Photo by María Helena Carey
I’m in Miami this week, enjoying the 82-degree marine breezes. But as I type this, I am thinking of an event I am happy I won’t be missing, and which I think Capitol Hill residents may take for granted, especially the longer they’ve lived here: I am talking, of course, of the days leading up to, and Halloween on, the Hill
Halloween tends to be a relatively joyless, practical affair for anyone over the age of ten. Across the land, parents raid discount stores for appropriate polyester outfits with which to attire their tots, while teenagers are left to roam the endless bins of Scream, Freddy Krueger and ex-President masks in an effort to outdo each other in the “lamest costume” category. Child-free adults may have a party to attend, courtesy of an enterprising friend; or perhaps they may just choose to turn off all the lights and have a Chardonnay-and-slasher-flick marathon, making sure to leave a bowl of cheap candy to avoid waking up to outdoor décor by Charmin.
But on the Hill… oh, the Hill! For a complete guide to exactly how much there is to do, click here for Claudia’s summary; but even if you are the ultimate Halloween Grinch (is that a term?), you can have a fun walk down any of the streets and see at least one amazing display of ghoulish fun per block. One of my favorites is the Spider house, on the corner of 13th and C streets, SE, (I wrote about it last year), followed closely by the awesome chaos of Walter Street, SE. But nothing quite compares to the mad frenzy that is East Capitol Street, in all its loud, crowded, political, magnificent glory: where else can you have this much fun while risking getting your children trampled almost to death, I ask you? I mean, besides over at Hilloween at Eastern Market, that is! Ah, I can feel the hay poking my behind already!
And then there is the Trick-or-Treating: If you want to burn the five thousand calories you are sure to accrue while weeding out the candy your kids won’t, shouldn’t and definitely-will-not-now eat, just do a pass down a couple of streets on the Hill, preferably with a cute toddler or two. Hill folks are incredibly generous with the goodies, which run the gamut from the super-healthy (that would be the pretzels you will end up eating) to the creepy (just because they sell those gummy fangs with the blood, and it’s Halloween, doesn’t mean you actually have to buy them, you know– they taste off) to just kind of a little odd (Mardi Gras beads?). Some houses even offer “treats” for the adults, so be alert and remember to say please and thank you. (Yes: I mean alcohol.) In fact, the trick-or-treating is so good in our neighborhood, that people drive from other neighborhoods just to partake of our bounty and generosity. This explains why you will not be finding a parking spot until November, should you decide to move your car on Halloween.
The joy and conviviality during a Capitol Hill Halloween is hard to find anywhere else, and it’s something I definitely try not to take for granted. What are some of your favorite parts of Halloween on the Hill?