Hallow’s Eve: Events and Resources at your Fiendish Disposal

All Hallow’s Eve approaches! My minions and I, mostly my minions, have gathered all the information we could possibly muster under the strains of the horrible, academic torturings of various professors of doom, who themselves are most likely enslaved by their own administrative clockwork, which is itself most likely- I believe you get the picture. Complied for you and your costumed f(r)iends to exact your own hauntings on the cosmos at large are assorted and varied events, on campus and off, and resources for both spooky garb and décor. ENJOY, cohorts in trick-or-treating terror… BWAHAHAHAHA! Remember all those clubs you said you’d join on Club Day at Frosh Week, however many years ago that was for you? If you want to do something small (presumably), see if any campus groups you’re interested in are having an event of their own and tag along. We have hundreds, so if the ‘Students-For-Cat-And-Dog-Equity Committee’ is having a pumpkin carving get-together, hey, why not go? For example, the Cinema Studies Student Union is holding, go figure, a movie night! And it’s FREE. Your respective college may be having some events of its own as well, so bumble by its student union and see what’s up. Example the second; University College’s Literary and Athletic Society is holding a $5 ghost tour on the 28th, and the following day… an ‘Are You Afraid of the Dark’ marathon. Bask in the brilliance of your childhood. We cannot forget U of T's official giant Halloween party, brought to you by U.T.S.U. Whoo! Beware the forty-year olds. The Japan Canada Student Association is also having a giant club event, the ‘El Mocambo Halloween Bazaar Party’ on Nov. 1st. If you’d rather go partying on All Saints’ Day, there be the details. You can buy tickets this Saturday at the International Centre from 2 to 5 pm. There shall be live music, COSPLAY, and a costume contest with a trip to Montreal as the grand prize. Wowzers. It’s 19+ though. Do not weep, young anime nerds. (and a raffle for tickets to see DIR EN GREY AAAHH) This lovely Toronto Halloween Guide has more than enough information than one can shake an Elder Wand at, such as where to buy (or rent!) an expensive costume, a cheap costume, and hey! I fail for just noticing this, but there’s also a list of links to second-hand clothing stores! If you don’t find a retro/vintage old costume there, second-hand stores are good for getting resources for making one on your own. Wash your finds first, and go to town. It’s not a big deal, kids. Or you can waste 100+ bucks on some spandex. Event-wise, one can drag one’s friends along to a number of lovely places, and not just on Halloween Night either. Screemers, at the Exhibition Place, is open on everyday starting from the 25th! It costs about $30, and there are some posters up around campus, which, err… le-git-ti-ma-tizes them a bit, in my opinion. Paranoid, much? Of course, there’s also Canada’s Wonderland. I’ve never been to their Halloween thing, but I hear it’s pretty scary, with employees dressed as zombies randomly jumping out from bushes and doing a good job of staying in character. Church Street has got ‘Halloweek’ going on for the entire week, including a jack-o’ lantern contest, a short horror film fest, the annual Halloween block party, and a ‘Drag Swap’. (left eyebrow, right eyebrow) I'm game. Here we have listed 47 club events in Toronto, many with costume contests and the like. Please attend such events in groups, especially if you are female and under the age of 99. I do not want to hear of some poor first year reading this post, dressing up in a red spandex devil costume and going missing. Toronto-Goth.com naturally has many links to events, shops, and all things dark and spooky. Heck, they do all year round. Some of us don’t want the spooky times to end (read: some of us = ME). If all else fails, you could always hold your own bloody Halloween event. Were it not for an impending essay and not having thought of this earlier, I would hold a giant, creepy witchy picnic in Queen’s Park. I suppose one could do this if Toronto were a safer city. And, real quick-a-like, as this is becoming longer than I anticipated, DIY costume resources! Instructables.com, where users create and post ‘how-to’ tutorials can show you how to make ANYTHING. For Halloween, they’ve got a plethora of how-tos for make-up, pumpkin carving, decorations, and, of courses, les costumes! The featured tutorials can get pretty intense, as you can see, but one can always use the site’s search engine to find a multitude of simpler (but just as awesome) ones. There’s even a DIY Halloween contest, but it is only open to the U.S. Curse you, Joe the Plumber. Threadbanger is an awesome clothing reconstruction-oriented site (and my latest obsession), and has its own share of do-it-yourself costume ideas, as well as general self-made clothing ideas, featured indie designers, interviews and convention coverage. Last week’s update was a strait jacket made from men’s button-up shirts and leather belts. Last year’s Halloween tutorials included fairy wings from old hangers and panty hose, a mummy costume from bed sheets and tea, and… well, go see for yourself. Please beware: once you click, you will never want to throw out old clothes again. *** Almost forgot! Ghost hunting attempts have been foiled for the most part. Trinity building entered on Hoskin Ave. seemed to be residence, only investigated first floor. Only fear felt from being a non-Trin student in Trin building, and also visited chapel where older sister used to take me to church, before my own undergrad endeavour. Nostalgic at best. Massey College also residence. Avoided speaking to porter for fear of condescending tone. Will attempt again. Christie Manor yet to be located. St. Joseph’s College seemed to sport same porter. UC saved for Halloween Night. Sir John A. declined. Now excuse me while I go to class in what-looks-like my pyjamas.

- Liesl