The most anticipated Halloween event in Buffalo, the Witches Ball hosted by Buffalo Rising, will happen this Saturday, October 28 at Statler City from 7 p.m. – 1 a.m. Event details along with room descriptions are outlined below. Staying true to Buffalo Rising’s mission, this high-fashion horror show will showcase dozens of local professional artists, musicians, and DJs, as well as include a few other event firsts. To help explain the sheer magnitude of this event, which operates on three levels of Statler City, including the VIP Lounge in the Mezzanine, and the Up Side Down room in the Lower Level, we’ve included detailed room descriptions, stage schedules, and other bonus features you won’t want to miss. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at www.witchesballbuffalo.com.

Ticket sales at the ball are cash only. Entrance is at the rear of the building (on the Convention Center side). See you there!

First up, for the first time ever at The Witches Ball, walk the Haute Horror Black Carpet, and get a free professional photo taken by Buffalo Rising reporter and professional photographer, Paul Fanara, Living in the Buff Studio. All photos will be uploaded LIVE to The Witches Ball Facebook page (@witchesballbuffalo) and automatically entered into our Virtual Costume Contest. Check out our video below where Buffalo Rising reporter, Adam Boyd, walks you through what to expect. The virtual contest will once again be hosted by Adam Boyd & Playboy model Ashley Noel, along with a panel of judges. Winners will be announced on Halloween.

Get those costumes ready!

Over $1,000 in prizes, including: A voucher for 2 VIP tickets to the 2018 Witches Ball for the Best Overall Costume, along with a prize pack from our sponsors.

Other category prizes include:

In-Studio Portrait Session with Living in the Buff Studio
A Walking Dead Fan Kit from Terror Technologies
Product from Lockhouse Distillery
Gift baskets from 125 Art Collective
Gift Certificates from MaddTat2
Also, New Belgium Brewing Co. is hooking us up with up to $500 in prizes, including a Custom Cornhole set, neon signs, and more…

Click here for a complete list of contest rules.

ROOM DESCRIPTIONS:

The Seven One Six Sideshow by MaddTat2

Ladies aaaaand gentlemen, step right up! Step right up, don’t be shy! The Seven One Six Sideshow, recently seen at Music Is Art, has returned! All guests must enter Statler City at Genesee street where we will take their ticket and check their IDs. This event is 21+ kiddos! Once you’ve been granted access to the 2017 Witches Ball, you’ll wander through our hall of horrors, our corridor of carnage, The Seven One Six Sideshow! First up is the “Macabre Art Gallery” curated by Maddtat2. Watch the painted snake lady herself, Mehandi Mahal Henna Artistry, and ring master, Mark Madden transform live models into fantasmic creatures. A theatrical art performance like no other – this stage show requires your participation!

Be prepared to be pointed out! And maybe even part of the show. Paying homage to traveling circus sideshows of the past while mixing our own WNY freak-lore, this show will feature performers and on stage antics such as, Krazy Klowns, Jugglers, Magic with a little slight-of-hand, VooDoo magic, and of course, what’s a sideshow with out Madd-Freaks?! Resident DJs: Criminal Sound, Potent J, MatKa Buffalo, and Jonathan Allday Lay DnB, will be providing the beats to move your freakish feet. TheHell’s Harlots Burlesque troupe will have an extra special and spooky performance lined up. There’s lots to see and do: watch Balloon Brothers‘ own Joe Mock as he builds his giant creation from 9 – 11 p.m. or check out super freak, our own block head, Arlowe Price. Annnnnd finally, last but not least, rounding out the evening, is the one, the only – Lazy Ass Destroyer, followed by Angry Soil with a rap-punk freak show that is a sure shock!

