Four Meetups, Four Dress Codes, One of Them Bans Flip-Flops

Every Meetup.com event has a little "what to bring" line near the bottom, and this week I read all of them more closely than I've ever read a lease. Here's the thing nobody tells you: the outfit is the hard part. Showing up is easy. Deciding whether the costume is a full costume or "a hat, but with conviction" takes most of a Thursday.

So these four come sorted by what you're expected to wear. They run Friday through next Tuesday, and every one of them is fine to walk into alone.

Friday: volleyball, in costume, on Siesta

Sarasota Volleyball Meetup is hosting Spooky Night Volleyball at Siesta Beach on Friday, Oct. 30, 4 to 8 p.m., near the pavilion and food stand off Beach Road. The page asks you to come in your finest volleyball costume, which is a category I didn't know existed and now want to see judged.

Dress code: costume, encouraged.

Know what you're getting into: it's 4-on-4, and the group says its players are intermediate or better. The good news is it's been running for over 20 years, it's co-ed, the ages run from teenagers to 75, and they say at least 30 people usually turn up no matter how many RSVP. No fee. If you can't really play, wear a big enough costume and they'll assume that's the reason.

Saturday: Halloween morning Zumba at a brewery

Outdoor Zumba Classes has a Halloween Zumba Party on Saturday, Oct. 31, 10 to 11 a.m., outside at Big Top Brewing, 3045 Fruitville Commons Blvd. It's a $10 cash donation, every age and level is welcome, and no dance experience is required, which is good, because nobody's dance experience covers 10 a.m. on a Saturday.

Dress code: a little Halloween spirit, plus a towel and a water bottle. They mention you might sweat. It's Sarasota at the end of October. You will sweat.

There are 10 spots, and four were taken when I checked this morning. It wraps up by 11, which leaves the rest of the day for the actual Halloween plans in our Halloween Finder.

Sunday: skating, with the bonus hour

Clocks fall back at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, so you get an extra hour of sleep and still have to explain to your car's clock what happened. Spend some of that hour at Sarasota Skates Sunday with Skate 4 Fun, 1 to 3 p.m. at Pompano, 601 S. Pompano Ave. Roller skates and inline skates both count, and the group says every skill level is welcome.

Dress code: wheels. That's it. The page doesn't list a fee.

This is the friendliest version of skating, the one where people trade tips instead of watching you hold the railing. You're allowed to hold the railing.

Tuesday: two-step for people who've never two-stepped

Dance & Meet SRQ runs Country Two Step for Total Beginners on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 7 to 7:55 p.m., at The Ballroom of Sarasota, 5660 Swift Road. It's $20 a class, cash at the door, and it's the first night of a two-week series, though you can drop in for just one. You don't need a partner. They rotate, so you'll dance with half the room by the end.

Dress code: cowboy boots welcome, not required. Any shoes that stay on your feet are fine. Flip-flops are specifically not fine, and they put that in writing, which tells me somebody tried.

Fifty-five minutes is a nice amount of time to learn a thing. Long enough to get it, short enough that nobody has to bring up their job.

Plan your week

Brooke has the tides and the trails, and my Coming This Week has the rest of Halloween weekend.

Hosts change things, so check each event page before you head out. Then pick an outfit, and don't overthink it. Somebody at the volleyball game will be dressed as a net.

— Sandy