Happy Halloween Mission!

Doom and gloom hover in the foggy air this grim day… no, it’s not the residual stench of Giant’s riot smoke, it’s the chilling specter of Halloween (also, the first rain we’ve had in many, many weeks, thank goodness).

To celebrate, we offer this brief guide to enjoying the day.

Where to get your candy on

Don’t let the rain stop you from taking out your child (or yourself) for some good old fashion candy gathering. Based on ancient wisdom passed down from generations of Mission children, this is where you should go with pillowcase in-tow:

Mission Street: Despite, the commercial nature of this corridor, candy favors the bold on Mission. In the early hours of the evening businesses welcome in miniature goblins and Ninja Turtles for candy and sweets.

Fair Oaks: The grand dame of Mission trick-or-treating, this Victorian-lined lane often closes down to traffic and its well-maintained houses have been known to go the extra mile for a haunted house décor. Perfect for that classic door-door sugar intake experience.

24th Street: A hub of Dia de los Muertos (Sunday, November 2) activity—there’s sugar skull painting workshops at Galleria de la Raza and all manner of calavera folk art to buy along 24th—the street is also great for candy gathering. Most businesses offer candy to the little ones on All Hallows’ Eve.

Ideas for slightly older things that go bump in the night

Obviously, the Mission loves to party. Every bar and club will be exploding with Sexy Ruth Bader Ginsburgs and Breaking Bads, but here’s a few odd and unexpected options for a night of Halloween revelry:

• West of Pecos has a mechanical bull for Halloween Night. Zombie cowboys get excited!
• If you can get a ticket, “Hell in the Armory,” a scary, kinky haunted house awaits you in the bowels of Kink.com’s porn castle. (We took a frightening peek inside ourselves.)
• If you like ghost stories and pirate ghosts, Arrrgh-dobe Books is hosting a reading of “Under the Sea Macabre.”
• For the creepy queers out there, the Lexington Club is hosting a Boo-Gay Down dance party. Probably the last time to celebrate Halloween, before this bar becomes the undead.
• Vampire cyclist arise and take note: a Halloween bike stroll will be cruising through La Misión.

(We’re 100 percent sure we’re missing other interesting Mission events, let us know where you’re partying, and if we’re invited, in the comments.)

Staying safe out there:

Officer Gordon Shyy of the San Francisco Police department offers a couple safety tips to celebrate responsibly [our own commentary in brackets]:

– Parents and trick-or-treaters [and probably everybody] should use sidewalks and if sidewalks are not present, walk towards oncoming traffic.

– Look both ways before crossing and use cross walks.

– To reduce the risk of trips and falls, avoid masks or costumes that limit your vision and movement. [To reduce risk of annoyed looks, let’s also keep it in good taste—keeping the cultural appropriation, racism, misogyny, and extreme gallows humor to a minimum]

– Motorist should watch out for children. [True for most days of the year as well.]

– Trick-or-Treaters may not pay attention to traffic; be prepared to stop if someone darts out.

Super last minute Mission-themed halloween costumes

You have a matter of hours before any Halloween Night, but what so ever are you going to wear? Fear not, we have some very Mission-centric costume ideas that you can put together in a snap. [Note: If you’re actually considering doing one of these, please heed our note from before about good taste.]

Soccer-playing DropBox employee: Unwittingly, these guys have become local internet stars—that being a strong word. All you need:

• Dropbox T-shirt, though any tech or startup will probably do.
• Soccer ball.
• Piece of paper saying you paid someone $27.

Frida Kahlo: Her face adorns many a mural in the Mission, why not have it adorn your face? All you need:

• Eye brow pencil.
• Tasteful jewelry and clothes inspired from Mexican folkloric tradition with a whiff of something thoroughly 20th century, modern, and fresh.
• Bonus: A small monkey to sit on your shoulder.

Google Bus protester: Perhaps the most colorful of Mission personalities, a Google bus protester is an easy costume if you can get the adequate attire. What’s harder: mustering the stamina to hit the streets as often as they do. All you need:

• Pied acrobatic unitard.
• Megaphone.
• Bonus: That crazy panopticon surveillance cyborg stilt walker (pictured right).

Waiting in line for Bi-Rite (group costume): A ever-present Mission phenomenon, this line of patient foodies makes a great group costume. All you need:

• Cell phones with Yelp app.
• A sturdy set of legs.

Giants Fan: The easiest costume of all—especially if you’re at the parade now. All you need:

• Giants apparel.
• Orange and black clothes.
• Smokes bomb, forties, bottles to throw at police, or just a well-moderated sense of good cheer and celebration, depending on what kind of fan you want to be.

Happy Halloween from all of us at Mission Local! Have a fun, safe, and ghoulish day!