Hold onto your vampire capes: Halloween is nigh, and in a few days Chicago's myriad bars and arts venues will throw their faux-cobwebs on the wall and try to reel in the revelers. To narrow down the debauchery, here are nine arts-leaning events to consider.
Night Out With Nosferatu
Catch the silent-spooky classic with accompaniment by Trinity United Methodist's house organist. Oct. 30 at 6 p.m. Trinity United Methodist Church, 9848 S. Winchester Ave., chicagotrinityumc.org; $5 suggested donation ($10 suggested per family)
Uptown Saturday Nights's Ghosts of Halloween Past
Uptown Underground's ghouled-up burlesque show should scare the pants right off of you. Performers include Cabaret Project, Kiss Kiss Cabaret, and Pervesk' Burlesk'. Oct. 31 at 8 p.m. Uptown Underground, 4713 N. Broadway Ave., uptownunderground.com; $15–$40
Kickstand's 11th Halloween Extravaganza
See some local bands you've maybe heard of (Dream Version, Varsity, Decatur Fist, Egon's Unicat, Brontosaurus) play the songs of some national ones you've definitely heard (Pavement, the Strokes, Thin Lizzy, the Misfits, and Cake, respectively). Yes, they'll be in costume. Oct. 31 at 9 p.m. Beat Kitchen, 2100 W. Belmont Ave., beatkitchen.com; $8 with costume, $10 without
Double Door's Halloween Bash
Same shtick, different cover tunes: At the Double Door, Archie Powell & the Exports play Tom Petty, Valaska plays the Cure, the Noise FM plays LCD Soundsystem and MTV Ghosts/Kangaroo play the Hives. Meanwhile, downstairs, Door No. 3 turns into CBGBs with Locals covering the Ramones, the Sweeps playing the Talking Heads, Absolutely Not doing its best Blondie, and Black Bear/Brown Bear miming Iggy and the Stooges. Oct. 31 at 7:30 p.m. Double Door, 1572 N. Milwaukee Ave., doubledoor.com; $15–$25
Redmoon's Boneshaker
This year's Halloween party-turned-circus features bumper cars, carnival games, and pyrotechnics. Oct. 31 at 9 p.m. 2120 S. Jefferson, redmoon.org; $75
Goblin Market
Catch the closing weekend of Polly Pen and Peggy Harmon's spooky musical take on Christina Rossetti’s 1862 narrative poem. Oct. 29 to Oct. 31 at 7:30 p.m. Collaboraction at the Flat Iron, 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave., goblinmarketchicago.com; $25
All Girl Dracula
Ladies rule the night in Bob Fisher's all-girl adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel. Read more about the show here. Oct. 30 and Oct. 31 at 8 p.m. Chicago Mammals at Zoo Studio, 4001 N. Ravenswood Ave., Suite B–1, chicagomammals.com; $25
Chicago Horror Theatre Festival
Cowardly Scarecrow Theatre presents a week-long string of shows toasting all things ghastly in sketch, cabaret, dance, burlesque, and theater. Companies include pH Productions, Matter Dance, and Rabbit, Rabbit. Click here to see the entire schedule. Oct. 29 to Nov. 7. Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont. stage773.com; $25–$200
All Hallow's Day Variety Show
Reprise your killer costume at this Chicago Publisher's Resource Center fundraiser featuring author Audrey Niffenegger, poet Jacob Saenz, comic artist Marnie Galloway, mentalist Jason Adams, and more. Sunday, Nov. 1 at 8 p.m. California Clipper, 1002 N. California Ave., californiaclipper.com; $10