Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to gather on Santa Monica Boulevard tonight for West Hollywood’s 30th annual Halloween Carnaval, the city’s largest event and in many ways — particularly with the costumes — one that reflects an eccentricity that West Hollywood is proud of. Think of it as WeHo’s version of New York City’s New Year’s Eve in Times Square.
“The annual Halloween Carnaval is always such an exciting event,” said West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman. “I’m amazed each year by the imagination and talent that go in to creating elaborate and inventive costumes. The joy of the crowd is palpable and the celebration is a wonderful testament to the City of West Hollywood’s creativity.”
Carnaval officially opens at 6 p.m. Heilman and members of the West Hollywood City Council will host a brief program at approximately 8:45 p.m. at the San Vicente Stage located at the intersection of Santa Monica and San Vicente boulevards. That’s where they will crown the yet-to-be-announced King (or Queen) of Carnaval. The one-mile stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard where the Carnaval takes place will feature several areas with live DJs.
Here are some things you need to know to enjoy, and negotiate, Carnaval:
Main Street Closures
Several blocks will be closed to traffic to accommodate Carnaval today and on Wednesday morning. The main closures are:
— San Vicente Boulevard between Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue from midnight tonight to 7 a.m. Wednesday.
— Santa Monica Boulevard between La Cienega Boulevard and Croft Avenue/Holloway Drive from 6 a.m. today through 6 a.m. on Wednesday.
— Santa Monica Boulevard between Doheny Drive and La Cienega Boulevard and all adjacent side streets just to the north and south of Santa Monica Boulevard between Doheny and La Cienega from noon today through 6 a.m. on Wednesday.
— La Cienega Boulevard will close to northbound/southbound traffic in the vicinity of Santa Monica Boulevard at 2 p.m. today.
Additional Street Closures
— Robertson Boulevard between Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue
from noon today through 6 a.m. on Wednesday.
— Almont Drive between Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue
from noon today through 6 a.m. on Wednesday.
— La Peer Drive between Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue
from noon today through 6 a.m. on Wednesday.
— San Vicente Boulevard between Santa Monica Boulevard and Cynthia Street
from noon today through 6 a.m. on Wednesday.
— Sunset Boulevard eastbound/westbound turn lanes onto southbound La Cienega Boulevard
from 2 p.m. today through 6 a.m. on Wednesday.
Because of the street closures, there will be modifications to the city’s CityLine and CityLineX shuttle routes on Halloween day — details can be found at www.weho.org/cityline.
Public Safety
The mass shooting in Las Vegas on Oct. 1 has raised concerns about public safety during the event given that there are no barriers to entry. However, the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station has said it is addressing those concerns. In an interview with WEHOville, Capt. Sergio Aloma said that this year there will staff from specialized units of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department such as the Arson Explosives Detail, K-9 units, Sheriff’s Response Team Members and members of the Special Weapons Teams. And a helicopter will be hovering overhead
Aloma said that security measures at this year’s Carnaval also will include installation at certain intersections of water-filled barriers. Those barriers, already being installed, can block vehicles that might try to speed through an intersection and into crowds of people, a technique used by terrorists around the world on ten occasions since 2006.
While West Hollywood doesn’t have a building as high as Las Vegas’s Mandalay Hotel, on whose 32nd floor the Las Vegas shooter was lodged, there are buildings of multiple stories along Santa Monica Boulevard. Aloma said those buildings will be part of a threat assessment conducted by the Sheriff’s Department in the days leading up to the event.
Aloma said there also will be crime analysts looking at social media in the days leading up to Carnaval and during the event itself to track any possible threats. Those crime analysts will be part of a team clustered at a command center (whose location Aloma declined to disclose) outside the Sheriff’s Station on San Vicente Boulevard.
There also will be many officers on the ground. “I think it will be difficult for someone attending Halloween Carnaval to look to the left or to the right and not see something,” Aloma said. He acknowledged that some officers in the Carnaval crowd will be under cover.
Deputies will be enforcing some standard rules, which include no alcohol or public drinking outdoors. No backpacks, camera cases, tote bags, etc. will be permitted (clear plastic bags will be allowed), and no weapons or drones will be tolerated. Kids and pets are strongly discouraged. Festival-goers should remember — “if you see something, say something” — and call 911 to report any odd or disturbing behavior.
Parking
The event also will have an impact on parking. The city will suspend permit parking restrictions for from 11 a.m. today to noon on Wednesday. Parking meters will be waived citywide from 6 p.m. today to 2 a.m. on Wednesday. The city reminds Carnaval-goers to observe the boundaries of West Hollywood. If parking occurs in the City of Los Angeles or in the City of Beverly Hills, all parking restrictions must be strictly observed.
Public parking will be available at lots throughout the city for a fee. The location of those lots and the parking fees are posted on the city’s website.
Getting There
One way to avoid the hassle of finding parking is to not drive. Instead carpool or use public transportation. Metro offers several transit options to get to West Hollywood. A trip planner is available at www.metro.net.
West Hollywood will offer Carnaval-goers three free transit options to help get to and from the Halloween Carnaval:
— CityLineX (Modified Service) – will run from 5 to 8 p.m. from Hollywood and Highland to Santa Monica Boulevard/Sweetzer Avenue.
— Hollywood Link (Special CityLineX Service to and from La Brea Only) – will run from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. between Hollywood and Highland and Santa Monica Boulevard/La Brea Avenue. (Connect to The PickUp’s Special Service from the stop at La Brea, on the south side of the street, to reach the Halloween Carnaval).
