Wow, wow, wow: October’s already well underway. Have you decided on your Halloween costume yet? Me, I’m not a costume person. Something about the work involved wards me away, especially given how poorly I take to fabric crafts. But that wasn’t always the case, to be honest. I used to be obsessed with dressing up for Halloween all throughout my tweendom into collegiate young adulthood. Though I wore my fair share of princess and fairy attire, the standout guises were always masculine fantasies realized. Captain Jack Sparrow, with the faux eyes painted on my lids by my mom; Captain James T. Kirk, with online-purchased Starfleet uniforms for me and the friends I wrangled into being my Bones and Spock; and Edgar Allan Poe, though this one I remember being a hassle because of a difficult wig.
There’s lots of reasons people love costumes, but for me, Halloween was a chance to act on my often repressed desire to wear men’s clothing. It sounds cliche when I think about it, but god: I wanted to wear that shit so bad. Now I realize the option was always open to me. How hard could walking over to the JCPenney’s men’s section be? Yet I remember how many walls I put up within my own mind against such freedom. “That might be okay for some people,” I would think, “but if you do it, you’re a fool.”
What broke past the boundaries? Finding other people whose entire vibe matched my own, aka the gay trans men fans of Jeffrey Combs in Re-Animator. Heaven itself opened and serenaded me via my Tumblr dashboard: You can be gay and trans, the angels sang. I came out first to myself, putting a name to a feeling I’d had my whole life. After that, my costume cravings slowly went away. Even when a character caught my eye with a fun look or cool attitude, I had no interest in replicating their outfit one-to-one. Instead, I integrated their style into my wardrobe rebuild. I no longer needed to be someone else to access sartorial joy; now, I could just be myself 24/7, 365.
Why bring this up? Well, what had the most impact on me coming out was other people living and loving their truth. This National Coming Out Day, I encourage everyone to live their lives as honestly as possible – whether you’re rocking a cool costume or wearing your everyday clothes to hand out candy. You never know who you’re setting free by just being happily and wholly yourself.
Out-of-Drag Drag Social
Thursday 8, Ani’s Day & Night
Wipe off the face paint for this offstage meetup of Austin-area drag performers. Bring your own books, board games, or ice breakers to chill out with. 6pm.
Horrorween II
Friday 9, Tiger Den ATX
Noxx’s Nightshade Nerdlesque brings the scary and sexy to this Halloween cabaret, with performances by Luna La Creme, Lila Dreams, Dreadwolf, and Raven Noxx as your horror movie faves. 8:30pm.
Straw Hat Soiree
Friday 9, Tiny Minotaur Tavern
Stretch yourself over to this pirate party featuring Luffy and the gang as performed by local drag stars. Marylin Moonlight and Tangelo host, with DJ Dione IV on deck and many a treasure to behold. 9pm.
Texass
Friday 9, ColdTowne Theater
Laugh it up with queer comedy cowpokes including Jon Paul, Xy, Aditya, Amy Beth Castleberry, Stephanie Vasquez Fonseca, and host Sarah Spear. 8pm.
Rave the Date
Saturday 10, 4211 Todd Lane
Celebrate the union of two rave stars with a lineup of the couple’s friends including a drag show hosted by Munster Mash and DJ sets by Homotopies, Grief Apparition, Heavnstar, Crybby, and Natch Nadjafi B2B Ramgon. 10pm.
GW Reads Presents Horror Movies October
Saturdays & Sundays in October, the Austin Eagle
Catch screenings of frighteningly good flicks in this local leather bar, including Hereditary (10/10), Pillion (10/18), Scream (10/25), and Annabelle (10/31). Noon.
Woke Cowboy
Saturday 10, ColdTowne Theater
Rustle up a laugh or two with Clayton Maderia, Kat Ellison Williams, Terrence Yon, Luis Flandes, Eric Remme, and Wallis Brown. Alexandra Sleeping and Evan Rabalais host. 8:30pm.
Spooky Island Rave
Saturday 10, Swan Dive
DJs Cherry Crush and Lisa La Bruja lift the disco skull over at Swan Dive for a funky dance party filled with hyperpop, techno, and club tracks that’ll have you saying “Ruh-roh, Raggy!” 9:30pm.
Fresh Meat
Saturday 10, Highland Lounge
Soon-to-be Portlandian Eileen Dover hosts this open-stage drag competition, where the prime cut could win $100. Plus, new second-prize title of Most Valuable Performer gets free bottle service for a future Highland outing. 8pm.
