Event Guide
Halloween in Chicago: A Guide to October 22 to 31
Halloween in Chicago, from neighborhood parades and puppet horror to live film scores, museum nights, rooftop parties and late dance floors.
Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, and the ten days leading into it leave room for more than one night out. Arts in the Dark takes over Columbus Drive a week early. At Skylark, musicians rebuild Videodrome's soundtrack in real time. On Halloween itself, Gene Hunt and DJ Heather bring house music to the aquarium, while Lifeline actors read Poe at Glessner House.
The choices below run from free family afternoons to nights that carry into the next morning. There is time to try a neighborhood haunt on one date and save the costume party for another.
Arts in the Dark
Saturday, October 24 · Columbus Drive, Balbo to Monroe · 6 to 8 p.m. · Free · All ages
Chicago's arts groups bring illuminated figures, oversized puppets and elaborate costumes into the evening streets. Go for the handmade spectacle, which gives the city's theater and visual arts communities a place in the Halloween calendar. This year, the parade follows Columbus Drive north from Balbo to Monroe.
Haunted Halsted Fest & Parade
Saturday, October 31 · Halsted Street, Aldine to Addison · Fest from 11 a.m.; parade 7 p.m.; costume contest 8 p.m. · Free
The parade's 30th anniversary expands Halloween on Halsted into an all-day street festival, with vendors, performances and family activities before the evening procession. Stay for the costume contest if elaborate outfits are your main reason for going. The daytime start also makes this an option for families who will be home before the parade steps off.
Upside Down Halloween Parade
Saturday, October 31 · Washington Park, Russell Drive · Noon to 2 p.m. · Free · All ages
The audience does the moving here. Families walk past performers stationed along the route, turning the usual curbside parade into a procession you join. The short daytime window is especially useful with younger children; come in costume and make this the Halloween outing before the evening crowds arrive.
Slightly Spooky October at Navy Pier
Saturdays, October 24 and 31 · Navy Pier · Free; film ratings vary
Navy Pier gives you several ways to spend part of an afternoon. On October 24, activities begin at 1 p.m., followed by WALL-E at 5:30 and Scream at 7:30. Halloween starts with trick-or-treating at 11 a.m., a dance workshop at 1 p.m. and a costume contest at 3 p.m.; Ghostbusters follows at 5:30 and the 1978 Halloween at 7:30.
Families can build a visit around the early activities and first film. The later horror screenings call for a different audience.
Chic-A-Go-Go turns 30 with Clickbait
Saturday, October 31 · Hideout · 11:30 a.m. · All ages · $20; children 10 and under free
Ratso and Miss Mia bring the cable-access dance show's anniversary to the Hideout, with Clickbait and a room full of costumes. Chic-A-Go-Go's appeal has always been participation: children and adults get to be part of the show. The morning start leaves the rest of Halloween open.
Spooky Sing-Along
Sunday, October 25 · Old Town School of Folk Music, Maurer Hall · 10:30 a.m. · All ages · $23 public; $21 members, fees included
Will Fancher, Skylar Grieco and Lorena Estevez lead Halloween songs and dancing, with shadow puppets by Leah Lara. Children can sing along and come in costume. The Sunday morning show gives families a chance to celebrate a week before Halloween takes over Saturday.
Edward Scissorhands with Chicago Philharmonic
Saturday, October 24 · The Auditorium · 7:30 p.m. · Ticketed
Danny Elfman's score gives Tim Burton's film much of its tenderness. Chicago Philharmonic performs it alongside the screening, bringing the lullaby melodies and swelling orchestral passages into the auditorium with you. It makes a melancholy, romantic Halloween date, with the orchestra as much a reason to go as the film.
The 5:30 p.m. pre-concert party is an optional $50 addition to a concert ticket.
Poolish as the Rolling Stones
Wednesday, October 28 · Schubas · Doors 7:30 p.m.; show 8 p.m. · 18+ · Ticketed
Halloween cover shows let bands dress up as other bands. Poolish takes on the Rolling Stones, Glass-Beagle becomes the Big Byrds, and Growing Boys plays One Direction. That last turn gives the bill a welcome change of era. Come for the familiar songs and the pleasure of hearing local musicians try on somebody else's moves.
