Album Park will once again turn into El Paso's Halloween headquarters on Saturday, October 31, as the 41st Annual KLAQ Halloween Parade kicks off at 3 p.m. The event is free to watch, open to costumed walkers, families and businesses, and keeps alive a tradition that has run for more than four decades in the neighborhoods around the park.
According to klaq.com, this year's parade is presented by One Source Federal Credit Union and FloWar Life Essentials, with additional sponsorship from Jack in the Box, Bravo Cadillac, Bravo Chevrolet, Cielo Vista Mall and Raising Cane's Chicken. The parade is expected to run from Album Park through the surrounding neighborhood and back to the park, and streets along the route may see closures or limited access while it is underway, per KLAQ El Paso.
Floats, Costumes and a Morning Show on Wheels
The parade's signature mix of creative costumes, decorated floats, music and Halloween candy returns for 2026, with entry categories open to individuals, families and local businesses. The station's Buzz Adams Morning Show will ride its own float this year, sponsored by Jack in the Box, while Bravo Cadillac and Bravo Chevrolet are sponsoring the Rock 'n Drive competition for homemade floats built by families, groups, friends and teams, the report notes.
Candy duties are split between two sponsors this year. Cielo Vista Mall is sponsoring the business category and will hand out Halloween candy treat bags to children along the route, while Raising Cane's Chicken serves as the parade's candy sponsor, providing sweet treats to people watching along the way, per the same account.
How to Enter the Parade
Interested participants can register to join by filling out an entry form and emailing it to Connie Hernandez, or by stopping by Townsquare Media El Paso at 4180 N. Mesa between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to pick one up in person, the article states. This year's entry packet also includes a registration page for high school bands, a rules page covering float safety and a map of the parade route, though eligibility for the business-category contest is limited to sponsors and business entries.
A Four-Decade Tradition at Album Park
The 2025 KLAQ Halloween Parade was held at Album Park. That 40th annual parade kicked off at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, October 31, 2025, and included an awards ceremony in the park immediately afterward.
Earlier parades followed a similar pattern. The 2022 event also began at Album Park on Album Avenue at 3:30 p.m., according to an older safety and route guide from klaq.com, while a 2014 writeup describes walkers, float participants and school bands gathering at Album Park at the same 3:30 p.m. start time that year. Spectator admission is free for the 2026 parade, and registration for the 2025 parade was free. The parade has long been billed, per krod.com, as always landing on October 31 itself.
