What Halloween events are happening on Chicago's North Side this year? The biggest one is the 30th Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade on Saturday, October 31, 2026. This year it starts with a free all-day street festival on Halsted Street at 11 a.m. and ends with the parade at 7 p.m., according to the Northalsted Business Alliance. Before that, Lincoln Park, Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, Lakeview, Andersonville, Edgewater, and North Center all have free Halloween events between October 22 and October 31.
I have lived in Chicago for 27 years and sold homes on the North Side for more than 24, and Halloween week is one of the easiest times to see what a neighborhood's main street and the blocks around it are really like. Below are the dates, times, and exact blocks for each event, plus what to know if you are buying, selling, or own a home near one of them.
Date | Event and Neighborhood | Time and Place |
|---|---|---|
Thu, Oct 22 | Halloween at Ainslie Arts Plaza (Lincoln Square) | 6 to 8 p.m., 4836 N. Lincoln Ave. |
Sat, Oct 24 | Northalsted Halloween Pup Crawl (Lakeview) | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., check-in at Halsted and Aldine |
Sat, Oct 24 | Spooktacular on Lincoln Avenue (Lincoln Park) | 1 to 4 p.m., Lincoln Ave. from Diversey to Webster |
Sun, Oct 25 | Lincoln Scared Ravenswooooood (Lincoln Square and Ravenswood) | 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., participating businesses |
Sun, Oct 25 | Spooktacular on Clark Street (Lincoln Park) | 1 to 4 p.m., Clark from Armitage to Diversey, and Diversey from Lakeview Ave. to Orchard |
Sun, Oct 25 | Boo! at the Park (Edgewater) | 2 to 5 p.m., Park 599, 1623 W. Edgewater Ave. |
Mon, Oct 26 | Trick or Treat on Southport (Lakeview) | 4 to 7 p.m., Southport Ave. from Roscoe to Grace |
Sat, Oct 31 | Northcenter Halloween Trick-or-Treat (North Center) | 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Northcenter Town Square, 4100 N. Damen Ave. |
Sat, Oct 31 | Fright on Farragut (Andersonville) | 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Clark and Farragut |
Sat, Oct 31 | Haunted Halsted Fest and Parade (Lakeview) | Fest from 11 a.m., parade at 7 p.m., Halsted from Belmont to Brompton |
Event details from each organizer's website at the time of research. Times and locations can change, so check the organizer's page before you go.
The Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade is, according to its organizer, Chicago's only Halloween night parade, and 2026 is its 30th year. To mark it, the Northalsted Business Alliance is adding a free daytime festival. From 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, Halsted Street from Aldine Avenue to Brompton Avenue becomes a pedestrian-only block party with a kids zone, Halloween crafts, more than 50 vendor booths, live music, and daytime trick-or-treating at more than 25 businesses.
At 6 p.m., the street is cleared and everyone moves to the sidewalks. The parade steps off at 7 p.m. from Halsted and Belmont and ends at Halsted and Brompton, with more than 300 costumed participants, the Lakeside Pride Marching Band, and fire performers from Full Moon Jam to close it out. At 8 p.m., the costume contest and after-party take over the lot at 3514 N. Halsted, with $4,000 in total prizes across five categories, including one for kids 13 and under.
Watching is free for all ages, and entering the costume contest costs $5. The organizer says the parade goes on in rain or snow. The Red Line stops at Belmont and Addison are the easiest way in, since driving and parking near Halsted that night will be hard.
If you have a dog, the Northalsted Halloween Pup Crawl comes first, on Saturday, October 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Check-in is at Halsted and Aldine, and dogs and their people visit sidewalk stops from Aldine to Cornelia. Advance registration is $5. For more on the area, read my post on living in Northalsted or my Lakeview neighborhood page.
On Monday, October 26, from 4 to 7 p.m., Southport Avenue from Roscoe Street to Grace Street fills with costumes for Trick or Treat on Southport, produced by Friends of Lakeview. Local businesses hand out candy, and there are crafts, games, inflatables, a live DJ, and a pumpkin patch near Southport and Waveland. Adults can get craft beer and wine along the route.
At 5 p.m., dancers from the Gus Giordano Dance School perform "Thriller" near Southport and Cornelia. The event is free and goes on rain or shine. If you are curious about the homes on the blocks around it, read my post on living in the Southport Corridor.
The Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce runs Spooktacular over two afternoons, with more than 40 businesses handing out treats each day. On Saturday, October 24, from 1 to 4 p.m., the route is Lincoln Avenue from Diversey to Webster, and the plaza at Lincoln Common (2335 N. Lincoln Ave.) adds a photo booth, caricatures, and face painting. On Sunday, October 25, from 1 to 4 p.m., the route moves to Clark Street from Armitage to Diversey and Diversey Parkway from Lakeview Avenue to Orchard Street.
Both days are free, and the afternoon times make it easy for younger kids to be home before dark. You can see more about the neighborhood on my Lincoln Park neighborhood page and in my post on the pros and cons of living in Lincoln Park.
On Thursday, October 22, from 6 to 8 p.m., Ainslie Arts Plaza at 4836 N. Lincoln Ave., a few blocks up Lincoln Avenue from my office, hosts a Halloween party with pumpkin painting and a costume contest judged by the alderpersons of the 40th and 47th Wards. RSVP through the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce events calendar to reserve a free pumpkin.
On Sunday, October 25, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the business districts become Lincoln Scared Ravenswooooood, and kids trick-or-treat at participating businesses. The chamber posts three route maps on its Lincoln Scared page: Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, and Rockwell. Concordia Place will have pumpkins and decorating supplies in front of The Perfect Cup at 4700 N. Damen Ave. during the same hours, and pumpkins are limited, so earlier is better.
