Werewolves and Gangsters and Beers. Oh my!

Hey, Wilmonites. Sorry these posts get fewer and farther in between. Wilmo's not the town it used to be, and I am guessing you find yourself flitting here and there supporting events and organizations just like I do. Ah well. We may just have to accept that we are ships passing in the night. (And this month, it's HAUNTED ships.)

Consider this blog a foghorn...a beam from the lighthouse...a creaking floorboard...a whispered warning...an etching from the ancient scrolls...something that's kinda creepy, yet will keep you safe while navigating the rocky shoals and haunted attics of WilmoniteLand.

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DJ ZIP STUFF:

Saturday, 10/31 - An American Werewolf in Tuscany

Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright. (The Wolf Man, 1941)

Like much of Italia, Tuscany is home to colorful Gypsies who entertain tourists with stories of vampiri, lupi mannari, and other mostri. In Wilmington, we have our own little piece of Tuscany, and on October 31^st, Toscana Bar brings those Gypsy tales to life for one night only. Vita Notturna, Wilmo’s own Elvira of nightlife, invites you to “take a bite” out of Halloween with a colorful cast of characters ranging from goblins to gangsters to goofballs.

The Toscaween festivities start at 9pm and continue ‘til last call (and maybe a little longer). DVDs of your favorite chilling movies will make you feel like you are in Toscylvania, and DJs Zip (10:30 to close) and PDub (9-10:30) will get the monsters mashing with danceable thrillers. No cover; a menu of “Spooky Cocktails” will be available for $5, and half-priced pizzas will quell your monstrous hunger. Prizes will be awarded for best costumes, and one person will be selected at random for a gift card. Toscana Bar is located at 1412 N. DuPont Street (like Trolley Square, but for grownups). For more information call 302-654-8001.

Saturday, 11/7 - Knock Softly and Speak Easy

It’s a common weekend dilemma. Does this conversation sound like one you’ve had with your friends?

You: “Let’s go somewhere nice.”
Her: “Can we get dressed up?”
Him: “It better be someplace fun.”
Everyone: “Let’s go somewhere different.”

On Saturday, November 7th, all off these desires can be met with one event: Walter’s Speakeasy. The Speakeasy is a monthly, first Saturday event at Walter's Steakhouse. Well known for elegance and quality, and located in the heart of Little Italy, it is the oldest steakhouse in Wilmington. It’s a place where many twenty- to fifty-somethings have gathered for graduations, anniversaries and other special occasions. What many people don't know is the building's mythology as a speakeasy, and before that, a saloon.

Walter’s has brought back a fun tradition – a “speakeasy” that requires a secret password and a special knock, and where the females flaunt finger-waves and flapper fringe while the fellas don fedoras and fine frippery. While a costume is not required, the 20s vestments really make the ladies want to dance and the men want to strut. Food and prizes are given away, and specials are offered on drinks (a “bathtub gin martini,” for example) make the twenties roar again. The special speakeasy entrance and private party room add to the feeling that you’re doing something that the coppers might not be too keen on.

The fun begins at 9pm and continues until last call. Vintage tunes mix with today’s best house music…and don’t be surprised if you kick out a Charleston before the night is over, thanks to DJs Zip and PDub. For more info, brush up on your Jazz speak, then call hostess Vita Notturna at 302-588-3266, email wilmonites@gmail.com or search “Walter’s Speakeasy” on Facebook.

Weeklies, etc.

~~Every other Wednesday - Wilmington After Work Wednesdays at Deep Blue. Specials from 5-7pm; music til 9pm. Zip's next date is 10/28.

~~Every Thursday - Tardy Party Thursdays at Toscana. 8:30-11:30pm. Zip's on deck every week.

~~Some Saturdays - Good Times Saturdays at Pan Tai. 9pm-last call. Future Zip guests include DJ Jaser. More info and dates to come...possibly there this Saturday, 10/24, but not confirmed.

Join our Facebook Group: I Heart Wilmington House Music DJs.

OTHER DJS' RESIDENCIES:

PDub-Fridays at Toscana, Wednesdays at Public House

Avery-Wednesdays at Pan Tai

Bis-Wednesdays at Pat's MVP in Newark

LuVitt-Thursdays at Metro @McKenzies on 202

DJ Zip, PDub and Avery will all appear here:

Nov. 7--Downtown Fall Fest. The free, family-friendly event will be held on Market Street from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a wide range of activities including hay bale mazes, a skate jam, moon bounces, a costume parade and live entertainment. Market Street 500 Block- 900 Block, 11am-4pm. FREEEEEEEEE!

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES:

Here's some stuff you should know about. You will catch me at the ones that are preceded with a @.

@ Oct. 14-Nov. 1—Delaware Theatre Company (DTC) will present FIRE ON THE BAYOU. What promises to be one unforgettable Mardi Gras, Fire on the Bayou is a mythical musical journey that will transport audiences to the jazz-filled streets of New Orleans-a colorful, vibrant city where the “Saints Go Marching In,” and culture rises up from the streets. www.delawaretheatre.org.

Oct. 16-28—Buck-a-Book Sale at the Wilmington Library. Contact friendsofwilmlib@aol.com for more information.

Oct. 20-25—The Wizard of Oz will be at The DuPont Theatre. www.duponttheatre.com.