This room is brought to you by Madd Grafix andMaddTat2 – Buffalo’s Best Tattoo Shop 408 Amherst St

Couture Courtyard

Sip your signature Bootleg Bucha cocktails, while you refresh and re-hydrate from dancing in the Couture Courtyard, located in the central most area of Statler City. This High-Fashion Horror Show has something for everyone. Getting you in the mood to move will be West African Drumming Sensation, The Slyboots School of Music, Art & Dance, at 8 p.m. – make room and be prepared to be amazed! Buffalo’s professional belly dancers, Fleuron Rouge, will shimmy by, followed shortly by the exclusive band of the Witches Ball, “Dames of the Dead.” These sultry singers (Cortney Costanzo and Jess BG) will perform a melodic rock fusion that’s sure to please. At 10:45 p.m & 12:15 a.m., be sure to check out “Dragged Out” by Jayme Coxx. With fashionista’s Jayme Coxx, Christian Gaye, Melody Michaels,Sasha Storm, and special guest, Wednesday Westwood.

In addition to our stage performances, making appearances through out the night will be pop-up dances, stilt walkers, and circus freaks from Extraordinary Arts LLC to stop the action as they roam from room to room. Maybe your feeling introspective? Do you have a question about love? finances? faith or direction? Ask Ms. Kitty (aka the Horror of the Voluptuous Marilyn Monroe) a spiritually guided medium for over 37 years. Honey Jazel will be offering up two solo burlesque performances. Last but certainly not least, stop by our Rust Belt Red Light District by Primrose Path Boutique and Dakota Darling. These lovely temptresses will invite passers-by to join their living tableau featuring products by Primrose Path Boutique, a local purveyor of quality sex products for all genders, sexual orientations, and identities. At the Witches Ball you’ll be able to browse the hand-selected display of toys carefully chosen for their quality, endurance, and satisfaction with an aesthetic appeal in mind. We hope you find something that inspires you, piques your curiosity, or expands your sexual horizons.

Club Decapitone

Party like the dead and undead at the hottest new spot in town, Club Decapitone, taking over the grande ballroom at Statler City for one night only! Throwin’ shade all night will be Dj SunGlasses Mike. His blood rave beats will get your cold heart pumping. If you look up you’ll find the beautiful and stoic ladies from Buffalo Aerial Dance. Don’t worry, they’ll be hanging around all night. At 9 p.m. those ROUGE Foxes take the stage from Foxy Diamondz. The performance is sure to be mind blowing! At 10 p.m. the fang-tastic belly dance troupe, Fleuron Rouge will hip-notize you, if you’re not careful!

Get ready to get down and low with the Random Ninjaz Crew at 10:30 p.m. and 12:15 a.m. They will be showing off “all-styles” including, popping (& locking), tutting, waving, robotics, and animation. As for the breaking you can expect to see some, toprock, footwork, power-moves, and freezes. Next we’re servin’ up some funk with C.O. JONES. The whole club is sure to be jumping from 10:45 p.m. to 12:15 a.m. So gather around the stage. Don’t worry, they don’t bite – hard! Sunglasses Mike will pick it back up, and will close out the night with a huge Witches Ball send off!

This room is brought to you by Dj SunGlasses Mike.

VooDoo Ranger Lounge

The VooDoo Ranger Lounge is back and more alive than ever! This room raises the dead and the roof with non-stop music and live stage performances. Your emcee for the evening is Buffalebrity, DJ Milk! DJ Milk Buffalo will kick it off with rock and soul classics, hip-hop, pop, house, dance hall, reggae, reggaeton, soca or salsa. DJ Milk knows the songs that will make you dance!

In tandem, the SE² Silent Disco will be groovin’ away throughout the night with DJ Redubulous and DJ Scafetta! It’s a party within a party! Going LIVE from the stage at 8:45 p.m. will be the stylings of the Tommy Z Band. Lovers of electric blues guitar, similar to the likes of SRV, Jimmie Vaughan, BB/Freddie/Albert King, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush, Jimi Hendrix, The Meters, etc…. will love Tommy Z. With a vocalist of this range, you can expect to hear funk, soul, jazz, rock, and R&B, as the musical ingredients in his original songs. Starting at 10 p.m. the UltraViolet Band will bring the hypnotizing 90’s throwback vibe, with hip hop, current pop, grunge favorites, and everything in between.

