THEMOVE

Chicago — week of Thursday, October 22, 2026

Saturday, Oct 31, Northalsted closes Halsted to cars from Belmont to Addison for its Halloween block party, 11 to 6, then runs the Haunted Halsted parade after dark. Free to watch; $5 to enter the costume contest.

Everything happening 10

Saturday, Oct 24

  • Día de los Muertos Xicágo in Harrison Park her thing ✓ Sat Oct 24, 3–8 PM; rain or shine · Free The museum's Day of the Dead gathering at 1824 S Wood St: community ofrendas, folklórico and mariachi, and an ofrenda projected on the museum from about 6.via National Museum of Mexican Art
  • Chicago Fall Market at Artifact Events her thing ✓ Sat Oct 24 & Sun Oct 25; Sat 11 AM–5 PM · Ticketed; kids under 12 free Markets for Makers brings 90+ makers, DIY stations and photo walls to 4325 N Ravenswood Ave.via Choose Chicago

Sunday, Oct 25

  • Seadog Haunted River Tour her thing ✓ Sun Oct 25 & Sat Oct 31 · Ticketed A river tour of mobster tales, ghost stories and historic tragedies past the architecture. Costumes encouraged; BYOB allowed.via Choose Chicago / City Cruises

Thursday, Oct 29

  • Spooky night at Bar Berria, Logan Square her thing ✓ Thu Oct 29, 7 PM · $50; tattoos paid separately A ticketed Halloween-week night with bites, drinks, games and tattoos (first come, first served; paid separately).via Bar Berria (Tock)
  • Alicia Villarreal at the Auditorium Theatre her thing ✓ Thu Oct 29, 8 PM · Ticketed Alicia Villarreal in concert at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E Ida B. Wells Dr.via JamBase

Friday, Oct 30

  • Sanctum Dark Music Festival at Thalia Hall her thing ✓ Fri Oct 30 & Sat Oct 31, 7–11:30 PM · Single-day and two-day passes Two nights of darkwave, industrial and dark electronic, 14 acts across Thalia Hall's main room and the Tack Room, 1807 S Allport St.via Choose Chicago / Frontstage Festivals
  • Haunted Halloween Cruises on the river and lake her thing ✓ Fri Oct 30 & Sat Oct 31 · From $20 Four Halloween cruise options with DJs and dancing, and costume photos against the skyline.via Choose Chicago / ChicagoCruiseEvents.com

Saturday, Oct 31

  • UNO Carrera de los Muertos 5K in Pilsen her thing ✓ Sat Oct 31, 8 AM · Registration fee The Day of the Dead 5K starts at Benito Juarez Community Academy on Cermak Rd, with a post-race party. No race-day packet pickup.via Active.com
  • Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade and block party her thing ✓ Sat Oct 31; block party 11 AM–6 PM, parade around 7 PM · Free; $5 costume-contest entry Northalsted's daytime Halloween block party on Halsted, then an evening parade from Halsted & Belmont and a costume contest.via Northalsted Business Alliance
  • Nightmare on Wacker at LondonHouse her thing ✓ Sat Oct 31, 9 PM–1 AM · $150 A Día de los Muertos-themed Halloween party across the lounge, ballroom and rooftop at 85 E Wacker Dr, with a costume contest at midnight.via LondonHouse (Tock) / Choose Chicago

Planned dates

Saturday Oct 24: Día de los Muertos Xicágo in Harrison Park, Pilsen

Ofrendas, mariachi and folklórico in a Pilsen park, then an altar projected on the museum at 6

Cost: $0; the festival is free, rain or shine

her kind of night ✓ West Loop & Pilsen

  1. Saturday, Oct 24, 3:15 PM: runs 3–8 PM, Saturday only Día de los Muertos Xicágo, Harrison Park, 1824 S Wood St — Free. Run by the National Museum of Mexican Art. Ballet Folklórico Back of the Yards opens the stage at 3:15; Mariachi Ameca and Quinto Imperio are also on the bill. Give the community ofrendas an hour.
  2. Saturday, around 5:50 PM The hop to the museum, 1852 W 19th St — The museum sits on the park's edge; a walk of a few minutes gets you to the facade before the projection starts.
  3. Saturday, Oct 24, from about 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM Illuminated ofrenda, National Museum of Mexican Art exterior — Free. A large ofrenda projected onto the museum's exterior from about 6 PM. The festival closes at 8.

Weather backup: It runs rain or shine, and Saturday is the only date.

Friday Oct 30: Sanctum Dark Music Festival at Thalia Hall

Darkwave, industrial and dark electronic across two rooms of a Pilsen music hall

Cost: 1- or 2-day passes, prices at checkout; drinks extra

her kind of night ✓ West Loop & Pilsen

  1. Friday, Oct 30, 6:45 PM Pink Line to 18th, then east on 18th St — From the 18th station, walk east on 18th St to Allport, a short walk, for the listed 7:00 start.
  2. Friday, Oct 30, listed 7:00–11:30 PM: Fri and Sat only Sanctum Dark Music Festival, Thalia Hall, 1807 S Allport St — 14 acts over two nights in the main hall and the downstairs Tack Room, including A Split-Second, MVTANT, Sacred Skin, Kontravoid and Grave Love. Check the night-by-night lineup before you pick a pass.

Weather backup: Can't do Friday? Same hours Saturday, Oct 31.

← All CHI editions

One email. Friday plans, done.Thursday morning: three Chicago dates, planned stop by stop.

Every Thursday morning: this week's best dates in your city, fully planned — book one thing and the night is handled. Free.The date of the week plus two more, each with times, addresses and a backup plan, and a list of everything else happening. One email, free.

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