Gateway association to host Halloween costume party Oct. 26

The Gateway Community Association plans to partner with Grateful Head Pizza and Beer Garden for a costume party to help raise funds for the community association’s upcoming charitable Christmas event.

The costume party will take place at the restaurant, 100 Exchange St., at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26. In addition to ticket sales, Grateful Head manager Chris Luker said half the sales from the night’s drink special will also go toward the community association.

“The proceeds from the event go towards buying toys and gifts for Santa Larry to hand out,” said Janice Davis of the Gateway Community Association.

Davis said after meeting the owner of Grateful Head at a GCA sponsored event last year, the association knew a partnership needed to happen.

“We met Billy (Carper) last year at the ’70s Throwback event. He came as an old lady with

pearls and a wig. He just acted like he knew all of us. He told me if we ever needed anything to give him a call and I did. … He (and Chris) believe in people and just doing for everybody,” Davis said.

The evening will include a costume contest, a “Thriller crawl” contest down Exchange Street, live music by John French, door prizes, drink specials and pizza sold by the slice. Davis said there will be awards for the best overall costume, the scariest costume, the cutest costume, and the most popular costume.

Tristan Traylor with the GCA said the “Thriller crawl” is a parade of zombies, ghouls, and other monsters dancing down Exchange Street. The winner, he said, will be judged based on how the most gruesome monsters carry themselves. Judges will be planted within the crowd.

Luker said he and his staff will also dress up to help with the atmosphere and noted the patio section of the restaurant will be closed to anyone without a ticket but passersby are welcome to buy tickets at the door and join the party. The inside and downstairs sections will still be open to the public.

“We want to make it as much of a show as possible,” he said.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door and can be purchased at http://www.gatewaycommunityassociation.org or at the Grateful Head Pizza and Beer Garden. Each ticket comes with one free slice of pizza.