Halloween Weekend Planner

The biggest gay holiday other than Pride is upon us this year and there’s plenty going on. The biggest event of the weekend is the 13th Annual North Halsted Halloween Parade & Costume Contest on Saturday, October 31. Registration for the costume contest begins @ 4pm at Spin Nightclub (800 W. Belmont). The Parade and Contest begin @ 6pm, stepping off at the intersection of Belmont and Halsted. The parade route is north on Halsted to Cornelia before returning south to a main stage in the 7-11 parking lot at Halsted and Roscoe. The awards ceremony with host Miss Foozie begins approximately @ 7pm where $5,000 in cash & prizes will be awarded for several categories for adults plus a category for best children’s and best pet’s costumes.

Other parties of note this night include Sidetrack’s Halloween Party featuring a $500 costume contest @ 10:30pm… the Pug-o-Ween Doggie Costume Contest @ Wild Pug at 4:30pm. Later that night they’ll have a Best Costume Contest @ Midnight as part of their The Ripper party… the Best Costume Contest @ Roscoe’s hosted by Frida Lay with $750, $500, and $250 up for grabs for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd ... the Halloween Spooktacular Party @ Club Krave… the Huge Halloween Party & Contest @ Circuit Night Club with two categories (Best Drag & Best Costume) $2,500 in cash & prizes… $1,000 Costume Party @ Hydrate w/ DJs Brett Locascio (early) and Ralphi Rosario (late night) along with host Cyon Flare…the 3-D Creature Feature Halloween @ Kit Kat with a Costume Contest and $1,500 in cash and prizes… the Halloween Ball @ Spin w/ DJ Greg Haus and Best Drag and Best Costume contests… and the $500 Halloween Costume Contest @ Cocktail with Teri Yaki hosting and DJ Dhanna spinning in the booth.

10 Down, 2 To Go

The beginning of November brings about some very unique events on the Chicago social calendar. On Wednesday, November 4, @ Center on Halsted’s Irving Harris Family Foundation Reception Hall (3656 N. Halsted), BEHIV presents Viewpoint, an art therapy exhibition showcasing work by BEHIV clients and supporters. The Reception starts at 5:30 with the show opening at 7pm… The next night on Thursday, November 5, Reeling 2009, the 28th edition of the Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Festival begins with showing of The Big Gay Musical @ The Music Box Theater. The movie starts at 7:30pm and it’s followed by the Opening Night Gala @ Architectural Artifacts (4325 N. Ravenswood) featuring a performance by the band The Joans. Reeling runs until November 15 and will present 59 different screenings. For more info and tickets: 773.293.1447,www.reelingfilmfestival.org… Time To Shine, the Human Rights Campaign 2009 Chicago Gala will take place @ the Hyatt Regency (151 E. Wacker Dr.) on Saturday, November 7. For more info about this event: www.HRCChicago09.com

Boystown Central

At Roscoe’s, Frida Lay hosts Drag Race 2009 and the Wheel of Pussy on Tuesdays while Miss Foozie takes charge of Male Call on Sundays. On Thursday, November 5, Amy Armstrong & Freddy Allen present two special performances: The Best of Motown @9pm and an All Request Show @ 11pm…The video bar Sidetrack packs them in nightly with a popular line-up that includes Showtunes on Mondays, U-Video Request night on Tuesdays, and Comedy on Thursdays. Other Boystown options include Halsted’s Bar & Grill (Team Trivia on Mondays), North End (TPAN’s poz-friendly Pulse on Thursdays), Bobby Loves (karaoke on Fridays), Charlie’s (country line dancing lessons w/ Steana on Fridays), and Cell Block (leather/fetish/bears/jeans). The Kit Kat Lounge & Supper Club has half-price martinis on Sundays as well as viewing parties for Top Chef and Project Runway on Wednesdays and Thursdays, respectively. Buck’s and Little Jim’s are always friendly while live entertainment shines nightly at both 3160 and Cornelia’s and during Cabaret Tuesdays @ Hydrate on Tuesdays w/ Honey West at 9pm.

Under The Disco Ball

When it comes to dancing early in the night, Spin has DJ Chris Eterno & VJ Riley York on Wednesdays for WTF $1 Drink Night and Foxy’s Sundays w/ DJ Heather Doble. On Friday, October 30 DJ Phil Da Beatz provides the sounds for the monthly I Love Porn party while a week later on Friday, November 6 the Shower Contest returns, starting at Midnight… Down @ Minibar, Friday nights feature DJ Shawn Edwards lording over the beautiful new bi-level party space while Roscoe’s boom bass dance floor gets worked by DJs Kevy, Ron G, and DigiDave… In Uptown the Wild Pug features DJ Pervey every Saturdays.

