{"id":328869,"date":"2025-10-24T10:17:16","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T10:17:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/328869\/"},"modified":"2025-10-24T10:17:16","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T10:17:16","slug":"the-best-halloween-events-pop-up-bars-and-parties-in-chicago-this-weekend-and-next","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/328869\/","title":{"rendered":"The best Halloween events, pop-up bars and parties in Chicago this weekend and next"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve reached the final, flickering weeks of spooky season<\/a>\u2014a blissful\u00a0pocket of time\u00a0before plastic skeletons are replaced by inflatable reindeer and pumpkin spice makes way for all things eggnog (vile) and\u00a0peppermint (barely acceptable). So, before the city slips into a sleigh bell jingling tizzy,\u00a0squeeze in a few more scares, boo-zy cocktails (see what I did there?) and\u00a0chaotic costume decisions. From haunted pop-ups to family-friendly parades, here\u2019s where you can find a little seasonal mischief around the city.<\/p>\n

RECOMMENDED: The best Halloween bars in Chicago<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

RECOMMENDED: Our complete guide to\u00a0Halloween in Chicago<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The\u00a0best Halloween events, pop-up bars and parties in Chicago
\nStreeterville Doggy & Kitty Halloween Party<\/a><\/p>\n

Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E Chicago Ave<\/strong>
Oct 25 at 9am<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chicago\u2019s most adorable Halloween party happens every year at the MCA Sculpture Garden, where local dog and cat owners parade their costumed pets around the grounds. The best-dressed furry friend\u2014chosen by Alderman Brian Hopkins and Streeterville resident Maureen Schulman\u2014will receive some special prizes. A $10 suggest donation supports the the dogs, cats, kittens and puppies residing at PAWS Chicago.<\/p>\n

Hallo-Queen!<\/a><\/p>\n

Metro & Smartbar,\u00a03730 N Clark St<\/strong>
Oct 26 at 9pm<\/strong><\/p>\n

Queen!, Smartbar\u2019s weekly LGBTQ+ underground house and disco party, takes over the entire 3730 building in celebration of Halloween. House heavyweights including Derrick Carter and Ralphi Rosario have the tunes covered, while local drag queens (Lucy Stoole, Nico and more) play host. Both Metro and Smartbar will be decked out to match the party’s spooky theme, and costumes are encouraged.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Haunted House Party at the Shedd<\/a><\/p>\n

Shedd Aquarium,\u00a01200 S Lake Shore Dr<\/strong>
Oct 31 at 6pm<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first-ever Haunted House Party at Shedd Aquarium<\/a> brings together house music and Halloween for a night to remember. Despite the event\u2019s name, there will be no scares here\u2014the event\u2019s vibe is decidedly more \u201chouse party\u201d than \u201chaunted.\u201d Guests are invited to come dressed in their finest costumes and dance the night away to sets by Chicago\u2019s own Dee Jay Alicia and DJ Loria Branch.<\/p>\n

\"Jack's
\nPhotograph: Courtesy WeLovePopUps.com <\/p>\n

Jack\u2019s Pumpkin Pop-Up<\/a><\/p>\n

1265 W Le Moyne St<\/strong>
Open until Nov 2<\/strong><\/p>\n

Residing on\u00a0a two-acre plot of land just west of Goose Island, Jack\u2019s Pumpkin Pop-Up saves you a trip to the suburbs by bringing a\u00a0massive corn maze, more than 10,000 pumpkins, axe throwing, carnival games, food trucks, twinkling orange light displays and more fall fun to the city. A general admission ticket nets you access to the pop-up, but you can also opt for add-ons that let you take home a pumpkin, grab a drink at one of bars or go axe throwing.<\/p>\n

Paranormal Activity<\/a><\/p>\n

Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, 800 E Grand Ave<\/strong>
Running until Nov 1<\/strong><\/p>\n

A terrifying story set within the world of the\u00a0Paranormal Activity\u00a0film\u00a0franchise<\/a>, Felix Barrett (Sleep No More) and Chicago playwright Levi Holloway\u2019s latest endeavor promises chills and thrills. Here\u2019s what you need to know: James and Lou flee from Chicago to London in hopes of escaping the past, but they soon discover that it\u2019s not the city that was haunted\u2014it\u2019s them. Expect a healthy helping of jump scares, a dash of gore and practical effects that will make your blood run cold.<\/p>\n

Halloween Emo Costume Party<\/a><\/p>\n

Central Park Bar,\u00a02924 N Central Park Ave<\/strong>
Oct 30 at 8pm<\/strong><\/p>\n

