The Halloween Party Comes to NoHo

Welcome to THE only Halloween party in the Valley, and it’s at The Federal Bar in North Hollywood!

Love Halloween but are tired of having to drive two hours just to get to a party, only to find out that the place is packed and it’s just like any other club night? Looking for a party that always has something interesting going on, has lots of fun people, a great dance floor, and isa blast from the moment you get in to the last moment you leave? Want a party that is put on by people who love Halloween? Well, here it is, the NoHo Monster Bash.  They take over the Federal Bar on Saturday, October 29 with events going on every 30 minutes on the main stage, lots of dancing, costume contests all night, photo booth, along with two fully stocked bars for all of your libation needs! Meet the folks who put on this Halloween extravaganza, Scott Decker and Jerry Ahern. Thanks for bringing Halloween back to the 818.

Why did you start the NoHo Monster Bash?

— Well, I have loved Halloween ever since I was a kid. Then, when you get to be an adult and go to Halloween parties, there really isn’t much difference than any other club party, except people are now dressed in costumes. So, where is the party that makes you feel like a kid again? Since I could not find any party like that, I decided to do it myself. I have a theatre background, and I really wanted to put on a show that was also a party. Much like Tom did in Parks and Rec when his company had 5k left to its name. They had something crazy going on every 10 minutes. Well, what could I do that creates fun right from the start and goes all night long so it seems like it just gets better and better, hour after hour? That is what I wanted, no one has it, and now we do, and it is the NoHo Monster Bash.

And why NoHo?

Hah! I know! All of the parties are in Downtown or Westside! Well, as everyone knows, if you live in the Valley, trying to make it anywhere Downtown or Westside on a Friday or Saturday night is insane. Maybe an hour drive if you are lucky. Then, you throw in Halloween and if you try Uber, it is surge pricing the entire time. That ruled out trying to help anyone else throwing parties in those areas. So, I focused on building it up where I live, here in North Hollywood. The major problem? The only two spaces large enough to have a party like this are the Federal Bar (which is awesome) or the the club at the Universal City Walk. That is it. Everything else is a banquet hall (no one wants to party at a banquet hall on Halloween), or too small. We stop at around 600 people that night, and we hit that number because we eventually have to turn people away. Now that we are more established, we are discussing how do we open up more of the Federal Bar and the area to make it bigger for next year, which I hope we can do. North Hollywood has really grown, and it has an amazing group of people, who make some pretty stellar costumes and it is pretty awesome seeing everyone there and having such a great time.

This year’s theme event is Heroes vs Villians. Do we have to wear costumes in that theme?

— No, although that is pretty cool if someone does! That theme is for the party itself, which is why we try and do performances all night that match the theme. However, costumes are required, so make sure to hit up Magnolia Blvd on your way to Burbank and stop at any of the 3 major Halloween Costume shops there! believe me, they are amazing. Full costume rentals, hollywood type costumes, etc. Amazing.

Do you look for a particular costume? What prizes will you be giving away?

— We look for what people spent time on, as we have roots in the cosplay community and we know it takes quite a bit to make a good costume. We also look for things that make us laugh, or are spot on, or just plain crazy. The year that someone came in as the lifesize version of Lizzie Borden murder scene, which included the entire wall, axe, portraits, etc. Hell yes, that is awesome. We give away cash cards all night. They are anywhere between 10-50$ denominations. We do it this way, because it allows more people to be recognized, and it doesn’t stop the party from building all night by trying to stop it and have some kind of voting process. We tried that one time, and it just wasn’t the same as letting the party build on itself with the dancing, performances and music.

What type of entertainment will you have this year?

— We are going back to the starting roots, from when we had the La Las Burlesque perform the first year. We are bringing back burlesque and acrobatics. They will all be dressed in Heroes and Villians theme, from batgirl to poison ivy and superman. There is a mini show every 30 minutes, starting at 9:30. We may even have a sneak surprise at 9:20 or 9:40, not sure yet!

Plus, there will be some mini entertainment out on the balcony outside as well as the back room, for when you need to rest your feet before dancing more!

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Is there anything you’d like to highlight?

— Just that, this is an awesome night. The people/crew at the Federal Bar, from the security teams and tickets all of the way to the back of the room and bar staff, they are just great. Fire and Ice Entertainment, who manages the actual performers and performance are also top notch. As the host, it is great to walk around and make sure people are happy, having a great time, that the night just builds and builds into a great ending that just makes everyone dance and dance and not even realize how fun it has all been until they are heading home and have so many different moments to talk about. And believe me, the final show of the night, that happens at midnight, will be very memorable!

Courtesy of Killer Cupcake Event Photography

WHEN:

Saturday, October 29, 2016
9PM to close

WHERE:

The Federal Bar
5303 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91406

TICKETS:

Purchase Tickets (highly recommended) Pre-purchased tickets are guaranteed entry
$30 a person at the door – You will get in, but there will be a line

EVENT INFO:

• The party starts at 9PM, and goes until close (usually 2am). Make sure to get there early, as the show events start right after 9PM!
• Oh, and if you aren’t wearing a costume, you aren’t coming in, so, be nice to the surly bouncers as they escort you away.
• Photo booth run by Killer Cupcake Event Photography
• 21 and Older Only
• FACEBOOK

Happy Halloween!

**** For information on Los Angeles theatre, tickets to theatre in North Hollywood’s NoHo Arts District, theatre reviews, the NoHo Event Calendar, restaurants, news and local businesses in NoHo, or anything and everything about the NoHo Arts Community, bookmark nohoartsdistrict.com. Follow us on Twitter @OfficialNoHo. On Instagram @NoHoArtsDistrict and Facebook @NoHoArtsDistrict.