Halloween Weekend Guide

Groups throughout campus and the community gear up for spooky good times

Posted on Oct. 27, 2010, at 10:40 p.m.

Looking for something to do this Halloween? Alongside all of the ghastly costume parties and hauntings throughout town, campus groups have organized some spooktastic events themselves. From family-friendly pumpkin patches to Halloween-y rock concerts, the witching hours are upon us.

Six Days of Night

The Campus Activities and Student Engagement offices are littered with skeletons, cauldrons, cobwebs and jack-o-lanterns. Gooey eyeballs stick to the hands of the employees as they sort through the mess.

Halloween time for CASE is always a big deal, and this year is no exception with their “Six Days of Night” activities. With events sponsored by a variety of student groups across campus, CASE has put together an event for each night this week, leading up to Halloween. Collaboration has been key for CASE, according to graduate assistant James Bell.

Things got started on Monday with the Costume Lab, where students got to donate and swap old clothes and costumes for like-new ones. A few tables in the Memorial Union were covered with dresses, shirts, sequins and assorted ghoulish accessories.

Tuesday saw residence halls hosting Fear Factor events, where complexes tailored the activities to what they wanted to do. Some ate caramel apples while others had to struggle down strange cuisines.

In place of the usual Kickin’ Flicks on Wednesday, CASE hosted Scream O’plex, showing four films in the Union: “Ghostbusters,” “Halloween,” “Sleepy Hollow” and “Hocus Pocus.”

On Thursday night, CASE is incorporating the Student Entertainment sponsored Daniel Tosh comedy show in the Collins Center for the Arts into the mix.

Friday will have more family-oriented events, as Bell said they have been trying to include more that consider students with children. For the Great Pumpkin Patch, taking place on the lawn near the Patch and DTAV residence halls, CASE is providing 400 pumpkins for students and families to carve and paint. There will also be free food, drinks, a bonfire and music. The festivities begin at 4:30 p.m. and last until 10 p.m.

The culmination of the “Six Days of Night” will be the traditional Halloween late-night in the Union from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. This year, the Beta Theta Pi fraternity has teamed up with CASE to provide a cash bar for those of age. They will be hosting the costume contest as well.

The late night, or Fright Night as it has been dubbed, will include wax hand creation, tarot card readers, movies, a photo booth, plenty of free food and drink and more.

The haunted house, which in the past has taken place in the attic of the Union, has been cancelled due to fire code issues, according to CASE coordinator Kevin Taschereau. While the attic may have been a perfect venue — it’s even more frightening without decorations — there will be a haunted trail taking place on Friday by the Student Recreation and Fitness Center.

Daniel Tosh

On Thursday night, comedian Daniel Tosh will be performing at the CCA. While the show is already sold out, it is sure to be a night of hilarity for those who have tickets.

In an interview in September, Vice President of Student Entertainment Joseph Nabozny said he booked the comedian after seeing his Comedy Central internet clip show “Tosh.0.”

His show took down both “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report” in ratings, according to a report on ABCNews.com. Nabozny said the comedian matches the college demographic perfectly.

He is performing as part of a 60-city tour.

WMEB Halloween Concert

The college radio station’s annual Halloween bash is taking place Saturday once again in the Keith Anderson Community Center at 7:30 p.m. WMEB station manager Jay Grant said he was happy to be back in the downtown Orono venue after last year’s show inside the Union.

Headliners are garage rockers Doomstar from the Boston area. The band was booked after one of the station’s music directors, Lauren Fleury, caught them opening up for indie rockers Surfer Blood in Boston.

Also appearing is the Orono/Bangor-based Good Kids Sprouting Horns, fresh off their appearance at the CMJ Music Marathon in New York last week. Orono metal band Capture the Sun, known for their heavy riffs and spastic live shows, will get things started off.

Grant said the WMEB concert aims to give students a chance to hear some music they probably won’t hear in the local bars. It gives those underage a chance to hear some great tunes, and gives those not interested in the bar scene bands a chance to hear something different.

The free, all ages show will also feature a costume contest with WMEB swag and a gift certificate going to the winner.

Shows at Woodman’s and The Dime

Locals bars are getting in on the Halloween action as well, with Woodman’s and The Dime each hosting costume parties with live music. On Friday, Restless Groove will take the stage at Woodman’s Bar & Grill starting at 9:30 p.m.

On Saturday, The Dime will have Suit Mullet performing for their costume party starting at 10 p.m. Both events are 21-plus.

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