I H8 It Here's Annual Halloween Party
Thursday, October 29 · Epiphany Hall · 7 p.m. to midnight · 17+ with valid ID · Ticketed; age-based pricing
Adornment, I H8 It Here, Vialice, Blind Equation and Stomach Book share the bill for the party's third year. Five acts make this a full evening of live music, so arrive for the opening set rather than treating it as a late club stop. The 17+ admission also gives younger concertgoers a Halloween option among the many 21+ parties in this guide.
Tickets for ages 17 to 20 include a soft drink; choose the correct age tier when booking.
Videodrome with a live score by Curls Ultra
Monday, October 26 · Skylark, 2149 S. Halsted St. · 7 to 10 p.m. · Free; donations encouraged
Curls Ultra improvises a new score to David Cronenberg's Videodrome, with Hydrosonic Light Show and DJ Timelife also on the program. Even if you know the film's body horror and television nightmares well, the musicians' live decisions will change how you hear it. The free Monday screening is one of the week's more unusual musical pairings.
Do The Needful on Halloween
Saturday, October 31 · Skylark, 2149 S. Halsted St. · 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. · Free
Do The Needful works with Bollywood anthems from the 1960s and 1970s, reshaping them into punk rock. The songs offer a different kind of Halloween transformation, especially for listeners who grew up with the originals. There is no cover, and the 10:30 p.m. finish leaves room for a later party.
Halloweensteen
Saturday, October 24 · Park West · Doors 6:30 p.m.; show 7:30 p.m. · All ages · Ticketed
Michael McDermott and the Duke Street Kings spend the evening with the songs of Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty. Halloweensteen offers a familiar-song night for anyone whose idea of a party involves a live band and a chorus to sing back. The all-ages show also gives families with older children an option beyond the daytime festivities.
Pachanga Halloween at Navy Pier
Saturday, October 31 · Bar Sol, Navy Pier · 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday · 21+ · Ticketed
Sin Anestesia plays rock en español, with songs by Caifanes, Hombres G, Café Tacvba and Soda Stereo among the night's touchstones. DJs Rampage and Wero carry the party through 1980s classics, new wave and some cumbia. Horror-film projections and a tianguis artist market give you reasons to wander between dances. Bring a costume or an outfit from the decade.
Sanctum Dark Music Festival
Friday and Saturday, October 30 and 31 · Thalia Hall and Tack Room · From 7 p.m. each night · 17+ · Ticketed
Sanctum gives dark electronic music a whole weekend. The festival bill includes A Split Second, Zanias, Buzz Kull, Crash Course in Science, Kontravoid and Automelodi, with visuals, installations, drag performances and a VHS Dungeon Room extending the night beyond the stage. A costume contest takes blasphemy as its theme.
Choose a date from the daily bill before buying; the two nights have separate tickets.
FRIDAY INFO & TICKETS → SATURDAY INFO & TICKETS →
Freakeasy: MECHA BLACK CAT
Saturday, October 31 · Park West · 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday · 21+ · Ticketed
J.Phlip and Christian Martin join the Freakeasy residents for a Halloween takeover of Park West. Gaea Lady and Perkulator are among the live performers, with scenic work, lasers and body art filling out the production. The early start gives you six hours to settle into the party and explore what the crew has built.
Haunted House Party at Shedd Aquarium
Saturday, October 31 · Shedd Aquarium · 7 to 11 p.m.; last entry 10 p.m. · 21+ · $29.95 public; $19.95 members
Gene Hunt and DJ Heather make the aquarium's Halloween party worth considering for the music alone. Their Chicago house credentials give this unusual setting a substantial DJ bill, with time to move between dancing and the open exhibits. The 11 p.m. finish also works for anyone who wants a full night out without a dawn exit.
