Halloween Parties Around Town This Weekend

Halloween is making a run at one of the biggest nights in Bradenton for parties with costume contests, drink specials, live music – and even a haunted bar.

Most every bar and pub in Bradenton is celebrating Halloween this weekend. So wherever you live, your neighborhood pub probably has a costume contest and drink specials this Friday or Saturday night.

For those who hang out downtown, Zombie Fest is back for its third year this Saturday.

From 3:30 p.m. until midnight Old Main Street (12^th Street West) will close to vehicular traffic between Manatee and Third avenues west to allow for hordes of zombies to do their zombie crawl or stumble from bar to bar. Zombie Fest officialy runs from 6-11 p.m. but Old Main Street’s collection of bars and pubs – from south to north – , , , and – will be slinging out the drinks until closing time.

Various vendors and tents will line Old Main Street and a stage near Fourth Avenue West will feature live music from punk rock bands A Gentleman Army, Crash Fist Fight and Six Year Bender. Buy a $20 bar pass and get a Zombie Fest T-shirt and a drink at participating locations.

If you want to get your zombie on, get there early. The local tattoo parlor and Zombie Fest’s official “Zombification Station”, , 306 Old Main St., will open at 1 p.m. for anyone who wants zombie makeup.

On the other side of town, , 4343 Palma Sola Blvd., is hosting a Halloween extravaganza - the 3rd Annual Sugar Shack Ball - on Saturday night with live music, Halloween-themed drinks and shots and a costume contest – and it all takes place in what once was a 1900s-era barn in Gatlinburg, Tenn. Some say, said Ace’s general manager Robert Slicker, that ghosts from the past accompanied the barn's move to Bradenton.

When the barn was dismantled, shipped to Bradenton and rebuilt as a bar, construction workers claimed to have found tools rearranged every morning. They also found stacks of lumber arranged in strange patterns. The ghosts of the couple that owned the Gatlinburg barn are said to haunt Ace’s second-story loft. Legend has it, they both suffered violent deaths in the barn.

“Closing bartenders have often told stories of seeing the (ghosts) up in the loft and hearing screams and the floorboards creaking,” Slicker said. “Some have even refused to accept closing shifts.”

Party if you dare. The cover is $10 in advance (click here) or $15 at the door. Festivities start at 9 p.m. First prize in the costume contest is a basket worth $250. Live music from Biscuit Miller and Damon Fowler.

We’ve covered downtown Bradenton and west Bradenton. Here is everything in between and everywhere else:

Halloween party and costume contest at , 6218 Cortez Rd., Friday night from 8 p.m. until midnight. Live music from Brimstone starts at 10 p.m.

Live music from house band 2 Ton Tomatoes at the annual Halloween party this Friday night at , 7423 Manatee Ave. W. Party is 10 p.m. until close. Cash and prizes to the best costumes.

, 3102 53^rd Ave. E., is celebrating Friday night with drink (5-for-$10 Buds or Bud Lights) and $2 shot specials. Free jukebox from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m.

, 4310 S.R. 64 E., is hosting a Halloween party at 9 p.m. Friday with DJ music, a costume contest (cash prizes: $100 for first place, $50 for second and $25 for third) and Van Gohg Vodka drink specials.

, 5606 14^th St. W., is celebrating Halloween all weekend. The party starts at 9 p.m. Friday with a karaoke and costume contest with the announcement of the winners at 12:17 a.m. Live music from Flight 19 Saturday night and football on Sunday.

, 801 Riverside Drive E., is hosting its first Halloween bash this Saturday. Actually, it’s two events. From noon-3 p.m. the festivities are geared toward children with bounce houses, pumpkin bowling, face painting and a costume contest for the prettiest costume and the best cartoon character and super hero. The party from 9-1 a.m. is geared toward adults. Live music from Dr. Dave Band from 7-11 p.m.

, 1200 First Ave. W. (Barcarrota Boulevard), is hosting a Haunting Halloween Party from 6-11 p.m. Saturday on its outdoor patio. Halloween-themed cocktails and live music from The Arch starting at 7 p.m. Prizes ($100 cash, $50 gift card and $25 gift card) for the three best costumes.

, 5520 14^th St. W., is hosting its 15^th Annual Boo Bash from 7-10 p.m. Saturday. Live music from Rye Road and DJ Trevor to finish off the night. Get your costumes ready – there is $1,000 in cash to be given out to those in the best Halloween costumes.

, 2505 Manatee Ave. E., is hosting its 3^rd Annual Halloween Costume Contest this Saturday night. Party starts at 7 p.m. with the drawing at midnight. Prizes are $100, $50 and $25 for first, second and third places, respectively.

Costume party and drink specials at , 3812 Manatee Ave. W., Saturday night. Costume contest at midnight.

Pumpkin bowling Saturday night at , 2604 Manatee Ave. E. And don’t forget to dress up for the costume contest. Drink specials include $10 buckets of beer, $2,50 margaritas and $5 pinks of Chocolate Stout Beer. Party starts at 8 p.m.

, 4307 26^th St. W., boasts the biggest Halloween costume contest in the county this Saturday from 10 p.m. until close with $500 in cash to the best costume in each of three categories: scariest, sexiest and most original. There will be a cash prize for the stupidest costume as well.