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Halloween in Hollywood!
The Annual Carnival in the Streets
Elaborate costumes and craziness create a Carnival atmosphere.
West Hollywood hosts a Halloween party each year, a fun and colorful event called Carnival. And it is indeed a carnival atmosphere.
A mini Mardi Gras, Halloween Carnival is a block party along Santa Monica Blvd. It brings out the the best in this notoriously gay community, as well as people from all over L.A., many wearing elaborate costumes that look as if they belong on a movie set. And in this town, that may well be where they orginated.
Drag queens mix with pure queens, lovely ladies who dress as cops, cats and princesses (and, in 2008, Sarah Palin, though one was only too eager to walk around with an Obama cheer card). In fact, tens of thousands of people from all walks of life cruise the 10 or so blocks, stopping along the way to talk, take pictures, have their pictures taken or party in the many bars along the route.
This is a rare event in Los Angeles, to be sure. In a city hardly known for its all-out party atmosphere, this is as good as it gets. So hats off to West Hollywood for hosting Carnival.
The street is closed to traffic and along the way are three stages with live music. If that's not enough to stir the soul, some people bring DJ equipment on wheels, and this leads to dancing in the streets.
This is among the creative costumes in 2008.
Carnival is LA's version of Bay to Breakers, the crazy event up north each May in San Francisco. There are not floats stocked with kegs – in fact, there's very little drinking at all except what people bring with them – but elaborate, outlandish, fun and political costumes. People are proud of them and love to pose for pictures.
There is minimal police presence and frankly, no more is needed. The crowd is cool and well behaved, friendly and the atmosphere is casual. There is no doubt this event takes place in L.A., and not in, say, New York.
West Hollywood Halloween Carnival Facts: The event is free and open to anyone, even those few who choose to go without costumes...It runs from 6-11 p.m., though the streets are not cleared until after midnight...There are food booths but no alcohol is sold...The location is between La Cienega Boulevard and Doheny Drive...Parking is available for $15 at these locations (overnight okay but then standard rates apply the following day, not exceeding $7): Kings Road Parking Structure at the corner of Santa Monica and Kings Road, West Hollywood Park Parking Lot at San Vicente and Melrose Avenue and El Tovar Lot near Melrose and Robertson...This is a link to the official website of the event...The phone number is (323) 848-6534.
West Hollywood Halloween Carnival Photos
May the street party be with you.
The LA Way – 'Cities Within the City:'
• Hollywood.
Visit some of L.A.'s hottest and most unusual clubs.
• Long Beach.
Home to the World's Fastest Beach Party, and more.
• Santa Monica/Westside.
Peek inside L.A.'s most diverse pub and club scene.
• South Bay.
Where the young and beautiful get wild and crazy.
• Sunset Strip/Beverly
Hills. Hear the next hot band or see a celebrity (maybe).
• Venice Beach/Marina
de Rey. Muscle Beach and L.A.'s newest hot spot.
• Orange County.
The young and young-at-heart love this upscale area South of L.A.
• Catalina Islands.
So far and yet so near.
PubClub.com's
Guide to Los Angeles:
• LA Today, a blog about life in Los Angeles.
• Start here for the Best
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• To see all of the city, ride the Party
Bus; it's a lot more reliable than those "maps of the
stars homes" people sell around town.
• In PreParty,
learn the vital information necessary to navigate this real-life movie
set.
• Get a first-person perspective from The
Bartender; our man about town.
• Learn all about "California Cuisine" in
our Restaurant and Dining
Guide.
• See why LA is the Entertainment
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