Halloween and D\u00eda de Los Muertos bring out all manner of events for residents and merchants in La Jolla and Pacific Beach, who this year are going all out with parties, decorations, costume contests, and trick-or-treating for kids of all ages.<\/p>\n
In fact, this year\u2019s Halloween, celebrated the weekend before the Monday holiday as well as that day, is not restricted to humans alone. There are animal costume contests planned in both beach communities.<\/p>\n
AMERICAN HORROR STORY<\/p>\n
Mavericks Beach Club at 860 Garnet Ave. held a doggy costume contest on Oct. 26. The Pawloween party featured doggie toys and treats for all the pups that stopped by as well as a \u201cMutt Menu,\u201d which featured pet-pleasing tasty bites like grilled chicken breast with white rice.<\/p>\n
The club will also kick-off the Halloween with a\u00a0Horror Story: Halloween Party on Saturday, Oct. 29,\u00a0from 10 a.m.-2 a.m. Mavericks will be celebrating with a twist on the hit show \u201cAmerican Horror Story,\u201d where each bar is themed like a different season of the show. From the Asylum to Freak Show, be prepared for DJs and scary drink specials, along with contortionists, acrobats, scary acts, and plenty of more entertainment from 8-11 p.m.<\/p>\n
CREEPY CANDY CRAWL<\/p>\n
Formerly Pillage the Village, the Halloween-themed trick-or-treat event in downtown La Jolla is now known as the Creepy Candy Crawl. Enjoy an afternoon of treats on the streets of La Jolla Village on Monday, Oct. 31 from 3-6 p.m. at participating businesses. Bring your trick or treaters to La Jolla Village for free Halloween fun. A candy bag for trick or treating can be obtained at REBA at 908 Kline St. Look for colored balloons to find participating merchants. No registration is required. For more information, visit lajollabythesea.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n PB PUB CRAWL<\/p>\n Not to be outdone, Pacific Beach is holding a Halloween Bar Crawls from Friday, Oct. 28 through Monday, Oct. 31. Get those costumes ready for the crawls, which start at 6 p.m. each night. Participating bars include Pacific Beach Alehouse, 710 Beach Club, Cabo Cantina, PB Pub, San Diego Taproom and more. Tickets to this Halloween Pub Crawl start at $15, and include entry to all participating bars and their drink specials.<\/p>\n LA JOLLA DOG-O-WEEN<\/p>\n The nonprofit La Jolla Loves Pets Foundation is teaming with Decker\u2019s Dog and Cat to bring a Halloween dog costume contest to the Jewel on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 10 a.m.-noon at La Jolla Rec Center, 615 Prospect St. The event is to include a silent auction and vendor booths featuring both pet and other local family oriented products. It will be held out on the rec center lawn and 150 to 200 guests are expected. Ticket costs range from $10 for individuals to $30 for families. Tickets can be purchased at the door or at lajollalovespets.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a fundraiser, and all the fees from this ticketed event go to four different pet charities, including the San Diego County Animal Shelter,\u201d said pets foundation spokesperson Olga Wharton Newman. \u201cWe will have a dog costume contest, a dog parade and kissing booth, even a pet and human psychic, Mina Galvin from Dogs Dream Rescue, who will be giving free readings.\u201d<\/p>\n Wharton Newman said there will be a blessing of the dogs at the opening of ceremonies. \u201cThen we\u2019ll have pupuccinos provided by Decker\u2019s, along with an artist painting dogs,\u201d she said adding that there will be a dog agility performance, plus arts and crafts including the painting of water bowls and doggie bandanas. \u201cWe\u2019ll also have dog hats and dog jewelry for sale,\u201d she added. The event will include 10 local vendors selling pet- and family-oriented products.<\/p>\n HALLOWEEN ORIGINS<\/p>\n Halloween or Hallowe\u2019en is celebrated in many countries on Oct. 31, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows\u2019 Day. It begins the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints and martyrs. One theory holds that many Halloween traditions were influenced by Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain, which is believed to have pagan roots.<\/p>\n It was not until after mass Irish and Scottish immigration in the 19th century that Halloween became a major holiday in America. Most American Halloween traditions were inherited from the Irish and Scots. In Cajun areas, a nocturnal mass is said in cemeteries on Halloween night. Blessed candles are placed on graves, and families sometimes spend the entire night at gravesides. Halloween celebration was gradually assimilated into mainstream society and celebrated, coast to coast, by people of all social, racial, and religious backgrounds by the early 20th century. Halloween traditions spread to many other countries, including mainland Europe, by the late 20th and 21st centuries.<\/p>\n D\u00cdA DE LOS MUERTOS<\/p>\n