@ Oct. 21--Exotic Mushroom Dinner, 6:30pm. Union City Grille and Frank’s Union Wine Mart present a five-course Exotic Mushroom Dinner. The inaugural menu includes Shiitake Spanakopita, Portobello Satay, Lobster-Sausage Stuffed Mushroom Caps, Chestnut and Chanterelle Bisque, Three-Layer Mushroom Lasagnette, Rosemary Crusted Lamb Sirloin with hen of the woods mushrooms. Dessert is Pumpkin and Rum Crème Brulée with six hand-selected wines. Cost is $75 and includes gratuity. Reservations required. For information call 302.654.9780 or visit www. unioncitygrille.com.

@ Oct. 22--The 7th Annual Wilmington Jaycees Brew Review, 7-10pm at Union City Grille, 805 Union Street. Benefits the West End Neighborhood House Thanksgiving Food Basket Project, which helps provide Thanksgiving meals for 500 poor families in Wilmington. Tickets are $15 and $20 (day of event). Appetizers will be provided.

Can't make it? ~ The Wilmington Jaycees provide a whole thanksgiving dinner basket to 500 families in the area. The biggest portion of the money they raise is for the turkey. So they have added a paypal link below that you can access and donate $14 towards the cause. It buys an underprivileged family a whole turkey for their thanksgiving dinner. Please pass this onto your friends and family as well. http://wilmingtonjaycees.com/Donate-A-Turkey.htm

Oct. 22—Christina Cultural Arts Center’s 2009 Christi Awards at the baby grand at 6:30 p.m. Honoring four unsung champions of the art world and showcasing CCAC students and faculty during the performance. Immediately followed by a reception at CCAC. Tickets are $60 per person and $50 per person for two or more tickets. www.ccacde.org.

Oct. 23--Public House Grand Opening Party. 5:30-8pm, 902 Market St., in Wilmington. Help welcome Public House to the neighborhood while helping to raise much-needed funds for The Ministry of Caring! This Happy Hour event features complimentary beer, wine, cocktails and hor d'oeuvres and take part in the Welcoming Toast at 6:30pm. Space is limited: Reserve your place today with a $15 donation ($20 at door) to benefit The Ministry Of Caring. http://outandaboutnow.com/PHWOpening

Oct. 23—Lewis Black will be at The Grand at 8 p.m. with his Let Them Eat Cake Tour with Special Guest: John Bowman. www.TicketsAtTheGrand.org,

@ Oct. 24—City Theater Company’s Prom Night! 2009 Benefit & Carnivale at 7 p.m. at the Delaware Center for Contemporary Arts. CTC promises a night to remember, complete with dance-offs, catfights, good food, spiked punch, and the occasional OMG moment. Bring a date or come stag. Dress to the nines or keep it casual. Tickets $50; $60 at the door. www.city-theater.org.

Oct. 25—E-racing the Blues walk/run to benefit the Mental Health Association in Delaware. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and it’s held on the Riverfront.

@ Oct. 26--Delaware Humanities Forum Annual Lecture featuring Dr. Carole Marks, author of "Moses and the Monster and Miss Anne." Lecture will focus on the lives of three "dangerous" women from 19th Century Delmarva: Harriet Tubman (Moses), Patty Cannon (the Monster), and Anna Ella Carroll (Miss Anne). 6pm at Theatre N at Nemours. FREE. (Meet-the-author cocktail reception follows. $35.) Visit www.dhf.org to register or for more info. 302-657-0650.

@ Oct. 30—30th Annual Halloween Loop to take place at various venues throughout the city. One cover charge gets you into all the bars and a free shuttle will take people around to the different spots. 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. www.out-and-about.com.

@ Oct. 30-Nov. 7--EVIL DEAD, The Musical. College students Ash, Cheryl and Good Old Reliable Jake spend the weekend in an abandoned cabin in the woods, accidentally unleashing an evil terror. In this comedic take on the 80’s horror franchise, characters and demons sing and dance to songs written specifically for the musical. And, as in the films, Ash is there to dish out his various one liners and fight the never ending Army of Darkness. $20-$15 buy tickets. Call 302-475-3126 x 4.

@ Oct. 31— Inaugural Union City Grille Halloween 5k at Union City Grille- Benefits The Kelly Heinz-Grundner Brain Tumor Foundation. The race begins at 9am on Union Street (near 8th), continues to Rockford Park and back to Union Street, where Union City Grille will host a Halloween costume parade for the little pumpkins, award prizes to participants, and offer food, drinks, candy and live music by Paul Lewis. Registration details available at www.races2run.com.

@ Now through Nov. 14— The Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts announces Zoë Charlton’s solo exhibition titled Imitation of a Life, on view in the Dupont I Gallery now through November 15, 2009. www.thedcca.org

@ Now through Jan. 17—Exhibit at Delaware Art Museum will be Maxfield Parrish: Illustrated Letters. Between 1884 and 1886, the teenage Maxfield Parrish traveled to England and Europe with his parents. In letters home to his cousin Henry Bancroft, Parrish chronicled and illustrated his experiences.

@ Nov. date TBD—City Theater Company Improv at Washington Street Ale House. Check back for info: www.city-theater.org

@ Dec. 4-Dec. 19--City Theater Company's Sweeney Todd.

A FEW RESTAURANT THINGIES:

Sundays 1pm on -- Union City Grille, "$2 Tasty NFL Sundays"

For more info about these events--or anything going on in Wilmo--contact Vita Notturna at wilmonites@gmail.com or 302-588-3266