Halloween has quietly become one of the busiest stretches of my year. Two decades ago it was barely a thing in South Africa. Now October is fully booked weeks in advance — residential estates, restaurants, corporate parties, and a steady stream of individuals wanting their costume taken from good to unforgettable.
What gets requested for Halloween
Halloween brings out the creative end of the request spectrum. At a child's birthday party I get tigers, butterflies, and the occasional Spider-Man. At Halloween I get zombies, vampires, masquerade designs, full half-face skull splits, characters from TV shows I have never seen, and the occasional request to be painted as a specific celebrity. The brief is more open and the work is more interesting.
Residential estates and trick-or-treating
In a lot of the estates I work in, Halloween has become a planned community event. The committee or a group of parents organises a safe trick-or-treating route through the estate, with the painter set up near the entrance to paint the children's faces before they head out. The kids love arriving at the first house already transformed.
There is a regular client of mine who has gone one step further. She books me for the evening as one of the treats handed out at her house — children arrive at her door and instead of sweets, they can choose to have their face painted. Several local families now plan their evening around it.
Halloween at restaurants and corporate functions
Restaurants and bars host themed Halloween nights for their patrons, and corporate companies have started running Halloween team-building days. Both work well. The face painter brings the theme to life visually, the designs photograph beautifully, and the staff or guests get something to talk about for the rest of the evening.
Book early
Halloween is the single most over-booked window in my year. If you are planning anything — an estate event, restaurant evening, corporate function, or even a private party — book in September if you can. By mid-October the weekends are full.
Get in touch and tell me what you are putting together.
From the event
