For the first time, Chicago families can trick-or-treat at more than 25 Halsted Street businesses on Halloween itself. The new all-day Haunted Halsted Fest runs from noon Saturday, October 31, 2026, on a pedestrian-only stretch of North Halsted, leading into the 30th Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade at 7 p.m.
Key Takeaways
- The free Haunted Halsted Fest runs from noon to 10 p.m. on five blocks of North Halsted between Aldine and Brompton, the 3300 to 3526 blocks.
- The festival includes daytime trick-or-treating at more than 25 Halsted Street businesses, a kids zone and more than 50 vendor booths.
- The Northalsted Business Alliance previously held its family trick-or-treat the Saturday before Halloween, as it did on October 26, 2024.
- Halsted is cleared at 6 p.m., and the parade steps off at 7 p.m. from Halsted and Belmont with more than 300 costumed participants.
- A costume contest at 8 p.m. awards $4,000 in total prizes across five categories, and the parade goes on in rain or snow.
Daytime Trick-or-Treating Moves to Halloween Day on Halsted
The Northalsted Business Alliance has organized a family trick-or-treat in the neighborhood before. In 2024, it held one the Saturday before Halloween, a two-hour event with more than 20 stops stretching from Halsted and Belmont north to Irving Park and Broadway. This year, the trick-or-treating moves to Halloween day and onto a closed street.
With Halloween falling on a Saturday in 2026, the alliance is turning five blocks of North Halsted, from Aldine to Brompton, into a pedestrian-only block party starting at noon. Families in costume can visit more than 25 participating Halsted Street businesses during the daytime festival, then stay for the parade that evening. The change gives the neighborhood’s Halloween programming a daytime, family-oriented opening for the first time in the parade’s 30-year history.
The Northalsted Business Alliance Expands Haunted Halsted for Its 30th Year
The Northalsted Business Alliance, the district’s chamber of commerce, describes its mission as enhancing the area’s economic vitality and quality of life through programming and events that celebrate the neighborhood’s LGBTQ+ history and foster a welcoming community. Haunted Halsted is one of its signature events, alongside Chicago Pride Fest and Northalsted Market Days.
The alliance is presenting the all-day format as a 30th-anniversary expansion. For Halsted Street businesses, the change brings daytime foot traffic to a corridor where the Halloween crowd has traditionally arrived after dark for the parade. The alliance encourages festival-goers to visit vendors and Halsted businesses during the hour before the parade, when the street is cleared at 6 p.m. and the crowd moves to the sidewalks.
Haunted Halsted Fest Fills the Afternoon Before the Parade
The free, all-ages festival runs on North Halsted from noon until the parade. Along with business trick-or-treating, the alliance lists a dedicated kids zone with games, Halloween arts and crafts and inflatables, more than 50 local vendor booths and sponsor activations, and live music and street performers. Drag performer Vanda LaRose, who appeared on Season 7 of The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula, headlines the live lineup with Tommy Bravo and DJ Saint.
Food and drinks are available for purchase, with alcohol limited to guests 21 and older with valid ID.
The 30th Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade Steps Off at 7 p.m.
At 6 p.m., Halsted Street is cleared, and attendees move behind the barricades. The parade steps off at 7 p.m. from Halsted and Belmont and heads north to Brompton. The alliance bills it as Chicago’s only Halloween night parade, and Fodor’s Travel has included it in a national roundup of Halloween celebrations.
More than 300 costumed participants march each year. They are joined by the Windy City Jeep Club, the Lakeside Pride Marching Band, the Chicago Thriller Flash Mob, Chicago Spirit Brigade and the Windy City Rollers, and fire performers from Chicago Full Moon Jam close out the route.
Costume Contest Awards $4,000 Across Five Categories
After the parade, the costume contest and post-parade party move to the NoHa parking lot at 3514 N. Halsted at 8 p.m. Judges select finalists in five categories: Character, Creative, Scary, Group and Youth, for participants 13 and under. Each category awards $500 for first place, $200 for second and $100 for third. Contest entry is $5, and day-of registration opens at 2 p.m. near Halsted and Belmont. The event ends at 10 p.m.
Weather and Street Closures for Halloween Day
The alliance says the parade will go on in rain or snow. The National Weather Service’s Friday forecast called for morning rain tapering by midday, with mild highs in the 60s, conditions that would leave the afternoon festival largely dry. Parking restrictions and street closures take effect on Halsted Saturday morning ahead of the festival, so visitors should check posted signs and plan to arrive by public transit or on foot.
FAQs
When is the Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade in 2026?
The 30th Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade steps off at 7 p.m. Saturday, October 31, 2026, from Halsted and Belmont and ends at Halsted and Brompton.
Is Haunted Halsted free to attend?
Yes. The festival and parade are free and open to all ages. Entering the costume contest costs $5.
Where can kids trick-or-treat at Haunted Halsted?
Children can trick-or-treat at more than 25 Halsted Street businesses during the daytime Haunted Halsted Fest, which begins at noon on North Halsted between Aldine and Brompton.
Does the Haunted Halsted parade happen if it rains?
Yes. The Northalsted Business Alliance says the parade goes on despite rain or snow.
What are the Haunted Halsted costume contest prizes?
The contest awards $4,000 in total. Each of the five categories pays $500 for first place, $200 for second and $100 for third.
