Story and Photos by Sergio Pacheco/Contributing Writer
This past Saturday, Music City’s Plaza Mariachi hosted a late-night Halloween themed dance event. The event included one of the top Latin DJs in the country, performances by Beyond Wings and a costume contest.
While the event was open for only ages eighteen and up, there was a large gathering of people. The parking lot was full and security was tight, but among the people in the long waiting line there were a few who stood out. One unidentified costumed-person in line said, “I don’t see anyone else in a costume. I think I’m at the wrong place.”
It wasn’t until around 10 p.m. when many more people in Halloween costumes showed up. As always, there was music being played – reggaeton for the young crowd. The dance floor was crowded, but people still managed to find more room to dance on the middle stage.
Plaza Mariachi has always hosted entertaining events, whether they be Salsa lessons, upcoming artist shows or trivia nights, but this evening was special.
The countdown for the costume contest started and people participating were directed to the middle stage. Over twenty people were dressed in their scariest costumes hoping to win. One of the hosts mentioned that there were judges walking around throughout the night looking for participants to be in the contest. “Joker, Wonder Woman, Freddy Krueger!” The hosts started calling out people by their costumes. Only nine individuals were chosen to participate, based on the judges’ calls. One of the hosts started passing out folded pieces of paper to the individuals, each with a number written on the inside. The numbers ranged from one to three and whoever got number one was in the first group, two in the second group, and three in the last group.
The first group to get on the main stage consisted of two Jokers and Freddy Krueger. The crowd seemed to have equally cheered for the Joker, from the “Suicide Squad” movie, and Freddy Krueger, leaving the more old-fashioned purple suit version of the Joker out of the competition. Again, the audience was asked who they thought should advance to the next round and even though it was close, the Joker from “Suicide Squad” took the win.
The second group consisted of a man in a suit with scars on his face, Selena Quintanilla and Devil woman. Selena easily took the win for the second group.
The third group was up next and it consisted of Wonder Woman, Chucky, and a scarecrow. This was yet another easy one for the audience to choose from as they all cheered for Chucky. The final round brought the winners from the three groups and the audience had to choose between them. Both the Joker and Chucky received similar cheers from the audience, so the hosts had to really make sure they called the correct winner. It was a close call, but Chucky ended up being the final winner of the costume contest. First place received $500, second $200, and third $100 in cash prizes. For the rest of the night, Christian Garcia, also known as DJ Lobo and recognized as one of the top Latin DJs in the country, brought everyone back to the dance floor.
On Halloween night, Plaza Mariachi will be hosting a family friendly Halloween event from 5 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.
To contact Lifestyles Editor Brandon Black, email lifestyles@mtsusidelines.com.
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