Avondale mainstay Central Park Bar<\/a> marks its fourth anniversary with a night of spooky nostalgia and the early\u00a0aughts\u2019 finest tuneage. On Halloween eve, the bar will transform its patio into the ultimate emo costume party. Guests can belt out their favorite emo throwback hits while sipping on hauntingly delicious drink specials. At 10pm the spotlight shifts to a costume contest, with prizes awarded for the best Halloween looks.<\/p>\n

\"People
\nPhotograph: Courtesy of Kitchen Sink Comms <\/p>\n

Singles-Only Halloween Party<\/a><\/p>\n

Hoste,\u00a01857 W 16th St<\/strong>
Oct 30 at 6:30pm<\/strong><\/p>\n

In a world where swiping for your next date has become commonplace, what\u2019s more terrifying than mixing and mingling with real, live people? Pilsen cocktail bar Hoste is teaming up with singles event series Meet IRL for a party that\u2019s equally spooky and social. In addition to the fright of flirting with a stranger, attendees can enjoy tunes from DJ Cymba, food from Chubby\u2019s Tacos, Halloween-themed cocktails, tarot card readings, a $1,000 costume contest and more.<\/p>\n

Haunted Halsted Halloween Night Parade<\/a><\/p>\n

Belmont Ave and Halsted St<\/strong>
Oct 31 at 6:30pm<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wanna see some of the best Halloween costumes in the city? Head to Northalsted, where a group of dedicated cosplayers flaunt their creations at this annual procession. You\u2019ll find drag queens, kids, parents and pets marching at this can\u2019t-miss event, which typically features impressive group costumes and dancers performing all the moves to Michael Jackson\u2019s \u201cThriller.\u201d The parade steps off at Halsted Street and Belmont Avenue at 7:30pm and heads due north; stick around afterwards\u2014the awards show commences at Halsted Street and Brompton Avenue at 8:30pm.<\/p>\n

Death by Disco: A Halloween Pop-Up<\/a><\/p>\n

Time Out Market,\u00a0916 W Fulton Market<\/strong>
Oct 31 and Nov 1 at 8pm<\/strong><\/p>\n

Arguably Chicago\u2019s biggest Halloween party, Death by Disco spans two days and three venues: Time Out Market<\/a>, Tabu and Morgan MFG.\u00a0With a\u00a0\u201csix-figure budget,\u201d over 50 DJs and six stages, Death by Disco promises to be a spectacle of ghoulish grandeur. Along with top-notch tunes, expect tattoo stations,\u00a0fortune tellers, stilt walkers, go-go dancers, a gaggle of Halloween character performers\u00a0and many more surprises.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Weegee's
\nPhotograph: Courtesy of Weegee’s Lounge <\/p>\n

Weegee\u2019s Twin Peaks Halloween Pop-Up<\/a><\/p>\n

Weegee\u2019s Lounge,\u00a03659 W Armitage Ave<\/strong>
Oct 31 at 4pm; Nov 1 at 11:30am<\/strong><\/p>\n

The ownership of Weegee\u2019s Lounge<\/a> may have changed, but the bar\u2019s annual Twin Peaks Halloween pop-up remains\u2014thankfully\u2014unchanged. For two nights, the Logan Square cocktail bar\u2019s cozy digs transform into vignettes from the beloved surrealist drama. Most of the bar will be decorated to resemble the iconic Red Room, but fear not, Peaks\u00a0purists: Expect a miniature Double R Diner, nods to One Eyed Jacks, an on-theme cocktail menu and much more. Roll up on Halloween proper in your costumed finery for the Twin Peaks Costume Contest.<\/p>\n

Nightmare on Clark Street<\/a><\/p>\n

Stolen Saddle,\u00a03505 N Clark St<\/strong>
Open until Nov 2<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hosted at Stolen Saddle<\/a>\u2014the largest country bar in Chicago\u2014this annual Halloween-themed extravaganza features\u00a0photo ops galore as well an upstairs bar serving spooky cocktails\u00a0like Freddy\u2019s Tequila and Monster Mash.\u00a0With the Cubs clinching\u2014and later squandering\u2014a playoff spot this year, there\u2019s no haunted house this go-around, but that doesn’t mean Nightmare on Clark Street won’t be\u00a0serving up plenty of scares this Halloween season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We\u2019ve reached the final, flickering weeks of spooky season\u2014a blissful\u00a0pocket of time\u00a0before plastic skeletons are replaced by inflatable…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":328870,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5124],"tags":[10336,960,5386,1818,18632,1072],"class_list":{"0":"post-328869","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-chicago","8":"tag-categories-things-to-do","9":"tag-chicago","10":"tag-il","11":"tag-illinois","12":"tag-news-events-festivals","13":"tag-things-to-do"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115428632319973033","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/328869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=328869"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/328869\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/328870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=328869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=328869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=328869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}