— The PickUp free nightlife shuttle – will run from 8 to 11 p.m. along Santa Monica Boulevard and will stop at all regular eastbound stops between Sweetzer Avenue and La Brea Avenue. Once the PickUp reaches its La Brea Avenue stop, it will take an express route west toward the Halloween Carnaval via Melrose Avenue to its special Halloween stop on Kings Road at Santa Monica Boulevard. From 11 p.m. to 3 a.m., the PickUp will only run eastbound from Kings Road/Santa Monica Boulevard to La Brea Avenue/Santa Monica Boulevard.
Additional information is posted on the website for the PickUp and for CitylineX.
For additional information about the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval, please visit www.weho.org/halloween or call (323) 848-6503.
Other Events
This list could be endless. But here’s a brief selection of Halloween events in West Hollywood from this weekend through Halloween itself.
Tuesday
Schmaboween!
Bar Lubitsch
7702 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood
Bar Lubitsch bills its Halloween version of “Schmabaret!” as “a raunchy, daft and left-of-center comedy cabaret show.” It stars Adam Ceschin (Comedy Tour: The Comedy Tour) and Carolyn Jania (Groundlings Sunday Company). The event begins at 8 p.m. and admission is $10 cash at the door. The Schmab duo will be hosting a costume contest.
Halloween Party with DJ Brown Mamba
Troubadour
9081 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood
The Troubadour’s celebration of Halloween features guest DJ Brown Mamba. Admission is free and doors open at 7 p.m.
“Scary Monastery”
The Abbey and The Chapel
692 North Robertson Blvd.
West Hollywood
The Abbey. The Chapel. And now, for Halloween, the “Scary Monastery.” The event begins at 9 p.m. Tickets, $20, can be purchased online. After purchasing your ticket, you can pick up the wristbands required for entry at The Abbey between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. through this coming Friday to avoid the long line that night.
“Enter the Asylum”
Micky’s
8857 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood
“This Halloween, let our ghoulish nurses and mad doctors take care of all your mental ailments as your mind descends into a complete chaos of ecstasy.” That’s the way Micky’s bills it. Who knows? This asylum you may not want to escape.
DJ SRO will be playing EDM and Top 40 hits on the main floor ,while upstairs, DJ Paulo Ramirez will be spinning hip-hop and R&B beats to please the ears of those who’ve lost their mind.
Liquor service ends at 2 a.m. but the event runs until 4 a.m. It starts at 9 p.m. Tickets, $18.25, are available online. After you buy your ticket, you may want to stop by Micky’s before Halloween to pick up the wristband that comes with it so you can avoid the inevitable line outside.
“Back to the 80’s” at Skybar
Mondrian Hotel
8440 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood
On Halloween night, go “Back to the 80’s” at Skybar at the Mondrian. DJ’s Moses and Aaron will be spinning throwback tunes and Halloween classics. Costumes are mandatory, so “bust out the leg warmers, aviators and sweatbands” the promoter advises. The event starts at 10 p.m. Tickets, $20, can be purchased online.
I don’t understand why the city doesn’t treat this the same as Pride. Have a paid section that is strictly for adults. That will keep the kiddo’s & pets out and greatly reduce the size of the crowd.
BEB, Common sense should be enough for any parent to know better than to bring children to the event. The problem is that many people who have kids should not have had them, same for pet owners. They lack the basic skills of caring and nurturing. Many parents think that “society” should help them raise their kids. Many parents don’t teach their kids at an early age to behave, stay close to the parents. And many parents are preoccupied with texting or socializing and not aware of their kids conduct. We can and should make rules about minimum age at… Read more »
erik, I read somewhere recently (maybe WeHo By the Numbers) how many kids there are in West Hollywood and there aren’t very many at all. Almost ALL of the children at the Carnival are from outside WeHo, so their parents don’t see the written suggestions put out by city hall to discourage their attendance. Yes, things change, but the inattention by those in charge to the change in our culture needn’t have happened. With regard to kids and dogs at the Halloween Carnival, if they are turned away due to consideration for safety issues, and that it is inappropriate because… Read more »
If you don’t like the food carts, don’t buy anything from them. People make their choices knowing the risks involved and if they want to eat from a food cart, they should be allowed to. The food cart vendors are just trying to make a living. Why take that opportunity away from people who NEED it? It’s mean-spirited. The reason people get burned is (in my opinion) most have no circumspection anymore. They are not aware of their surroundings for a variety of reasons: texting, drunk, just plain carelessness. Circumspection: “careful observation of one’s surroundings”
@Scott Thompson: There’s a greater chance of food poisoning and getting burned from the cooking surface than explosion. The food on the carts is not refrigerated and the sellers don’t wash their hands.
The city will let these carts continue to endanger the public because they don’t want the potential negative optics of discriminating against Mexicans. Given there will be Sheriff’s all over the place, the city could have them remove the carts … but they won’t.
I agree with Jimmy about the pets, but disagree with blueeyedboy about children living in WEHO I have been here 20 years and during the past five years I have seen more couples with kids move here that I have in all the 20 years. Which is fine. I don’t mind kids as long as they don’t make noise in restaurants, anyway. I have been to 15 or 16 of the Carnavals , but I’m not a big fan of crowds anymore. Plus I learned in the Army to not purposely put yourself in a situation of potential danger.
I’m sure the city will also allow all the hot dog and other illegal carts into the event with their enclosed wagons filled with compressed gas containers that can catch fire and explode. Who knows how good the hookups are in those carts or what’s really inside those enclosed carts lined up every few feet in the middle of crowds and sidewalks.
LEAVE YOUR PETS AT HOME….IT IS CRUEL AND DANGEROUS TO BRING THEM.
The people who bring children don’t live in West Hollywood, so they don’t read WeHoville nor do they receive any mailers from city council.