Chicago’s ARTS IN THE DARK Halloween Parade Returns for 11th Year This October

LUMA8 and the City of Chicago will present the 11th Annual Arts in the Dark Halloween Parade on Saturday, October 18, 2025, from 6–8 p.m. along iconic State Street, beginning at Randolph Street. The free, family-friendly event brings together over 5,000 performers from more than 100 cultural organizations, showcasing music, dance, theater, puppetry, and spectacle in celebration of Halloween as the “artist’s holiday.”

Named one of the world’s best Halloween celebrations by Wanderlust Magazine and included in USA Today’s top ten Halloween parades, Arts in the Dark annually draws more than 100,000 attendees. This year, new highlights include the debut of eight Creative Guilds, groups of professionals uniting across disciplines to represent architecture, photography, audio, writing, visual art, theater, and film. Parade-goers can expect giant puppets and installations, including a 50-foot cosmic serpent, a 40-foot glow worm, a motorized bathtub, and 16 towering skeletons.

Parade Highlights

• Participation from over 20 dance companies, 15 music ensembles, 8 high schools, and 3 colleges.

• Representation from diverse cultural groups, including Black, Mexican, Irish, Colombian, Brazilian, South Asian, Korean, Puerto Rican, Caribbean, Peruvian, and LGBTQ+ organizations.

• The honoring of this year’s Creative Spirits: Tara Mallen, Terry Hunter, Wilfredo Rivera, Joe Cerqua, Jimalita Tillman, Eugene Bush, and Clue.

• A DIY costume contest, The Haunted Runway, presented by Goodwill Greater Milwaukee & Chicago. Finalists will parade their designs before thousands of live voters, with winners receiving gift cards and VIP access to next year’s event.

“Chicago is a hothouse of cultural ferment, and this parade will capture this creative spirit in a magical evening procession,” said Mark Kelly, Arts in the Dark parade Co-Founder and Artistic Director.

Event Information

Arts in the Dark Halloween Parade
Saturday, October 18, 2025 | 6–8 p.m.
State Street, Chicago (step-off at Randolph Street)
Admission: Free | More info: artsinthedark.org

Arts in the Dark is presented by LUMA8 and the City of Chicago, with major support from Chicago Loop Alliance and Goodwill Greater Milwaukee & Chicago. Additional sponsors include Amazon, Choose Chicago, Harris Theater, Illinois Arts Council, and more.