This is my home turf, and I write about it often. Start with my posts on living in Lincoln Square and Lincoln Square home prices in 2026, or visit my Lincoln Square and Ravenswood neighborhood pages.
On Saturday, October 31, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Northcenter Chamber of Commerce hosts Halloween Trick-or-Treat in Northcenter Town Square at 4100 N. Damen Ave. and at businesses nearby on Lincoln, Irving Park, and Damen. The chamber says the event draws more than 500 children and their families each year.
There are hay rides from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., family photos from 10 to 11:30 a.m. for a $5 suggested donation, and costume contests at noon with prizes for pets, kids by age group, and the best-costumed family. It is also the last Northcenter Farmers Market of the season, open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Read more in my post on buying a home in North Center or on my North Center neighborhood page.
Andersonville's Halloween day starts with the 48th Ward Halloween Parade. Families gather at Bromann Park (5400 N. Broadway) at 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 31, and the parade leaves at 10:30 a.m. for Clark and Farragut. That is where Fright on Farragut runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with games, candy, and a DJ, while businesses on the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce map hand out treats from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. At 2 p.m., dancers from the Gus Giordano Dance School put on a free show at Clark and Farragut that ends with "Thriller."
The weekend before is busy too. On Saturday, October 24, the Gethsemane Fall Children's Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 5739 N. Clark St., and West Andersonville Neighbors Together hosts its kid-friendly Ghostly Garden from 5 to 6 p.m. at Balmoral and Ravenswood. On Sunday, October 25, West Edgewater Area Residents hosts Boo! at the Park from 2 to 5 p.m. at Park 599 (1623 W. Edgewater Ave.), with pumpkin decorating, crafts, and games. For more on these two neighborhoods, read my posts on living in Andersonville and living in Edgewater, or visit my Andersonville and Edgewater neighborhood pages.
Every event above happens on a neighborhood's main business street, and most of the homes are on the side streets just off it. Walking Southport on October 26 or Lincoln Avenue on October 24 shows you how far the shops and the train are from the blocks you are looking at, how busy the street gets, and where people park. If you are thinking about a condo a block or two from Halsted, Halloween night will show you exactly what a big event night feels like there.
Bring a list of the addresses you like and walk past them on the way. If you want numbers to go with the walk, read my posts on homes in the 60657 zip code, what $600,000 buys in Lakeview, and homes in Lincoln Park's 60614 zip code.
Halsted from Aldine to Brompton will be closed to cars from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on October 31, and the blocks around it will be crowded well into the night. If you live nearby, watch for temporary no-parking signs in the days before, and plan any move, delivery, or showing for another day. The same goes for the early evening of October 26 on Southport.
If your home is going on the market in November, take the Halloween decorations down before the listing photos. Those photos stay up for the whole time your home is for sale, and buyers looking in December do not want to see pumpkins on the porch.
The 30th Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade is on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at 7 p.m. It starts at Halsted and Belmont and ends at Halsted and Brompton. A free street festival runs on Halsted from Aldine to Brompton starting at 11 a.m. that day.
Yes. Watching the parade and attending the daytime festival are free for all ages. Entering the costume contest costs $5, and winners share $4,000 in total prizes, according to the Northalsted Business Alliance.
Lincoln Scared Ravenswooooood is on Sunday, October 25, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at participating businesses in Lincoln Square and Ravenswood. The Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce posts route maps for Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, and Rockwell.
Spooktacular is on Saturday, October 24, on Lincoln Avenue from Diversey to Webster, and Sunday, October 25, on Clark Street from Armitage to Diversey and on Diversey from Lakeview Avenue to Orchard. Both days run from 1 to 4 p.m.
Trick or Treat on Southport is on Monday, October 26, 2026, from 4 to 7 p.m., on Southport Avenue from Roscoe Street to Grace Street in Lakeview. It is free and goes on rain or shine.
On Saturday, October 31, North Center has trick-or-treating at Northcenter Town Square (4100 N. Damen Ave.) and nearby businesses from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Andersonville has the 48th Ward Halloween Parade at 10:30 a.m. from Bromann Park, then Fright on Farragut at Clark and Farragut from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
I am Dee Savic, a Chicago Realtor® with Baird & Warner. I have more than 24 years of experience, more than 300 closed transactions, more than $100 million in career sales, and more than 190 five-star reviews across Google, Zillow, Realtor.com, and FastExpert. Chicago Agent Magazine included me in its "Who's Who in Chicago Real Estate" in 2021, 2024, and 2026. You can reach me directly at 773.719.0989.
If you are selling, start with a free home value review. If you are buying, start with my free Chicago Buyer's Course. You can also schedule a complimentary and confidential consultation, or call or text me directly at 773.719.0989.
Sources: Northalsted Business Alliance (Haunted Halsted Fest and Parade, Halloween Pup Crawl); Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce (Spooktacular); Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce (Lincoln Scared Ravenswooooood, Ainslie Arts Plaza Halloween party); Lakeview Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce and Friends of Lakeview (Trick or Treat on Southport); Northcenter Chamber of Commerce (Halloween Trick-or-Treat); Andersonville Chamber of Commerce (Aville-o-Ween events). Accurate at the time of research, deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Dee Savic is a Chicago Realtor® with Baird & Warner, working out of 4553 N. Lincoln Ave. She helps buyers, sellers, and relocation clients across Chicago, including Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, North Center, Roscoe Village, Andersonville, Uptown, Edgewater, Bucktown, Wicker Park, and the Gold Coast.
Dee Savic
Realtor® | Baird & Warner
4553 N. Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
773.719.0989
[email protected]
deesavic.com
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