Ghouls’ Night Out

Don your best costume and head to a desert Halloween celebration.

Heidi Kulicke Arts & Entertainment

Zombie costumes are a hit for partygoers looking for a night out on the town.
Photo courtesy of thinkstockphotos.com

Halloween is always hot in Palm Springs — and we’re not just talking about the temperature. So get your costume ready, pick your venue, and prepare for an unforgettable night.

Zelda’s Nightclub hosts its 37th annual Halloween party starting at 9 p.m. “We will have nonstop dancing all night with DJPJ spinning the best hits from the ’70s to today,” says Mike McCormick, owner of Zelda’s. “Nobody throws a Halloween party quite like Zelda’s.” Decorations transform the club into a haunted house — and the best costume winner takes home a $500 cash prize.

The Dead Ringer’s Ball: Tales from the Riviera kicks off at 9 p.m. Halloween night at the Riviera Palm Springs. Dress as your favorite dead celebrity and head to the Starlite Lounge for dancing and drinks. The person with the best costume earns an overnight stay at the Riviera and dinner for two at Circa 59.

The Tropicale and adjacent Copa Palm Springs offer a Heaven and Hell theme on Halloween night. “We wanted to do something special for the first Halloween at Copa since its opening last fall,” says venue owner Rob Kenzi. Tropicale offers the heaven theme, with encouraged costumes of angels, priests, and the like, while Copa features the hell theme, with devils, demons, and all things naughty. The party starts at 5 p.m. at Tropicale, with drink specials and discounts all night, along with passed hors d’oeuvres from 5 to 7 p.m. The party moves over to Copa at 9 p.m. for a DJ, dancing, and drinks. Bring a carved pumpkin and receive a $50 gift certificate to Tropicale. Both venues offer hidden drink tokens and prizes, and a $100 gift certificate to Tropicale for best costume will be given away at each spot.

Relive the ’80s at The Purple Room Restaurant & Stage’s themed costume party. Music by the Gand Band brings you back to when leg warmers and shoulder pads were all the rage. Cash prizes up to $500 will be awarded to the best-dressed Material Girl, Indiana Jones, Boy George, Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, and other icons. Music starts at 8:30 p.m., with the costume contest at 9:30 p.m.

BB Ingle’s Palm Springs parties are legendary, with 6,000 people attending last year’s epic Monster Rock Halloween bash at the Hard Rock Hotel. Find details on this year’s celebration at www.partywithbb.com.

Arenas Road in Palm Springs hosts an annual LGBT Halloween party with live music and dancing. Entertainment begins at 6:30 p.m., with a costume contest at 8 p.m. Bella da Ball serves as the event emcee and hostess.


Where to Go

Zelda’s Nightclub
611 S. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs.
760-325-2375; www.zeldasnightclub.com

Riviera Palm Springs
1600 N. Indian Canyon Dr., Palm Springs.
760-327-8311; www.psriviera.com

The Tropicale
330 E. Amado Rd., Palm Springs.
760-866-1952; www.thetropicale.com

Copa Palm Springs
244 E. Amado Rd., Palm Springs.
760-866-0021; www.coparoomps.com

The Purple Room Restaurant & Stage
1900 E. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs.
760-322-4422; www.purpleroompalmsprings.com

BB Ingle
www.partywithbb.com