One Capitol Hill resident has a serious bug problem, but that’s how she likes to live–at least during Halloween.
Lara Walker, 48, is the self-proclaimed “Mama Spider” behind the Capitol Hill spider house at the intersection of 13th Street and South Carolina Avenue SE. Almost every Halloween, the elaborate decorations seem to weave their way out of the brick home.
Walker has lived in Hill East for nearly 25 years and has set up her elaborate display of arachnids for more than 20 of them.
“The spider thing happened completely by accident,” Walker explained. “I like spiders, and they happen to be a simple thing in Halloween stores. I didn’t really like any of the gaudy, bright colored stuff.”
Halloween is the only holiday Walker commits to decorating for, and commit she does. She estimates it takes her at least 40 hours, spread out across the course of a week or so, to put up all the decorations.
Even then, she said she is constantly adjusting them, always finding something that could look a bit better.
The exterior decorations are made up of several packages of 400-foot long, synthetic webbing draped from all levels of the home, including the roof. It’s also wrapped around the fencing, trees and shrubs along the front and side of the house.
That’s not all. Nearly 30 spiders of all sizes are scattered around the webbing, hanging from the roof and windows. There are skeletons, bones, bats, ghosts, rats and likely hundreds of smaller spiders–what Walker calls the “babies”–used around the yard.
Every year, things are arranged a bit differently.
“I want it to look real, not kitschy,” Walker said. “I try to add a little bit every time.”
This year, she crafted some spider “cocoons” using extra webbing and some of the smaller spiders. They’re hanging from trees and settled in bushes. They are, indeed, freakishly realistic.
“People of all ages get a kick out of the house,” she said. “I think a lot of people appreciate how much work goes into it, but to be honest, I don’t do it for them. I just love it. I don’t know how to explain it.”
Until about 8 years ago, Walker worked in marketing communications. She now owns her own dog-walking business.
She doesn’t have any children, but she knows many families in the area and enjoys seeing the kids take notice of the decorations, whether they enjoy them or are a little scared by them.
“That’s what I love about this neighborhood, and I think it’s one of the reasons why I’ve stayed here as long as I have,” Walker said. “I think it’s also why this works here. It’s like a village, and everybody knows everybody.”
“In a community like that,” she added, “it’s kind of fun to be known as the spider lady.”
But being the spider lady is hard work, and Walker isn’t sure how many more Halloweens her spiders will come out for.
“I make no promises anymore about the house,” she explained. “That’s why I wanted to outdo myself this year because this really may be the last year.”
For now, trick-or-treaters can still visit the spider house between 6 and 8 p.m. on Saturday. Walker will be there too, dressed as a “spooky, witchy spider lady,” an extension of the entire display.
Visitors can also document and track their time with the spiders on Twitter and Instagram with #CapitolHillSpiderHouse.
As far as the future of the spider house, Walker said anything could happen.
“It’s a labor of love at this point,” she said. “A really weird one, but I do love it.”
Volunteers from a nonprofit based on the H Street corridor will visit homes throughout the District to collect candy this Halloween, Borderstan, a Hill Now sibling publication reported.
Workers with HIPS, an organization that advocates for sex workers and intravenous drug users, will travel to donors’ homes as requested to pick up the leftover treats as part of its yearly Halloween candy drive.
HIPS volunteer Emily Hammell said the nonprofit’s army of candy collectors are usually able to nab dozens of pounds of donated candy.
“The volunteer community of HIPS is really active,” Hammell said. “I’ll probably spend Saturday and Sunday with my old lady grocery cart and a backpack collecting candy.”
The organization, located at 906 H Street NE, hordes the candy to distribute to its clients throughout the year. Though Hammell said the organization will take almost any kind of candy, lollipops and Jolly Ranchers are usually clients’ favorites.
“The candy is used for when staff or volunteers are out in the van doing outreach,” Hammell said. “Also, people are sometimes hesitant to approach the van for the first time.
“If you can come away with a piece of candy, then perhaps your friends or your peers don’t have to know that you went and got condoms or had questions about HIV testing or needed help filing your employment or health paperwork,” Hammell added. “And most people love candy.”
To donate leftover candy, D.C. residents can e-mail HIPS or swing by the nonprofit’s headquarters on H Street. The organization will also welcome candy donations during its happy hour at Asia Nine (915 E Street NW) at 6 p.m. tonight.
