a costume contest with the top prize of two round-trip air tickets to Jeju Island and a tour of Jeju Brewery. To get tickets, RSVP on the party’s Facebook page and follow the listed directions.

2012 Halloween Cruise Bash

For the third year in a row, Good Times ROK is hosting its annual Halloween bash on the West Sea. The four-hour-long cruise comes with a bus service that runs from Noksapyeong Station to the port in Incheon. The party includes free food and all-you-can-drink 7 Brau craft beer, DJs spinning on every deck and cheap cocktails. No Halloween is complete without a costume contest that includes 300,000 won in prizes for first, 150,000 won for second and 75,000 won for third. The cruise will end with a fireworks show. Tickets are 70,000 won. Visit the event’s Facebook page by searching Halloween Cruise Bash to find out how to order tickets.

Fun for the family

Haunted Maze, Halloween Festival at Everland

For fun of all ages, head down to Everland. The park has two haunted Horror Mazes for those who are not faint of heart. According to the website, the maze is full of “vengeful ghosts who secluded themselves from Everland” and appear again in terrifying night scenes. The festival runs from Sept. 7 to Oct. 31. For more family fun, there is a Halloween Magic Tree and special Halloween performances, on top of Halloween-themed snacks. Tickets to the mazes are 5,000 won each, or 9,000 won for a special package for both. Those under 14 are not allowed in the mazes. For more information, check out the Everland website or call (031) 320-5000.

Busan Halloween Firework Festival in Busan

Travel group When in Korea, or WinK, is planning a trip to the Busan Firework Festival on Halloween weekend from Oct. 27-28. They will take a bus to the city, with several pick-up spots and stay in a hotel on Gwangalli Beach. The trip includes a costume contest, with the winner receiving a 50,000 won discount toward their next trip with the group. After the firework festival, they will take part in a five bar crawl in the Kyung Sung University area. The trip costs 99,000 won and includes the bus, hotel room and dinner. To get more information or to book the trip, contact Sunny at wheninkorea@gmail.com or visit WinK’s Facebook group.

By Emma Kalka (ekalka@heraldcorp.com)