Best Halloween Parties

Procrastinator's Guide to Halloween: 10 spooktacular parties that promise a ghoulish good time

With Halloween on Friday night this year, the party scene is expected to be extra special, so get your costumes ready for an evening of spooktacular fun. If you haven't made plans yet, there are still plenty of last-minute opportunities to have a ghoulish good time. Here's a rundown of 10 enchanted Halloween happenings around town.

VooDoo Mystere

Details: That old black magic will have you in its spell at this New Orleans-themed haunted soiree. Tempting treats include an open bar, candy bar, late-night bites, an Absinthe bar, vodka soaked worms, Jell-O martinis, a photobooth, door prizes and a costume contest. Pay your final respects to the Petroleum Club at its current location in the ExxonMobil Building. As its beating heart here fades, a resurrection is slotted for early 2015 at Total Plaza. Abracadabra.
Locale: The Petroleum Club of Houston
Time: 9 p.m. - 1 a.m.
Price of Admission: $110 per person

Halloween Freak Show

Details: Even Twisty the Clown would approve of the Halloween Freak Show at Hotel ZaZa. The Museum District hotel presents the creepy sideshow-themed occasion, complete with specialty drinks, bites and entertainment by Lady Bunny.
Locale: Hotel ZaZa
Time: 10 p.m. - 2 a.m.
Price of Admission: $75 per person

La Griglia Halloween

Details: Mingle with see-and-be-seen stylish ghouls and goblins at this ritzy River Oaks bash. The line-up for the evening features a special menu of spooky fare, plus extra bars set up throughout the venue for your drinking pleasure.
Locale: La Griglia
Time: 6 p.m. - closing
Price of Admission: Free

Boo Bash Halloween Party

Details: Boo bites, potent potions and haunting tunes ensure a scary good time at both locations (CityCentre and Highland Village) of the sushi hot spot. Go all out for best costume and walk away with a serious treat like a Ra Sushi gift certificate.
Locale: Ra Sushi
Time: 11 a.m - closing
Price of Admission: Free

Mr. Creetures

Details: Dig your fangs into tasty snacks, smile and show off your jagged smile at the photobooth, catch a screening of a horror flick and groove to beats by resident Roxbury Hollywood DJs, The Duffle Bag, at this second annual soiree. There's also a serious costume competition. Judging from last year’s photos, the group collaborations were tops, so gather up your friends and go normcore.
Locale: Mr. Peeples
Time: 9 p.m. - closing
Price of Admission: $25 in advance; $35 at the door

Haunting of the Americas

Details: The fundamentals of a standout Dia De Los Muertos celebration are all here: Live music and dancing, frighteningly good food and drinks and first-rate costumes.
Locale: Americas River Oaks
Time: 8 p.m. - closing
Price of Admission: Free

Juan Carlos' Halloween Party

Details: Come dressed as Houston’s favorite rollerblader, Juan Carlos, for a look-alike contest and win a monstrous prize, a $100 gift card to Boheme. Prepare yourself for some tough competition, and even tougher judgment, as Juan Carlos, himself, will decide the winner.
Locale: Bar Boheme
Time: 8 p.m. - closing
Price of Admission: Free

Saints and Sinners

Details: Join an array of monsters, ghosts and the likes for a magical night of live music and DJs, and an open bar at this grownups-only party. VIPs will also receive late-night nourishment and bottle service.
Locale: Silver Street Studios
Time: 10 p.m. - 4 a.m.
Price of Admission: $100 - $2,500

Love Street Art Ball Halloween Bash

Details: Get the party started early and be ready to go all night. From 6-9 p.m., ghouls of all ages will enjoy exploring the Love Street art exhibit and a Halloween-themed coloring station for the little pumpkins. When the clock strikes 9, the celebration moves to Mkt Bar and switches gears to the adults-only Love Street Art Ball, a '60s mod fashion-themed party and costume contest.
Locale: Phoenicia Specialty Foods
Time: Halloween Bash 6 - 9 p.m.; Art Ball 9 p.m. - 1 a.m.
Price of Admission: Free, but RSVP

Zombie Prom: A Night to Dismember

Details: Hoards of the undead will file into this downtown bash for a night of All Saints' Eve shenanigans hosted by 94.5 The Buzz's Theresa and 2014 Playboy Cybergirl of the Year, Elizabeth Marxs. Get a zombie makeover from a team of professionals. Rock out while you rot out a DJ spins monster mash-ups, and musical talent Thunderpants performs.
Locale: Bayou Music Center
Time: 8 p.m.
Price of Admission: $15 per person

Note: The Houston Ghouls Ball at the JW Marriott Houston Downtown has been canceled.

Did we miss your favorite? Add it in the comment section.

Lady Bunny is a Halloween fixture at the Hotel ZaZa Halloween party.

8 Lady Bunny at Hotel ZaZa's Halloween party October 2013

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Lady Bunny is a Halloween fixture at the Hotel ZaZa Halloween party.

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money woes

Texas dips on ranking of America's most financially distressed states

Photo by Image Source/Getty Images

Texas actually improved in this year's ranking.

After spending an unfortunate year as the No. 1 state with the most people in financial distress, Texas has slightly recovered. But the Lone Star State isn't out of the woods yet: it's still among the five most financially distressed states in America for 2026.

According to WalletHub's 2026 report, Texas sits in the No. 4 spot this year, while Kansas, Louisiana, and Florida moved up to become the top three states with the most financially distressed residents.

The personal finance website's experts compared all 50 states based on residents' average credit scores, the share of people with "accounts in distress" (meaning an account that's in forbearance or has deferred payments), the one-year change in bankruptcy filings from March 2025, and search interest indexes for "debt" and "loans."

Despite improving in the overall ranking, the study found Texas has had the fourth-biggest spike in bankruptcy filings nationally from March 2025 to March 2026. Texas residents also have the 10th worst average credit scores in the country, according to the findings.

This is how Texas ranked across the study's six key dimensions, where No. 1 means "most distressed:"

No. 4 – Change in bankruptcy filings from March 2024 to March 2025 rank
No. 5 – Average number of accounts in distress rank
No. 8 – "Loans" search interest index rank
No. 8 – People with accounts in distress rank
No. 12 – Credit score rank
No. 13 – “Debt” search interest index rank

It feels like inflation and affordability have been top-of-mind for many Americans over recent years, and uncertainty around the national economy also adds another level of distress. That's especially true for Houston residents, which were dubbed the second most financially distressed people in America earlier in 2026.

"Americans have faced significant financial challenges in recent years, as inflation, shifting unemployment levels, public health emergencies, and natural disasters have made it more difficult for many households to stay on top of their bills," the report said.

The top three states that have the least financially distressed residents are Maine (No. 50), Rhode Island (No. 49), and Hawaii (No. 48).

The top 10 most financially distressed states in America for 2026 are:

No. 1 – Kansas
No. 2 – Lousiana
No. 3 – Florida
No. 4 – Texas
No. 5 – South Carolina
No. 6 – Wyoming
No. 7 – Georgia
No. 8 – California
No. 9 – North Carolina
No. 10 – Kentucky

economy wallethub reports texas finance