Photo courtesy of HIPS
ANC Reviews Plans for Apartments, Daycare at Riverside Baptist Church Site in Southwest — PN Hoffman, the company planning to build a 7- to 9-story apartment building at the site of Riverside Baptist Church at 7th Street and Maine Avenue SW, presented plans to ANC 6D that included a daycare and public space. [SWTLQTC]
Dance-Off Between Police Officer and Teen in Southwest Goes Viral — A video shows a Metropolitan Police Department officer in a dance competition with a teen whom the officer was asking to leave the 200 block of K Street SE is being praised as an example of constructive community policing. [Washington Post]
Photos: Congress and Capitol Police Square Off on the Football Field — The U.S. Capitol Police beat members of Congress and former NFL players 7-6 in the seventh Congressional Football Game Wednesday night. [WTOP]
Where to Go to Celebrate Halloween All Weekend — Whether you’re looking for some costumed clubbing or family-friendly fun, we’ve compiled a list of Halloween events across the Capitol Hill area this weekend. [Hill Now]
There are only three more days until Halloween, so it’s time to start planning how you want to celebrate. Since the holiday falls on a spooky Saturday this year, you have plenty of time to join the festivities and plenty of options for where to go.
Whether you’re looking for some costumed clubbing or family-friendly fun, here’s a list of events to make the most of this Halloweekend:
Friday
Dinner and a Movie
The Argonaut (1433 H St. NE)
5 p.m.
The Argonaut is hosting a event for parents and their children. Upstairs, the newly-formed Argonaut Kids Club will be showing movies, doing activities and eating while parents can dine downstairs. Event prices start at $30 and vary based on the number of children who attend.
Hilloween at Eastern Market
7th Street SE (between Pennsylvania and North Carolina avenues SE)
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
The community tradition returns with free family-friendly activities and ways to celebrate Halloween. Attendees are encouraged to wear their best costumes and visit professional face painters, a haunted house, and a photo booth. Food, drinks and other treats will also be available for purchase. Councilman Charles Allen and Mayor Bowser will also be in attendance to give opening remarks.
Sweets to the Sweet!
Folger Shakespeare Library (201 E Capitol St. SE)
5:30 – 8 p.m.
The Folger is hosting a family-friendly Halloween celebration, Shakespeare style. Guests can expect holiday treats, candy, lines from Shakespeare and activities. The event is free and open to the public.
Boo to You Halloween Party
King Greenleaf Recreation Center (201 N St. SW)
6 – 8 p.m.
The recreation center is throwing a traditional Halloween party, with a costume contest and dance. The event is free and open to the public.
Derek Brown & Thriller on H Street
Joy of Motion Dance Center Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St. NE)
7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
This dance workshop will teach the entire routine from the Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” music video. The workshop is open to dancers of all abilities levels ages 19 and up. Costumes–especially those inspired by the King of Pop–are encouraged. After the workshop, winners of the dance-off and costume contest will receive dance class packages. Participants can register online in advance for $25.
Saturday
Halloween at Rosedale
Rosedale Community Center (1701 Gales St. NE)
12 – 4 p.m.
Center staff are throwing a Halloween Safe Haven celebration for community members with games, food, music, candy and a community parade. The event is free and open to the public.
Happy Howl-O-Ween!
13th Street Community Park & Garden (13th and C streets SE)
1 – 3 p.m.
Nonprofit pet adoption organization Homeward Trails and the 13th Street Community Park & Garden invite families-and their pets-to the park for a Halloween celebration. All guests are encouraged to wear costumes, and gift card prizes will be awarded to the best dressed child and pup. Some adoptable dogs are also expected to attend. This outdoor event is free and open to the public.
Halloween SPOOKtacular Concert & Reception
Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (545 7th St. SE)
2 – 4:30 p.m.
This free event will preview the CHAW community through festive songs played by private music students and artwork samples from various classes. The art gallery will open at 2 p.m., and tours of the building will also begin at that time. The concert starts at 2:30, followed by a reception with donuts and cider. Costumes are recommended, as CHAW staff and the performers will be wearing them.
Photo via Flickr/Teo
Capitol Hill Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in the Capitol Hill area. If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out our event submission form.
For more events, be sure to check out our event calendar.
Tuesday
Fresh Angles: Austria Through the Eyes of Amateur Filmmakers
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum (100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW)
Time: 7 – 9 p.m.
A collection of short films by amateur filmmakers will show parts of the Nazi era. The images in the films are not from Nazi propaganda, unlike what dominates modern memory of its history. The event’s featured speakers include the museum’s video archivist Lindsay Zarwell and director of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for History and Society Ingo Zechner. Admission is free.
