Evil is spreading.
Like a viral pandemic or zombie apocalypse, Halloween madness has doubled in size in just one year and it is now infecting our young.
The annual CarnEvil dance and arena party at CN Centre has gotten 100 per cent bigger this year, with the usual 19-plus event on Halloween Saturday, but this time there is a mirror event especially for those 18-and-under on the Halloween Friday.
"We saw this as a way we could do something for every age on Halloweekend," said Nigel Rimmer - aka DJ Nige - of Northern Lights Entertainment. "We just kept hearing again and again that there is nothing for younger people to do on Halloween in Prince George except go to friends houses, or go trick or treating, and we checked with Halloween stores to find out what they were hearing and yeah, they agreed. They were hearing the younger generation talking about how they didn't have anything really engaging for them to do."
Once the idea struck the organizing team, it was an easy task to complete. They already had to set up all the lights, props, decorations, staging and special guests anyway, so to simply do it twice wasn't a stretch. No spoiler alerts were necessary, since the two age groups cannot cross over.
Some of the main event elements can't be replicated, so the 19-plus show will still be the heavyweight of the two, but teens of the city have never had a Halloween party of this size and complexity that was all for them, Rimmer said.
"TeenEvil is a presentation of Pure Sound & Entertainment, so that is DJ Ant as the main deejay, he is well known in the city, he does a lot of the high school proms that teens attend," Rimmer said. Pure Sound & Entertainment is also providing a $500 grand prize for the top costume at the teen event.
There is a $1,000 grand prize provided by Cariboo Brewing up for grabs at the 19-plus event. There are several special visual features of the night. Back by popular demand is Cosmic Co Motion, a performance troupe that, said Rimmer, "specializes in aerial art, glow shows, shadow dancing, fire shows, burlesque dancing, stilt walkers, jugglers, and visual effects. They have the perfect twist of excitement, danger, and sexuality."
The mind will also be blown by the visual impressions of INEO Studios, a projection mapping company that sprays intense images to coincide with the sounds of the night.
In addition to DJ Nige and DJ Ant, Beat.Wav Productions will also be in the house with local music spinner Phat Funk and then the two headliners work the clock deep into the dark hours. The beats get dropped by powerhouse deejay Slynk and his mic partner Timothy Wisdom rapping the wordplay.
"These two world renowned performers provide an eclectic mix of funk, hip hop, and bass infused grooves," Rimmer said. "Having individually toured and performed at events and festivals spanning the globe, Timothy Wisdom and Slynk have joined together to create a live duo unlike any other."
The price is $20 (all taxes and fees included) to attend TeenEvil on Oct. 28 (must be 18 or younger).
The price is about $30 (some taxes and fees apply) to attend CarnEvil on Oct. 29 (must be 19-plus) or about $70 for VIP tickets. The VIP numbers are limited and includes a private lounge area overlooking the dance floor, separate lineup for entry, private washrooms, bar service with more beverage options, free appetizers and more.
Tickets are on sale now at the CN Centre box office or at the ticketmaster.ca website.
