Monday, October 31 | 8:30 pm
Southgate Roller Rink’s Halloween party, aka Skeleton Skate, makes a lot of promises, including a packed performance schedule, “the world’s tiniest haunted houses,” and something called “The Freddy Krueger Neverending Nightmare Lounge.” I’m quaking in my quads, and not just because of that time I bruised my very own skellington on Southgate Halloween past. True story: The tiny tiara from my fairy princess costume kept charging forward as the entire rest of me fell flat on its back.
I am confident they’ll deliver even on the more mysterious items, because despite my poor, damaged coccyx, Halloween at Southgate is a guaranteed good time, whether you prefer to be seen or be a spectator. At a locale where everybody is already dressed to impress, often in deeply weird ways, Halloween costumes are a special delight, so there’s guaranteed to be stiff competition at the costume contest. Local horror band Dracula Party and synthy pop group Man Plus will be playing directly on the skate floor (if you’ve never been to a live performance at the rink, rest assured that this works surprisingly well). Old Witch, aka DJ Hex-A-Gone, will be both hosting the show and spinning darkwave, goth, and industrial jams. The night also features drag performances by Londyn Bradshaw and Kristie Champagne; typically Southgate hosts drag shows onstage in the back bar.
It’s $15 to get in, plus another $5 for skate rental, and the whole party is 21+. Speaking of which, Southgate has a small but full bar rinkside now in addition to the bigger bar in the back, so you can refresh your cocktail without having to miss a single moment of your friend attempting to skate in a costume that was not built for movement.
