Posted 7 days ago
5 MIN READ: LUMA8 and the City of Chicago present the 11th Annual Arts in the Dark Halloween Parade—a family-friendly celebration featuring dazzling floats, larger-than-life puppets, and dynamic performances. The parade takes place on Saturday, October 18, from 6–8 p.m. along historic State Street, stepping off at Randolph Street. This event is also part of Chicago Loop Alliance’s Falling for the Loop fall programming.
Arts in the Dark: A Signature Event of Falling for the Loop
This magical evening procession celebrates Halloween as the “artist’s holiday,” bringing together cultural organizations, youth programs, and artists from every ward of Chicago. Part of Falling for the Loop—a monthlong celebration of arts and culture that supports the Loop’s economy and unites all 77 neighborhoods—Arts in the Dark is a one-of-a-kind fall tradition.
Named ‘one of the best Halloween celebrations in the world’ by UK-based Wanderlust Magazine and included in USA Today’s 10 best Halloween parades, this dazzling production delights an audience of over 100,000 gathered along State Street.
For the first time, this year’s parade will feature 8 Creative Guilds made up of creative professionals from different organizations who will unite to represent their respective fields, coming together to celebrate playful solidarity. These guilds include architects (nearly 100 individuals wearing their own sculptural headpiece creations), photographers (acting as “paparazzi” documenting the event from inside the parade), audio makers (interviewing the parade audience members to create a podcast), as well as writers, poets, visual artists, theater professionals, and film makers. Artists will bring a 50-foot cosmic serpent, a 40-foot glow worm, a motorized bathtub, and 16 giant skeletons into the mix.
Another new element of the parade this year is a spectacular DIY costume contest for parade-goers, presented by Goodwill Greater Milwaukee & Chicago – a major supporter of this year’s Arts in the Dark parade. Goodwill invites Chicagoland residents to participate in The Haunted Runway Costume Contest by creating a parade-ready look. After community voting, five finalists will showcase their artistry in the parade, where thousands of parade-goers will cast their vote for the ultimate winner. Visit your neighborhood Goodwill in Greater Chicago for thrifting from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m
Click here to learn more about Arts in the Dark and Falling for the Loop.
