LUMA8 and the City of Chicago return with the 11th Annual Arts in the Dark Halloween Parade, a family-friendly event featuring unique floats, spectacle puppets, and all forms of creative performance on Saturday, October 18, from 6-8 p.m. along historic State Street, with a step-off on Randolph Street. This magical evening procession celebrates Halloween as the “artist’s holiday” and draws together participants from cultural organizations, inspiring youth programs, and aspiring artists in every field and from every ward of Chicago. 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 filmmakers. 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. Find a Goodwill near you at goodwillgreatermc.org.
To enter the contest, folks can create their own DIY or homemade costumes, snap a photo of the look and submit it online at bit.ly/TheHauntedRunway. The Grand Prize Winner will receive a $250 Goodwill gift card and VIP seating for four at next year’s Arts in the Dark Parade. Four runners-up will each receive a $100 Goodwill gift card, and 10 people who participate in live voting on the night of the parade will be randomly selected to receive $25 Goodwill gift cards. All entries must be submitted by the deadline on October 8. Finalists will be announced on October 9, and the grand prize winner will be announced on October 20, 2025. Contest rules, eligibility and details are available HERE.
