October 07, 2011
In just four short years Highball Halloween has become one of the most talked about and highly anticipated events in the Midwest. This year, Highball Halloween will take place on Friday, October 28th, from 5 p.m.-1 a.m., and will put the art of design and masquerade at center stage. Take in the spectacular costumes, hair and makeup on stage, courtesy of our runway sponsors: Mukha Custom Cosmetics, Phia Salon and Wilhelmina S2. Then, socialize right on High Street with 20,000 other party-goers under the arches of the Short North.
The signature focal point of Highball is the dramatic runway stage built on the corner lot at High Street and 5th Avenue. Here you can witness the creations of the couture fashion costume show finalists or public costume contestants, as runway models strut their stuff along the 76-foot-long catwalk. Fashion designers will compete for bragging rights and the $1000 top prize by showcasing three garments from their collections, along with one original outfit designed for Highball.
At 11 p.m., the public contest will take place. Register with the judges between 8 and 10 p.m. for consideration as an individual, group or duo in five different costume categories this year: Most Radiant, Most Fabulous, Most Extreme Face Painting, Best B Movie Ensemble, and Best Transformation (where the costume morphs from one look to another). Winners from each category will receive a Short North swag bag, then compete for the People’s Choice Award and the $1000 prize and title of Best of Show. In the mix of all of these contests, don’t forget to enter your pooch into the Dogtober Howl-o-ween Canine Costume Contest.
The 2011 Highball is introducing a number of new features including “Giant Puppets”, which are 15-foot-tall puppets that are brought to life by a puppeteer navigating on the ground below. Artist Ashley “Coreroc” Voss will be creating a UV light reactive street mural live during the event while makeup artist Tommy Pietch will be doing cinematic transformations of models on stage. Pietch will be taking three lovely dancers and converting them into chilling “Universal Monsters” before your very eyes.
Numerous theatrical numbers from costume based stage productions will also take place. These acts include “The Follies” by Short North Stage, CATCO’s “Evil Dead: The Musical”, “Rocky Horror” by Imagine Productions and “Zombie Prom” by Olympic Theater. All this and more will be introduced by local celebrity, Nina West, as the 2011 Highball main stage emcee.
General admission for this event is only $5 at the gates. For more information on all the behind-the-scenes action and more, head over highballhalloween.com and sign up to volunteer for the event! Also, keep up on all the latest details via our facebook event page. Highball runs from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., so celebrate the evening and even party the night away at some of your favorite Short North hot spots before, during or after the event. Street closure information, which will allow attendees an all-access area to enjoy this extravagant fashion event, can be found at highballhalloween.com. So grab your masks and join us for all the fun and fright of the Halloween season. This can’t-miss party comes only once a year and you WILL want to be there!
Photo credits in order of appearance:
Slideshow news homepage image (unmasked): © Bob Kueppers
Slideshow news homepage image (masked): © Jessie Barber
Inline Image (model): © Robert Walker
Inline Image (Highball crowd): © SNBA