Most of my friends talk about Christmas being their ultimate holiday, while others talk of the fun antics of St. Patty’s Day or even the romance of Valentine’s Day. My personal No. 1 holiday has always been Halloween. For as long as I can remember this has been my favourite time of year. The colours are magnificent and the weather is usually mild with just enough of a chill that you want to curl up with your sweetie in the evening … or it could be the fact that I am a Scorpio birthday baby and I love any excuse to dress up and eat free candy. The sparkle of this holiday hasn’t faded at all as I have gotten older. In fact, I purchased my Halloween costume Oct. 1 and have since been counting down the days until I get to wear it. This year I have three costumes that I intend to sport throughout the “holiday weekend,” which is convenient as there are three events in which I am hoping to attend.

The first is on Friday, Oct. 30 at Clancy’s Pub. One of my favourite Manitoba bands will be filling the dance floor with Celtic tunes. The Dust Rhinos will be out all night long wearing some wonderful costumes I’m sure. Along with the band there will also be a costume contest and great deals on food and drinks. This is an excellent way to kick off the Halloween weekend if you are like me and wanting to make the holiday last as long as possible. Cover charge is $10 and costumes are a must. (OK, they may not be, but I think if it’s Halloween they should be.)

Saturday, Oct 31 will be a fun packed night. After handing out candy to the trick or treaters in the neighborhood, I plan on heading down to The Hop at Lady of the Lake. Tickets are $25 and include a dinner of all of your ’50’s favourites such as pizza, burgers, fries, and the must-have ice cream float! KP and the Boys of Blues will be entertaining with their soulful sound and keeping the dance floor jumping until midnight. A costume contest will be held with the theme of the 1950s stressed. After my fill of fantastic food and bluesy tunes, I will be heading across 18th Street to complete my Halloween activities.

Boo-tacular at The 40 is featuring local rock band FUGR, a band that likes to dress up on a regular weekend performance. I can’t wait to see what these guys have in store for us on Halloween. The 40 is already decorated to the max with spooky Halloween accessories and it should be even wilder once Halloween arrives. There will be more than $300 in cash given away for the best costume contest and fun and games throughout the night.

If you have time I also encourage you to head on down to the MacKenzie Seeds building to check out the Haunted House. It is an excellent fundraiser put on by Big Brothers and Sisters, not to mention a super spooky way to celebrate Halloween. I’m a true believer that Halloween is not just for the young but for the young at heart. So grab a costume and go enjoy yourself this weekend. It’s your excuse to become anyone you wish to be and eat candy guilt-free!