A Howlin’ Good Time in Vegas: Halloween 2015 Recap

After what seems like months endless heat and pool parties galore, the cooler weather of Halloween was a welcome reminder of the season. The cooler weather gets residents and visitors alike excited for a different type of Vegas party. Las Vegas, known as The Entertainment Capital of the World certainly earns its reputation during Halloween.

It should be mentioned that Halloween in Vegas can start as early as six days before the actual holiday in many bars and nightclubs, with October 31st being the culmination and the fall equivalent to New Year's Eve. The list below features a wrap up of Halloween 2015, and information on annual events and suggestions to assist in navigating and planning for Halloween next year.

Downtown Las Vegas

Halloween 2015 Downtown Las Vegas

This annual free event at Fremont Street, OktoberFrightFest 2015 ran the entire month of October. This was the seventh annual event for the Fremont Street Experience and the venue featured live entertainment and costumes.

The month-long celebration featured live musical entertainment from "Frank & The Steins" as well as light shows that included "Monster Mash," "Thriller" and "Ghostbusters." Annual performance times and the light show schedules are available each year on vegasexperience.com.

Opportunity Village HallOVeen

Opportunity Village HallOVeen

Source: opportunityvillage.org

An annual family-friendly Las Vegas staple, the Opportunity Village Magical Forest takes on a scary persona each October. This year, the event featured Miniature Golf, Spooktacular Express Passenger Train, and other fun Halloween-themed attractions. Annual information and ticket prices for this worthy non-profit cause are available at opportunityvillage.org.

Fetish & Fantasy Halloween Ball

Fetish & Fantasy Halloween Ball

Source: fetishandfantasyhalloweenball.com

This adult themed ball, held at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, was everything you would expect from Vegas on Halloween. The annual party, held on October 31st, is considered by most to be among the best Halloween events in the city.

The ball takes place at Vanity Nightclub, and the crowd of more than 7,500 people love to dress and impress. Ticket information and party specifics are available each year at fetishandfantasyhalloweenball.com.

Las Vegas Strip Nightclubs

Halloween Las Vegas Nightclubs

Source: xslasvegas.com

It is likely that many of the more than 41 million people who visited Las Vegas last year were drawn by the world-class entertainment offered by Strip nightclubs. For Halloween, the nightclubs spared no expense in transforming each of their venues into huge parties full of costumed partiers.

Some of the biggest names in music spent October 31, 2015, in Las Vegas. Chris Brown hosted a party at Drai’s Nightclub at the Cromwell while Lil Wayne was at Foxtail at SLS Las Vegas. Hakkasan at MGM Grand Las Vegas featured Tiesto on Friday and followed up with Hardwell on Saturday.

Some clubs, such as Surrender Nightclub at Encore, were all about cold hard cash on Halloween, ponying up $20,000 for best costume. Omni Nightclub at Caesars Palace was the lucky winner of the bidding war to get Calvin Harris for Halloween night.

When deciding on which Halloween event to attend in Las Vegas for next year, the best advice is to start planning early. A good rule of thumb is to begin thinking of where you want to go when you start assembling your Halloween costume. With some planning, revelers will be able to hit multiple events and get some extended use out of the Halloween costume.