Friday
7th Street SE (between Pennsylvania and North Carolina avenues SE)
Time: 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
The community tradition returns with free family-friendly activities and ways to celebrate Halloween. Attendees are encouraged to wear their best costumes and visit professional face painters, a haunted house, and a photo booth. Food, drinks and other treats will also be available for purchase. Eastern Market will operate normally on Saturday.
Friday – Sunday
Fichandler Stage, The Mead Center for American Theater (1101 Sixth St. SW)
Time: 8 p.m.
Based on the story of orphan boy Oliver Twist, this Tony Award-winning musical is opening at the Southwest Waterfront this weekend for a two-month run. The titular character is played by a fourth grader, and a cast of children and adults will tell Charles Dickens’ holiday story. Tickets are about $120 and can be purchased online.
Saturday – Halloween!
13th Street Community Park & Garden (13th and C streets SE)
Time: 1 – 3 p.m.
Nonprofit pet adoption organization Homeward Trails and the 13th Street Community Park & Garden invite families–and their pets–to the park for a Halloween celebration. All guests are encouraged to wear costumes, and gift card prizes will be awarded to the best dressed child and pup. Some adoptable dogs are also expected to attend. This outdoor event is free and open to the public.
Saturday & Sunday
Pottery on the Hill Show and Sale
Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital (921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE)
Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday & 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday
Sixteen ceramic artists from around the country will gather in Hill East this weekend to display and sell their work. The event is catered for both serious collectors and curious observers, providing the opportunity to meet the artists, hear about inspirations for their work and learn how to use pottery pieces at home. Admission to the show and sale is free.
Photo via Facebook/Hill Center
New Capitol Hill Citizens Group Stresses Open Communication With Law Enforcement at First Meeting — The new group Citizens for a Safe Capitol Hill held their first meeting on Sunday and brainstormed ways that the group can most effectively deliver their concerns about crime to authorities. [Capitol Hill Corner]
Rosedale Community Center Seeking Volunteers and DOnations for Annual Safe Haven Halloween Celebration — The Rosedale Community Center will host a Safe Haven Halloween celebration Saturday afternoon but still need volunteers to help out. [Frozen Tropics]
Southwest Housing Community Designated a Historic Landmark — St. James Mutual Homes, a community of 16 multifamily buildings on the 200 block o0f O Street and P Street SW, were designated historical landmarks after nearly 80 years as moderate-income housing. [SWTLQTC]
Pullman Place Condos to Begin Construction Near NoMa-Gallaudet Metro Station — Pullman Place, a new 42-unit condo building at 911 2nd St. NE, is set to begin construction shortly with plans to be complete by fall 2016. [District Source]
Fall is in full-swing, and Halloween is now 10 days away. For those who love the season of changing leaves, pumpkin spice and costumes, the Capitol Hill area has plenty of ways to celebrate.
Events across the area this weekend will give residents a chance to start their Halloween celebrations a week early. Here are some pre-holiday events to help you get in the Halloween spirit:
Thursday
Seniors Costume Brunch
King Greenleaf Recreation Center (201 N St. SW)
11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Area seniors are invited to the recreation center for a costume brunch with food and music. There will also be prize giveaways for guests wearing the best costume of the event. More information is available via e-mail.
NoMa Pumpkin Carving Happy Hour
NoMa Junction @ Storey Park (1005 First St. NE)
4 – 7 p.m.
NoMa BID will provide free pumpkins and carving tools for the first 200 visitors to the “pumpkin patch.” Pumpkins can be reserved in advance online. Participants can bring their own pumpkins and tools, if they choose. The event is free and open to the public. It will have live music from ’90s cover band the Lloyd Dobbler Effect, face painting, and a candy scavenger hunt. Food and drinks will also be available for purchase.
Thursday – Sunday
Scream City D.C.
RFK Stadium (2400 East Capitol St. SE)
7 – 10 p.m. (open until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday)
“Exorcism Estate” and “Slaughter Factory” are two fully-enclosed haunted houses that will take over Parking Lot 8 through the end of the month. The haunts are from the same minds as Field of Screams Maryland and are almost guaranteed to be very, very scary. The production company recommends no one under the age of 13 attend, and parents should use their discretion when choosing to bring their children. Tickets are available online for $30-$40. One ticket grants admission to both haunts, and each takes approximately 40 minutes to walk through.
