Of all the nights to party, all the nights to forget your inhibitions and let-the-f*ck-loose, Halloween reigns supreme. Costumes, masks, parties in every city — it’s a recipe for insanity. Unfortunately, when the 31st falls mid-week the chances to party tend to wane like the autumn moon. Since Halloween is on a Wednesday this year, most of the big Halloween bashes are happening this weekend. That way you can spend the weekend getting dressed up and partying a little too much without killing the back half of your week with a wicked comedown.
The biggest question is: Where to party this weekend? If you want to go medium you can go to any bar in America, but if you want to go big you’ve got to head to where the masses are. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered on that count. Below is a list of some of the biggest, loudest, sexiest, and most drug-fueled Halloween extravaganzas happening around the country.
Pick a costume, test your molly, and get ready to purge party. One note: The desire to go all out for Halloween at this scope and scale is heavily weighted toward Los Angeles (where a high percentage of people who like dressing in costumes already live).
HauntedFest — Indianapolis, IN & Columbus, Ohio
HauntedFest is one of the biggest EDM festivals in the Midwest. The parties take place in huge expo hangars at Indianapolis’ Pavilion at Pan Am and Ohio Expo Center’s Lausche Building. With that much space, the EDM party draws throngs of costumed revelers for a pumping night of music and Halloween vibes.
The party starts October 26th (Friday) at nine PM and pulses deeeeeeeep into Saturday morning. Tickets start at $46.89.
Haunted Hearts by Desert Hearts — Los Angeles, CA
Desert Hearts throws some of the best techno, house, and EDM parties in the country. These are the parties of legend, led by legendary partiers. So it should come as no surprise that their LA Halloween bash is going to be crazy epic.
This year the party is going down at the huge The Belasco Theater in Los Angeles. It’s also actually on Halloween this year, so maybe plan on taking a vacation or sick day on November 1st as this party isn’t over until four AM. Tickets start at $45.00.
Suwannee Hulaween — Live Oak, FL
Are you looking for something to do in Florida this whole weekend? Suwannee Hulaween is starting up on Friday, October 26th and isn’t fizzling until Sunday around midnight. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water.
There’s a huge list of acts performing over three days on five separate stages, giving this whole experience a very down-and-dirty festival vibe through a Halloween lens. There will be artistic portals, morning yoga sessions, and inspirational speakers aplenty. The whole thing is taking place at the Suwannee Music Park and you can camp there if you need to. Tickets start at $199.
Circoloco Halloween — Brooklyn, NY
Phenomenal stage and bar production come together with warehouse vibes and a killer DJ list for Teksupport’s Circoloco Halloween party in Brooklyn. This is the sort of party you don’t soon forget.
The party starts October 27th at ten PM at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and lasts until well into the wee hours of Sunday morning. So plan accordingly for a Sunday recovery meal. Tickets start at $101.25.
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HARDFEST: Day of the Dead — Los Angeles, CA
Hardfest is throwing a massive music festival downtown Los Angeles to celebrate the end of Day of the Dead festivities. On November 3rd, Los Angeles State Historical park will be turned into a massive music venue for a day of partying.
There are 20 acts performing on two stages throughout the day and night. The event takes its Mexican heritage very seriously so expect a real Day of the Dead vibe to the party from the food to the roaming mariachis. Bands start at two PM and the whole thing wraps up at eleven PM. Tickets start at $69.99.
TAO Halloween Night — Los Angeles, CA
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Tao Los Angeles is one of the coolest party venues in the city. The space is an Asian bistro by day and killer music spot by night. Their Halloween Night is always a crazy party in heart of L.A. that’ll leave longing for next year’s bash.
This year’s party is on Halloween night. Doors are at nine PM and the party winds down by two in the morning. Tickets start at $100.
Halloween Basement Party with the Cool Kids — Chicago, IL
Just outside of Chicago, Temperance Beer Company is throwing a legendary Halloween Basement Party at their brewery. The bash will kick off with two DJ sets that are then followed by lochip-hophop acts, The Cool Kids with Modern School opening.
The party gets started on October 26th at 5:30 PM and lasts until midnight. There will be plenty of Halloween vibes, dope costumes, and great beer. Tickets start at $28.16.
Nightmare on M Street — Washington, DC
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If an EDM rush is a little to much for you this weekend, then we got a great alternative. Washington DC’s iconic Nightmare on M Street is the best of all worlds. The multi-venue event centered around DuPont Circle and M Street includes pretty much every kind of bar and club you can think of for one entry fee.
The bars all have drink specials for crawl attendees, which is a nice fringe benefit. If you plan it right, you can start off at a pub and end up dancing the night away at club. The festivities start October 28th at two in the afternoon. Tickets start at $25.
Halloween Weekend at Omnia — Lax Vegas, NV
Back on the other end of the party spectrum, Vegas is going to be kicking it off this weekend until Halloween Night. There are so many great venues and shows to party, dance, and get lit at in Sin City. The best, though, is Omnia in Caesars Palace. The club is so well thought out, the music is so good, and the vibes are so on-point, you’ll legit feel like you’re in a goddamn movie.
Omnia’s Halloween Weekend starts October 26th and runs through Halloween with massive shows under the big chandelier. This is sex, drugs, and EDM turned up to eleven every night. You should probably pre-book some time at the hangover trailer on the strip for recovery. Tickets start at $25.
Escape Psycho Circus — San Bernardino, CA
The Psycho Circus in San Bernardino is part music festival, part carnival, and part massive haunted house. The two-day event is like walking into a hyper-stylized horror film somewhere deep in the recesses of a John Carpenter film being dreamed up by Rob Zombie. It’s freaky in the best possible ways.
The gates open on this horror show on October 26th at four PM. The party generally lasts until two in the morning each night. There are four stages with a very long list of artists performing. You’re definitely expected to dress up at this fest but there are some safety guidelines to do so. Tickets start at $145.
Wynwood Fear Factory — Miami, FL
Miami’s party scene is the stuff of legend. Heading into South Beach on Halloween is a pilgrimage for those looking to get seen, laid, and lit. Bars and clubs are going to be overflowing come Halloween weekend so you best have a plan.
Wynwood Fear Factory is that plan. The massive warehouse party at the Mana Wynwood Warehouse rages from Friday to early Sunday morning this year. There’s a huge line-up of electronic music on the docket. Almost everyone comes in a costume and goes hard in the party paint all night. The party starts October 26th at eight PM and lasts until at least three in the morning both nights. Tickets start at $60.
Voodoo Festival — New Orleans, LA
There might not be a better city in America for Halloween than New Orleans. The parades down Bourbon and Frenchman streets are iconic. The bars feel like they go hard all day and night. Everyone dresses up, bands play on the streets, and clubs are overflowing with revelers. It’s everything you want in a great Halloween party for grown-ups to be.
The best part? Voodoo Festival. Between October 26th and 28th this year, City Park in New Orleans is converted into a music festival grounds with four stages perched around a fair of grisly delights. People in NOLA really dress up for Halloween and Voodoo Fest is no different — so think about your costume before you show up. The fest opens at noon everyday and runs late into the night. Tickets start at $75.
