Halloween falls on Saturday, October 31, this year, after a Friday when many DC public schools had no classes. In its October roundup, HillRag said it plainly: "So, buckle up. Things could go bigger and later."
On a weeknight, Halloween on the Hill fits into the few hours after dinner. This year it starts Friday afternoon and runs into Sunday. Look at where the events are on a map and almost everything sits at one of two spots: the Eastern Market corner at 7th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue SE, or Lincoln Park on East Capitol Street between 11th and 13th Streets. Those same two areas also draw the biggest crowds on Saturday night. How far your house is from them decides whether you get a steady trickle at the door or a crowd on the sidewalk, and whether your Saturday afternoon is quiet or full of dogs in capes.
Friday at the market: Hill-O-Ween opens the weekend
The weekend starts with Hill-O-Ween, on Friday, October 30, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Eastern Market, 225 7th St. SE. The festival's site calls it a Capitol Hill family tradition that has been running for 20 years. This year's lineup includes a moon-bounce park, photo booths, face painters, a spooky dance party with a live DJ and Zumba, and entertainment on a main stage.
Admission is free, according to HillRag, and local businesses and nonprofits host tables that hand out candy alongside games and activities. HillRag adds that the 200 block of 7th Street SE is usually closed to cars for the event. That is the usual pattern, not a confirmed closure for this year, so if you plan to drive through the market blocks Friday afternoon, check the Hill-O-Ween site for final details.
Friday also starts the costume contest at Labyrinth Games & Puzzles, 645 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, a short walk from the market. Entries are accepted during store hours from October 30 through November 1. Community votes choose kid, adult and group winners, and each winner gets a $50 gift card.
The scarecrows went up on Saturday, October 24
The Haunted Hill scarecrow contest from Eastern Market Main Street launched Saturday, October 24, with judging during the week before Halloween. The Capitol Hill BID calls it the first contest of its kind to cover all of Capitol Hill, with residents making their own homemade scarecrows, and says community voting runs online in the lead-up to Halloween. The rules allow one entry per address. Each entry gets a yard sign with a QR code for voting, and registered entries appear on a Padlet map. Judges award three categories, Scariest, Funniest and Most Creative, and each winner gets a ribbon and $500 in gift cards to Eastern Market Main Street businesses.
Because the entries sit in front yards across the neighborhood, the walk to Hill-O-Ween on Friday doubles as a walk past whatever scarecrows are on your route.
Saturday daytime: both hubs fill before dark
Saturday is the day Eastern Market's regular weekend schedule runs into the holiday. The indoor market is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays, and the outdoor market, with local produce and handmade arts and crafts, runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Halloween events then fill in around those hours, one after another:
- 9 a.m. The outdoor market opens at Eastern Market.
- 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Labyrinth's Taste of Horror series starts with the 9 Lives to Valhalla roleplaying game.
- Noon. Registration opens for HOWL-O-WEEN, the Howl to the Chief dog costume contest in Lincoln Park. At Labyrinth, an Arkham Horror card game runs from noon to 6 p.m.
- 1 to 3 p.m. The dog costume contest begins in Lincoln Park. Over on the market side, The Eastern wine bar holds its annual Halloween wine class.
- 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Labyrinth runs The Skeletons roleplaying game.
- 4 p.m. The outdoor market closes, about an hour before the first trick-or-treaters head out.
The HOWL-O-WEEN listing promises local vendors and pet organizations, six award categories, and free swag bags for the first 150 participants. If you want one of those bags, plan to arrive at noon rather than 1.
In its weekly newsletter, the Capitol Hill BID describes The Eastern's class as an afternoon of tasting owner Eric's favorite wines of the season, paired with Halloween candy, plus a few surprise guests. Guests in costume can enter a contest for a bottle of wine. Tickets are required.
By late afternoon, the dog contest has cleared out of Lincoln Park and the market's outdoor stalls are packing up. A few hours later, both areas fill again.
Saturday, 5 to 9 p.m.: how much candy your block needs
HillRag reports that trick-or-treating on Capitol Hill always runs from 5 to 9 p.m. on Halloween, whatever day of the week it falls on. Toddlers come out first, sometimes right at 5 p.m., and elementary schoolers follow around 5:30. Things usually start winding down around 8 to 8:30 p.m., with a few middle schoolers and families still out until 9 or 9:30 if there's candy left.
The same article notes that the Hill draws trick-or-treaters from across the DMV, and that the number reaching any one door depends mostly on the street. Its estimates make the pull toward Lincoln Park easy to see:
| Where your door is | What HillRag expects on Halloween night |
|---|---|
| East Capitol Street | Possibly thousands of trick-or-treaters |
| 12th Street SE near Lincoln Park | About 700 pieces of candy in three hours |
| Major streets generally | Hundreds, up to about a thousand visitors |
| Side streets away from hot spots, such as the 1400 block of C Street NE | 200 or fewer kids |
On a Saturday after a long school weekend, HillRag expects these numbers could run higher and later than usual. If you just moved to your street, HillRag suggests asking your neighbors for a closer estimate, since a block can be very different from the one next to it.
The streets HillRag names for decorations follow the same map. A Street SE, East Capitol Street near Lincoln Park and Walter Street SE are known for their displays, and Walter Street often closes to cars for the night. Four of the places on that list or in the table above are on or next to the park.
For quieter blocks, HillRag notes a local habit that brings the doorstep to the crowd. When trick-or-treaters are thin at home, some people set up tables in Lincoln Park and hand out candy to passersby. On busier streets, people often sit on their front steps with friends and a bowl, because the line of kids doesn't let up long enough to go back inside. When the candy runs out, HillRag suggests turning off your lights and hanging an "out of candy" sign on the gate or door.
Sunday: a second day for families and dogs
Halloween usually ends at bedtime, but this year two businesses keep it going into Sunday.
The Roost has hosted Halloween cocktails, movie nights and brunch specials all month. On Sunday, November 1, it holds a family event with trick-or-treating, face painting, photo spots and a dog costume contest. That makes Sunday a second chance for any costumed dog that missed Lincoln Park on Saturday, or wants another try.
Labyrinth Games & Puzzles finishes its Taste of Horror series with three sessions:
- Arkham Horror roleplaying game, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Monster of the Week roleplaying game, 1 to 4 p.m.
- Dread roleplaying game, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Sunday is also the last day to enter Labyrinth's costume contest. Eastern Market keeps its usual Sunday hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. indoors and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. outside, so the market corner stays busy for one more day.
The next gathering at the market corner
Once the decorations come down, the next big event is back at the Eastern Market corner. The 20th annual Capitol Hill Tree Lighting is Saturday, November 21, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Eastern Market Metro Park, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. The BID is planning local music, hot chocolate and doughnuts.
A side street with 200 knocks and an East Capitol stoop with thousands can be only a few blocks apart. If you'd like to know what your own block's location means for your home's value, Thomas Kolker offers a complimentary consultation and home valuation from a fellow Capitol Hill resident, with no pressure attached.