Friday
Haunted History and Ghost Hunt
Northeast Neighborhood Library (330 7th St. NE)
4 – 9 p.m.
This evening will pair history and haunts so guests can decide for themselves whether the library is haunted or not. The first hour of the event will provide a haunted history of the building and the surrounding area. Following that will be a paranormal investigation where attendees will get into teams, use “ghost hunting” equipment and search for evidence of paranormal activity. The event is free, but pre-registration is required by e-mail, in person or by telephone at 202-698-0058.
Friday and Saturday
In Their Own Words: Soul Strolls at Congressional Cemetery
Historic Congressional Cemetery (1801 E St. SE)
6 – 9 p.m.
The Congressional Cemetery will have a second weekend of night tours. The tours will tell the stories of some of the 65,000 “residents” there, as interpreted by cemetery staff. The event will also have a cash bar and music each night. Tours are held during the twilight hours. Tickets are available online and cost $20 for adults and $10 for children who are 12 years old or younger.
Saturday
Hot Cider Hustle 5K/15K
RFK Stadium (2400 East Capitol St. SE)
9 a.m.
Capitol Hill-area runners can participated in one of two fall-themed races around RFK Stadium along the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail. Both races start at 9 a.m. in Lot 7. Hot apple cider and caramel apples will wait for participants as they cross the finish line. Registration is still open for both races, but the price will increase tomorrow at 1 p.m.
Pumpkins in the Park
Washington Canal Park (202 M St. SE)
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
The Capitol Riverfront BID is hosting a late morning/early afternoon of family-friendly activities and entertainment to get ready for the holiday. Small pumpkins and decorating tools will be provided. There will also be face painting and live entertainment. The event is free and open to the public.
Barktoberfest
Yards Park (355 Water St. SE)
1 – 5 p.m.
The Washington Animal Rescue League is hosting the Second Annual Barktoberfest, an event scheduled to have local craft beer, live music, food trucks, shopping, a canine costume contest and a puppy kissing booth. General admission tickets are available online for $35 and include unlimited beer tastings. Dogs must be leashed at all times. Rain date is Oct. 25.
Haunted Harvest
Capitol Hill Montessori at Logan (215 G St. NE)
6 – 9 p.m.
This fall festival is for families to celebrate Halloween a little early. The event will have several activities, including a haunted house, spooky pumpkin painting, mad science experiments and a zombie dance party. Costumes are encouraged for all attendees. A chili cook-off contest will take place from 6 – 7:30 p.m. for $1 per taste. Dinners of chili or hotdogs will be served from 6 – 8 p.m. and cost $5 each. A $20 donation per family is recommended.
Photo via Facebook/Capitol Riverfront BID
Capitol Hill Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in the Capitol Hill area. If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out our event submission form.
For more events, be sure to check out our event calendar.
Wednesday
FDR and the Holocaust: A New Appraisal
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum (100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW)
Time: 7 – 9 p.m.
Best-selling author Jay Winik will discuss the challenges World War II era leaders faced, including rescuing Europe’s remaining Jews. Other prominent historians to join the discussion include the New York Times Chief White House Correspondent Peter Baker, American University professor Dr. Richard Breitman and museum historian Dr. Edna Friedberg. Admission is free.
Friday and Saturday
In Their Own Words: Soul Strolls at Congressional Cemetery
Historic Congressional Cemetery (1801 E St. SE)
Time: 6 – 9 p.m.
The Congressional Cemetery will have a second weekend of night tours. The tours will tell the stories of some of the 65,000 “residents” there, as interpreted by cemetery staff. The event will also have a cash bar and music each night. Tours are held during the twilight hours. Tickets are available online and cost $20 for adults and $10 for children who are 12 years old or younger.
Saturday
Trick or Treat! Halloween Cookery with the Kids
Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital (921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE)
Time: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Families are invited to take a kid-friendly food cooking class with a twist in preparation for Halloween. Radio and television producer Peter Ogburn will lead the class, which might include making monkey brains (cauliflower). The class costs $49 for an adult and a child, and $15 for each additional child. Wearing costumes to the class is highly encouraged.
Gangplank Marina Park at The Wharf (600 Water St. SW)
Time: 12 – 4 p.m.
This free, family-friendly community event will give locals a chance to spend an October afternoon along the water of the Potomac. Guests can craft their very own “pumpkin” with the help of on-site Wharf artists. There will also be live music from the Wil Gravatt Band throughout the afternoon, with food available at nearby Cantina Marina and King Ribs.
