2016 Guide to Halloween on the Hill

Halloween celebrations on the Hill are starting to kick off! While we have some of the best trick-or-treating around, you don’t have to wait until the 31st to get into the holiday spirit. From pumpkin carving to cemetery tours to doggie costume contests, there is no shortage of events for kids of all ages.

Spooky Cemetery Fun

Our very own Congressional Cemetery is always ready to help us get into the holiday spirit. The Dead Man’s Run has already passed but there are plenty of more opportunities to explore the historic grounds … such as twilight tours, because few things are as spooky as walking around a cemetery at night. “Soul Strolls” take place over four nights, October 21, 22, 28 and 29. Tours will take place between 6 and 9 pm, and beer and wine will be for sale. Adult tickets are $20; children 12 and under are $10. Buy your tickets HERE. Comfortable shoes are encouraged, as are flashlights. Tours will not stay on the paths, so please be ready for uneven terrain.

Also at Congressional Cemetery, Fulcrum Property Group is hosting their annual Halloween party at Congressional Cemetery on Saturday, October 29 from 1-4pm. RSVP here.

Movies

Like scary movies? Head over to the Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market for Hitchcock-tober. Each Thursday at 7pm, and tickets are just $7. Schedule:

OCT 13: Suspicion

OCT 20: Dial M For Murder

OCT 27 : The Trouble With Harry

OCT 31: Psycho (Special Halloween Screening). Reserve your seats at angelikafilmcenter.com/dc

Pumpkin Carving and Family Fun

On Sunday, October 23, The Waterfront Church will host a Kids Pumpkin Party from 4-6pm at the Courtyard Marriott at Navy Yard (140 L Street SE). There will be games, balloons, face painting, candy and more! Come enjoy a safe, fun, local, and free event for kids. You won’t want to miss it! Visit their Facebook page for more info.

Also on Sunday the 23rd, United Methodist Church is having its annual Fall Carnival in their parking lot at 421 Seward Square SE. There will be a cake walk, face painting, crafts, bounce house, snacks, games, and costumes are encouraged!

Saturday, October 29

Double up on the pumpkin fun by heading to the Capitol Riverfront for Pumpkins in the Park on Saturday, October 29th from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm. The fun includes pumpkin decorating, face painting, a giant pumpkin moonbounce, music from Rainbow Rock from 11:30 am – 12:30 pm, a festive backdrop & photographer for Fall Family Photos, and more! Or head over to Arris from 1-3pm pumpkin decorating sponsored by Steadfast Supply. Come jazz up a pumpkin with a selection of paint, stickers, felt, and more. You’ll be ready to show off your beautifully decorated pumpkin just in time for Halloween. This workshop is appropriate for children ages 3 and up, and all materials will be provided.

And that’s not all – Capitol Hill Montessori at Logan is holding their annual Haunted Harvest from 6-9pm at 215 G Street NE. All are welcome and costumes are encouraged! There will be a haunted house, scary stories, singalong, mad science experiments and more! There is a $25 donation per family, as well as a $5 hot dog or chili dinner with sides and drink. There will also be a $1 taste chili cook-off contest

Also on the 29th,  CHAW’s Halloween SPOOKtacular will take place from2:30pm-5:00pm. Enjoy  an afternoon of spooky tunes played by our young private music students, costumes galore, a ceramics sale from our adult students…and donuts and cider to kick off the sugar rush a little bit early! Tour the building, learn a little more about the CHAWsome community, and enjoy a truly SPOOKtacular concert. Event will take place at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 7th St. SE, and is FREE and open to the public. Schedule: 2:30pm: Building and art gallery open; 3:00pm: Halloween SPOOKtacular Concert; 4:00pm: Donuts & Cider Reception; Ceramics Sale More information available on www.chaw.org, or by calling CHAW at 202-547-5839.

Over at Rosedale, the gang behind E Street Adventures will be having an EVEN BIGGER Halloween at Rosedale party: This is their fourth annual event! The big shindig will take place from 12-4 p.m. This community event needs your help and involvement so that every kid can go home with a goody bag as well as a huge, sugar-fueled smile. Click here to read how you can help more!

Howl-O-Week

If you think Halloween is just for kids, you are clearly not a pet owner. Howl To The Chief and Rural Dog Rescue are bringing back the Annual Howl-O-Ween Costume Contest on Saturday, October 29th from 1:30PM – 4:30PM at Lincoln Park. Gift bags available to all participants while supplies last! Registration and on line check in starts at 1:30PM and the event will start with the annual Parade Of Rescue Dogs from Rural Dog Rescue! Prizes will be given in the categories listed on the Facebook page for more details. Even if you don’t have a furry one in your house, swing by to see the creativity of our local dog owners.

Thriller

One of my favorite traditions is returning to H Street: Thriller! Joy of Motion will again host a chance to learn the entire Thriller routine from the iconic Michael Jackson music video on Friday the 28th from 7-9pm. The two-hour workshop will teach you every count of the Thriller dance, and you will have the chance to perform in groups, take pictures and videos, and compete in a Dance-Off and Best Costume Contests. All levels welcome, and painted faces and costumes are highly recommended. Ages: 19 and up. $25$35 advanced registration; $30$40 day of workshop.

Annual Hilloween Festival at Eastern Market

Hilloween returns on Friday, Oct 28 from 5:30 – 7:30pm with food, drinks, face painting and much much more. Stop by 7th Street SE between North Carolina Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue from 5:30 and 7:30 to see the neighborhood kids dressed up and gearing up for a night of trick-or-treating. Read more about what the organizers have in store here.

Trick-or-Treat!

Trick or Treating will kick off around 5pm for the wee-ones on MONDAY the 31st. The older kids will stay out as late as 9 or sometimes later. The masses are on East Capitol Street (if you live there, start stocking up on candy now), but the side streets will offer great decorations and candy as well. And Walter Street (between 12th and 13th Streets SE) will be closing their block off to traffic again this year as they welcome neighborhood kids to trick or treat throughout the evening.

Do you have a Capitol Hill Halloween event you’d like added to our guide? Let us know in the comments!

Updated:

• Garrisson: Chef Rob Weland and his team at Garrison on Barracks Row will celebrate “Hilloween” with a pumpkin carving “throw-down” with staff and a host of pumpkin-inspired brunch specials on 10/30. It’s a tradition that Weland host a pumpkin carving competition with staff, and Garrison’s jack-o-lanterns will be on display throughout the restaurant this upcoming weekend, with guests helping to choose the best pumpkin. On 10/30 the menu will feature cocktails and food specials made from the pumpkin “guts” including Pumpkin Pancakes ($15) served with caramelized apples, house-made ricotta and chestnut honey as well as a Pumpkin Sundae ($12) with a warm spiced caramel sauce (cinnamon, orange zest, star anise and cardamom) and chocolate cake croutons, garnished with a dehydrated slice of heirloom squash brushed with vanilla syrup. Bartender Jess Moyer has created The Hills Have Eyes ($12) cocktail, a play on a Zombie made with Hamilton’s Jamaican Pot Still black rum, Hamilton’s Jamaican Pot Still golden rum, lime juice, pineapple juice, orange juice and a concord grape shrub (made in-house). It’s garnished with an orange slice and brandied cherry. Garrison is located at 524 8^th Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003. For more information visitwww.garrisondc.com. Like on Facebook facebook.com/garrisondc follow on Twitter at @garrisonindcand on Instagram at @GarrisoninDC.