Frightfully Fun
In the final days of October, when "Halloween" starts
feeling more like an actual date rather than a month-long consumer season, New
Orleans hosts multiple recurring events, growing somewhat in profile, that help
the region get into a more macabre spirit.
WYES and its celebrations of Morgus the Magnificent
have ignited a multigenerational nostalgia for New Orleans buffs, and the Krewe
of Boo parade captures that fair moment when the warmth of the tropical
hurricane season gives way to a winter that lasts through the true Mardi Gras
parading season.
A more upscale celebration to the final weekend of
Halloween takes place in the gardens of City Park. Taking place on both Friday,
October 25 and Saturday, October 26, Brews and Boos brings the seasonal magic
of the park to a grownups-only clientele to raise funds for the City Park
Conservancy. Compared to its four-night, family-oriented Ghosts in the Oaks
fundraiser from October 17-20, Brews and Boos retains much of the atmosphere
(and all of the scenery) while catering to a drinking-age clientele.
Halloween music filters out from the entrance to City
Park's Storyland. Park staff hand out color-changing collectible cups as a
wizard greets visitors from the entrance to Carousel Gardens, surrounded by an
eclectic mixture of general sculptures, permanent Storyland deco, and Halloween
props. A black cat scampers between the different pathways of the park as fog
machines billow and neon lights shine over spiderwebs, giant spider decorations
contrast with the massive spider statue a stone's throw away in the Sculpture Garden,
as well as the jungle gym that looks kind of arachnid-like if you squint the
right way.
The City Park Ferris wheel overlooks Tad Gormley
Stadium, and the small train moves costumed crowds around the sights of
Delgado, the lagoon, NOMA, the Sculpture Garden, and the small shed that feels
inadvertently climactic and a wee bit unsettling even without any apparent
Halloween theming. The ticket price covers unlimited beer, poured out on tap at
just enough speed to catch another ride on the train or the grand,
Victorian-style carousel. "The Monster Mash" and Weird Al play as the horses
spin, an intimate night far from the anxieties of the world or the spectacle of
Taylor Swift at the dome. And in that intimate night amongst City Park, it
strangely feels like a moment where anything is possible.
This is a two-night event, so all interested can stop
by for a second round Saturday evening on October 26. For more information,
visit neworleanscitypark.org/event/brews-and-boos-3-3.