Chicago Halloween Comes Alive as Haunted Halsted Expands Into an All Day Street Festival

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Chicago is preparing for one of its biggest Halloween celebrations of 2026. The Haunted Halsted Halloween Fest and Parade returns on Saturday, 31 October, in the city’s historic LGBTQ+ Northalsted district. This year is extra special. The event marks its 30th anniversary. It will grow into a full-day street festival, followed by Chicago’s only Halloween-night parade and a lively costume contest.
The celebration is free for people who want to watch. It welcomes children, families, visitors, local residents and people of all ages. North Halsted Street will become a bright and busy Halloween space filled with costumes, music, food, performers and local businesses. The event will give travellers another strong reason to visit Chicago during the autumn holiday period.

A bigger day for Halloween in Chicago

Haunted Halsted has long been a major October date for Chicago. In 2026, the organisers are adding a daytime festival before the famous evening parade. The new format means guests can spend many hours enjoying the neighbourhood instead of arriving only for the night-time procession.
The Haunted Halsted Fest will run from 11am to 6pm. It will take place on North Halsted Street between Aldine Avenue and Brompton Avenue. This five-block area will become a pedestrian-only zone for the day. Cars will be kept out so visitors can walk freely and enjoy the activities.
The festival will include food, drinks, local vendors, live music and street performers. More than 50 local vendor booths and sponsor activities are expected. This gives small businesses and local creators a chance to meet visitors during one of the neighbourhood’s busiest days of the year.
Families will have their own special space. A children’s zone will offer games, Halloween arts and crafts and inflatable attractions. Young visitors can also take part in daytime trick-or-treating at more than 25 businesses along Halsted Street. This makes the event suitable for families who want Halloween fun before the evening crowds arrive.

Costumes, cameras and seasonal treats

Costumes sit at the heart of Haunted Halsted. Visitors can wear something spooky, funny, dramatic or simple. A 360-degree camera experience will help people capture their Halloween outfits and share a memorable moment from the day.
Adults aged 21 and over will be able to buy beer, spirits and fall-flavoured toddies after showing valid identification. Food and drinks will add to the street-festival mood, while live local music and roaming performers will keep the area active throughout the afternoon.
At 6pm, the daytime event will pause. Spectators will need to move behind the street barricades as the organisers prepare North Halsted for the parade. Visitors should arrive early if they want to enjoy the family activities, vendor stalls and trick-or-treating before the evening programme begins.

The Halloween-night parade takes over Halsted Street

The Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade will begin at 7pm. It will start at Halsted Street and Belmont Avenue and travel south to Halsted Street and Brompton Avenue. The parade is set to run until 8pm.
More than 300 costumed participants are expected to take part. Decorated vehicles, marching groups, dancers and street performers will create a moving Halloween show in the centre of Northalsted. The parade is not a quiet neighbourhood walk. It is designed as a bold public celebration of creativity, performance and community spirit.
The confirmed line-up includes the Chicago Full Moon Jam fire performers, the Windy City Jeep Club, Chicago Thriller, the Lakeside Pride Marching Band, the Windy City Rollers and the Chicago Spirit Brigade. The parade will end with a fire-performance display from Full Moon Jam.
The event brings together Halloween fun and the character of Northalsted, one of Chicago’s best-known LGBTQ+ neighbourhoods. It allows visitors to see a local celebration that is open, colourful and deeply connected to the community around it.

US$4,000 costume contest brings the night to a close

The parade will lead straight into the Haunted Halsted Costume Contest and post-parade party. It will take place from 8pm to 10pm at the NoHa parking lot at 3514 North Halsted Street.
Contestants will compete for US$4,000 in total cash prizes. There are five categories: Character, Creative, Scary, Group and Youth for children under 13. Each category will award US$500 for first place, US$200 for second place and US$100 for third place.
The contest welcomes every kind of Halloween idea. A person can dress as a famous character, create an original costume, choose a horror look or enter with friends. Children under 13 must be with an adult.
Watching is free. People who want to enter the contest must pay US$5. The organisers encourage advance registration. Same-day entries will also be accepted from 2pm at the registration tent at 3211 North Halsted Street. DJs, live music and drag performances will continue after the parade and contest.

Important travel and access advice

Visitors should plan their journey before coming to the event. Street parking restrictions will begin at 7am on Saturday, 31 October. Vehicle traffic restrictions will begin at 10.30am and will affect Halsted Street between Belmont and Addison, as well as nearby side streets.
The organisers say the parade will go ahead even if there is rain or snow. Pets are welcome to watch or join the parade, but they must be on a leash or carried.
Haunted Halsted’s 30th anniversary gives Chicago a full day of Halloween activity in one of its most recognisable neighbourhoods. From children’s crafts and trick-or-treating to fire performers, costumes, music and a night parade, the event shows why Halloween remains one of Chicago’s most exciting autumn travel experiences.