A Tale of Two Wicked Manors Halloween Parties in Wilton Manors

Wicked Manors happens each Halloween.  It has for the last couple years and it's becoming one massive party.  I hear it's the only outdoor street party on Halloween night in the three South Florida counties.

It's highly successful turning Wilton Drive into a long strip of people of all ages going out to see the costumes, dance in the street to (loud) music, enjoy costume contests, and street food.

Massive comes to mind.  It's going to get larger, it's certainly got critical mass at this point.

I was out wandering around at the peak of it last night.   There were so many people moving round in circles in various costumes that I simply couldn't take it in.   I was told that there were groups of neighbors waving at me to say hi but frankly if your costume is so good that I don't know who you are, I'm going to be a bit confused if the fiftieth Zombie I saw walking past insists that I should know them.

Sorry, I really don't and now that the Halloween festivities are done, so are the Zombie things.   Zombies, the overdone Halloween trend of 2013.  Lets hope that they end up on the pile with the Reno 911 Sheriff Dangle costumes.

Yes, Zombies, I will silently judge you.   There just were too many of them along with the Man As A Pregnant Nun costume and the Woman As A Sexy Nurse, although the Sexy Nurses were cute.

As wild as Wilton Drive was last night I was not surprised when I crossed the Berlin Wall into our own version of Communist East Berlin and an empty parking lot. 

Adjacent to the Drive is the Shoppes of Wilton Manors.  Home to many businesses, it's usually the heart of the action here on any given Thursday night with drink specials and party goers galore.   Earlier this year a fence went up around the parking lot limiting ingress and egress.  That's in and out to you and me.   You could get in one of four "approved" entry points.  Just don't park there and go visit the rest of the city or you'll get towed.

The party goers decided it wasn't worth the effort.   At 8:30 PM, there were so many people on Wilton Drive that I had to walk sideways through clutches of people.   At 8:31 PM, I stepped through the throng into the parking lot at the Shoppes.  

Cue the sound of Crickets.

The eastern half of the parking lot was half full of cars, and about 1/2 of the normal amount at that time of a Thursday night.  If you could get there you could park.  The western half of the parking lot in front of Java Boys coffee shop had tables that were happily full of patrons.   Step past the tables... it was easy to find a way to zip across an empty parking lot.  Get in front of Alibi and there was a clutch of people there, but about a quarter as many as in the past.

The result?   Wall 1, Patrons 0.

Great way to do businesses, build a wall to keep people out.  Someone forgot that if you make it difficult for people to get to you they won't bother.

But hey, the party was a success.  My feet still ache from all of the walking and I'm looking forward to doing it again.   I will have to leave the Doctor's outfit in the closet next year.  My one neighbor said "I see you have your scrubs on AGAIN!". 

But they're COMFORTABLE... Ok, next year a Pirate.  That lab coat was a bit warm in the 80F heat.