THERE are Halloween bashes all over the city in the lead-up to Fright Night, featuring costume parties, Dracula and Morticia Night, live music and dance, a rock tribute, pub crawls, creepy cocktails, haunted houses and costume parties for kids. Nie Xin and Andrea O'Neil get into the spirit.Friday

THE Geisha club

After warming up for a few weeks, THE Geisha club hosted its grand opening last Saturday. This weekend it holds its first Halloween party, "Attack of the Kandi." DJ Stuart Ojelay will preside over live music.

In the heart of the former French Concession, THE Geisha is a sexy, Vegas style boutique club, on the second floor of the building housing THE Geisha restaurant and sake lounge.

It's open on Wednesdays and weekends, including a 9-11pm Happy Hour. It will welcome the city's hottest promoters and feature world-class DJs and celebrity hosts. State-of-the art entertainment will include weekly theme parties and performances by Geishas.

Time: 10pm

Address: 390 Shaanxi Rd S., near Fuxing Road

Tel: 6403-0244

E-mail: info@thegeisha-shanghai.com





The Shelter

Yes it's that time of year again - The Shelter. Stalwart of the underground dance music scene, The Shelter provides a forum for both locally-based independent electronic artists and DJs, and new international alternative dance acts.

This year they welcome the one and only DJ Sexypaul. DJ Sexypaul has been DJing in Shanghai since the early 18th century and has the music to make you crazy party.

Time: 10pm

Address: Basement of 5 Yongfu Rd, near Fuxing Rd W.

Price: 40 yuan (US$6)



Mao Livehouse

The Austro-German Techno crew MUSHIDO is back with a Halloween edition of their popular TECHNOW event. Expect a techno vibe and a big crowd going ballistic to a "Jack-o'-lantern" inspired Techno selection by BORO LO (AT/GER) and guest artists.

Technow gift package with Alpha mix CD + two free drinks

Time: 10pm

Add: 3/F, 308 Chongqing Rd W., near Jianguo Rd M.

Tickets: 100 yuan (at door), including two free drinks. 80 yuan (resale), including one limited edition



Lan Club

Spooky Halloween Party at the bar on the Bund. There's a haunted house, costume ball, free face-painting, sexy cat women, Chinese ghost stories and lucky draws.

Classic Halloween food and cocktails.

Time: 9:30pm-3am

Address: 102 Guangdong Rd, near Sichuan Rd



Cargo JJ

Shanghaiist "My Personal Demons" Halloween costume party. Lucky draws.

Half the proceeds go to BEAN, community outreach supporting orphanages, schools for migrants' kids, elder care, the disabled, animals and the environment.

Time: 10:30pm

Address: 1123 Yan'an Rd M., near Huashan Rd

Tickets: 100 yuan before 11pm; 150 yuan after. Includes all you can drink.



Stampede Karting

ShanghaiExpat Stampede Karting Event.

Fast-paced go-karts mix with a fun-filled evening of alcohol and all things frightful and gruesome. Ghoulish treats and prizes. Those in costume will get free shots at the door. One thousand yuan in Sherpas vouchers for best costume.

Time: 8pm-1am

Address: 1288 Zhengguang Rd, near Meichuan Rd

Admission: 220 yuan (at door), 200 yuan (presale). Includes 2 karting tickets, free-flow beer, 2 cocktails and snacks.

Saturday

Warehouse

The Ice Cream Truck is throwing a Halloween warehouse party. Hidden above classy restaurants on the riverside is a raw, concrete monster of a space, ready to rave.

The 1,500-square-meter warehouse has a bumping sound system and promises a freaky collection of costumed party-goers on the dance floor.

Acupuncture Records' Funk Star brings massive bass lines from Taiwan via London and Beijing, while Shanghai heavy hitters Jon, Trix, Mau Mau and The Uhhh take you on a wild ride.

Time: 10pm

Address: 3/F, Building 3, 601 Waima Rd, near Maojiayuan Rd,

Admission: 100 yuan (at door), 80 yuan (presale: rsvp@tictcreative.com).



The House of Roosevelt

It will hold a Halloween Costume Party in the 9th floor Sky Lounge. Admission is free. There will be door prizes and lucky-draw. Only those in costume are eligible to win The House of Roosevelt Gift Vouchers.

Time: 10pm

Address: Bund 27; 27 Zhongshan Rd E1

Tel: 2322-0800

E-mail: contact@rooseveltchina.com



Sugar

Spooky Drams and Ghoulish Screams await visitors to Sugar Bar on the sixth floor of Maison Pourcel high-end French restaurant. The venue will become a chic haunted mansion and visitors are encouraged to show up as dapper Dracula or dark Morticia.

Dress code: all-black or disguised. All sinners in fancy dress will receive free cocktails. Three lucky draws for everyone from midnight to 1am.