Nocturna: All Hallows' Eve Ball
Saturday, October 31 · Metro · 10 p.m. · 18+ · $25 advance; $30 door
Scary Lady Sarah presides over Nocturna's goth dance floor, with a GlitterGuts live photobooth and cash prizes for the costume contest. The 10 p.m. start leaves time for Haunted Halsted's 7 p.m. parade first. Make Metro the late stop if you want to carry the Halloween night from the street onto a dance floor.
Boots Halloween: two nights at Cermak Hall
Friday and Saturday, October 30 and 31 · Cermak Hall at Radius · 10 p.m. · 21+ · Separate tickets
Friday pairs COBRAH's Gag Ball Set with a Pixel Grip DJ set, Shaun J. Wright, Kirk and BKHQ. Saturday changes the bill to Bree Runway, deBasement, a Boots DJ set, Pageant Queens, Daru b2b DJ Gaybash and Cryberbully. Choose your night by the bill; each has its own ticket.
FRIDAY INFO & TICKETS → SATURDAY INFO & TICKETS →
Club 1BD Halloween Party
Saturday, October 24 · Metro · 8 p.m. to midnight · 21+ · $30 to $40 advance; $50 door · Costumes required
Club 1BD moves through hip-hop, R&B, Jersey club and house, giving a group with mixed tastes several reasons to dance. The 8 p.m. start and midnight finish make it possible to have a full party without staying out until morning. Costumes are required, so sort out the outfit before leaving home.
Slo 'Mo: BLACK CAT
Saturday, October 24 · Sleeping Village · 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday · 21+ · $25 general admission; $20 early tier if available
A year after its farewell, Slo 'Mo reunites its queer dance-party community for BLACK CAT. VITIGRRL and Icey Bby DJ, with performances by Empress Darling Shear, Miss Angelica Grace, Ramona Slick and Celeste. A costume catwalk and look prizes give returning regulars and first-timers a way to make an entrance.
The Hot B!T@# Halloween Party at smartbar
Saturday, October 31 · smartbar · 10 p.m. · 21+ · Advance tickets sold out; door admission only
Miss Toto, Madeline, Kitt Vesper and Virago lead the night, with hosts including Alex Jenny, Kahmora Hall and Lezbian Minnelli. This is a late Halloween option for people who want smartbar's intimate dance floor and a host lineup with plenty of personality.
Advance tickets are sold out. Door admission is $25, or $20 for students arriving before midnight with valid ID. Entry is subject to capacity, so have another plan if the room fills.
Chosen Few: Friday night or Saturday afternoon
October 30, 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Saturday; October 31, 4 to 10 p.m. · Le Nocturne · 21+ · Tickets listed from $15
Le Nocturne offers two substantial house lineups on very different schedules. Friday brings Wayne Williams, Alan King, Mike Dunn, Duke Shin and Vela-FI. Saturday's day party brings Terry Hunter, Alan King, Gene Hunt, Lori Branch and Duke Shin. Choose the afternoon if you want hours of dancing without waiting until late to begin.
FRIDAY INFO & TICKETS → SATURDAY INFO & TICKETS →
RITMO Halloween
Saturday, October 31 · Fulton Market, 1249 W. Randolph St. · Doors 7 p.m.; music 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday · 21+ · Ticketed
Solstice Presents brings MichaelBM and Bautista to Fulton Market for a night of Latin house, house and Afro house. Hashtom and Rosé are worth arriving for, with Jezu completing the supporting lineup. Choose this one if you want six hours of dancing centered on house music; doors open an hour before the music starts.
Dance Planet Halloween Banger
Saturday, October 31 · Emporium Logan Square · 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday · 21+ · Free
T. Mixwell, Jillian X, Initial G and Seoul bring house, UK garage, techno and juke to Emporium. Stylin' Out and Super Shmove add a $500 costume contest to the night. With no cover charge, this is an easy one to keep in mind when the group wants a late dance floor without another ticket purchase.
