Photo: Emma McIntyre / Getty Images Entertainment / Getty Images
WEST HOLLYWOOD (CNS) - The first edition of West Hollywood's famed Halloween Carnaval since 2019 will be Tuesday evening.
The free event will take place from 6 to 11 p.m. on an approximately mile-and-a-half stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard between Doheny Drive and La Cienega Boulevard. Tens of thousands of costumed revelers are expected for what the city bills as "one of the most unique Halloween gatherings in the world."
The carnaval will feature a stage at the intersection of Santa Monica and San Vicente boulevards with a live DJ set and food trucks.
As in the past, alcohol and public drinking is not permitted along city streets, and backpacks, camera cases or other bags will also not be allowed, though clear plastic bags will be permitted.
Weapons, fireworks and drones are also banned, and children and pets are "strongly discouraged" from attending, according to city officials.
The city will suspend its residential parking restrictions from 11 a.m. Tuesday to noon Wednesday. West Hollywood Park's five-story parking structure will be closed Tuesday.
City officials warned people to be aware of where they are parking because parking restrictions will remain in effect in neighboring Los Angeles and Beverly Hills.
The event ran annually from 1987 through 2019. In May 2020, the West Hollywood City Council approved the cancellation of all major special events in the city through the end of the year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
There was "an alternative Halloween experience that encouraged entertainment venues and businesses to celebrate safely" put on by the city in 2021 and 2022, according to Sheri A. Lunn, a spokesperson for West Hollywood.
Meanwhile, there will be what organizers said is the first licensed cannabis experience in Los Angeles County adjacent to the carnaval. The West Hollywood Halloween Harvest Haunt will be from 6 p.m. to midnight on Santa Monica Boulevard between Robertson Boulevard and La Peer Drive.
There will be eight dispensaries offering 30 cannabis experiences and more than 150 brands at the event organized by The Artist Tree Cannabis Dispensary and Emerald Village West Hollywood, the marketing organization for the city's licensed cannabis businesses.
The event will feature music by DJ Ben and DJ Paulo Ramirez, a costume contest, a drag show hosted by Jasmine Masters, a contestant on the 2015 season of the competition series, "RuPaul's Drag Race" and the 2018-19 season of "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars."
Tickets are $11 for general admission, which gives one-time entry; $55 for VIP, which give entry and re-entry until 11 p.m. plus a souvenir tote bag, and $185 for a golden pass that includes front-of-line entry and re-entry, souvenir tote bag, "Los Cannabis" T-shirt and exclusive access to the VIP Green Room with talent and celebrity meet-and-greets.
The event is limited to people 21 and over with valid identification.
This will be the first Halloween in Beverly Hills where people under 21 are prohibited from possessing Silly String, hair removal products and shaving cream and/or gel on public property or private property open to the public. The ban will be in effect from 6 a.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday.
The ordinance unanimously approved by the Beverly Hills City Council in September came in response to a request from the Beverly Hills Police Department to address the misuse of those products, according to Lauren Santillana, the city's public information manager.
Police responded to numerous calls in recent years after people would throw those products at other people or spray them on sidewalks, causing people to fall, Santillana told City News Service.
"The council acted upon something that has been discussed for years by law enforcement and neighbors," said Michael Libow, owner of the famed "The Witch's House" in Beverly Hills. Libow said he expects about 5,000 children and their families to come to the house on Halloween.
Libow told City News Service he always sees "many examples of shaving cream, Silly String, etc., around the perimeter of the home on Halloween as well as having many visitors covered in those same products."
"Hair removal products are the main problem and it is a cruel `joke' to play on another person," Libow said. "The other products are annoyances and causes to take the fun out of the evening for many."
A similar ordinance banning possession of Silly String from 12:01 a.m. Oct. 31 to noon Nov. 1 in the Los Angeles Police Department's Hollywood Division has been in effect since 2004.
Trick or Treat Villages operated by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks & Recreation featuring game booths, free candy, live concerts, costume contests and dances will be open from 5 to 8 p.m. at Saybrook Park in East Los Angeles and East Rancho Dominguez Park in East Rancho Dominguez; from 4 to 7 p.m. at Amigo Park in Pico Rivera; and 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Bodger Park in the unincorporated El Camino Village area bordering Hawthorne.
La Mirada's annual Halloweenfest from 4:30 to 8 p.m. at the Neff Estate, is described by city officials as a "family friendly event great for all ages, including pets." It features a haunted maze, costume contests, carnival-like games, crafts and a trick-or-treat area. Pumpkins will be available for families to decorate.
The 16th annual DTLA Halloween Festival for Kids at Grand Hope Park from 5 to 8 p.m. will include a trick-or-treat trail, magic shows and a craft station. Tickets are $10 in advance or $13 at the gate.
There will be a Halloween carnival at the Carson Event Center from 5 to 8 p.m. with games, inflatables, arts and crafts, a pumpkin patch and live entertainment. The Halloween Carnival at Live Oak Park in Temple City set for 6 to 9 p.m. will include arts and crafts, a raffle and game booths.
"Halloween Howl" from 5 to 8 p.m. at Royal Oaks Park in Duarte will include trick-or-treat stations, a fun zone, and costume contests.