Entrepreneurs Social Club hosts Novaween Lite Halloween party Thursday in St. Petersburg

OBBM Network Editorial Staff

October 25, 2026

Entrepreneurs Social Club Hosts Novaween Lite Halloween Party Thursday In St Pet

St. Petersburg’s Nova 535 will open its doors Thursday night for the Entrepreneurs Social Club’s annual Halloween gathering, dubbed “Novaween Lite.” The party runs from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and is open to anyone 21 years of age and older.

What to expect

While the original Novaween parties of the past featured aerialists, fire performers and elaborate productions, this year’s event will focus on a more modest, community‑friendly atmosphere. Attendees can look forward to a cash bar, a rotating food‑truck menu, a 360‑degree photo booth, and plenty of dancing.

Costume contests will be a centerpiece of the evening, with awards for the Scariest, Sexiest, Most Creative, Funniest and Best Duo costumes. The club’s founder, Michael S. Novilla, says the contests add a fun, competitive spirit without the high‑budget theatrics of earlier years.

Why the change?

Novilla, who opened Nova 535 in 2008 and has run the Entrepreneurs Social Club (ESC) Thursday nights since the venue’s inception, explained that the scaled‑back format helps keep costs low for both the club and its guests. “Because everybody wants to have a Halloween party, and it’s on a day that we’re already open, it’s a win‑win for everybody,” he said. “We’re not charging admission, unlike the original Novaween, which required a fee for extra security.”

Producing the full‑blown Novaween shows required two months of full‑time work, coordinating models, go‑go dancers, fire performers and complex choreography. “It takes about two months of full‑time work to produce a show like that,” Novilla noted. “We will definitely miss them, but they’re welcome to come have a drink at the bar.”

Community and business focus

The ESC is a network of local entrepreneurs who support one another’s ventures. By combining a business‑oriented gathering with a holiday celebration, the club hopes to foster networking in a relaxed setting. “We’re a people‑person business, and Halloween happens just once a year,” Novilla said. “The rest of the year we host weddings, film shoots, fashion shows, fundraisers, mitzvahs, memorials – anything that brings people together.”

Novilla expects around 150 guests, though the venue can accommodate up to 300 attendees. The space, located at 535 Dr. M.L.K. Jr. Street North, has become a familiar spot for St. Petersburg’s business community and nightlife scene.

History of the venue

From 2022 to 2025, Nova 535 was leased to an organization that produced an elaborate Halloween event called The Devil’s Ball. That partnership ended when the organizer decided to move on. The current ESC leadership, led by Christopher Tolisano of Best Day Fitness, suggested merging the club’s regular Thursday meet‑up with a Halloween party, a concept Novilla called “brilliant.”

Novilla emphasized that the new format retains the spirit of fun while staying true to the club’s mission of helping local entrepreneurs succeed. “It’s a Halloween party, but not to the level of what I used to produce with aerialists and the giant robot and all that crazy stuff,” he said.