Time: 9pm

Address: 6/F, 35 Shaanxi Rd S., near Changle Rd

Tel: 6215-8777



Yuyintang

Halloween Rock Tribute. Shanghai's finest rockers, rollers and indie darlings will again descend upon the Yuyintang stage to honor some of the greatest names in rock, punk and metal for the 5th annual Halloween Rock Tribute. Local bands will cover songs by punk legends Dead Kennedys, thrash metal icons Metallica, indie innovators the Velvet Underground, and gender-bending hair-metallers Twisted Sister.

Time: 9pm

Address: 851 Kaixuan Rd, near Yan'an Rd W.



Dakota

This American bistro and Bar hosts a Heroes vs Villains Halloween Party, with DJ Levi and DJ Bing.

A Halloween brunch the next day welcomes little ghosts and goblins. Children age 12 and under spectacular free Halloween meal (reservations only) and take home homemade cookies.

Dakota is a casual, energetic neighborhood bistro on the edge of the former French Concession.

It offers riffs on American and French cooking, cocktails by award-winning mixologists, and fresh breads and desserts from an on-site bakery.

Open daily for lunch and late supper. Every Saturday and Sunday, the chef presents Crab Benedict, Croque Madame, Brisket Hash and house-made Pastry Basket.

Time: Today, 10pm (party); Tomorrow, 10am-5pm (brunch)

Address: 38 Donghu Rd

Tel: 5403-8906



Yucca

It has Shanghai Dolls Halloween Party for expat women; guys welcome,

Address: Sinan Mansions, 519 Fuxing Rd M., near Shaanxi Rd S.

Register at shanghaidolls.org.

Transit Lounge

LGBT Halloween pub crawl.

Round off Gay Pride Week with fancy dress and fun at this annual pub crawl. Prizes for best costumes.

Time: 8pm till late

Addres: 141 Tai'an Rd, near Huashan Road

Tickets: 200 yuan (at door), 150 yuan (presale); .

www.shanghaipride.com

Kerry Hotel

BREW Thriller Halloween Bash.

Costume prizes, spooky cocktails, live music, tarot reading.

Time: 9pm

Address: 1388 Huamu Rd, Pudong

Sunday

Boxing Cat Brewery

First Anniversary and Halloween Party.

This special night nets you a free flow of micro-brewed beers, red and white wine and six special Smirnoff Halloween cocktails. Ghoulish dressing could earn you gift certificates of up to 1,000 yuan. Come in your best costume to attack the good old American BBQ out front.

Time: 7-11pm open bar,

Address: 519 Fuxing Rd M.

Admission: 25 yuan, drinks special afterward.

Café Bistro

Fairly Scary, but Screamy Halloween Brunch.

Dress in your ghoulish best. "Scary" kids get gifts and rip into devilish spread of "bone" meringue, "spider" carrot cake, "witch" soup and more yummy surprises. Games and activities throughout.

Time: 11:30am-2:30pm

Address: (Sheraton Grand Tai Ping Yang, 5 Zunyi Rd S., near Xianxia Rd

Tickets: 388 yuan + 15 percent per person; 198 yuan + 15 percent for children 12 and under.



Champions bar

Champions Halloween Party.

Enjoy a memorable scary night of Halloween in a mysterious atmosphere. Join in the ultimate Halloween party with scary drinks, freaky food funny lucky draw and spooky tunes.

Time: 7:30pm-8am

Address: Marriott Hotel, 2270 Hongqiao Rd, near Jianhe Rd

Monday

The Biggest Damn Halloween Party Ever

Dancing, entertainment, cosplay, fortune tellers. Best costume contest for Scariest, Sleaziest, Funniest and most Original.

Address: Golden Villa Hotel, 1 Xiehe Rd, near Xianxia Rd W.

Admission: 99 yuan, including food and a drink.

Haunted houses

? Shanghai Nightmare
The creators of this haunted house are a couple who specialize in robotics and design. They brought this fun and exciting activity back from the US straight into Shanghai.
Dates: Tuesday-Sunday, 7pm-midnight
Venue: 1295 Suzhou Rd
www.shanghainightmare.com

? Happy Valley
Scary pumpkins, ghosts and haunted houses are popping up across the city as amusement parks and shopping malls are getting ready for Halloween.
At Happy Valley amusement park in suburban Sheshan, 100,000 decorated pumpkins have been placed around the park. Tourists can pose for pictures with five "pumpkin kings" weighing 250-300kg.
Tourists and families can enjoy a "pumpkin war" and may win a big pumpkin to take home.
Two haunted houses titled "Anomaly Space" and "Plants vs Zombies" have been set up inside the park.
Date: Through November 13
Address: 18 Linyin Ave, Sheshan, Songjiang District
Admission: 200 yuan