For after-hours dancing, the always popular Berlin has Cosmix Fridays w/ DJ Greg Haus and Twisted Saturdays w/ DJs Larissa and Chester while Hydrate presents Lube Wrestling w/ DJ Phil DeBeatz on Friday, November 6 and superstar DJ Chris Cox on Saturday, November 7. The weekly line-up @ Hydrate includes its Sunday Dance Party w/ DJ Greg Drescher along w/ DJ Laura B on Mondays; DJR spinning on Tuesdays; and DJ Phil DaBeatz on Thursdays… Also in Boystown is Charlie’s which rocks a hi-energy after-hours every night of the week w/ DJ LuLu and others… Jackhammer is the far north side’s late night dance option Wednesdays – Sundays… The Ultimate After Hours @ The Ram (3am-7am) has DJs Ron G (Saturdays), Plez (Fridays), David C. (Thursdays) and regular guests appearances by Chris Eterno and Freddie Bain… There’s not a lot of dancing @ Closet, but it’s a fun, under-rated late night hangout for the drinking set.

Toweling Off

Steamworks, the full-service all-male club, has a Lights Out party every Thursday and After-hours on Fridays and Saturdays with DJ Greg Ellsworth (until 4am and 5am, respectively). The weekly Sunday Spin Cycle takes place 3pm-2am with DJs such as Chris Eterno and Peter Canellis handling the early shift until 8pm and DJ Jim B serving beats until 2am… Up @ Man’s Country, nothing is left to the imagination every Friday and Saturday @ Midnight with a dancer line-up that features Tristan, Marlone and Luis on Friday, October 30 and Sean, Jimmy D and Oscar on Saturday, October 31.

Lucky Horseshoe in Boystown has strippers nightly while @mosphere has them strutting all weekend long: Hot Mess Thursdays/Club Manhunt w/ DJ Chris Eterno followed by DJs Eric Hall and Timmy Loop on Fridays and Saturdays, respectively… Jackhammer has the Chicago Beef dancers on Fridays and Saturdays… Out in the suburbs: the Men of Sarabia appear @ Club Krave on Fridays; Chicago Beef visits Hideaway on Thursdays and Saturdays; and Hunters Hunks liven up Hunters on Thursdays w/ DJ Laura B on the decks.

Target Marketing

The final monthly Urbano party, complete with a Halloween theme takes place @ Circuit on Friday, October 30. Subsequently, this “hip-hop party for all,” which is presented by Clubhouse Productions, becomes a weekly Saturday night affair @ Circuit w DJs Kenae, Corona, and Anton. As for a weekly Friday night presentation of hip-hop along with R&B and house, you can’t go wrong @ Krush… Club Escape takes care of south siders on a nightly basis while Mz. Ruffy’s Cheap Drink Night gets everyone’s week off to a good start with $2 well drinks @ Republic (1520 N. Fremont) on Mondays.

As for Chicago lesbians, they congregate on a weekly basis for the Circuit Girl dance party on Fridays @ Circuit. You’ll also find them gathering @ Closet when hanging in Boystown and at several places in Andersonville, including T’s, Star Gaze, Joi De Vine and Mary’s Attic… The city’s gay Asian communities are becoming more visible and gather @ Wild Pug’s monthly Gaysia event with DJ Oskar (Thursday, October 29).

The weekly Latino nights @ Circuit include Noche Latina, w/ hostess Veronica Zaid and DJs Ink & Alex Perez on Sundays, and La Noche Loca on Thursdays, featuring Miss Ketty’s Latina Review… Other weekly Latino hangouts include Sundays @ Jackhammer as well as Mondays @ Lucky Horseshoe.

Other Fave Watering Holes

Up in Andersonville you’ll find the popular neighborhood outpost SoFo, the newly renamed The Call (formerly Cattle Call), and the martini bar Marty’s… Mary’s Attic features Rogue DJ for Feel Good Fridays and karaoke on Sundays and Wednesdays… The fetish community finds a home @ Touché with Hardcore Leather Cruisin’ Night on Tuesdays and Handballer Night every Thursday… Further north in Rogers Park is the very friendly The Glenwood.

The Uptown/Edgewater neighborhood is home to Granville Anvil (with Loyola students added to the mix) ; Big Chicks (with its popular Free Sunday Buffet and super fun $1 Burger Mondays) and the sports bar Crew (Project Runway Viewing Parties on Thursdays)… Scot’s is a friendly watering hole in Ravenswood while Manhandler sits in the heart of Lincoln Park… Downtown, Second Story Bar is the only gay bar left in the area while Davenport’s piano bar entertains over in Wicker Park.

A Carpool Away

Outside the Windy City limits, Hunters Nightclub features DJ Ron G on Friday nights and DJ Lawrence K on Saturdays while Club Krave presents DJ Saul on Thursdays and Homecoming ’09 on Saturday, November 7… Velvet Rope in Oak Park (728 Lake St | 708.358.8840 | www.velvetropeoakpark.com) has karaoke on Fridays and DJs and dancing on Saturdays… In Lake Station, Indiana, Encompass hosts karaoke on Tuesdays and Fridays and the Rush St. Revue Show on Sundays… A little further east in Sawyer, Michigan, Fitzgerald’s (5875 Sawyer Rd; (Exit 12, I-94) | 269.426.3489) hosts the weekly Swank dance party on Saturdays.