Dress up in costume and win big

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With Halloween on a Friday, costume parties are expected to be all the rage this year, complete with theme parties and more-lucrative-than-usual prizes.

Although no regime has been finalized, the Village Inn sports bar and grill will offer costume prizes such as large and colorful Packer and Badger rugs valued at $140, owner Leigh Halvorsen said.

“We’re not going to give them something small like M&M’s or gum,” he added with a laugh.

Another sports bar, Ellie’s on Main, will offer a $100 first prize, $50 for second, and so on. There are a few big-name bars in the Twin Cities that actually are offering prizes in excess of $1,000 for a great get-up. For example, Bogart’s Place in Apple Valley has a total prize tab of $3,000.

There is a possibility of winning more than one prize for the same costume. Most judgings occur at around midnight, but Northpoint in North Hudson has staved it off until 1 a.m.

The two main theme parties in Hudson are 1970s basketball at Dick’s bar and grill, taking advantage of the Will Farrell movie craze, and Captain Morgan-style rumrunners at Pudges, with a special prize for the best such pirate. Nationwide, the prevailing theme is said to be anything having to do with another movie, or set of movies, that being Batman.

“Jackie Moon semi-pro” basketball jerseys and outfits go for an affordable $39.99 at Party City, a Twin Cities warehouse store. In one of their ads, “Moon” is flanked by two slightly more obscure figures whose costumes cost $10 more — Love Guru Deluxe and wrestler Nacho Libre.

There are also pirates among the hundreds of outfits, but nothing much like Captain Morgan, possibly because of contractual restrictions.

But, of course, nothing is played up like the Batman costumes — both good and evil.

A group of Hudson men are having their own invitation-only party — provided the house part of the house party is adequately framed up — with the theme Cool Hand Luke. It seems only fitting, although a little tacky, that on Halloween the theme would be after the work of a newly deceased actor, although we’re talking Paul Newman, not Jason or Freddy.

But what if no one comes dressed as the theme? One suggestion from a server at one of those theme places: If it’s a house party, that would make someone the ultimate bad guest, and worse yet if it’s a wedding, and you disobeyed the bride and wore the wrong dress — especially white — you might end up dead like the prom-going victims of the film character Carrie.

Her co-worker, who like her mates will be dressed as a rock star on Friday, was asked if she would consider gender bending and going as Captain Morgan. She replied that sure, since girls are “sweet” like rum.

Green Mill will break from form and have a deejay, and specials that include equally-sweet Jell-O shots. “They are going to be dark, purplish black and orange,” said Kristen Mollet, dining room manager.

Special considerations for prizes at some places across the area, especially this year, are worst costume, best group, best employee costume, free masquerade masks, sexiest outfit, gangster bashes or fetish balls, and at the Dive in Minneapolis a special “Resurrection Vol. 1” and “After Life” party for Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, respectively.

One suave marketing ploy that’s being used: Most costume contests are based on crowd applause, so bring your friends, don’t just party by yourself.

Other perks include winning gift certificates, cancelled cover charges with costume, and bands where there usually are none. However, some establishments were still undecided as of press time about their prizes, so you might want to check in with your favorite haunt later in the week.

Tags: entertainment, hudson, halloween, costume, parties