It's hard not to have fun on Halloween, but the country's biggest gay meccas really turn it up a notch. From Rocky Horror love on the West Coast to drag dominance on the East, these are the parties not to miss.
Chicago
North Halsted Street, in the heart of Boystown, will once again be the site of the annual Northalsted Halloween Parade. This year's theme is "Halloween Magic on Northalsted." Parade registration starts at noon, and the procession steps off at 4 p.m., moving north on Halsted from Belmont to Addison, and lasts until 5:30. There will be a costume contest with four categories -- Scariest, Drag, Group, and Original -- and winners will be announced beginning at 6 p.m. After the festivities are over, you can continue celebrating in the gayborhood, which has many places to grab a bite or a drink. And if you have kids, you can take them to the Family Fest, held in the same area from noon to 3 p.m., featuring performances, a pumpkin-carving contest, and a pet and family parade. Be advised that this part of Halsted will be closed to vehicles from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., so it's best to take mass transit -- no one will bat an eye, except flirtatiously, at fellow commuters in costume on Halloween (or, most likely, any other day).
Get more information here.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show and will feature an appearance from the star of the iconic movie, Tim Curry, on the San Vicente stage. Also dropping by the SV stage will be pop music legend Boy George. You can even watch the Carnavae live if you find yourself home on Halloween. If you do attend, traffic and parking promises to be a Elm Street-esque nightmare, so public transit or Ubers are recommended.
Get more information here.
New Orleans
Halloween is nearly as big as Mardi Gras in NOLA. The Big Easy loves to dress up and party down, especially the city's LGBT folks. This year's queer Halloween theme in NOLA is "Fall of the Pharaohs," so get ready for a lot of loincloths. Every day brings a different highlight, with a big party at Republic on Friday, a gala on Saturday at the Contemporary Arts Center, and a Sunday brunch at the House of Blues, followed by a Second Line parade. If you want something less formal, just head to the corner of Bourbon and St. Ann streets this weekend, where something is guaranteed to be bubbling.
Get more information here.
New York
This weekend, drag queens descend on New York City for an epic, two-night Halloween bash organized by party promoter Brandon Voss, according to Out. On Friday, Shangela and Willam will be joined by fellow RuPaul's Drag Race alums like Raja, Latrice Royale, Alyssa Edwards, and Jinkx Monsoon as they host the fourth annual Night of the Living Drag at Liberty Theater on 41st Street. Night of the Living Drag will have a post-apocalyptic theme, with drag zombies standing as the city's lone survivors. The riotous, raven-haired season 7 winner, Violet Chachki, will also be in attendance.
On Halloween night, queen Bianca del Rio hosts Madame Tussaud's Halloween. The 42nd street attraction will be completely taken over for the event, which will feature a "Presidential Dance Party" with DJ Hector Fonseca, Bianca del Rio's "Hollywood Horror Show," a costume contest, and multiple dance floors.
More information here and here.
San Francisco
In San Francisco, there will be no big street celebration in the Castro, due to safety concerns, but the city still offers plenty of ways to have Halloween fun. You can do the Time Warp at Davies Symphony Hall, where Peaches Christ and Latrice Royale will host a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, preceded by a concert of scary movie music by the San Francisco Symphony, performing the themes from Psycho, Poltergeist, The Exorcist, and more. The program begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and attendees are encouraged to come in costume. There are many options if you want to continue celebrating afterward, including the Starship Halloween Costume Ball, a circuit party at Club Six, featuring DJs Kitty Glitter and Josh Whitaker, and promising red-hot go-go dancers. The party goes on from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Check out Rocky Horror here and Starship here.
