Chicago's annual Arts in the Dark Parade, now in its ninth year, is poised to bring a vibrant celebration of Halloween to State Street this weekend. According to Fox 32 Chicago, the event expects more than 100,000 costume-clad spectators.
The parade, organized by LUMA (Light Up My Arts) with city support, will feature over 100 different organizations spanning theater, film, music, dance, literature, and poetry. These groups, totaling some 4,000 performers, will treat attendees to a unique blend of artistry and Halloween spectacle, as reported by Beverly Review.
Not only providing enchanting displays of giant puppets and performances, the parade will also offer revelers a taste of various cultural traditions. According to artistic director Mark Kelly, spectators can anticipate encountering Mexican, Brazilian, Caribbean, Jamaican, Polynesian, and Irish influences. Kelly underlined the focus on creative expression, stating, "There are no politicians waving. There are no traditional beauty queens. It's just the real thing, the theater, the music, the dance, and the arts all coming together."
The parade's increasing renown is evidenced in its ranking as the third best Halloween event worldwide by Wanderlust magazine. With consistent attendance of around 50,000 people in previous years, the Beverly Area Arts Alliance, a nonprofit established in 2014, plans to make their inaugural appearance at the parade this year. They will showcase glow-in-the-dark costumes designed by contributors, including local non-profit Criu de Sheela. This was confirmed by the Beverly Review.
As Halloween festivities draw closer, the Arts in the Dark Parade offers Chicago residents and tourists the chance to indulge in a stunning parade spectacle. As Mark Kelly captures it, "If you don't like parading, you've not seen Arts in the Dark."
