Statesboro loves an excuse to party, and what better time to pull out the sexiest, craziest or downright creepiest costume and party it up college-style than Halloween.

All of the bars in the University Plaza will be opening their doors earlier than normal, at 8 p.m., for their Halloween bashes.

Retrievers Sports Bar and Grill will start its the Beat the Clock early and will be partnering with Monarch 301 to give away a grand total of $5,000 in prizes. Which will include a 42-inch plasma TV, $10 and $20 Victoria Secret gift cards, 500 plaza T-shirts and door prizes. Miller Lite and Coors Light will also be giving away prizes including a neon sign, along with giving away special Halloween Bash T-shirts, Jason Franklin, Retrievers Sports Bar and Grill owner, said.

There will also be a costume contest in three categories: most original, funniest, sexiest and one overall winner.

“The crowd will judge the contest but Monarch will be watching people at the door and handing tickets to the costumes they like and they will be on stage with the others, then, out of the top three, the crowd will pick the best overall winner,” Franklin said.

Rude Rudy’s will be having its eighth annual Halloween Bash and will be giving away cash prizes all night with a grand prize of $500 for best overall costume and $250 prizes for sexiest girls and guys costumes.

“My sophomore year I went to Rudy’s for Halloween and it was crazy fun. Everybody really gets into the theme, and everybody gets really dressed up and people were really believing they were those characters. It was really funny,” ChiChi Ekeke, senior biology major, said.

The Rusty Tavern will be partnering with The Forum at Statesboro to give away $500 in cash prizes along with free cover for the first 50 people who arrive in costume. Partygoers that come in costume will have the chance to compete in costume contests all night.

Rum Runners/Plantation Room will also be throwing its own Halloween bash, Haunted Plantation Room, and will be giving out door prizes along with drink specials and feature DJ 2Quick.

For those wanting to venture a little farther from the plaza, GATA Nation will also be throwing a Halloween Bash, with free cover all night long. GATA’s will host costume contests all night and be giving away a 42-inch flat screen TV, an iPad and gift certificates to local businesses. At midnight there will be a balloon drop where each balloon will be filled with either cash or gift certificates. Party Art Unlimited’s DJ D-Money will sponsor live music.

And last but not least on the list of ghoulish get-downs is Gnat’s Landing Halloween Party at 9:30 p.m. Gnat’s is having a Halloween party as it celebrates the official release of the fall 2013 issue of The Reflector magazine. Local band The Orange Constant will be playing at 10:30 p.m. Gnat’s will be giving away free swag bags at the door and copies of the magazine. Those who come in costume can put their names in for a costume contest and have the chance to win prizes.

With nearly every bar throwing some type Halloween bash, Statesboro is definitely not short on parties to attend this Halloween.