Halloween or Bus!

I know what you did last weekend — you rode the famous Halloween Bus Tour and got wild...
By Harriet Ann Dy

DON’T be surprised if you bump into rotting rockstars doing a club crawl this Halloween. Last weekend, the damned got glam, Thriller fashion, for the 12th annual Halloween Bus Tour organised by Clifford Clement Chua (aka as THEPARTYMAN) and John Bosco Lopez (FUNK GURU). The popular tour was anything but spooky.

“The whole idea is to get a group of friends out on a piss without the hassle of waiting for taxis,” says Chua, who developed the idea while working at a beach bar in Sentosa. From the original 30 friends and one bus, the tour had 300 confirmed participants, booked on five buses this year, with a waitlist that was getting longer and longer.

This is reflects freaky growth of Halloween industry worldwide in a microcosm. In the US, a survey conducted by the National Retail Federation shows that consumers are expected to spend $5.07 billion for fright night, up 20% from two years ago, according to About.com.

What used to be about taking the kids trick-or-treating has morphed into a billion-dollar industry for children and adults alike. From Cinderella costumes to foam headstones to three feet cages with skeletons (at Toys R Us) machines, business is booming.

At No.1 Costume, Singapore’s top costume outpost, shoppers can become Marie Antoinette, or a sexy French maid, among 15,000 other dress-up options. The store expanded its retail space by 40% from its original Neil Road location four years ago, and their make-believe inventory is a theatrical delight. Here’s a tip: Grab a flyer at the Zouk foyer, and get 15% on your next purchase. Once you’re in character, head over to the clubs hosting parties on the 31st.

Homes will be dressed up as well. Senior systems analyst Jennifer Lim says a glowing Jack O’ Lantern, fake spiders and cobwebs are definitely in order. She also plans to buy candies, jellies, and Japanese snacks to give to kids. “My main theme is orange and black, with silver and neon green,” she says. Even the Singapore Night Safari got creepy with a transformation to a haunted rainforest in the spirit of the occasion until last weekend.

Meanwhile, sign up for next year’s bus tour, which will again begin at 8 pm and go on “until last man/woman standing.” “I’ve actually seen people in their costumes having breakfast at coffee shops,” says Chua. “It’s just about having a good time.”