Oak Lawn Halloween Block Party

He said it before and he’ll say it again; the month of October is the best month because it is so festive! There are tons of activities that go on, not just trick or treating. There is the annual Halloween Block Party that takes place on Oak Lawn and Cedar Springs in Dallas. It is always on the Saturday right before Halloween; this year it is on Saturday, October 25th. It is the largest block party in the area and it goes from 7 pm – 2 am. The clubs get wild too! This spot is also known as “The Gayborhood,” but people of all sexualities go and show their best costumes and just party the night away. Best of all, it’s FREE! 

2014 Halloween Block Party ad from www.facebook.com/s4dallas

The costumes that people wear are everything! A lot of people make their own so they are very unique and not found in your average Party City; ie: The Informative Sloth was Amy Winehouse one year. Yes, that happened. The contest is hosted and judged by local drag queens, so you know they are going to have witty comments and truly appreciate the costumes that had a lot of thought and effort. The Dallas Voice posted a link of some snapshots from the 2012 Halloween Block Party. (WARNING: may be NSFW). The Dallas Observer also posted a link to some photos, but these are some that they considered the Best Costumes from the Halloween Block Party in 2013 (WARNING: also may be NSFW). Though some of the photos may be risqué, all ages are welcome at the event, (but not at the clubs. All clubs are 21+ on the night of the block party.) These are just glimpses of the creativity that people come up with at this exciting event that you do not want to miss! 

The clubs! Oh My Sloth, the clubs! Again, all of them are 21+ that night, but everybody is so hyped up from being out in the street seeing everyone, taking photos with random strangers, and dancing with each other. “The Strip,” another word for the Gayborhood, is lined up with clubs on both sides of the streets with different music. Station 4 plays EDM and Top 40 remixes on two floors with a lounge, The Rose Room with live drag shows, multiple bars throughout, and a courtyard where you can just hang out and meet new friends. J.R.’s is more like a bar playing Top 40s, but it also has two floors and a patio where you can overlook the street and enjoy your beer while you watch. The Round-Up Saloon has a large dance floor where you can get down to Top Country Hits, a karaoke bar where you can let loose and sing your heart out, and a back patio where you can just chill and enjoy the fresh air. Of course these aren’t the only clubs on the strip, you also have Sue Ellen’s, TMC, and Woodys. The users on Yelp have reviewed these clubs saying just how awesome they can be. The Informative Sloth guarantees you will enjoy yourself at the block party. So many people to meet, dance with, and stare at! See you there!

Cutting Edge Haunted House

Tis the season… for haunted houses! Halloween is The Informative Sloth’s favorite time of year! With the month of October, many haunted houses seem to pop up and terrify the masses. Lucky for you, Fort Worth, Texas is home to the Guinness World Record for The World’s Longest Walk-through Haunted House. Only 30 minutes away from Downtown Dallas, it is located in an abandoned meat packing factory in the historic part of Fort Worth called, “Hell’s Half Acre.” You get the feeling that you are in the middle of nowhere and you should definitely not be walking by yourself, at least in the middle of the night. The Informative Sloth is about to take you out for a scary fun night!

Top photo from http://www.cuttingedgehauntedhouse.com

Hauntworld.com gave a review describing the terrors that go on inside Cutting Edge. Hauntworld is a very reputable website that reviews haunted houses all over the United States. Cutting Edge is consistently in the top 5 of their list and for good reason. They describe their experience as “having witnessed the difference between a haunted house that makes people’s hearts pound for five minutes and a haunted house that resonates under the skin for days, one thing is clear. Cutting Edge has spent the past 20 years making people’s nightmares feel like a reality and will undoubtedly spend the next 20 years making people’s realities feel like a nightmare.” With the actors scaring you at every twist and turn, heart-pounding music, phenomenal sets, the sloth would have to agree 100% with the words Hauntworld has given Cutting Edge.
As soon as you arrive, you are greeted by a demon on the roof throwing up the sign of the horns (bottom left photo) with search lights so you know you have arrived. Demons and psycho killers chase you around with chainsaws as you wait to enter the record breaking haunted house. As soon as you enter, you are surrounded by fog and total darkness until you reach the spinning walls that make you want to panic and collapse. You move on into a room, really a long pitch black hallway where someone (or something) can pop out and scare you. The frightening part is that sometimes nobody comes out and you’re left wondering if something is watching you. You also go through a room full of terrifying lifelike corpses which gets you thinking, “are those really fake bodies?!” The house has three sections with different themes to haunt you, a maze that is sure to disorient you, and the worst foam room to finish the experience. Going through the foam room, you might even feel like you are never going to get out of it. When the sloth went through that room, he nearly suffered a panic attack because he felt like it went on forever and it really does get hard to breathe in it so it’s like you really are trapped. It also has overwhelming and almost hallucinatory music being played through an old-fashioned record player that is stuck on repeat. It is definitely not for the faint-of-heart. Sometimes, you can even hear other people screaming for help that feel like they are trapped inside this insane establishment. The entire experience is very mind-altering even for people with the strongest wills. Citysearch.com lists Cutting Edge as one of the best haunted houses being recognized by the Wall Street Journal, Fangoria Magazine, and USA Travel Guide, among others. It also allows people to comment on their experience and not one of the reviews was negative. KTXD-TV sent reporter Don Wall to Cutting Edge, the following video shows you a glimpse of what to look forward to.

The Informative Sloth has warned you, Cutting Edge is the scariest haunted house he has ever been to and you will be so glad it is right in your backyard. If you are ready to have the most fun being scared, Cutting Edge is the place to go to get your screaming on. Click here to purchase tickets online!