This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade and to celebrate, we’re making it an all-day affair! On Saturday, October 31st, 2026, on Halsted Street between Aldine Avenue and Addison Avenue come have a ghoulish good time with food, drinks, music, local vendors, live performances and more! That then leads directly into Chicago’s only Halloween Night parade, where more than 300 costumed participants show off their creativity and Halloween spirit!
Schedule
11:00am to 6:00pm: Haunted Halsted Fest
7:00pm to 8:00pm: Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade
8:00pm to 10:00pm: Haunted Halsted Costume Contest & Post-Parade Party
The Haunted Halsted Fest features food, drinks, live entertainment, street performers and dedicated areas/activities for kids and families throughout the day, leading right into our fantastic Halloween Parade, ranked one of the top ten in the US by Fodor’s Travel, and featuring a spectacular Costume Contest with hundreds of entrants (Sign Up Free) vying for $4,000 in total cash prizes at its conclusion.
The Parade also features the Chicago Full Moon Jam fire performers, Windy City Jeep Club, Chicago Thriller, Lakeside Pride Marching Band, The Windy City Rollers, and Chicago Spirit Brigade pep squad…with more to come!
The costume competition covers 5 categories: Character, Creative, Scary, Youth (<13) and Group. Each category will have a $500/$200/$100 prize winner for 1st place/2nd place/3rd place, respectively.
Northalsted has a ton of Halloween events throughout October: Parade after parties and contests, the Northalsted Halloween Pup Crawl, Drag Competitions, Trick or Treating, our Movies in the Parking Lot series, and more.
Be a part of the 30th Annual Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade! Every year over 500 spirted costumes compete for over $4,000 in cash prizes in 5 categories, this year it could be you!
Haunted Halsted is a free, all ages community event hosted annually on N. Halsted Street in Chicago’s historic LGBTQ+ Northalsted district. Each year, more than 300 costumed parade participants and thousands of onlookers come to celebrate spooky season. As part of its 30th anniversary, this year’s event will also include a daytime component leading into the evening parade.
Beginning at 11am, the five-block section of N. Halsted Street from Aldine to Brompton will be converted to a pedestrian-only “block party” full of activities, entertainment, food, drinks, and fun. Attendees at this free-to-attend event can look forward to:
Note: At 6:00pm, Halsted Street will be cleared to prepare for the 7:00pm parade portion of the event. At that time, Fest attendees will be required to move to sidewalks (behind the barricades) and are encouraged to visit participating event vendors and Halsted Street businesses before finding a spot watch the parade!
Back for its 30th (!) year, the Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade annually features more than 300 costumed participants, impressively decorated vehicles from the Windy City Jeep Club, and live street performances from locally-loved groups including the Lakeside Pride Marching Band, Chicago Thriller Flash Mob, Chicago Spirit Brigade, and the Windy City Rollers. The parade concludes with a stunning display of pyrotechnic prowess from Full Moon Jam.
Costumed participants are strongly encouraged to sign up in advance here but day-of entries will be accepted beginning at 6:00pm at the costume registration tent (3211 N. Halsted).
Finishing off the festivities is our Costume Contest and Post-Parade Party held at the NoHa parking lot (3514 N. Halsted). Judge-selected finalists from five categories — Character, Creative, Scary, Group, and Youth (13 & under) — will be invited on stage with our Halloween hosts to show off their fabulous costumes to the crowd and vie for $4,000 in total cash prizes. Live music, DJs and drag performances will finish off the night, with Halloween happenings occurring in venues along Halsted Street all night long.
Saturday, October 31st (Halloween Night), 7:00pm-8:00pm
The parade will go on, despite rain or snow.
More information coming soon!
More information coming soon!
$4,000 in prizes! $500 first place, $200 second place, $100 third place in each of 5 categories. Contestants must be present to win.
To become a sponsor of the Haunted Halsted Halloween Block Party & Parade celebration, please email:
Karyn Terrones at karyn@chicagoevents.com
and/or
David Wilson at david@chicagoevents.com
A variety of tailored sponsor rates and benefits are available, including (but not limited to) logo/brand recognition on event collateral, on-site activations and product exclusivity options, and presenting sponsor/stage sponsor opportunities.
For general information/questions, you may also contact the event organizer, the Northalsted Business Alliance, at info@northalsted.com
Limited on-site vending opportunities for the one-day Haunted Halsted Halloween celebration are available at varying costs depending on your business type.
For more information on vendor opportunities, and to submit your vending application for review/approval, please visit the Haunted Halsted Halloween event page.
Note: All vendors will be positioned on intersecting streets adjacent to Halsted Street so that they may show and sell their items for the entirely of the event — both during the Haunted Halsted Block Party and during the Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade. Load-in and load-out instructions will be provided once an application is approved.
Please contact info@northalsted.com regarding media access during the Parade. Only media representatives that have been approved and credentialed specifically for this event by the Northalsted Business Alliance will be allowed to perform activities within the barricaded parade route.
NOTICE: From 7:00am on Saturday, October 31st through 2:00 am on Sunday, November 1st, street parking on Halsted Street between Belmont Ave. & Addison Street ; and on Brompton, Cornelia (both sides), Newport, Roscoe (both sides), Buckingham (both sides), Aldine (both sides), and Melrose, to the nearest alley(s). Violators will be towed.
NOTICE: From 10:30am on Saturday, October 31st through 2:00am on Sunday, November 1st, vehicle traffic will be prohibited on Halsted Street between Belmont Ave. & Addison Street ; and on Brompton, Cornelia (both sides), Newport, Roscoe (both sides), Buckingham (both sides), Aldine (both sides) and Melrose, to the nearest alley(s).
A full list of affected streets and addresses includes:
Pets are welcome to march in or watch the parade, but must be leashed or carried. Pet owner(s) assume all liability for incidents involving their animal and should responsibly assess their animal’s behavior and demeanor when considering participation.