Yards Park (355 Water St. SE)
Time: 1 – 5 p.m.
The Washington Animal Rescue League is hosting the Second Annual Barktoberfest, an event scheduled to have local craft beer, live music, food trucks, shopping, a canine costume contest and a puppy kissing booth. General admission tickets are available online for $35 and include unlimited beer tastings. Dogs must be leashed at all times. Rain date is Oct. 25.
Hill East residents can get scared for free at two haunted houses on the RFK Stadium campus.
Events DC is giving each local who registers online up to four complimentary tickets to Scream City’s “Exorcism Estate” and “Slaughter Factory.” The attraction, which is in the stadium’s Parking Lot 8, is open every Friday and Saturday until Nov. 1, with additional days and hours as Halloween approaches.
Tickets are normally $30 to $40.
“Come one, come all, bring a guest, and hang loose,” the website for the free tickets says. “This is going to be epic!”
Scream City has more than 300 actors who aim to scare visitors during the 40 minutes or so it takes to walk through each haunted house. The production company recommends no one under the age of 13 attend, and parents should use their discretion when choosing to bring their children.
“We will attack all of your senses and fears,” production director Mike Lado said last week. “When we say it’s not for children, we mean it.”
Photo courtesy of Scream City/Steelhead Productions
District residents: Prepare to be scared on the RFK Stadium grounds.
Scream City is making its debut in RFK Stadium’s Parking Lot 8 Friday. The Halloween attraction will include two fully enclosed haunted houses called “Exorcism Estate” and “Slaughter Factory.”
The attraction’s producers focused their efforts on the science of scares and playing on deep-rooted human fears, including claustrophobia and uneasiness about the dark, according to Scream City representative Rachael Glaws. The production company recommends no one under the age of 13 attend, and parents should use their discretion when choosing to bring their children.
Exorcism Estate will tell the story of a Halloween night in 1874 with the birth of a child thought to be a powerful demon of Satan, who unleashed her power on her family and their Victorian mansion.
Slaughter Factory will take visitors into a meat factory that closed 30 years ago when an owner went insane and started slaughtering his employees instead of animals.
More than 300 actors draped in gore will portray these scenes for the full 40 minutes or so it takes to walk through each haunted house. Glaws described the haunts as “talent-heavy,” with minimal use of animatronics.
“We will attack all of your senses and fears,” said production director Mike Lado, who is also the “mayor of Scream City.” “When we say it’s not for children, we mean it.”
These haunts are from the minds behind Field of Screams Maryland, which is entering it’s 14th season. Last year, it won A&E Channel’s Haunted House Design/Build Competition, with the network deeming it one of the best haunted attractions in the United States.
In its inaugural year, Scream City is dedicated to deeply frightening visitors, without apologies.
“Scream City was designed, produced and now operated at the level of anything you will see at Disney or Hollywood, but much more edgy, raw and terrifying,” Lado said.
The attraction will open every Friday and Saturday from now until Nov. 1, with additional days and hours as Halloween approaches. Tickets are on sale online for $30 to $40, with one ticket granting admission to both haunted houses.
French fries, funnel cake, marshmallow treats and other snacks also will be for sale on site — at least for visitors who have the stomach to eat.
Video via YouTube/Scream City/Steelhead Productions
If you’re still undecided on how to celebrate Halloween tonight, don’t fret. We’ve compiled a list of some options. There are activities on the Hill for adult goblins, little boys and ghouls, and even holiday-loving hounds.
Hilloween — Eastern Market, the D.C. Public Library and Capitol Hill Arts Workshop teamed up for plenty of Hilloween activities from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., including hay rides, a moon bounce, carousel rides and face painting. There are treat bags and candy for the kids. The event will take place along 7th Street SE.
Ghostly Drive-In — Union Market (1309 5th St. NE) will show “Ghostbusters” as its final drive-in movie of the season. The movie starts at 8 p.m., but bring the kids early for face painting, pumpkin decorating and trick-or-treating.
H Street NE Trick-or-Treat — Businesses on the west end of H Street NE have collaborated to make a kid-friendly trick-or-treat
Driftwood Kitchen (400 H St. NE), Boundary Road (414 H St. NE), Cirque du Rouge (416 H St. NE), Big Board (421 H St. NE), Micho’s (500 H St. NE), Le Grenier (502 H St. NE), Metro Mutts (508 H St. NE) and D.C. Harvest (517 H St. NE).
