HALLOWEEN EVENTS: Local organizations throw Halloween celebrations for the family. Pages 6, 7
MISSION BAY HIGH SPIRIT: The Buccaneers make preparations for a spirited Homecoming celebration. Page 14 Weekend Surf Report
Surf Conditions (619) 221-8824
SATURDAY OCT. 24
SUNDAY OCT. 25
Hi: 5:09 a.m. & 1:21 p.m. Surf: 4-6 ft. Low: 6:02 a.m. & 9:52 p.m. Wind: 2-8 mph
Hi: 6:13 a.m. & 2:53 p.m. Low: 9:12 a.m. & 11 p.m.
Surf: 4-5 ft. Wind: 1-6 mph
Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009
www.beachandbaypress.com
Costume crazy Expert advice about selecting a perfect Halloween outfit. BY ADRIANE TILLMAN | BEACH &BAY PRESS
Nikki Alvarez (left) wears a “Beer Girl” outfit while Karen Yoo sports a “Little Red Riding Hood” costume at The Buff, 1341 Garnet Ave.
The ever-growing popularity of Halloween among adults has made Pacific Beach a Halloween Mecca. Each year Halloween celebrants flock to beach-area nightclubs in hilarious costumes for a ramped-up evening of revelry. Halloween is the designated holiday to escape from reality, assume an extremely fun persona and dress as outrageously as possible. The Buff resale store, 1341 Garnet Ave., offers Halloween costumes yearround. The staff dresses in character every day in October. The Buff manager Karen Yoo offers this advice for the holiday: Start early. Look for deals immediately after Halloween. Don’t wait until
the store no longer carries your costume size. Dress comfortably for a night out. Don’t buy shoes or pants that are too small. Even a few drinks won’t alleviate the pain. Research costume ideas online. Envision your costume before you walk into the store. Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize! Stand out from the other Queens of Hearts with a unique pair of shoes or an outlandish hat. Don that pocket watch you’ve always wanted to wear. Don’t forget to buy a purse to match your persona. For a devilish look, pick up a pair of cat-eye contacts. Have fun! Shopping for the costume is half the fun.
Photos by DON BALCH
The spirit of Michael Jackson lives on this Halloween.
MOST POPULAR COSTUMES Michael Jackson: People are dressing in all the eras – from the Jackson Five to the ’80s’ “Thriller.” Lady Gaga: So many ladies are dressing like the madam that The Buff won’t dress another person – unless it’s a man. Vampire: Clubs and bars are hosting themed parties this year for the blood-thirsty. COSTUMES FOR MEN • Dress as a woman. Go for the stripper cop look. Become a Roman gladiator. • Dress as any character that Johnny Depp or Will Ferrell have played. PB’s CRAZIEST Karen Yoo, manager of The Buff, recalls seeing a fully naked guy carrying a box saunter up and down Garnet Avenue – a spoof of the Saturday Night Live skit featuring Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg. None of the bars would let him in.
Those with a sense of humor and not suffering claustrophobia might enjoy wearing this Scooby Doo get-up.
Nikki Alvarez, an employee at The Buff, is in the pink as she models a “Little Miss Muffet” costume for Halloween.
CHEAP BUYS Go for accessories – a hat, a wig, a mask, a glove – to create your character. Advice from Karen Yoo, manager of The Buff
A ballerina rehearses her graceful movements at City Ballet’s studio on Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach. DON BALCH | BEACH & BAY PRESS
Surf, sand and ballet BY ANTHONY GENTILE | BEACH &BAY PRESS
Just blocks from the ocean, City Ballet of San Diego, an internationally known ballet studio, lies smack in the middle of Pacific Beach. This year, as it nears its 2009-10 season early next month, the company looks forward to holding all its performances in one place, Spreckels Theatre. “A lot of people say you either have to go to San Francisco or New York to see a company of this caliber,” said City Ballet artistic director Steven Wistrich. SEE BALLET, Page 3
Canes will close soon Lease runs out on music venue and restaurant after 13 years of hosting live performances BY ANTHONY GENTILE | BEACH &BAY PRESS
The spotlight will go out on Canes next month. The music venue that has been on the Mission Beach boardwalk for 13 years will close its doors Nov. 2. The club, the ground floor restaurant and the rooftop deck will close. “Our lease is expiring. I tried to do everything in my power to stay there,” said Canes owner Eric Leitstein. “We don’t have any options on our lease.” In its time on Ocean Front Walk, Canes has hosted thousands of concerts of all different genres. Acts ranging from Linkin Park to the Black Eyed Peas to John Mayer have all performed there. “We tried not to pigeonhole ourselves with a specific genre of music,” Leitstein said. “We’ve done so many things, from punk to reggae to hip-hop to classic rock.” SEE CANES, Page 20