Rutherford County residents can trade in a quiet Thursday night for line dancing, karaoke and a costume contest for a cause on October 22, when Costumes for a Cause takes over The Warehouse in Murfreesboro from 5 to 8 pm. The spooky-season mixer is built to raise money for the Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Center, helping fund safety, hope, healing and support for survivors and families rebuilding their lives.
The event, officially titled Costumes for a Cause: Dressing Survivors in Strength, is set for 730 Middle Tennessee Boulevard, Suite 14, according to Rutherford Source. The Warehouse is hosting the event. Attendees can expect line dancing with an instructor (no experience necessary), spooky karaoke spanning country favorites to Halloween classics, finger foods and sodas, and a pay-to-vote costume contest where every donated dollar counts as a vote for a favorite look, per the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office. Tickets are available through Eventbrite.
A Shelter Built From a Single-Room Office
DVSAC has grown considerably since its founding in 1986 as a single-room office, according to the United Way of South Central Tennessee. The nonprofit now provides free emergency shelter, crisis support lines, counseling and court advocacy. The organization originally operated with just two salaries and limited grant funding before expanding into the services it offers today.
At the center of that growth is Bernard House, a confidential emergency shelter built in 2003.
Ericka Downing has led the organization as Executive Director since December 2019, bringing more than two decades of experience supporting Middle Tennessee's judicial and community systems, the center notes.
Timing Ties Into Statewide Awareness Push
The fundraiser lands squarely within Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which Governor Bill Lee officially proclaimed across Tennessee for October 2026, according to TN.gov. The designation coincides with the timing of the Rutherford County event.
The scale of the need behind that proclamation is significant. The 2025 Crime in Tennessee report from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation documented 58,487 domestic violence victims across the state last year, the same TN.gov release states. Separately, Tennessee's Office of Criminal Justice Programs provides funding through 103 state and federal grants, while programs served more than 13,000 domestic violence survivors statewide in Fiscal Year 2026.
Part of a Pattern of Local Support
Costumes for a Cause isn't the community's first show of support for DVSAC this year. Rutherford County law enforcement alumni and local partners backed the center earlier in 2026 through its Show Your Till fundraising campaign in May, a connection Hoodline detailed in its sheriff's alumni car show coverage. The Rutherford County Sheriff's Office Alumni Association frequently participates in local charitable initiatives of this kind.
For now, the ask is simple: dust off a costume, show up at The Warehouse, and help turn one night of karaoke and line dancing into ongoing support for survivors across Rutherford County.
