Chicago — week of Thursday, October 29, 2026

Saturday, Oct 31, LondonHouse runs Nightmare on Wacker, a Día de los Muertos-themed Halloween party across its 21st-floor lounge and rooftop, 9 PM to 1 AM, with a hosted bar and a costume contest at midnight.

Everything happening 11

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
Don Giovanni at Lyric Opera, final performances her thing ✓ Fri Oct 30 & Sun Nov 1 · Ticketed Mozart's opera closes its run at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N Wacker Dr, with Enrique Mazzola conducting.via Choose Chicago / Lyric Opera of Chicago
Where Memory Lives: 40 Years of Día de Muertos, National Museum of Mexican Art her thing ✓ Through Sun Nov 29; Tue–Sun 10 AM–5 PM · Free The museum's 40th annual Day of the Dead exhibition at 1852 W 19th St, with a community ofrenda and a youth-artist courtyard installation.via National Museum of Mexican Art

Saturday, Oct 31

Haunted Halsted block party and parade, Northalsted 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
Haunted Hotel Halloween Ball at the Congress Plaza Hotel her thing ✓ Sat Oct 31, 9 PM–2 AM · From $20 early-bird GA; VIP tables from $450 A 21+ Halloween ball at 520 S Michigan Ave. ID required; weapons and large bags prohibited.via Choose Chicago
Nightmare on Wacker at LondonHouse her thing ✓ Sat Oct 31, 9 PM–1 AM · $150; some tiers higher 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)
Halloween party at Broken Barrel Bar, Lakeview her thing ✓ Sat Oct 31, 10 PM–1 AM · $36 A late-night costume party with a live DJ and drinks included in the ticket; best costume wins a gift card.via Broken Barrel Bar (Tock)

Sunday, Nov 1

Pilsen Día de los Muertos Window Walk on 18th Street her thing ✓ Sun Nov 1; listed daily through Mon Nov 2 · Free 16 storefronts on 18th St show Day of the Dead art by Pilarte students and local businesses; visitors vote for three favorites.via Choose Chicago / Pilsen Chamber of Commerce

Friday, Nov 6

First Fridays Art Walk, Wicker Park and Bucktown her thing ✓ Fri Nov 6, 6–8 PM · Free Galleries, pop-up galleries and art spaces open their doors, with drinks and light bites at select locations.via Choose Chicago / Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce

Sunday, Nov 8

Ron White at the Chicago Theatre her thing ✓ Sun Nov 8 · Ticketed The stand-up comic plays the Chicago Theatre, presented by the 312 Comedy Festival.via Choose Chicago

Planned dates

The Move of the Week

Saturday Oct 31: Nightmare on Wacker, a Día de los Muertos Halloween party at LondonHouse

Day of the Dead storefronts in Pilsen, then a hosted-bar costume party above the river

Cost: $300 for two at the $150 tier, hosted bar and gratuity included

her kind of night ✓ Downtown & River North

Saturday, Oct 31, 6:00 PM: storefronts on 18th St Pilsen Día de los Muertos Window Walk, from the Pink Line's 18th stop east along 18th St — Free. 16 storefronts carry Day of the Dead art by Pilarte students from Benito Juarez Community Academy; visitors vote for three favorites. Dinner along the corridor, prices not posted.
Saturday, Oct 31, 8:20 PM Pink Line from 18th to Clark/Lake, then east to Michigan Ave — The Pink Line runs straight into the Loop, about 20 minutes. From Clark/Lake walk about four blocks east and one north to 85 E Wacker Dr, at Michigan.
Saturday, Oct 31, 9:00 PM–1:00 AM Nightmare on Wacker, LH on 21 and LH Rooftop, LondonHouse, 85 E Wacker Dr — $150 per ticket on Tock, with some tiers higher; a premium hosted bar runs 9 to 1, gratuity included. Live DJs and a midnight costume contest. Clocks fall back at 2 AM.

Weather backup: Skip Pilsen and go straight downtown: the party alone fills 9 to 1, and the Red Line's Lake stop is a few blocks west.

Friday Nov 6: First Fridays Art Walk in Wicker Park and Bucktown

Galleries open late around the six-corner intersection, then pizza and house beer on North Ave

Cost: $0 for the art walk; dinner at Piece is the only spend

her kind of night ✓ Wicker Park & Logan Square

Friday, Nov 6, 5:50 PM Blue Line to Damen — The Damen stop lets out at North, Damen and Milwaukee, the center of the walk. Sunset is about 4:35 under standard time, so the galleries are lit against a dark street.
Friday, Nov 6, 6:00–8:00 PM: first Friday of the month First Fridays Art Walk, Wicker Park & Bucktown galleries — Free. Run by the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce. Participating spaces include Jackson Junge Gallery, Tom Robinson Gallery, SoNa Contemporary Art, Torque Ltd. and Prism Spaces, with drinks and light bites at select stops.
Friday, around 8:00 PM Piece Brewery and Pizzeria, 1927 W North Ave — Half a block east of the Damen stop on North Ave. Pizza and beer brewed on site; open Fridays from 11:30 AM until at least 10 PM.

Weather backup: Can't do Friday? Ron White plays the Chicago Theatre on Sunday, Nov 8, for the 312 Comedy Festival.

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