Every October 31st, Halsted Street shuts down for five blocks and fills with 300 costumed marchers, a 10,000-watt sound truck, and thousands of spectators who just want to see what everyone came up with this year.
In 2026, the party gets bigger. The Northalsted neighborhood’s Halloween parade turns 30, and for the first time organizers are stretching the celebration into a full day of events instead of just a nighttime march.zzzzzz
Fodor’s Travel has ranked it among the top ten Halloween celebrations in the country. This year it’s leaning into that reputation.
A drag superstar takes the lead, and $4,000 is on the line
This year’s Grand Marshal is Raven, the Emmy-winning makeup artist and RuPaul’s Drag Race star, leading the march down Halsted.
The costume contest, hosted by Batty Davis, is judged by a panel of drag performers including SCYLLA, Auntie Heroine, and Aurora Gozmic.
Competitors go for a share of $4,000 in prizes across five categories: Character, Creative, Scary, Youth (under 13), and Group. First place in each category takes home $500, second place gets $200.
Registration for the contest is free and typically opens at 6:30 p.m.
A new daytime block party, then the parade after dark
The big change for the 30th anniversary is the Haunted Halsted Block Party, a new all-ages event running from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. along Halsted between Aldine and Addison Avenues.
The parade itself steps off later, at 7:30 p.m. from Halsted and Belmont, with a 10,000-watt mobile sound stage known as the Good Bus rolling alongside the marchers.
Five blocks of North Halsted close to traffic for the celebration. The costume contest awards show and after party run until 10 p.m.
Organizers expect 10,000 people across the daytime and nighttime events combined. Watching the parade is free, same as it’s always been.
The event is produced by the Northalsted Business Alliance, the neighborhood’s chamber of commerce.
Rainbow pylons and a street with more history than you’d guess
Walk Halsted between Belmont and Grace year-round and you’ll pass twenty 25-foot steel pylons ringed in rainbow colors, part of the Legacy Walk, an official City of Chicago Landmark District.
Bronze plaques on the pylons, roughly 40 to 50 of them, honor LGBTQ+ figures throughout history, from Jane Addams to Alan Turing to Frida Kahlo.
The neighborhood itself was officially designated an international LGBTQ+ landmark by Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1997, though its story goes back much further. In the mid-1800s, the broader Lakeview area was known as the Celery Capital of America, an agricultural hub settled by German and Swedish immigrant farmers and a popular escape for Chicagoans fleeing cholera outbreaks downtown.
The Victorian-era commercial buildings at Halsted and Willow still stand from that era, including the old site of Schulien’s Tavern, once a gathering spot for magicians like Harry Blackstone.
The strip keeps changing. Big Gay Sal’s Pizza recently opened in the district, AJI Omakase and Amore Sushi House have joined the dining scene, and a second Schneider Deli location is planned for 1733 N. Halsted in early 2026. Two hotel projects, the Tryst and a boutique property called Backbeat, are also in the works nearby.
The Local’s Guide
- Address: Halsted Street between Aldine Avenue and Addison Avenue (block party); parade steps off at Halsted and Belmont
- Neighborhood: Northalsted (formerly Boystown)
- Current Hours: Block party 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; parade steps off at 7:30 p.m.; costume contest awards and after party run until 10 p.m.
- Price Range: Free to watch the parade or enter the costume contest
- Insider Tip: If you want to compete in the costume contest, registration typically opens at 6:30 p.m., so get there early.
