For many, Halloween is about candy and costumes. For those with a taste for fetishes and freak shows, The Bar of Modern Art will host the TRAUMA Halloween Fetish Party Oct. 28, beginning at 9 p.m.
“It really is a wild and off-the-wall kind of party, but I think there is something for everyone to enjoy,” said event coordinator Jacob Wooten. “That is not to say there won’t be some really edgy things there though.”
For one couple, this type of edgy is the perfect way to spend an anniversary.
“We go because our anniversary is on Halloween and we are big fans,” Carrie Mitchell said. “We enjoy going and seeing the hook show, which is when people put large hooks in their skin and airlifted into the air.”
Body suspension shows are one of many fetish-related attractions on display at the party. BOMA will make use of five different rooms for the TRAUMA party.
The only room without disc jockeys performing will be the first room, which will feature “101 classes” teaching visitors about hypnosis, pole dancing and bondage lifestyle.
“I think the sound of a fetish freak show may sound crazy to a lot of people, but it is really a lot of the people that make the event so unique and crazy rather than all of the attractions,” Wooten said.
The dungeon room will feature Goth music and attractions, and the patio will be heated and tinted, Wooten said.
“The patio will also feature four disc jockeys and has often become the wildest part of the party in past years,” he said.
The rules on the event website encourage visitors to “ask permission before touching someone or handling toys” and to “clearly communicate intentions to a playmate. Know their limitations and your own.”
In the Great Room, there will be rope-tying.
“This is a room where people can play with a friend or even play with a stranger,” Wooten said with a laugh.
Wooten was unable to disclose several specific details regarding the exhibits and performances for the show. In an attempt to maintain a sense of mystery and obscurity about the party, cameras of any kind are prohibited as well.
DJ Roevy will be the headlining disc jockey and will be playing a much larger and more elaborate set than he has ever played before, Wooten said.
In the Main Room there will also be an oxygen bar and a Best Male, Best Female and Best Group Costume contest.
“The whole event is really tough to describe to someone, you just have to go to know how great it is,” Mitchell said.
With a crowd ranging from college students to senior citizens, Wooten said any fan of Halloween would be hard pressed to not find something that he could enjoy.
Funds raised by the party contribute to providing Thanksgiving meals for underprivileged areas.
“In the past we kind of just bought the food for underprivileged families and were not pleased with the process,” Wooten said. “It felt more like we were giving hand-downs than handouts,”
This year they will be hosting a dinner with the families so they can eat with, meet and provide families with leftovers following the meal.
