There aren’t many places we’d rather be for Halloween than West Hollywood’s annual Carnaval. L.A.’s Boy’s Town puts on quite a show for about half a million costumed queens (well, vanilla straights are allowed, too) spread out over one mile on Santa Monica Boulevard.
Tinseltown is filled with movie make-up artists and FX specialists so be prepared to be blown away by highly elaborate costumes, many of them creative and timely. We predict mascara-smeared Harriet Miers drag queens to dominate this year amid a sea of old staples like giant dildos and bare asses.
Out-of-towners will need a place to stay during this Halloween romp and our first recommendation is the sinful Chateau Marmont where John Belushi got a little too friendly with his little buddy, heroin. Rooms and bungalows can be pretty pricey so a much cheaper (and closer) option is the Wyndham Bel Age. It has a rooftop pool with a breathtaking view of the Sunset Strip and the Viper Room, where adorable River Phoenix took his last breath.
If you get thirsty, you’ll want to duck into a bar and in WeHo, there’s only one place to go: The Abbey. This Vatican-loving hot spot is right off the main Carnaval route.
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Quite fittingly, this year’s Queen of the West Hollywood Carnaval is repressed American Idol host Ryan Seacrest. For him to take on that title he must either have an incredible sense of humor or he might finally make a big announcement that night. We’re crossing our fingers for the latter.
