Costume competitions, like anything in life, are a matter of maximizing return on investment. How much time, money and dignity are you willing to sacrifice for material reward, your own satisfaction or the lusty adulation of your peers. We can't help you much with the second two, but we're all about that material reward. Here are three costume competitions in Shanghai giving out the best rewards for Halloweeeeeen.

*** Inferno, Satan's beer cooler, is going balls to the literally skeleton-covered walls with its annual Costume Competition. The winner gets a freaking Monster electric guitar, specifically a Fender Squier Bullet Stratocaster, retailing for a bit over 1,000rmb on Taobao. Are they just fencing stolen goods over there now? Register your costumed ass by 11.30pm on Friday, Oct 25. The actual contest begins at midnight because it's spooooooky. Free to enter. They're looking for creativity, humor, horror, both masculine and feminine slutiness, overall badassery, and probably some other categories, who knows, depends on how drunk the judges get. UP Shanghai is restricting your costume choices but offering cash to make up for it: dress up as your favorite dead celebrity for Halloween (Steve Irwin's played out, try something else, shock jocks). The best costume wins a cash prize of 1,000rmb. Caaaash. You register at the door, and the competition takes place from 10-11pm. What will it entail? No clue! But they regularly host dance-offs and a shopping trolley with a tequila-slinging shirtless dude careening around the dancefloor so, you know, prepare for whatever. Getting in costs 100rmb, including a drink. Taking place a week after the other two, this annual boat trip on the Huangpu is sponsored by Goose Island Beer Company (hail Goose!) and Absolut Vodka, which explains why they can afford to send the winner of their costume contest on a goddamn trip to Boracay. The winners of the group category receive a full dining experience at The House of Roosevelt. Musical accompaniment to the is provided by DJs Popasuda, DJ Yomi and Leo Chiodaroli, with live performance by Tone. Ticket prices are staggered: 258rmb if you RSVP before Oct 25, or 368rmb on the door. Leaves at 9pm from the ferry dock and gets back around 11pm with one lucky ghoul going to BORACAY.

Plus One For The Kids

Found 158 is hosting a Trick Or Treat for the little ghouls. The sunken city transforms into a dungeon (shouldn't take much work) and from 2-5pm, the kids can run around in costume to trick-or-treat at the outlets. At 4pm there's a "costume parade" (register at Homeslice before 2.30pm) and there are prizes. What prizes? Pizza? Candy? School vouchers? A multilateral deal to combat climate change? Anything is possible if you believe! If you're not a kid, you can attend the evening's main event, the Dungeon of Nightmares, including a midnight costume parade. The podium-finishers win 4,000rmb, 2,500rmb and 1,500rmb, respectively... in Found 158 coupons ooooooo~ooo~oooo. * Click here to check out way more Halloween events.