Vampire Weekend: 5 Secrets to a Bloody Good Halloween
Hoping to scare up a little extra fun this Halloween? Here are five tricks to take your weekend from grave to rave!
1. Take a Vampire Vacation!
Yes, it’s fun to put on your best cape and hit the town (after sundown, of course). But if you’re looking for some next-level vampiric delight, consider taking a vampire-themed weekend holiday. You don’t have to fly all the way to Transylvania to find a legit lamian locale. We’ve got plenty of them right here in the States! Anne Rice fans know the place to be on Halloween (or really, any time of year!) is New Orleans. Walk Lestat’s cobblestone streets in the French Quarter and don’t forget to grab a bite at The New Orleans Vampire Cafe, where you can always get a nice pour of Vampire with your vampiric victuals. If you’re a (blood)sucker for Twilight, consider a trip to Forks, Washington, where you can stay at the Cullen House itself, known locally as the Miller Tree Inn Bed and Breakfast. And you can never go wrong with a Halloween vacation to Salem, Massachusetts. Yes, it’s more witchy than vampire-oriented, but spooks of all kinds can enjoy dressing in black and raising a little Samhainic hell.
2. Netflix and Chillers
Staying home this All Hallow’s Eve? You can always conjure the right spirit with a good vampire movie. This year, we suggest adding some new blood to your queue. There are always the tried and true vampire favorites. We know that some faves of our fans include Bram Stoker’s Dracula, The Lost Boys, the Underworld series, From Dusk Till Dawn, and 30 Days of Night.
And of course, there are the classic Universal monster movies that have been tingling spines for decades, with the likes of Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, and Lon Chaney, Jr. But if you’re looking for a few lesser-known vampire flicks to sink your teeth into, consider one or more of the following: The Last Man on Earth with Vincent Price (1964), Fright Night with Chris Sarandon (1985), Shadow of the Vampire with Willem Dafoe and John Malkovich (2000), and the original Swedish version of Let the Right One In (2008). Not obscure enough? Then, let me recommend this ultra-creepy cult classic, all the way from Finland: The White Reindeer (Valkoinen peura, 1952).
3. Dress for Suck-cess
Look, everyone loves a good Bela Lugosi. And yeah, we’ve seen some solid Gary Oldman Dracula costumes, as well. But if you want to stand apart from the other lost boys and ghouls at your Halloween bash, consider something perhaps a little more conducive to the overall party atmosphere. May we recommend Jackie Daytona, the “regular human bartender” alter-ego of Laszlo on What We Do in the Shadows. Jackie’s cool, can mix a mean drink, and is the envy of Lucky Brew’s Bar and Grill. Or at least, he was until all the fires and unfortunate deaths. And if you’re going to go full Jackie, do it this year. We sense this may become the Super Troopers costume of future Halloweens for the next decade.
4. Vampire Chocolate Bars
Be THAT house! The one that kids will tell their grandchildren about long after you’re dead and buried. Give them the Vampire Belgian Chocolate that’s darker than the blackest night, and you'll be a legend in the neighborhood for years to come.
5. Uncork
We know that nothing gets a vampire gathering more on point than a delicious wine. And yes, for Halloween, we prefer the bloody reds. Our Vampire Cabernet Sauvignon features alluring aromas of blackberry, ripe plum and mocha, leading into flavors of rich black currant and ripe black cherry. Our decadent cab finishes with hints of cocoa and oak spice. Vampire Pinot Noir mesmerizes the palate with strawberry jam, pomegranate and black cherry flavors, with hints of spice, smoke and violets on the finish. And our Vampire Merlot offers aromas of black cherry and black plum, with an elegant texture and long finish behind your fangs, as hints of cola and cherry linger on the palate. Indulge yourself with the Vampire Vineyards Red Wine Trilogy, featuring every member of our unholy trinity of reds. All three are so devilishly good we happily stake our reputation on them!