The Voodoo ranger lounge will also feature our “scream team” Terror Technologies, with Greg Hinaman “Deady” and Al Baker “Kreepie.” The Interactive Chamber of Horrors with Photo Op’ Chambers will include:

Shocking Electric Chair
The Hannibal Lecter Restraint Rack
Escaping Zombie Horde
The Mad Lab
Tesla Experiments Gone Wrong
Hair Raising Van DeGraff Generator, plus so much more!

Speaking of “hair-raising” experiences, stay tuned for more on what Brittany La Bella & Co. will be serving up!

On tap throughout the event will be the New Belgium Brewing – Voodoo Ranger IPA. This room is brought to you buy Reflex Productions.

The Upside Down Room

Are you a fan of Netflix original series, Stranger Things? If so, you don’t want to miss this year’s new room theme, “The Upside Down Room” located in the old Rendezvous Nightclub Statler City. Bringing you into the darker recesses visually and through curated sounds of our DJ line up. Here’s what you can expect:

The night begins with darker, progressive, melodic and twisted sounds with Kyle Moody & Charlie Abbott aka “Bad Hombres” from 7:00-9:15 p.m. Next up on your journey is the not-to-miss, Brian Gorman(aka Heavy Brain) at 9:15 p.m. with a live version of the Stranger Things theme song, as well as other spooky horror themed movie soundtracks. Afterwards, to lift your spirits and “Jack” you out of “The Upside Down” is Ted Hawkins bringing his “West Coast Jackin’ House” sound to The Witches Ball this year. Get ya groove on the dance floor! No horror show is complete without a surprise ending! Nate Howell, embracing the Halloween spirit, will bring you right back into the dark world of The Upside Down with a fever-pitch, heart-stopping, tribal, and ritualistic anthem for all beings, it will be other-worldly! So, be on the look-out for the signs that guide you to The Upside Down room. Embrace your inner dark side, and be on the lookout for Eggos! You might just be the key to help “Eleven” escape The Upside Down!

The Upside Down Room at the Witches Ball is brought to you by, Charlie Abbott, Photography By Nico, and 125 Art Collective Tattoo Studio

The Psychic Lounge

A treasured annual feature of The Witches Ball is our Psychic Lounge where guests can sneak away from the festive mayhem to catch a moment of counsel from the other world, and at a prime season of the year. That, after all, was the original meaning of Halloween. It was the Day of the Dead, and the night of the returning spirits. As with earlier years, The Witches Ball Psychic Faire is arranged by author Mason Winfield as a spin of his company Haunted History Ghost Walks (HHGW), Inc., Western New York’s original outfit of supernatural tourism. “I’m a researcher and, frankly, a storyteller,” says Winfield. “Talking to the spirits isn’t one of my skills. But I have some very valued Spiritualist friends who believe that that is exactly what they do. Who am I to argue with their faith? Besides, there are a lot of people who want to hear from them. I am happy to involve their perspectives at The Witches Ball.”

We are honored to have Heather Rease, internationally recognized psychic medium and author, at the Witches ball. Heather, a WNY native, will lead a group of readers and psychic mediums who will be waiting for you in the atmospheric lounge/bar area of the Hotel Statler to offer their insights. It will be a perfect night for a visit with the other side. “Halloween is more than just a party,” says Winfield. “It’s also a prime night to go within and try to reach back to the ancestors. The two avenues really do belong together. The Witches Ball is one of the few events you will ever attend at which you can experience them both.” Join Mason in the Psychic Lounge and learn what awaits you in 2018 and beyond!

Venue Map

Ghost Tours:

The Greater WNY Paranormal Society is BACK this year to give ghost hunting tours at the Witches Ball! Wander through restricted areas of Statler City where only the bravest care to go.

