The Place:
Decatur Street in front of Molly’s at the Market. Date: Oct. 31, Halloween. Time: 7 pm.? 8 p.m.? I have no idea, but it’s dark and the crowd is dense with costumed revelers ready to celebrate this night pagans once believed was when the spirit world could make contact with the physical world. Adults dressed in satirical costumes, children as Spiderman or whatever suits their fancy, and others not dressed up but enjoying spirits of another sort line streets for the annual parade that’s hosted by Jim Monaghan Jr., who owns Molly’s. It’s apt that an Irish bar hosts a Halloween parade, since it’s the Irish—or to be more precise, the Celts—we should thank for this holiday which marked the end of summer, called “Samhain.” And children, take note: In modern-day Ireland, children have the week of Halloween off, allowing them to stay up late in the night enjoying whatever treats may end up in their treasured bags.
HALLOWEEN EVENTS
Vampire Lestat Ball, Oct. 27, www.lestatsdarkgiftshop.com. Presented by Les Temps des Vampires, the costume party is inspired by the character invented and made famous by novelist Anne Rice. At Rosy’s Jazz Hall.
Boo at the Zoo, Oct. 27 and 28, 838-3006, www.brownpapertickets.com. Trick-or-treat for children age 12 and under at the Audubon Zoo.
Halloween 23, Oct. 27-29, www.halloweenneworleans.com. A three-day extravaganza for the gay community. Starts with a cocktail party, then the big costume party, ending with a gospel brunch.
Ghostly Galavant, Oct. 28 and 29, 523-3939. Tours of St. Louis Cemetery No. 2 by “ghostly” tour guides. Presented by and benefits the Friends of the Cabildo, the support group for the Louisiana State Museum. Leaves from 1850 House Museum Store, 523 St. Ann St.
Monaghan’s Halloween Parade, Oct. 31, 525-5169. Just come and hang out at Molly’s at the Market to enjoy the creative costumes. Starts at 5 p.m.
