by Katherine Saltzman
Looking for plans or special treats for Halloween? Cleveland Park, Tenleytown, Forest Hills and Chevy Chase businesses are among those offering themed food, activities and events from now through All Hallows’ Eve.
Create your own ceramic ghouls and ghosts at All Fired Up (3413 Connecticut Avenue, allfiredupdc.com). The shop has special Halloween-themed ceramics to paint, including zombie shot glasses, pumpkin boxes, platters and plates, and ceramic jack o’lanterns you can add a light to.
Firehook Bakery (3411 Connecticut, 202-362-2253) has a special Halloween menu, including cupcakes, sugar and frosted cookies and skeleton gingerbread cookies. Orders are available for pickup at neighborhood locations and for local delivery.
Pick up some colorful and fun Halloween-themed cake pops at Baked by Yael across from the National Zoo (3000F Connecticut, bakedbyyael.com). They are available individually or in packs. Order in advance, says owner Yael Krigman. They do sell out quickly.
Halloween-themed cake pops by Baked by Yael
Enjoy Halloween themed singing and dancing with the whole family at the Avalon Theater (5612 Connecticut, theavalon.org) at 10 a.m. on Sunday, October 27th. For the 14th year, John Henry, The Guitar Playing Man will perform at the Avalon’s annual Halloween concert party. Children and adults are encouraged to show up in costume. Treats will be distributed afterwards. Tickets are $7.50 for Avalon members; $9 for nonmembers.
…And if you’re looking for something a little more spooky without the kids, head to the Avalon Theater on October 30th at 8 p.m. to watch the Polish crime drama Lullaby Killer, based on the true story of a notorious Polish serial killer who terrorized Cracow in the 1950s. The movie is in Polish with English subtitles.
Find costumes for younger kids or purchase some last minute accessories to pull your costume or Halloween decorations together at Sullivan’s Toys & Art Supplies (4200 Wisconson Avenue, 202-362-1343). Sullivan’s offers face paints, Halloween stickers, kits and crafts and much more. The store also has dress-up costumes, caps and dresses available all year-round for kids ages 2 to 7.
Even Sullivan’s landscaping is decked out for Halloween. (photo courtesy of Sullivan’s Toys)
If you’re looking for a spooky story, head to Politics and Prose (5015 Connecticut Avenue, politics-prose.com) to browse its featured titles. The store has a section dedicated to “Fears and Phobias” as well as kid-friendly Halloween books. The books are also available online.
And on Halloween:
From 4 to 6 p.m., many Chevy Chase businesses are welcoming trick-or-treaters. Merchants on and near Connecticut Avenue between Livingston and Northampton Streets have been celebrating the “Halloween Spooktacular on the Avenue” for several years.
From 7 to 8 p.m., Politics and Prose is hosting Joseph Fink, the author of supernatural thriller Alice Isn’t Dead in a conversation with NPR Books editor Petra Mayer.