Arts in the Dark Halloween Parade

Arts in the Dark is a Halloween parade built by the city’s arts organizations rather than by floats and marching bands. Puppet companies, dance troupes, drum lines and theater groups walk in costume with lit props and lanterns after sunset. According to the organizer, LUMA8, the 2026 parade is Saturday, October 24, and runs on Columbus Drive north from Balbo Drive to Jackson Boulevard, with Buckingham Fountain and the skyline behind it.

The move back to Columbus Drive is the story this year. An August 13, 2026 BroadwayWorld report quoted co-founder Mark Kelly saying the parade has outgrown its recent route, with attendance now expected above 100,000. Per that report, the parade runs 6 to 8 p.m., food trucks line the east side of the route and vendors line the west side, and spectators are encouraged to come in costume. Dozens of new and returning arts groups are in the lineup.

There is no admission charge and no ticket. Kids are welcome; the parade is more strange than scary. Expect it to end near Jackson and Columbus, a short walk from Millennium Park.

Plan your visit

Columbus Drive closes for the parade, so come by train. The Red Line at Harrison or Jackson and the Orange, Green, Brown, Pink and Purple Lines at Adams/Wabash or Harold Washington Library are all within a 10-minute walk. Millennium Park Garage and Grant Park South Garage stay open but their Columbus Drive exits may be blocked; use the Michigan Avenue side. The best sightlines are along the fountain plaza between Balbo and Congress; get there by 5:30 p.m. for a front-row curb spot. Bring a blanket or low chair, a flashlight for the walk out and a warm layer, since the lakefront drops 10 degrees after dark in late October.