It’s that time of the year again.

The time has come to dust off that Jason hockey mask and those hitchhiker boots from your closet. If this process sounds any bit familiar, well then you’re not alone. 

The great thing about Halloween is that you don’t have to be a kid to dress up and have a good time. However, if you don’t have any plans or don’t know where to go to show off your costume, Oakland Local has some suggestions. 

Dance parties

If you are looking for a place to get your dance on, then head over to the Linden Street Dance Studio – located at 130 Linden St. in Oakland. The studio will be throwing a free Halloween Dance Party from 8:30 to 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28. 

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Do you consider yourself a great dancer? Can you pick up dance steps quickly? If you answered yes to both questions, expect to be thrilled Halloween weekend.

For the first time, “Thrill Day” – a day when friends, families and other local residents join thousands of other people around the world to break the World Record for the largest simultaneous dance to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” – is going to be held on “Thrillerween” (Halloween weekend). Bay Area dancers still have time to sign up and be participants. Those interested need to arrive at 6 p.m. to the Studio One Art Center, located at 365 45th St. in Oakland, in order to register for the World Record dance, which will begin at 7 p.m.

Entertainment and clubs

Friday, Oct. 28

S&M Party Productions presents a Spooktacular Halloween Bash at the New Parish – 579 18th St. in Oakland. There will be live DJ’s playing Hip Hop, Rap, R&B, Pop and Oldies music, as well as live dancers. This is a secured 21 & over event that features spooky decorations, baked goods, a full bar and a costume contest with cash prizes. The charge for those with costumes is $10 and $20 for those without costumes. For more information call (650) 922-3536.

Saturday, Oct. 29

For those 21 & over, the Uptown & Hubba Hubba Revue presents the 2011 Halloween Bash. The bash includes a costume contest, cash prizes, cabaret, comedy acts and a live performance from Los Shimmyshakers. Doors at the Uptown Nightclub, located at 1928 Telegraph Ave. in Oakland, open at 9 p.m. Tickets cost $12/$15.

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For the second year, the Marriott Hotel Oakland Convention Center will host A Nightmare on Broadway Halloween Extravaganza. The hotel, located at 550 10th St. at Washington Street in downtown Oakland, is expected to be packed as the sexy and upscale event is an exclusive 21 & over Halloween celebration. Two of the Bay Area’s hottest DJ’s, Mind Motion and Big Von, will be behind the turntables shaking things up all night as the event runs from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. In addition, there will be a costume contest where the winner has the chance to win $2,500 in cash and prizes.

Tickets will not be sold at the door so make sure you purchase your tickets in advance. All early bird ticket buyers will receive a free “Nightmare on Broadway 2” CD mix-tape by Mind Motion. For more information about the event and the cost of tickets, visit the Nightmare on Broadway 2 website.

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Hosted by This Must Be The Place, the combination of fashion and Albert Hitchcock will highlight a Funhouse Madhouse Costume Party at the Oasis Restaurant & Bar. The restaurant and bar is located at 135 12th St. in Oakland. Two rooms of music, an outdoor lounge, tarot card readings and treats from the Candy Girl, are just some of the things that await you from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at this party. For ticket information, contact This Must Be The Place.

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Fans of the prohibition era are cordially invited to Speakeasy Saloon’s Bootleggers Halloween Ball (A Prohibition ERA Party). This 21 & over event takes place at the ERA Art Bar & Lounge, located at 19 Grand Ave. in Oakland. The party starts promptly at 8 p.m. and continues well into the morning. Open bar and live band prohibition ERA music with tribute performances begin at 8 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m.

From 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., DJ Hector will be on set. While all costumes are welcome, you must be dressed in prohibition attire to attend the open bar segment. For bottle service/table reservations, email concierge@oaklandera.com.

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For those of you looking for groovy smooth sounds, be sure to check out the Medea Sirkas 20th Anniversary Hip-Hop Halloween Celebration at the House of Music, located at 420 14th St. in Oakland. The event begins at 7 p.m. and ends at midnight.

Presented by the A-List Musiq Circle & Zulu Gremilin and hosted by Traci Bartlow & Darren Hodges (Gentlemen of Production), the Hip-Hop Halloween Celebration consists of an eclectic group of musical performances. Some of the performers include: Medea Sirkas, the Renegades Crew, the Housing Authority and Zulu Gremlin. Aside from performers and DJ’s like Jus Jones and Celskii (La Femme Deadly Venoms), there are also going to be both men and women costume contests and all styles dance contests. There are two ways to get tickets for this event. Advance tickets are now available online for $10 while all other tickets are $15 at the door, on the day of the event. 

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Finally, superhero aficionados might want to head out to the 2011 Superhero Villain Costume Party. The party will be held at Rosenblum Cellars, 2900 Main St. in Alameda, and goes from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. This is the perfect chance for you to come out and be dressed as your favorite superhero, villain or character from any comic book.

Regular admission tickets vary. Individual tickets are $25, $45 for couples, $225 for a group of 10 and $300 for a VIP booth. Three VIP booths will be made available and each booth includes a VIP basket, a bottle of liquor of your choice, and plenty of room for eight of your guests. Live performances will be brought to you by the SuperFriends (Qui510, Dahrio Wonder, Tre’azure, Valerie Troutt, CJ Phillips, Ifamodupe, Poetiq Beets and Paulynn).               

Sunday, Oct. 30

Rarely does a Halloween event bring together a community and create awareness for Domestic Violence. However, the Hand to Hand Kajukenbo Self Defense Center’s first ever “Come As Your Hero Bingo Bash & Silent Auction,” does indeed do just that.

The bash and silent auction takes place from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Humanist Hall, 390 27th St. in Oakland. There will be bingo prizes and costume prizes, snacks and several auction items. The price for admission ranges from $12 to $25. Proceeds from the event will benefit two nonprofit organizations – the Hand to Hand’s self defense classes and Building Futures with Women and Children.