You sit down to an event dinner and there, above your head, is a skeleton in a rainbow wig walking a tightrope. The spooky circus performer is actually the table decoration, and it’s so elaborate that it spans from one table to the next.
Unexpected? For sure. But that’s exactly the kind of fantastical design Halloween enthusiasts dream up for the annual Fifolet Halloween Festival’s Halloween Ball, this year on Oct. 25.
More than 250 costumed revelers will attend the party at the Lod Cook Alumni Center, where a table decorating contest is a key part of the experience.
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“I’m blown away every year by the creativity and the craftsmanship,” says Kelley Stein, co-founder of 10/31 Consortium, which organizes the ball and the festival’s other events. “There’s a reason we announce the theme six months out, because people will really start to lean into it and figure out what they want to do.”
This year’s theme is “They Walk Among Us,” Stein says, a creepy call to action with broad interpretations.
The ball is just one component of the Fifolet Halloween Festival, pronounced fee-fo-lay and named for the legend of the blue flame swamp ghost said to lead mesmerized followers to either buried treasure or a watery grave. The festivities also include a downtown Zombie Pub Crawl in which a costumed horde jerks along Third Street looking for booze and brains. (There’s even a prize for best zombie walk.)
A fun run and an arts market will also take place—again, costumes are encouraged. And then there’s the parade itself, featuring floats, walking groups and plenty of candy.
A compelling throughline pervades the tricked-out festivities: Baton Rouge Halloween fans have serious DIY game. Even parade throws are handmade, Stein says. In 2022, organizers decided to eliminate plastic beads, now widely recognized as an environmental concern. Plus, most look more like Mardi Gras garb than Halloween accessories, she adds.
Scenes from Fifolet's 2023 Halloween Parade. Photo by Gabrielle Korein
Instead, krewes throw lots of candy (including whole candy bars) and handmade decorations. Stein’s own group, Krewe of the Red Stick Skeletons, meets weeks in advance to paint and decorate plastic skulls.
Each of the krewe’s members is responsible for completing 24 blinged skulls to toss to the crowd, making them sought-after keepsakes.
Stein says it’s all part of the 10/31 Consortium’s longstanding goal of fostering the thrill and fun of Halloween.
“We want to give kids a safe and happy Halloween,” she says.
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Adults, too. 1031consortium.com
This article was originally published in the October 2024 issue of 225 Magazine.