More to explore at Hallowbaloo

It is going to be, as the late Ed Sullivan would say, "A really big shew," and event promoter Mark Terone couldn’t be happier. Hallowbaloo 2015, the eighth in the series, is taking flight as a Halloween-themed extravaganza for people of many interests and various budgets.

Attractions range from the Hallowbaloo Street Festival, centered at the Hawai’i State Art Museum and nearby Richards and Hotel streets, with $5 admission, to a new feature, the Hallowbaloo Ball in the museum, with a ticket price of $80.

The Hallowbaloo Marathon, a combination costume parade and fun run for the arts, returns with a $25 entry fee. This event is a community fundraiser; $15 of each ticket purchased benefits a Honolulu-based nonprofit, chosen by the runner from among seven groups: Hawaii Theatre Center, The ARTS at Marks Garage, Hawaii Public Radio, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Hawaii Pops, Hawai’i Women in Filmmaking and Pretty Peacock Productions.

The Street Festival, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., includes vendors and multiple stages, with headliner Booker T, Taimane, Mike Love and more than 20 additional acts.

And, yes, there will be a costume contest, taking place at 8:30 p.m.

Upstairs in the Hawai’i State Art Museum, the Hallowbaloo Ball is described as "’Great Gatsby’ meets Hallowbaloo," with a limit of 320 guests. Chinatown restaurants Lucky Belly, Livestock Tavern, Grondin French-Latin Kitchen, J.J. Dolan’s, Smith & King’s and Wing Ice Cream Parlor will serve dishes, with specialty cocktails from mixologist Kyle Reutner.

Hawaii dance troupes Kalalea, Pretty Peacock Productions, Sewa Fare’ and Spatial Sculptures will perform throughout the event, along with DJ Mr. Nick and Globes.

Following the Street Festival, Club Hallowbaloo takes place in Chinatown, with eight participating nightclubs: Bar 35, NextDoor, Downbeat Lounge, Manifest, Fresh Cafe Downtown, The ARTS at Marks Garage, Scarlet Honolulu and Square Barrels. Trolley service between HiSAM and Chinatown will be available.

"We’ve received a tremendous response to Hallowbaloo’s new format," Tarone said, praising Booker T as a "truly legendary figure" and predicting national stardom for some of the featured local headliners.

"Festivalgoers will now experience all aspects of historic downtown Honolulu from everyday-Joe Chinatown to the regal Capitol District," he said.

"To my knowledge, the Capitol District has never before been showcased like it will be at Hallowbaloo. … People don’t think of the area as an event destination simply because few or no major events have taken place there recently. I think a lot of people are going to be pleasantly startled when they walk into Hallowbaloo."

As with past Hallowbaloo festivals, there will be a pedestrian mall on Hotel Street between Nuuanu Avenue and Smith Street, where partygoers can parade their costumes and meet friends. Detailed information on parking, trolley schedules and entertainment is available at hallowbaloo.com.