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    Best Halloween Parties

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

    Marcy de Luna
    Marcy de Luna
    Oct 29, 2014 | 11:18 am

    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.

    The Halloween party at Mr. Peeples has become a Midtown tradition. This photo is from the 2013 party.

    1 Paula Ferriera, from left, Fatima Fernandez, Paula Rodriguez and Brittany Do at the CultureMap Halloween party at Mr. Peeples October 2013
    Photo by © Chinh Phan CultureMapSNAP.com
    The Halloween party at Mr. Peeples has become a Midtown tradition. This photo is from the 2013 party.
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    A+ for H-Town

    Houston ranks 3rd among Texas’ best large college towns

    Amber Heckler
    Oct 22, 2026 | 1:00 pm
    University of Houston students at a football game
    University of Houston/Facebook
    Houston knows how to show out.

    Houston has entered the spotlight as the No. 3 best large college town in Texas, and it ranks in the top 25 among the largest college towns in America, a new study has proclaimed.

    To determine the best college towns, WalletHub analyzed 415 cities based on their "wallet-friendliness," social environment, and academic and economic opportunities for college graduates. Cities are ranked overall and are sorted into one of three population categories: large, midsize, and small cities.

    Houston ranked as the 24th best large college town in the U.S., and it ranked 73rd overall regardless of city size.

    Out of the three key dimensions, the Bayou City ranked highest for "wallet friendliness" — landing 89th nationally. This category examined local housing costs, student loan debt per person, the adjusted cost of living for young people, and other financial factors.

    The city stands at No. 127 nationwide for its "social environment," which compared the number of students per capita, the share of single people, crime rates, and the number of cafés, breweries, food trucks, festivals, and shopping centers per capita, among others.

    It may come as a surprise that WalletHub said Houston's academic and economic opportunities leave much to be desired. The city ranked 260th nationally in this category, which analyzed the quality of higher education, the earning potential for college graduates, unemployment rates, job growth rates, the share of part-time jobs and median income of part-time workers, and more.

    "As student living expenses can reach over $39,000 per year, it’s important to find the most bang for your buck," the report's author wrote. "Therefore, it’s best to live in a city with a reasonable cost of living, along with good academic and work opportunities. The ideal city should also provide a fun social environment to help students deal with the stress of college."

    Other top college towns in Texas
    Austin once again topped the list as the No. 1 best college town in America, boosted by the city's wealth of local colleges and universities and the local economy. The Capital City has outshone obvious contenders like Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Ann Arbor, Michigan, for five years in a row, and it also tops the large cities list.

    According to the report's findings, Austin has the 15th best academic and economic opportunities for college students and graduates, and the 16th best social environment. WalletHub commends Austin for having one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation and the "34th-best annual job growth rate," while also offering students ample ways to "de-stress after class."

    "On top of that, Austin ranks 22nd in the nation for the quality of higher education among more than 400 cities in our study," the report said. "It also has the 112th-cheapest in-state tuition (including room and board), at $34,651 per year."

    Six other cities in the Lone Star State appeared on the overall list of America's best college towns: College Station (No. 37), Plano (No. 54), San Antonio (No. 72), Denton (No. 77), Lubbock (No. 83), and Fort Worth (No. 100).

    In the rankings by city size, San Antonio ranked as the No. 2 best large college town in Texas and 23rd nationwide.

    San Marcos, a college town between Austin and San Antonio, ranked as the No. 2 best small college town in Texas, and 54th best among the small colleges nationally. In the overall list regardless of city size, San Marcos ranked 132nd nationally.

    The top 10 best college towns in America for 2027 are:

    • No. 1 – Austin
    • No. 2 – Ann Arbor, Michigan
    • No. 3 – Charlottesville, Virginia
    • No. 4 – Raleigh, North Carolina
    • No. 5 – Atlanta
    • No. 6 – Tampa, Florida
    • No. 7 – San Diego
    • No. 8 – Scottsdale, Arizona
    • No. 9 – Orlando
    • No. 10 – Charleston, South Carolina
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