Legend of the Realms: Infinity Pool
Saturday 10, Sky Candy
Dive in for the blue entry in this fantasy competition from Amazing Aeffects. Hosted by Gothess Jasmine, competitors will show their interpretations of the night’s chakras including the throat and the Third Eye. 8pm.
Twinks vs. Dolls
Saturday 10, Barton Springs
Water, sun, and some gay wrestling fun: The annual smackdown between twinks and dolls returns to the free side of Barton this weekend. Promised activities include drag, music, lube wrestling, shotgun races, and cigarette races – plus more! Noon.
Perreo Club
Saturday 10, Coconut Club
All night perreo madness with Soularreal, Suxxy Puxxy, Berbin, Dragonnqueen, Ynfynyt Scroll, and visiting L.A. DJ dignitary Dina. 10pm.
LGBTQIA+ History Month Brunch Screening
Saturday 10, Hyperreal Film Club
Texan pride meets the rising queer tide as Becky Bullard (Democrasexy) celebrates her new podcast, The Texan Optimist. She’ll be screening episode 2 with special guest Nikki DaVaughn, and having author Dale Carpenter (Flagrant Conduct) for a discussion of Lawrence v. Texas. Plus, bites from Lynny’s, Barrett’s hot and iced coffee, THC sips, and a DIY bolo tie pop-up. 11am.
La Joteria
Sunday 11, Sahara Lounge
From Queer Musicians ATX comes a power-packed performer lineup including a Paramore tribute band (Locuust, Evita, Burning Low, and Guzzlr), a Miley Cyrus tribute band (She23, Chrissy Ammons, Ale Bee, Cyan, and Nash Brayden), a vendor market, and Calor on hosting duties. 3pm.
The Monster Club
Sunday 11, Cheer Up Charlies
Soft Focus screens the first in their October film series, “Camp From the Crypt,” a monstrous anthology from across the pond featuring all your favorite chic freaks – including Vincent Price. 5:30pm.
LezFest #3: Gay-CL
Sunday 11, Hotel Vegas
This third entry promises to import “a little Kansas City chaos” alongside local entertainers, with Queeraokee led by KC’s Lo Mchel and new social group the Link Up offering ice-breakers for sapphic friend and relationship making. 6pm.
Rainbow Ribbon Cutting
Sunday 11, Out of the Closet
Celebrate National Coming Out Day by helping this thrift store/sexual health clinic cut the ribbon on their entry into the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce. 1pm.
Clown Makeup Workshop
Sunday 11, Coco Coquette
Get yourself dolled up in harlequin fashion with help from instructor the Pyromantic Bunny. Makeup’s included in the $65 price, but spots are limited so sign up soon. 5pm.
Love & War
Monday 12, Oilcan’s
Who will win the hearts of this year’s audience? Lawrie Bird once again hosts this drag competition with a new three-bracket system for the classic one-on-one lip sync battle royale. Winner gets $1,500!
Bronco: Orville Peck Night
Monday 12, Sagebrush
Masked, masc, or merely a fan of gay country? Neon Rainbows celebrates this honky-tonk hunk at their queer line dance night, with Country Fried Dance leading dances set to Peck picks. 7pm.
Queer Film Theory 101: Horror
Thursday 15, the Highball
Scare up your cinephile interests with presentations from queer film “professors” on the monster mash movies that made them the stand-up scream queens they are today. 7:30pm.
Mochi Mochi: Junji Ito
Thursday 15, the Highball
Sailing in from the isle tormented by spirals or floating down on your hanging balloon, any transport works if it’s getting you to this drag tribute. Hosts Leia Sakura, Louisianna Purchase, and Tatiana Cholula bring this horror mangaka’s works to life with special guests Mars Morningstar and Target. 9:30pm.
Haunted Hoedown
Thursday 15, Elysium
Horror’s never honked so tonk as this Halloween dance featuring live music by Paisley Fields, a vendor market, and all night boot-scootin’. 8pm.
Lezzz B. Honest: Night of 1,000 Nikkis
Thursday 15, Ani’s Day & Night
Themed to this year’s summer horror hit Obsession, this drag show features Kino Kino, Marylin Moonlight, Sir Dree, Iggy Bank, Frankenmime’s Jester, and Riot Molotov. Plus, entry fees and tips go to SAFE Alliance. 7pm.
This article appears in October 9 • 2026.