Break N Enter x Club Hospitality
Saturday, October 31 · Podlasie Club · 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Sunday · 21+
Houston's Morgan Morgan and DJ Young Brown join DJ Phil and Icey Bby for a night of footwork, jungle and juke. The Houston visitors give this Podlasie bill a specific point of interest beyond the Halloween date. Expect to spend the night following fast percussion and broken beats.
Y2K: La Era del Perreo, Halloween Edition
Saturday, October 31 · Riviera Theatre · Doors 8 p.m.; show 9 p.m. · 18+ · Ticketed
Fulanito, Victor Cardenas, Don Chezina and the V5 DJs fill the Riviera's Halloween edition of La Era del Perreo. The reggaeton throwback party is built for people who want familiar songs and a big room to dance in. Its 18+ admission opens that room to younger fans, too.
Music for the Masses: Dark 80s New Wave Halloween
Saturday, October 31 · Beat Kitchen · 9 p.m. · 21+ · Ticketed
Depeche Mode, New Order and the Cure are on the playlist at this new-wave DJ party. For a group that knows the songs by heart, Beat Kitchen offers a Halloween built around familiar bass lines, synth hooks and choruses. The 9 p.m. start leaves time for dinner before dancing.
Music Box of Horrors
Noon Saturday, October 24, to noon Sunday, October 25 · Music Box Theatre · Full and half-marathon passes
Horror fans can spend a full day and night at the Music Box, with Maxx McGathey providing live accompaniment at the opening. The marathon is a chance to watch films with a room willing to stay long past the last ordinary showtime. Half-marathon admission begins at 11:30 p.m. Saturday if you prefer to join for the overnight stretch.
Rocky Horror: a shadowcast or the Spooktacular Tour
October 28 to 31 · Music Box Theatre; October 31 · Chicago Theatre · Ticketed
At the Music Box, the Midnight Madness shadowcast performs with a 35mm screening. Shows begin at 9 p.m. on October 28 and 29, and at 11:59 p.m. on October 30 and 31. Tickets are $17, or $14 for members. Choose the earlier weekdays if you want the ritual without waiting for midnight.
The Chicago Theatre hosts the separate Spooktacular Tour at 7:30 p.m. on Halloween, with doors at 6:30. That is the earlier Saturday option; book through its own event page.
MUSIC BOX INFO & TICKETS → CHICAGO THEATRE INFO & TICKETS →
House of the Exquisite Corpse VI: Lullabies
October 22 to 25 and 29 to 31 · The Merle at Steppenwolf · Timed entry · Recommended for ages 13+
Rough House turns lullabies into six small worlds of puppet horror. You look through peepholes into installations made by Chicago artists, a form that makes the act of watching part of the unease. The attraction is the scale and craft: a frightening scene can unfold inches from your eye.
Thursday through Saturday entry begins at 6:50 p.m.; Sunday's matinee begins at 1:50 p.m. Reserve a specific slot.
Stage Frights!
Selected performances October 23 to 31 · Raven Theatre, Schwartz Stage · Ticketed; times vary · About 2½ hours with intermission
Sandbox Theatre Collective puts ten new short horror plays on one bill, moving between murder plots, psychological scares and vintage horror. The anthology format lets a large group of Chicago performers and writers try different approaches in a single evening. Leave room for the full running time and choose your performance from the booking calendar.
The Park After Dark: Chuckles' Sweet 16
October 23, 24, 30 and 31 from 7 p.m.; October 25 from 6 p.m. · Chase Park · $16 timed tickets · Not recommended under 10
Chase Park's haunted attraction turns a birthday premise into a neighborhood scare, while raising money for its teen program. It is a relatively inexpensive option for older children and adults who want a haunt rather than a full theater evening. Tickets must be bought ahead for a timed entry; there are no on-site sales. Parental discretion is advised for children under 13.
Campfire Horrors: Corpse Bride
Friday, October 23 · Big Marsh Park · About 7 p.m., at dusk · Free · Rated PG
Tim Burton's stop-motion romance gets an outdoor screening at Big Marsh. This free Friday outing takes Halloween to the Southeast Side, with a PG film that older children and adults can share. Bring warm layers and arrive before dusk so you can settle in before the film starts.
