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CHICAGO — Halloween week is finally here! And Block Club has rounded up a variety of frightful festivities for these final days of October.
Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade
6:30-10 p.m. Oct. 31
3200 N. Halsted St.
The Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade is back for its 26th edition with a free parade, awards show, live performance and dance party. There will also be a costume contest with $4,000 in cash prizes. Enter the contest via online registration. The event is open to all ages.
Halloween In The Parks
Through Oct. 31
Various times, days and parks across Chicago
From family-friendly harvest fests and pumpkin patches to haunted houses and Halloween parties, there are a variety of “spooktacular” events at Chicago parks throughout October. Find the full schedule here.
Sea Dog Haunted River Tours
5 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 31
Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave.
Cruise along the Chicago River and learn all about Chicago’s darker history of “ghosts, spirits, scandals and sins,” from supernatural occurrences to infamous figures. The tour is 75 minutes and offers views of Chicago’s skyline. Tickets are $44.95 for children ages 3-12 and $54.95 for adults online. Kids under 3 board for free.
Haunted Hues
Through Nov. 1
Willis Tower – Lower Level 2, 320 W. Jackson Blvd.
Enjoy fall treats, a scavenger hunt, pumpkin patch and themed photo opportunities at Color Factory’s seasonal pop-up for all ages. Tickets for $29-$36 are available online.
JoJo’s Pumpkin Painting
Mondays-Fridays through Nov. 3
JoJo’s ShakeBAR – River North, 23 W. Hubbard St.
Paint pumpkins in JoJo’s outdoor pumpkin patch. Each guest will get a pumpkin and be provided painting supplies. Tickets are $11 online. Food, beverages and cocktails will be available to buy.
Jack’s Pumpkin Pop-Up
Through Nov. 5
1265 W. Le Moyne St.
Pick pumpkins, get lost in a corn maze, sip on seasonal cocktails, play carnival games and throw some axes at Chicago’s largest Halloween festival.
Haunted Dolls Scavenger Hunt
Through Nov. 5
Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark St.
On your next visit to the museum, keep your eyes peeled for 13 hidden haunted dolls. With high stakes — there is a wayward spirit threatening to release its friends, too — visitors must find the dolls and solve riddles on Chicago history to curb the spirit’s sinister plan.
Pumpkin Hunt
Thursday-Monday
American Writers Museum, 180 N. Michigan Ave.
Visit the museum and search for hidden pumpkins in various American writings. The hunt is included with museum admission, and advanced registration is not required.
Auditorium Theatre Ghost Tours
Noon Mondays through Nov. 20
Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive
Learn all about the Auditorium Theatre’s architecture’s 134-year history and haunted lore. Visitors might come across a few ghosts, including persistent disembodied whistling and specters that appear and disappear in the seats. Tickets start at $18 online. Discounts are offered for children ages 3-12, people 65 and older, students and military.
Ordinary Peepholes: High School Horror
8 p.m. Monday
Color Club, 4146 N. Elston Ave.
Ordinary Peepholes is bringing a “frightfully delightful” comedy show to Color Club. High School Horror features Grelley Duvall, is co-hosted by David Brown and stars Bethany Thomas, Mary Williamson, Parker Callahan and more. Tickets are $24.72 online.
Horror Movie Madness
Through Oct. 31
The Logan Theatre, 2646 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Catch screenings of late-night horror films all month long, plus an annual Halloween costume party Friday and a free family matinee Oct. 29. Tickets start at $12.
The Zabrecky Hour
Through Oct. 31
Rhapsody Theater, 1328 W. Morse Ave.
Renowned magician Zabrecky will hold residency at Rogers Park’s Rhapsody Theater through October. His theatrical one-man show features magic, comedy, music, dance, audience interaction and more. Tickets are $20-$80 online.
Garden Of Decay
Fridays and Saturdays through October and Oct. 29-31
Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave.
An immersive theater experience has invaded Navy Pier, following the tale of “a grieving botanist’s desperate quest for resurrection.” There will also be interactive art, themed vendors, botanical cocktails and late-night entertainment. General admission tickets are $42 online.
‘Fright: An Improvised Horror Movie’
7 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 5
iO Theater, 1501 N. Kingsbury St.
This 60-minute interactive show, inspired by the horror and slasher movie genres, lets you decide the fate of the protagonists in this stage show. During key moments in the show, Fright’s host will ask the audience movie trivia questions that will decide if the characters live to see another scene or face a gruesome and hilarious death. Tickets are $15 and are available online.
‘Household Spirits’ At Theater Wit
7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday through Nov. 11, with an additional 7 p.m. Oct. 30 performance
Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave.
Household spirits, otherworldly and otherwise, wreak havoc in Chicago playwright Mia McCullough’s new dark comedy, making its world premiere at Theater Wit. A newly blended family all vying with their own personal demons gets together for the holidays in Westchester County, New York — but there’s a sentient doll on the guest list and the ghost of the family matriarch possibly haunting the household. Tickets are $24-$55 and are available online.
‘Night Watch’
7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 3 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 12
Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark St.
Get spooky with the Raven Theatre’s revival of “Night Watch,” a Hitchcockian psychological horror in which a woman named Elaine sees a dead body in the window of an abandoned unit across the street. But the body disappears before her husband, friend or maid can witness it. Tickets are $35-$45 online.
‘Young Frankenstein’
Through Dec. 31
Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport Ave.
In this theatrical adaptation of Mel Brooks’ 1974 film, this musical comedy follows the infamous Victor Frankenstein’s grandson, Frederick Frankenstein, as he inherits his family’s Transylvania estate and finds himself in his ancestor’s mad scientist shoes. Tickets are available for purchase online.
Malice in Wonderland
Through Oct. 31
Headquarters Beercade, 213 W. Institute Place
This horror-filled pop-up tea party inspired by the classic fairytale is serving up specialty cocktails, burlesque performances and more through Halloween. Dress in your Halloween best on Thursday, Saturday or Tuesday for a chance to win a cash prize.
Nightmare On Clark Street
Through Oct. 31
Bamboo Club, 2nd floor and rooftop, 3505 N. Clark St.
The city’s only haunted house experience will be spooking and scaring Chicagoans all month long. There will also be Halloween cocktails and Jello shot syringes for VIP ticket holders. Tickets are available online starting at $19.95.
Never Trust The Living Pop-Up Bar
3 p.m. daily through Oct. 31
The Dandy Crown, 694 N. Milwaukee Ave.
This River West bar and restaurant is serving up a witch’s brew of cocktails all month at a “ghoulish, creepily colorful” pop-up bar. There will also be Halloween-themed events throughout October, including Halloween trivia, pumpkin carving, a spooky comedy show, tarot card readings and a Halloween night party. Walk-ins are welcome, but RSVPs are encouraged. RSVP online.
Bats & Boos
5:30 p.m. Friday-Sunday through Oct. 31
Bourbon on Division, 2050 W. Division St.
Sip on expertly crafted cocktails at this pop-up bar inspired by Tim Burton, Edgar Allan Poe and all things Halloween.
JoJo’s Basic Witch Mixology
6-8 p.m. Monday-Tuesday through Nov. 7
JoJo’s ShakeBAR – River North, 23 W. Hubbard St.
Concoct your own specialty fall cocktails in JoJo’s outdoor pumpkin patch, including caramel apple mules and spiked pumpkin lattes. Attendees will learn how to balance flavors and techniques like shaking, stirring and muddling. Tickets are $35 online.
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