The 28th annual Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade, October 31st, 2025 in Chicago’s landmark LGBTQ Northalsted neighborhood
The free-to-watch parade, ranked one of the top ten in the US by Fodor’s Travel, has a spectacular Costume Contest with hundreds of entrants (Sign Up Free) featuring $4,000 in cash prizes and concludes with an awards presentation.
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.
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 Competition, Trick or Treat, and more.
All are welcome to be a part of the fun! If online registration is closed, register on site starting at 6:30pm (1hr before parade kick off.) Details below.
Registration Open NOW!Â
The Northalsted Business Alliance proudly announces Emmy- winning makeup artist and drag superstar RAVEN, celebrated from RuPaul’s Drag Race and RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, will serve as Grand Marshal and Costume Contest Host for the 2025 Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade & Costume Contest Festival.
Recognized by Vanity Fair as the Drag Queen of the Decade, Raven has become one of the most influential and admired figures in modern drag. Rising to fame as the unforgettable finalist on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 2 and All Stars Season 1, she has continued to set the standard for excellence, style, and artistry.
An Emmy Award winner for her work as RuPaul’s makeup artist and creative producer on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Raven has redefined the boundaries of drag beauty and performance. On stage, she delivers masterful lip-syncs that blend storytelling, precision, and glamour — captivating audiences across the world. Elegant, powerful, and endlessly polished, Raven embodies the artistry and showmanship that have made her a true icon of the drag generation.
Friday, October 31 Halloween Night, 6:30pm-10:00pm
The parade will go on, despite rain or snow.
Hosts:Â Batty Davis & Raven
Grand Marshal: Raven
Live drag performances from hosts Raven and Batty Davis. Additional performances from Chicago’s Khloe Park, Pagina, and Lilith Towers.
$4,000 in prizes! $500 first place, $200 second place, $100 third place in each of 5 categories. Contestants must be present to win.
Register Now or Sign up in person at the Registration Tent (Halsted & Belmont, 6:30p-7:30p)
No Parking 8am Friday, Oct 31 to 2am Saturday, Nov 1
Streets Closed to Traffic 5pm Friday, Oct 31 to 2am Saturday, Nov 1
On the following streets:
Pets are welcome to march in or watch the parade (owner assumes responsibility for their safety and behavior.)
Please contact info@northalsted.com regarding media access during the Parade.
For sponsorship opportunities contact info@northalsted.com
