Arts & Entertainment
Celebrities took over Halloween with their best costumes
Ellen DeGeneres, Neil Patrick Harris, Gus Kenworthy and more

Lots of celebrities couldn’t pass up an opportunity to dress up in their spookiest (or silliest) get-ups this year. Whether it was Dorothy from “Wizard of Oz,” Shrek or their celebrity mentor, the stars weren’t afraid to get in the Halloween spirit.
Neil Patrick Harris, his husband David Burtka and their eight-year-old twins Gideon Scott and Harper Grace always go full throttle for Halloween. This year was no different as the family set up a Halloween photo shoot dressed as the ghosts on The Haunted Mansion ride at Disney World and Disneyland.
Ellen DeGeneres poked fun at “The Bachelor” by becoming a contestant on the long-running reality competition.
Here it is! My #Halloween costume! She’ll stop at nothing to get what she wants! And what she wants is a man. pic.twitter.com/OupGcnCBvf
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) October 31, 2018
Gus Kenworthy paid tribute to his fellow Olympian and friend, Adam Rippon.
Adam Ripoff pic.twitter.com/qa2inAkaoL
— Gus Kenworthy (@guskenworthy) October 29, 2018
Later, Kenworthy offered his best Dorothy from “Wizard of Oz.”
there’s no place like homo pic.twitter.com/nSHcq7WMxc
— Gus Kenworthy (@guskenworthy) November 1, 2018
Jesse Tyler Ferguson became a beekeeper.
We met on bumble. (Caption courtesy of @WellsAdams.) pic.twitter.com/2tIsc8lsXM
— Jesse Tyler Ferguson (@jessetyler) October 31, 2018
Janelle Monáe transformed into Willy Wonka.
“LeT”S go To ThE ChOcoLATE room”-Willy MonáE Wonka pic.twitter.com/G2jXeVqMTs
— Janelle Monáe, Cindi (@JanelleMonae) November 1, 2018
Harry Styles recreated Elton John’s blinged out baseball uniform he wore while performing at Dodgers Stadium in 1975.
Harry Styles dressed up as Elton John at star-studded Casamigos Halloween party. ? pic.twitter.com/p8zowTLhF6
— Pop Crave (@PopCraveNet) October 27, 2018
Halsey embodied “Batman” villain Poison Ivy.
Check out more celebrity Halloween costumes below.
lmao doubles as pajamas i think it’s my best year yet pic.twitter.com/IyDRSQv55J
— Kehlani (@Kehlani) November 1, 2018
.@Rihanna stuns in black leather and sugar skull makeup for Halloween.? pic.twitter.com/4YE1QSx1BP
— Pop Crave (@PopCraveNet) November 1, 2018
View this post on Instagram
Keeping it festive in Tokyo! #HappyHalloween ?⚠ pic.twitter.com/4nvMyw2mQS
— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) October 31, 2018
Daddy’s Lil Monster???
Harley Quinn & The Joker take Gotham CityNew song #Expectations out now if you’re looking to vibe to something sultry this Halloweeeeen✨? https://t.co/MB1TxLZZIx pic.twitter.com/rfyyyV6ALR
— Lauren Jauregui (@LaurenJauregui) October 27, 2018
— Heidi Klum (@heidiklum) November 1, 2018

The fourth annual Equality Prince William Pride was held at the Harris Pavilion in Manassas, Va. on Saturday, May 17.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)






















The Washington Blade held its 18th annual Summer Kickoff Party in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Friday, May 16. Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer spoke along with State Sen. Russ Huxtable, CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey, Blade Editor Kevin Naff, and Clear Space Theatre Managing Director Joe Gfaller. The event raises funds for the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism, which was awarded to AU student Abigail Hatting.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)



















In some fowl fiction foreshadowing, a gay-owned chicken joint has come home to roost on U Street, taking a page from the chicken window subplot on the HBO show “Looking.”
Last Friday, Lucky Pollo – much more than just a takeout window – stretched its wings atop the busy nightlife corner of 14th and U Streets NW.
Behind the poultry production place is Zach Renovátes, a D.C.-based nightlife operator and managing partner of LGBTQ venues Bunker and District Eagle, as well as the LGBTQ event production company KINETIC Presents.
Renovátes opened Bunker in February 2023 and District Eagle in January of this year. Lucky Pollo is the third in his growing gay empire, though this time there are noshes.
“Lucky Pollo was meant to be fun and a little provocative,” Renovátes said.
Based around its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, Lucky Pollo is a quick-service restaurant boasting a small menu of poultry and sides. Renovátes says that the dishes are deeply rooted in Peruvian culinary tradition, “a playful experience alongside seriously good food.”
Lucky Pollo’s signature chicken is steeped in a dozen-plus-spice marinade for 24 hours. The meat is then slow-roasted, rotisserie-style, over oak-wood charcoal. Chicken options include quarter, half, and whole.
Helming the kitchen at Lucky Pollo is Chef Luis Herrera, who brings Peruvian recipes passed down through three generations, including his grandmother Laura’s original creations.

Beyond the full bird, the menu features Peruvian-inspired sides like yuca fries (“I personally love these,” says Renovátes) and fried plantains, as well as comfort classics such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and bowls, wraps, and salads. Herrera oversees development of the multiple sauces (including staff favorite, the “secret green sauce”), crafted in-house using traditional Peruvian ingredients.
Lucky Pollo, in its streetside perch, is an independent concept from District Eagle, open to the public and staying open late (3 a.m. on weekends) to serve both nightlife guests and the wider U Street crowd hungry for late-night bites. However, just beyond the kitchen, tucked in the back lies a vintage 1950s candy machine—labeled “Out of Order,” which serves as the door leading to subterranean District Eagle.
Renovátes notes that when District Eagle is open, security staff will maintain a strict two-line policy, ensuring that those seeking meat to eat will not get entwined with those looking to gain access to District Eagle.
Lucky Pollo unites the need for sustenance with the idea of a bit of fortune, given its motto, “Get Lucky” and the whimsical brand mascot: a leather-booted chicken perched on a horseshoe. Renovátes and his District Eagle business partner had always been interested in opening a restaurant, and the Lucky Pollo space was indeed lucky: It already came with a functional kitchen. Plus, he says, the nearby fast-casual places around 14th and U streets “don’t offer a lot of quality options,” so opening the chicken spot “was a no-brainer.”
The space, designed by NYC creative Jasin Cadic, blends theatrical street-art-style vibes with Keith Haring-inspired wall prints, neon signs, and ceiling-hung chicken figurines —”some edgy, some sweet,” says Renovátes —creating an immersive, playful atmosphere. Lucky Pollo and District Eagle maintain separate amenities for their respective customers.
Lucky Pollo opened last week with a competition to devour a whole rotisserie chicken in the fastest time, with the winner earning $1,000 and a framed spot on the restaurant’s “Wall of Fame.” The opening also featured other games and prizes, and a full crowd spilling out the door.
“We want it to be a great place to eat, but also serve as a playful front for something completely unexpected.” Renovátes says.
On weekends especially, he jokes, the motto will be, ‘Come for the chicken, stay for the cock.’”