Autumn in Mount Pleasant!

Lamont Park on Halloween

Lamont Street Halloween Block Party

It's baaaaaaaaaaack. The District's best Halloween night celebration is right here in Mount Pleasant. The party takes place on Lamont Street NW between 17th and 18th Streets. Typically, many of the row homes on this block have residents that give out candy, go all out with decorations, or at the very least drink beer on their stoop while silently judging your costume. And yes, I'm obligated to share that I once handed out 2,000+ pieces of candy one year when I lived on this block. It's that kind of fun. 

This year there will be a costume contest, shadow puppet show, and BONUS; the Torches are playing! Torches are playing a porch show on the stoop near the costume contest at 17th and Mount Pleasant. They play early, at about 7:30 PM. Come out, have fun, be nice!

Lamont Street Halloween Block Party

It's back. The annual Lamont Street Halloween Party returns for 2012 and yes, yes, yes, this is one of my favorite neighborhood get-togethers of the year. All Hallow's Evening (Wednesday, October 31) is the date and 6:00 PM-9:30 PM is the time.

The location is Lamont Street NW between 17th and 18th Streets. The 1700 block will be closed to vehicular traffic and the surrounding streets are typically very busy with pedestrians, so use caution when driving in the neighborhood that night. 

Very much like last year's event, the 2012 party will feature kid friendly puppetry and the best costume contest this side of the Potomac River. Oh yeah, and trick or treating. Should be a blast, as always. See you there! 

Halloween Party on Lamont Street is Oct 31

DC's best Halloween block party is happening again this year, in Mount Pleasant. Lamont Street NW between 17th and 18th will play host to hundreds of candy seeking kids (and sometimes their parents). Yes, this is the event at which our house gave away over 2,000 pieces of candy in 2007.

In a minor change, I'll be collecting candy this year, not giving it out. So, bring some for me. Also, look out for music, marshmallow roasting and of course, the costume contests. No word on the zombie walk, but ever since I started reading World War Z, I can do without this year. Huge thanks to the organizers who filed the paperwork, planned the events and made this happen; it's a great tradition!

The details:

Who: You, your friends, Mt Pleasant residents, other invited costumed revelers.

What: Lamont Street Halloween Block Party

When: Monday October 31, 2011; 6:30-9:00PM

Where: Lamont St NW b/t 17th and 18th in Mount Pleasant, DC

Video: Zombie Walk in Mount Pleasant

The Lamont Street Halloween Festival was well attended this year, but not quite at the levels of the last two or three years. The rain and a Saturday holiday kept those away who on a weekday may have seen this as the "main event." Many came early and there was still a decent crowd into the night. A puppet-shadowbox show with live music accompaniment was awesome. Both players and the audience of young and old paid no attention to the smattering of drizzle. Good time had by all.

About halfway through the night a gaggle of zombie walkers came through; a yearly tradition at this point. This year they departed from the usual moaning and groaning to perform a choreographed piece, to Micheal Jackson's Thriller, natürlich. You may have to use your imagination on the video; the sounds of Thriller wane in and out as the only speaker provided was from a small boombox being carried around. I think you know the words.

This is one of the funnest yearly events in the neighborhood and here's to next year. Cheers.

Zombie March on Lamont Street from The 42 Bus on Vimeo.

Lamont Street Halloween Party is Tonight

Well, last year we gave away over 2,000 individual pieces of candy. Not trying to buy that much this year. So, kids, if you are reading this, just know that I will not be giving out candy until the cows come home. Only until we run out.

A few notes: If you have a good costume, I may give you two pieces of candy instead of one. If you are over 20 and don't have a kid with you, I'm not giving you candy. Especially if you aren't dressed up. If you wear that mask from the movie Scream, I will not give you candy. Its 2008 people(!), move on... If you are dressed up as Sarah Palin, I may or may not give you candy (still deciding). If you are the Joker from Batman: The Dark Knight, you will not get candy. I may ask you to leave the festival all together. Satirical, pun-based, dada-themed and otherwise intellectual costumes will get an extra piece of candy and additional verbal praise. In a reversal of last year's policy, Disney and Pixar character costumes now get candy. Babies too young to know they are in a costume will get a piece of candy, but the accompanying adult will not, sorry.

Once you make the rounds three times, you should call it a night. I saw some of you climb my steps like, 6 times last year. Not really fair to the other kids who only go up and down the street 3 or 4 times. Look out for the costume contest and s'mores/hot chocolate or cider. The festival is after sundown tonight on Lamont Street NW between 17th and 18th Streets. The street will be closed to car traffic. See you there!

Photos From Lamont Street Halloween Party

Last nights Halloween street party was a great success. We beat last year's record by giving out well over 2,000 pieces of candy. No Mayor Fenty, but the costume contests proved that all we need for a good time are the kids, a little imagination (maybe some help form mom and dad) and supportive neighbors. It was dark, but I tried to get a few photos in between switching off with my firends on candy duty. My picks for best costume? The two sisters dressed as their "alter egos," the Teletubbies, and the young woman dresseed as an IRS agent who handed out her own "business cards." Her email on the card: suckyoudry@suckers.gov.

Lamont Street Halloween Party

Yes, get ready for that once-yearly chance to give away vastly overpriced pieces of candy and other Halloween accoutrement to (possibly) costumed youngsters. Its the Lamont Street Halloween Party! Organized by a few local individuals who live on the block, the party draws hundreds of kids from all over DC each Halloween. Most of the homes on the block (1700 block) oblige and have at least some candy for the taking. Last year we joined a group effort at a friend's place and gave away over 1,500 pieces of candy. No kidding. I counted.

Most of the kids make several circuits, and before you know it somehow you're out of $25 worth of Jolly Ranchers and kind of sad because, at least for tonight, you've contributed to the childhood obesity epidemic. In the end though, its all fun and games. Pretty princesses and burly ballplayers bump around with kids who've improvised costumes using trash bags and a sense of humor. The parents never trail far behind, and many carry their own bags and trick-or-treat with the really young ones in tow. We don't mind the kids coming from other parts of the city either, its their party too! Nice to have a safe space for this kind of thing in this day and age. Spoiler alert!!! Word on the street is that a famous son of Mt Pleasant who's now a very important government official in DC will be making an appearance at the festival. You heard it here first! Unless he doesn't come, then, well, hmm. Yeah. Never believe the rumors on the internets.

The block is closed for traffic beginning at 4:00PM, so have those cars moved. The costume contest starts at 8:00PM near the top of the block. If you are local please stick around and help the clean up process.

For those partying elsewhere, please don't drink and drive. Use SoberRide. They can be reached at 1-800-200-TAXI, and the service is FREE.