Suburban bars crank up costume contests, creepy cocktails for Halloween

With Halloween falling on Friday this year, area bars and restaurants are stepping up to offer an entire weekend of spooky fun. So get dressed up and enter a costume contest, dance until the witching hour, sip some themed cocktails and party like a true creature of the night at one (or more) of these Friday night bashes.

Here's a sampling of what's going on Halloween night at local bars:

Bannerman's Sports Grill, 858 S. Route 59, Bartlett, (630) 213-2400, bannermanssportsgrill.com: The party begins at 9:30 and features costume contests, prizes and live music from Freak Hill and Chasing Alice.

Beer House, 322 Yorktown Center, Lombard, 630) 268-1111, beerhousechicago.com: Lagunitas reps will serve some of their brews and bring food as partygoers compete in three different costume contest categories: favorite “American Horror Story” character, most creative and best overall. The party starts at 8 and live music begins at 9 with Rebel Highway.

Cadillac Ranch, 1175 W. Lake St., Bartlett, (630) 830-7200, cadranch.com: Celebrate country style at Devils Cut with DJ Dave and compete for prizes. The night's drink specials include $4 Svedka flavored vodka.

Carlucci, 1801 Butterfield Road, Downers Grove, (630) 512-0990, carluccirestaurant.com: The restaurant gives away a $100 gift card to the best couple costume and $50 for the “most unique” attire. You can also sip $5 pumpkin martinis all day.

EvenFlow Music & Spirits, 302 W. State St., Geneva, (331) 248-0269, evenflowmusic.com: Cover band Tricky Mission plays classic rock songs starting at 9 p.m. and you can enter a costume contest awarding a $50 gift card. Select shots are $3.

Famous Dave's, 704 Janes Ave., Bolingbrook, (630) 783-1502, famousdaves.com: Scary movies play on the bar's big screen TVs and you can also order up a $5.50 five beer flight and enter a costume contest at 6 p.m. Whiskey and Harmony performs classic rock and alternative covers at 8:30 p.m.

Fireside Ale House, 50 N. Barrington Road, Streamwood, (630) 837-8357, firesidealehouse.com: The bar is running its first Halloween costume contest, awarding $150 for first prize, $100 for second place and a $50 gift card for third. The festivities start at 8 p.m. with giveaways for the first 100 customers in costume. Drink specials include $3 shots and Dos Equis pints.

House of Music & Entertainment, 1227 N. Rand Road, Arlington Heights, (847) 577-4663, homebarchicago.com: Cover band Modern Day Romeos performs at the Friday bash, which also features a costume contest awarding $1,000 in prizes and Miss DJ Meg spinning at midnight.

Boo-tiful Halloween Costume Party at Martini Room, 161 E. Chicago St., Elgin, (847) 741-0349, martiniroomelgin.com: Try the bar's themed cocktails including the pumpkin pie martini and salted caramel apple martini at this bash, which kicks off at 9 p.m. The Svedka Femmebots make an appearance at 10 p.m. and you can enter a costume contest at midnight with cash prizes.

Millrose, 45 S. Barrington Road, South Barrington, (847) 382-7673, millroserestaurant.com: For $10 (or free if you dined at the restaurant that day) you'll get snacks and a domestic beer or well cocktail and you can dance to beats from DJ Samsin from 8 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. If you don't want to worry about getting home after, bring some friends because a group of four can pay $75 per person for a package including four hours of drinks, cover, snacks and a hotel room for the night. For $20 per person, you can upgrade to premium drinks.

Spears, 723 N. Wheeling Ave., Wheeling, (847) 353-8933, spearschicago.com: The bar's servers will be in costume all day long and kids who come in costume receive free cotton candy. Downtown Charlie Brown Blues Band performs at 9 p.m. and at 10 p.m. you can enter a costume contest awarding $200.

Fire Ball Halloween Hoe Down at Whiskey River BBQ & Honky Tonk, 702 N. River Road, Mount Prospect, (847) 298-7200, whiskeyriverchicago.com: A DJ spins a mix of country tunes and Top 40 music until 4 a.m. at the late night bar, which hosts a costume contest at 1 a.m. awarding $500, plus prizes for all semifinalists.

Zero Gravity, 22W613 75th St., Naperville, (630) 985-1111, zgclub.com: Friday night is a Latin Halloween Fiesta with DJs spinning a mix of bachata, cumbia, reggaeton, salsa and hip hop from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. On Saturday, a costume party offers $1,000 in cash and prizes, with awards going to the scariest, sexiest and most original get-ups. Cover is $15 both nights.