It lived up to the hype and was one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever been apart of. That’s right, I attended Skinful Halloween 2011. The 11th Annual edition was my first Skinful experience and it certainly did not let me down.
When my shuttle pulled up to the Brick House Kitchen’s property, I knew I was in for a treat. There were PLENTY of other revelers arriving on the property and each one was in a creative, revealing, or downright hilarious costume. Everyone was in a jovial mood and you could feel the anticipation in the air. After passing through security, you were greeted with the first stage of the night. There was a DJ next to a bar. A walkway led you deeper into the woods and that’s when the party really began.
Skinful was held on a few acres of the Brick House Kitchen’s property and it was the perfect setting. The giant, sprawling oak trees were the perfect background for the Halloween party. They added to the spooky-feel of the holiday, but the fright didn’t last. There were six stages, strobe lights, white tarps with images flashing on them, bars, food trucks, a zip line, urban wake boarding, a bouncy maze, a large dragon-like apparatus that actually shot out fire, burlesque dancers, a hookah lounge and just general debauchery. This made the party feel like a gothic carnival.
There was plenty of entertainment and it was difficult to find a dull moment. Each band/DJ that I saw sounded great, but it was impossible to see them all. The biggest surprises were the urban wake boarding and burlesque dancers. Both were equally fun to watch – for very different reasons.
My favorite artist of the night was Mix Master Mike (of Beastie Boys fame). He rifled through numerous dance, hip-hop, and techno songs that were spliced together perfectly. Not surprisingly, there was no shortage of Beastie Boys interpolations.
The party lasted until around 4 in the morning, but I had checked out before then. My first Skinful adventure was all it was cracked up to be and I can’t wait to attend next year. I wish there was another party or two like it during the year, because it was such a good time. There wasn’t much to complain about. Looks like I’ll have to wait until next year to experience Charleston’s party of the year.
Here is some extra coverage of Skinful Halloween 2011
Flickr photos from Callicot Photography
Photos from Carolina Night Life
Just Shoot Me Photography’s Album #1 and #2
Charleston City Paper has a video montage from the night
Charleston City Paper’s photo album