Performers from The Amazing Giants on stilts at a previous festival. Credit: Courtesy of Tony Bentivenga
Costumes, performances and creativity will be on full display at this year’s HighBall Halloween event.
HighBall Columbus will host its annual Halloween event Saturday in the Short North Arts District, featuring creative performers The Amazing Giants and an array of local artists across different disciplines. The event also includes a costume party that will run from 6 p.m. to midnight.
The event showcases the intersection of high fashion and fantasy, transforming High Street into a dynamic runway and immersive festival experience, Jessica Minshall, owner, booking agent and performer of The Amazing Giants, said.
“It’s a big block party in the Short North,” Minshall said. “They close off High Street [and] they have a couple different areas where there will be music, bands [and] a massive fashion show with different fashion designers.”
HighBall Halloween is designed to be the most elaborate celebration of costume, creativity and community in the nation, said Betsy Pandora, executive director of the Short North Alliance.
“HighBall Halloween features the signature Costume Couture Fashion Show, where local designers showcase over-the-top runway looks, the fan-favorite Public Costume Contest with prizes for creativity and high-energy live performances from musicians, drag artists and dance troupes,” Pandora said.
Guests can also explore the HighBall Bazaar, a vibrant night market with more than 50 vendors offering seasonal oddities and other Halloween-themed products, according to HighBall’s website. Some vendors include Mandala Clay Designs, a local custom pottery vendor, A&S Plants, a Cincinnati-based plant-themed apparel brand and For The Love of Dough, a local gourmet cookie shop.
“The goal of HighBall Halloween is to uplift and spotlight Columbus’ vibrant creative scene, from couture costume design and live music to performance art and local makers, while inviting the public to participate, express themselves and celebrate the artistic spirit that defines the district,” Pandora said.
HighBall Columbus has partnered with The Amazing Giants to put on this year’s Halloween-inspired show.
The Amazing Giants are “a full-service event entertainment company that provides creative talent, costuming, and equipment as a service in demand by events, festivals, fairs, businesses, communities, families, and more,” according to their website.
“We are from Columbus, Ohio, but we travel all over the nation,” Minshall said. “We are a circus-inspired performance arts company.”
Minshall said The Amazing Giants typically switch up their performances based on the event.
“We always do something a little different,” Minshall said. “This year, there will be an aerial ring with three aerialists, two sway poles and fire performers.”
Other local performers include Doomsdale High, a local horror band, alternative singer-songwriter Sarah Cowan, an “over-the-top” performance by local drag queen Virginia West and the West Family and a performance of “The Rocky Horror Show” by Short North Stage, according to HighBall’s website.
General admission tickets are free for this year’s event, however guests can upgrade to a Weekend Access Pass for $20, which includes discounts on food and drink, exclusive access to a Halloween speakeasy and specialty cocktails and can be purchased on HighBall’s website. For more information on performance times, visit HighBall’s website.
