40 halloween food, drink, and parties near West Lawn.
West Lawn's Halloween season features events hosted by diverse venues, from Chicago's Shedd Aquarium for family outings to wineries for adult celebrations. You can find ticketed affairs and free gatherings across the city and nearby towns.
Whether you prefer a grand gala or a more casual bar crawl, there are many ways to mark the occasion.
Chicago's only Halloween Night parade with a $4,000 prize costume contest.
Nighttime folklore tours of historic Hull-House Museum
Live orchestra accompanies The Nightmare Before Christmas film
Parade as art on Columbus Drive
See all Halloween parties, events, and celebrations in your area.
Shoot before you go out, in daylight or good indoor light, because bar lighting flatters nobody's face paint at 11 pm. At the venue, find the photo booth or step-and-repeat early while makeup is fresh and lines are short, use a friend's phone flashlight angled from the side rather than direct flash, and take group shots at arrival, not departure.
You register at a start venue during a check-in window, get a wristband and map or app listing the participating bars and drink specials, then roam the route at your own pace until last call. Check in early, since lines at the first bar are the worst of the night, and screenshot the venue list because the crawl app always dies at midnight.
Oktoberfest runs mid-September through mid-October, so early Halloween season doubles up: some venues run steins-and-costumes hybrid weekends, and beer gardens flip decor overnight. If you want both, do Oktoberfest the first two October weekends and save Halloween proper for the finale. Outdoor Oktoberfest tents get cold after dark by October, so bring the layer the Instagram photos skip.