Halloween Weekend is a time that puts a lot of pressure on people to get it right, especially if you are the one hosting the party.
And while there are plenty of options – from the high-brow, like the
Grand Rapids Opera’s Halloween Gala, to the low brow fun of the
Stark Turn Players presentation of Halloween: The Musical (parody) of the popular film from the 1980s – for those seeking to keep their party plans larger than life, then the newly expanded Halloween on Ionia will be just the ticket you need to purchase this year.
With attendance up by nearly 6,000, the newly revamped footprint for this third year celebration expands to include two stages packed with non-stop musical entertainment as 14,000 people in costume descend on Ionia Ave from Fulton to just south of McFadden’s at Oakes.
With the added room, the lines should be shorter this year to get in during the evening when the venue will swell to its capacity. If you want to be guaranteed an entry, please visit the site for the best class of ticket to ensure your plans go on as you scheduled them.
Once inside, you will find that there is even more to enjoy than in years’ past as extra tents - including one from Red Bull and another devoted to the warming liquor of Fireball, complete with chandeliers - will be spread across the pop-up venue space.
The DJs programmed throughout the night are a mix of visiting and local artists with the unofficial - but might as well be official, according to BarFly Events’ Shane Philipsen - resident DJ Kalendr, who will close out the festival on the main stage.
Halloween on Ionia has added a lot of ATMs to the venue, too. This year for the first time, you can purchase a ticket with a credit card at any one of the two gates. This year there is a south and a new north gate for entry.
But the only way to ensure your entry is to buy a ticket as this event does sell out. Do it via the #
HOI site.