Sixth Street fright fest is spooky and kooky

Costumed revelers of all ages took over Sixth Street on Friday night for one of the country's biggest Halloween parties.

By Patrick George
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Friday, October 31, 2008

Luke Skywalker, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and the Joker all walk into a bar...

It might seem like the setup for a bad joke, but on Friday night, it was the scene on Sixth Street.

Thousands of people flocked to Austin's famous bar district for the Halloween festivities, one of the biggest and wildest parties in the country.

Revelers — some in costumes and some not — made their way up and down the street perusing dozens of bars, many of which sported ghoulish decorations for Halloween. The rooftop of Vice showcased a giant scarecrow hanging from a noose, while the outside of the bar Spill was covered in cobwebs and skeletons.

But it's the crazy outfits that make Halloween on Sixth Street truly memorable. Hockey players? Check. Pirates? You bet. Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain wearing a wedding dress next to President Bush in a tuxedo? Um, yeah.

It was Chicagoan Tim Perryman's first night visiting Austin. Dressed as Paul Revere, Perryman said he was anticipating a great time, considering Austin's reputation.

"I'm expecting to not remember much and to meet a lot of good-looking females," Perryman said.

Eric Jennings , who was working the door at Maggie Mae's , said Halloween presents new challenges for bar employees.

"It's really hard to check IDs with all the face paint and masks," said Jennings, who was clad as Aragorn from "The Lord of the Rings."

"But I think it's going to be fun," he added. "I may have to take some of this off later; it's really bulky."

pgeorge@statesman.com; 445-3851