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 Block Party
7:00pm to 8:00pm: Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade
8:00pm to 10:00pm: Haunted Halsted Costume Contest & Post-Parade Party
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! More information coming soon!
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:
Details to Come!
Details to Come!
Friday, 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.
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
