Trick or Treat Hot Spots

Happy Halloween everyone!

In lieue of weekend best bets, I've put together some hot trick-or-treating spots around the area. The creme de la creme, from what I hear is "Scary Perry" in Kensington.

Here's what mom Pam, who lives a few blocks away, has to say:

The block (Perry Avenue just east of University for one block) is closed to cars and houses virtually all do really all-out decorations. It is crowded, according to past news reports, with hundreds and thousands of people showing up. (Here's a Gazette article on Scary Perry from two years ago)

"The main tip I have, especially if your kids are small, is to get there the minute they open, which is usually at 6 p.m. (not sure if it might be earlier this year because it's Saturday). It is not too bad in terms of crowds between 6 and 6:45 but after that it is wall-to-wall people and I'm always worried about losing my kids in the dark. We usually move on to nearby streets at 6:45.

From a parental perspective, my favorite part of Perry is that they give each kid only one piece of candy per house because they get so many kids. Of course as kids get older this could become something they actually notice and resent but mine are oblivious and I like that we do a lot of cool houses and have only a small amount of candy at the end."

Besides Scary Perry, here are two other gems:

Takoma Park: Mom Wendy reports that there's a house at the corner of Maple and Tulip that usually does a literary haunted house every year. It's apparently put on by a bunch of adults who are into theater, including the directors from Lumina and Blair High School.

American Plant across from the Whole Foods in Bethesda has a Star Wars Haunted House, equipped with a corn maze that leads to Darth Vader, an X Wing Fighter and Yoda. Address: 5258 River Road, Bethesda. Time: 9-6 (store hours). Haunted House donations benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

If you're more into heading to a city-sponsored or mall event, here are some of your choices. Unless otherwise noted, all events are on Halloween:

Halloween Rocks Festival in Kentlands Market Square, Gaithersburg: Starts at 3 p.m. today.

City of Gaithersburg: Live entertainment, juice, glow sticks and crafts (for a $1 fee) at the City Hall Concert Pavilion, 31 South Summit Avenue, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Monster Mash in Silver Spring: Halloween music, scavenger hunt, costume contest, hay ride and more from 2-5 p.m. in downtown Silver Spring

Takoma Park Halloween Costume Parade and Contest: Contest is at 4 p.m. at Carroll and Laurel in Old Town. The parade begins at 4:45 p.m. and ends at Piney Branch Elementary, where the award ceremony will be held at 5:15 p.m.

Halloween for Teens in Rockville: Middle-schoolers can come out for a Halloween dance and costume contest from 6 to 10 p.m. tonight at the Twinbrook Community Recreation Center, 12920 Twinbrook Parkway. The event will feature the 95.5 WPGC Radio Community Street Team. Cost is $5 for residents and $7 for nonresidents. Student ID needed for entry.

Wheaton Mall Trick-or-Treating: 2-4 p.m.