$15 per person for a 20 min tour. Tours run every 30 minutes. Look for their table at the end of The Seven One Six Sideshow.

The GWNYPS is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to finding scientific evidence of what is currently considered unexplained phenomena, believing that what is referred to as the “Paranormal” or “Supernatural” will someday be explained through the natural laws of science.

Signature Witches Ball BOO-cha Cocktails throughout the event:

(Featuring Bootleg Bucha and your favorite mixer) will be available for purchase at all the bars! They are spook-tacular!

Just ask your bartender for:

Apple Spice & Bourbon

Blueberry Lavender w/vodka

Blueberry Lavender Mimosa w/ Champagne

Ginger Bucha Mules

Bootleg Bucha is also our Designated Driver Sponsor. They have generously donated 3 flavors of Kombucha (Blueberry Lavender, Apple Spice, and Ginger) to be served up at no cost to our DD’s – special wristbands will be available at registration. Available while supplies last. Drink responsibly!

Bootleg Bucha VIP Lounge:

This year, for the first time ever, there is a VIP Lounge, sponsored by Bootleg Bucha located on the mezzanine level of the Statler, overlooking the main courtyard. VIP ticket ($120) includes four hours of open bar from 8:00 p.m. to Midnight, along with hors d’oeuvres, as well as a never before seen attraction, the Champagne Cloud, Bootleg Bucha cocktails, samplings from Lockhouse Distillery and Jagermeister. As a VIP guest, you’ll have a bird’s eye view onto the Witches Ball.

Perch yourself for the night, or fly through the rooms! It’s up to you.

Parking and Directions:

Statler City, 107 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14202
Map
Please enter through the Genessee Street doors.
The Delaware doors will be EXIT ONLY.

Ride Sharing:

Buffalo Rising encourages ride-sharing!

You’ve got the tickets. You’ve got the costume. Now, How are you going to get to the Witches Ball? Ride Share of course! It’s the safe and easy way to enjoy this 21+ event. New to ride sharing? We’ll make it easy – use the code: BUFFALORISING2017 for $15 off the first trip for new riders.

To enter the code, open the Uber app, tap the menu button in the upper left corner, tap “payment”, scroll down and tap “add promo/gift code”, and enter BUFFALORISING2017.

Please feel free to share this code it’s good through December 20!

Looking for parking:

If you plan to drive, there are plenty of parking ramps and surface lots around Statler City. Here’s a map of just a few options. And of course there’s always street parking, if you are lucky enough to snag a spot!

Click here to reserve your parking spot in advance through Pay2Park.com,

Getting to and fro:

Queen City Tuk Tuk will be roaming around to offer rides to and from parking and Statler City!

Learn more at queencitytuktuk.com

Full Line-up:

Musicians

DJs

Silent Disco
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. – DJ Redubulous
9:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. – DJ Scafetta

Dancers

Artists

Haunt Experiences

Food Trucks

The Great Foodini | Mineo & Sapio Street Eats

Black Carpet | Virtual Costume Contest

Photography by Living in the Buff

VIP Lounge

Bootleg Bucha | Champagne Cloud

THANK YOU TO OUR 2017 SPONSORS:

Event Host: Buffalo Rising

VIP Sponsor: Bootleg Bucha

Designated Driver: Bootleg Bucha

Event Sponsors: Seek Axiom | MaddGrafix |
MaddTat2 | Primrose Path Boutique | Maritzalyn Mercado

Beverage Sponsors:Jägermeister | Lockhouse Distillery | Voodoo Ranger IPA beer | New Belgium Brewing | Bootleg Bucha

Official event photography and videography by: Living in the Buff | Photography By Nico | Buffalo Branded | Seek Axiom (lead image & poster art)

For more information, or to buy tickets, visit witchesballbuffalo.com

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @WitchesBallBuffalo

See You @ The Witches Ball!

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