Now that the spookiest month is upon us, add something scary to your Saturday night shenanigans at these themed bars.
This October, pretend you’re Hermione Granger bewitching objects at Hogwarts, mingle with rumored ghosts at a bone-chilling pop-up bar or purchase to-die-for drinks in a grownup version of trick-or-treating – a Halloween bar crawl.
A Very Potter Tavern – Oct. 5 to 31
Town Tavern will transform into A Very Potter Tavern Thursday and remain decorated as a wizarding world through Halloween.
Inside the bar, a sign pointing to Honeyduke’s, a famous sweet shop; Three Broomsticks, the Hogwarts hangout bar; and the Platform 9 and ¾ brings Hogsmeade and other locations from the book series to life. The bar also has events throughout the month, like a Potter-themed comedy show by Capital Laughs and a Great Hall Halloween party on the holiday. Grab five fellow Potter-nerds and put your knowledge to the test during trivia night every Tuesday for $10 per team, or compete in Quidditch beer pong tournaments throughout the month.
To quench your thirst, consult the wise Sorting Hat for happy hour. During the Thursday night happy hours, replace your mundane American drinks for muggle mules, Felix Felicis potions and flowing butterbeer for $5.
Town Tavern, 2323 18th St. NW. Event times vary. Ticket prices for events vary.
Pub Dread – Oct. 1 to 31
Pub Dread, a three bar pop-up, will become a spooky place to celebrate the whole month of October. They haven’t hired people to play ghosts or zombies, but watch out for Cordelia, the spirit allegedly haunting the pub.
Each bar will have a different theme. After entering through a haunted forest, you’ll see crypts, coffins and hair-raising decorations lining the walls. For those of you looking for the timeless creepy doll aesthetic, check out the room modeled after grandma’s house with various doll bodies and other haunted vintage accessories. They even dedicate a room to David Bowie, reminiscent of his ghoulish songs and movies.
The bar has previously housed other themes, including Game of Thrones this summer and cherry blossom in the spring.
Fill your skull-shaped glasses with unique drink combinations like “I See Dead People”, a concoction of gin, fino, fig, cinnamon, lemon, bitters and soda, or “Brains!” – a mix of Alexandro sherry blend, Brandy de Jerez, maraschino cherries, cinnamon grapefruit oleo, fig and lime garnished with candy brains.
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1839-1843 7th St. NW. Monday through Thursday 5 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., Friday and Saturday 5 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
19th Annual Nightmare on M Street – Oct. 28
Enlist your best trick-or-treating crew to experience the 19th Annual Nightmare on M Street bar crawl. You’ll switch out candy for cocktails and get your tricks and treats from the nine bars you visit throughout the night.
You may frequent these bars on your typical nights out, but the Halloween-themed bar crawl will transform nine popular District venues like Blackfinn, Dirty Bar and Sign of the Whale into grounds fit for the living dead. Throw on your most eerie and frightening costume and you might just win the costume contest with prizes.
In addition to a waived cover charge for Dupont’s most popular spots, the bar hopping experience offers discounted drinks like Coors Lite ($3), Redd’s Wicked Apple Ale ($4) and Three Olives Mixed Drinks ($5).
Barcode, Bistro Bistro, The Big Hunt, Blackfinn Ameripub, Decades, Dirty Bar, The Gryphon, Public Bar and Sign of the Whale. 2 to 8 p.m., $15.