You Are One: A Substance Parody Play
Friday, October 30 · Hideout · Early show 7 p.m. · $20
Derry Queen brings a parody of The Substance to the Hideout. If the film's beauty panic and body horror stayed with you, this is a chance to revisit them through a live comic performance. The early show makes an easy first stop before a Friday party; the link below is for that 7 p.m. performance.
Secrets and Specimens
Friday, October 23 · Field Museum · 6 to 9 p.m. · 21+ · $75 public; $70 members
The Field Museum turns toward the eerie side of science for this adults-only evening. It is a Halloween date for people who would rather spend the early night in a museum than start on a dance floor. The 9 p.m. finish leaves time for dinner or a later show. This is a separately ticketed event, not regular museum admission.
Zoo Brews: Howls and Growls
Friday and Saturday, October 23 and 24 · Lincoln Park Zoo · 6:30 to 10 p.m. · 21+ · Separate nightly tickets
Trade the usual Halloween bar stop for an evening moving among beer and cider sampling stations at the zoo. A DJ, roaming performers, pumpkin carving and a costume contest fill out the night, and admission includes the carousel, Ferris wheel and giant slide. A nonalcoholic ticket option makes this workable for a group with different drinking preferences.
General admission is $65 through October 22; the posted day-of rate is $70 if tickets remain. Member pricing and nonalcoholic packages differ. Full-face costume coverings are not allowed.
Haunted Halloween Ball
Saturday, October 31 · Congress Plaza Hotel · 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday · 21+ · Ticketed · Costumes required
The Congress Plaza's ballrooms become the setting for a large costume party, with Top 40 DJs, theatrical performers and several party areas. The hotel setting gives this a dressed-up sense of occasion, especially for a group that wants to make the outfit the centerpiece of the night. Commit to a costume before buying; it is part of the dress code.
The advertised $20 early-bird allocation is limited. Check the available ticket tier before making plans around that price; drinks are sold separately.
Halloween on the Pier at Offshore Rooftop
Friday and Saturday, October 30 and 31 · Offshore Rooftop, Navy Pier · From 8 p.m. · Ticketed
Rose Gold Presents brings two costume nights to Offshore, with cocktails, finger foods and views from the end of Navy Pier. This is a good fit for a group that wants the setting to be part of the evening. Costumes are encouraged, and each date has its own booking link.
Friday runs from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday. Saturday runs from 8 p.m. to midnight.
Edgar Allan Poe readings at Glessner House
Saturday, October 31 · Glessner House, 1800 S. Prairie Ave. · 8 to 9:15 p.m. · $30 public; $25 members · Not recommended for children
Lifeline Theatre actors read Poe's stories and poems at Glessner House, bringing The Raven, The Tell-Tale Heart and lesser-known works into the same evening. Poe's repetitions and mounting obsessions reward being heard aloud. This is Halloween spent listening closely, with the performers' voices doing the frightening.
The 5 p.m. reading is sold out. Reserve the 8 p.m. performance in advance.
Shadows on the Street
Saturday, October 31 · Glessner House and Prairie Avenue Historic District · One-hour walking tour · $20 public; $16 members
The stories here belong to the neighborhood: the death of Marshall Field Jr., the troubles of the Philander Hanford house and the ghost stories attached to Edson Keith. Glessner's guides take the walk through Prairie Avenue after dark, tying the Halloween mood to the people who lived along it.
Look for the 8:15 or 8:30 p.m. departure; earlier tours were sold out at our October 22 check. Advance tickets are required. These walks overlap the Poe reading.
Arts in the Dark runs until 8 p.m. on October 24, while Edward Scissorhands begins at 7:30. Plan to choose between them if you want to see the full event.
Details checked October 22, 2026. All times are Chicago local. Prices and availability can change; booking fees may apply unless included above. Use each event's link for current tickets and admission details.