The Most Extravagant Ways To Celebrate Halloween In SF

The courtyard at the Phoenix Hotel
The courtyard at the Phoenix Hotel

The Phoenix Hotel and Chambers Eat + Drink are hosting Witch, Please on Saturday, October 28. The event starts at 7:30 p.m. with a courtyard screening of The Craft, the 90s Neve Campbell movie about a group of girls who practice dark magic in high school. After the show, at 10 pm, there is a costume contest. Prizes include nights at the hotel and its sister property Hotel San José (in Austin, TX) and gift certificates to Chambers Eat + Drink. There will be movie concessions and DJ Marcellus Holmes is providing the music.

Scenes from last year's dance
Scenes from last year’s dance

At the Presidio Officer’s Club, there is a Spooktacular Halloween Dance. From 7 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, October 28, the Ely Brothers and the Doubletake Band will be performing. There will be costume contest, food and drink from nearby Arguello restaurant, and fortune tellers!

Mercedez Munro
Mercedez Munro

Our favorite state senator, Scott Wiener, is throwing a pumpkin carving contest on Saturday, October 28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m at the Noe Valley Courts. The kid-friendly event is cohosted by the school board president Shamann Walton and supervisor Jeff Sheehy. Celebrity drag queens Mercedez Munro and BeBe Sweetbriar are judging the pumpkins and the park wil be filled with food, drinks, and games. The first 100 people to RSVP will get a pumpkin to carve and are automatically entered into the contest.

The last event hosted by the Guardsmen was a Kentucky Derby party earlier this year
The last event hosted by the Guardsmen was a Kentucky Derby party earlier this year

The Guardsmen are throwing their yearly Halloween party on Friday, October 27 at 9 p.m. The 14th annual event is taking place at Hue Nightclub and Lounge in the heart of North Beach. Proceeds from the party benefit at-risk Bay Area youth. Costumes are strongly encouraged!

A spread of Mexican food at Copita
A spread of Mexican food at Copita

If you’re on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge and want a more mellow experience, visit Copita, Joanne Weir’s beloved Mexican restaurant in Sausalito. From October 31 to November 2, the restuarant is hosting a special Dia de los Muertos event. The eatery will be decorated with traditional aspects of the Mexican celebration of life and death like candles, marigold flowers, and chalk art. Unique menu items will be offered at both lunch and dinner and consist of authentic Dia de los Muertos dishes like tamales mucbipollo and prawns in chilmole sauce.

An assortment of beverages at the Alembic
An assortment of beverages at the Alembic

At the Alembic on Halloween night, the restaurant is dressing itself up—as a classic Chinese eatery. For one night only, the entire space will be transformed into a Chinese wonderland and the menu will feature Chinese-inspired drinks and food. Enjoy squid ink jook with pork belly, scallop, and egg and wash it down with a Shanghai Buck of aged rum, bitters, ginger beer, and lime.