Thriller on H Street NE — Joy of Motion Dance will host a performance by the Thriller Workshop dancers. Sign up for the $30 workshop from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. to learn all the moves to the iconic “Thriller” dance routine. Dancers will be released onto H Street NE for a performance under the marquee at the Atlas Performing Arts Center around 10 p.m.
‘Psycho’ Screening — The Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market (550 Penn St. NE) has two screenings tonight of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic “Psycho.” Both the 7:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. showings cost $11 per person. Attendees will get goodie bags from Chef Spike Mendelsohn, with treats like chocolate bacon and sushi popcorn.
Howl-O-Ween — Today and tomorrow, the Washington Humane Society will have scarily low adoption fees. Stop by either location (1201 New York Ave. NE or 7319 Georgia Ave. NW) to pick up a dog for $31 or a cat for $10.
Halloween Fright Night — Join the fun at Jimmy Valentine’s Lonely Hearts Club (1103 Bladensburg Rd. NE), where it’s $15 to get in and $70 for open bar. There will be several DJs, and costumes are required.
Gravensteen’s Haunted House — This haunted house at 50 Florida Ave. NE is considered the largest and scariest in the D.C. area. Tickets are available online for visits today and tomorrow .
GraveYards at Yards Park — Tomorrow (Saturday) from 6 to 10 p.m., Yards Park will transform into a spooky playground celebrating Day of the Dead. The free experience includes live music, street performers, fortune tellers, face painters, a beer garden and a celebrity graveyard.
What costs as much as candy and makes trick-or-treaters smile even more?
A Halloween photo booth, Hill resident Ryan Lovin says.
After Lovin and his wife Swapna moved onto Massachusetts Avenue SE two years ago, they were “amazed at the sheer number of trick-or-treaters,” he said. So, the tax attorney and amateur photographer decided to try something different last Halloween.
He created a Halloween photo booth by renting lights and setting up a backdrop in his front yard. In just a few hours, he took about 450 pictures of more than 600 people.
“Renting the equipment was the same price as getting candy, and it was definitely a lot more fun,” he said Tuesday.
The Lovins will set up the free photo booth in front of their house again on Friday. Trick-or-treaters can look out for it starting at 5 p.m., on Massachusetts Avenue between 13th and East Capitol streets SE.
People who smile (or scowl) for the camera will be able to instantly see their photos on a laptop. The images will then be posted to Flickr, where they can be downloaded for free.
“I was afraid people last year would just walk by our lawn,” Lovin said. “But it really took off. There was quite a line.”
Hill residents can show their Natitude by voting for their favorite Washington Nationals-themed pumpkin carving and copying the designs at home.
The “NatsOLantern” jack-o’-lantern contest ends Thursday evening, the team’s website says. Fans selected five top designs created by Nats lovers, including one gourd carved with “Fear the Goggles” and another with an intricate portrait of player Jayson Werth.
The contest winner will receive an autographed Jayson Werth garden gnome.
The pumpkin with Werth’s face was a hit on the Nationals’ Twitter account.
“Holy cow the Jayson Werth looks like a painting!!! That’s talent!!!” user @diamondgirl1967 tweeted.
Unlimited voting will be open until 5 p.m. Thursday and can be done by text message. For more information, see the Nationals’ website.
In addition to hosting the contest, the Nationals created jack-o’-lantern stencils that can be downloaded. The designs include the Nationals W, a W with baseball stitches and the faces of the Teddy and Bill mascots.
Eastern Market will be hosting not one, but two Halloween events next Friday.
From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Halloween (Oct. 31), the annual Hilloween event will take place at Eastern Market.
The family-friendly community tradition features a haunted house, a hayride, a moon bounce and “some big cool trucks courtesy of DPW and BID.” There will also be temporary tattoos, a photo booth, a “pooch parade,” musical performances and trick or treating at local merchants.
New this year to Hilloween will be a pumpkin pie and apple pie baking contest. If you want to compete for the title of tastiest pie on the hill, an entry sheet is due on Sunday.
Following Hilloween will be the inaugural Taffety Punk Theatre Company Halloween Costume Ball. The event is scheduled from 8:00 p.m. to midnight at Eastern Market’s North Hall.
The costume ball will feature music, dancing, food and drink, a silent and live auction and “other excuses to raise money” for the scrappy troupe.
Tickets for the costume ball are $75, but are not currently on sale online.
