Richmonders take Halloween very seriously. In fact, this year marks the 20th anniversary of two holiday traditions — the Zombie Walk + the All the Saints Parade. If that means anything, it’s that this Halloween is about to be bigger than ever.
If you’re looking for haunted houses, pumpkin patches, or theaters with scary screenings, head over to our fall activity guide. Here, we’ve rounded up all the one-day costume parties, festivals, and parades leading up to Halloween night.
Leading up to Halloween
ICA Fright Night | Wednesday, Oct. 29 | 6-9 p.m. | Institute for Contemporary Art | $5 | Hang around the museum after-hours for back-to-back independent horror film screenings.
Squirrel-O-Ween | Thursday, Oct. 30 | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | The Diamond | Free | Head to the ol’ stadium for family-friendly trick or treating and a prize-worthy costume contest.
Spükhaus 2025: Haunted-House-Inspired Art Experience | Thursday, Oct. 30 | 6:30-7:30 p.m. | The Anderson | Free | An art gallery, but with curated frights.
Halloween “Scary-oke” Karaoke Night | Thursday, Oct. 30 | 9 p.m.-12 a.m. | Ardent Craft Ales | Free | There’s nothing to be scared of — it’s just singing in public.
Halloween night
Halloween Bar Crawl | Friday, Oct. 31 + Saturday, Nov. 1 | 4 p.m. | Locations vary | $15+ | On Friday, get the crawl started at New York Deli, then head to Harry’s at Hofheimer for Saturday’s check-in.
Hill-O-Ween Costume Parade | Friday, Oct. 31| 5-5:30 p.m. | Church Hill | Free| This neighborhood event series will round out the festivities with a parade + the unveiling of the winning house decorations.
20th Annual All the Saints Richmond Halloween Parade | Friday, Oct. 31 | 7-9:30 p.m. | Monroe Park | Free | Another beloved Halloween tradition turns 20 this year, and a parade of magnificent, towering puppets wants you to come celebrate.
“Scream” (1996) Movie Night in the Barrel Room | 7-10 p.m. | Hardywood Park Craft Brewery | Free | This screaming screening is first-come, first-served, so put on some cozy clothes and head to the brewery.
Gallery5 Halloween Party | Friday, Oct. 31 | 7-11 p.m. | Gallery5 | Local bands pay tribute to The Cure + The Sisters of Mercy, setting the scene for an evening of costumes, dancing, and specialty drinks.
“The Rocky Horror Show” with Richmond Triangle Players | Friday, Oct. 31 | 7 p.m. | Carpenter Theatre at Dominion Energy Center | $14+ | The Richmond Symphony backs up one of Richmond’s local theater companies for a stage production of this October classic.
Monsters Ball | 8 p.m.-2 a.m. | Fallout | $15 | No, it’s not required to dance like an undead monster, but it might be fun to try anyway.
Daft Disko (A French House & Disco Halloween) - 21+ | 9 p.m. | Ember Music Hall | $22 | “The funk is back from the dead.”
House of Haunts Halloween Party | 9 p.m.-1:30 a.m. | The Park RVA | $15+ | Your ticket will include live music, access to the beer garden, a silent headphone party, and the chance for your costume to win a $100 gift card.
Haunted Hotel Halloween (21+) | Friday, Oct. 31 | 9 p.m. | The Lobby Bar at Quirk Hotel | $15 | Quirk Hotel is weaving an eerie tale through its halls, which you can experience with DJ beats and happy hour food + drinks on hand.
GWAR Halloween Party | 10 p.m. | GWAR Bar | Free | Show up in costume, and see what prizes you may win from local businesses like Saturn Return, Vinyl Conflict, and Circle Thrift.
Hallo-weekend
Cryptid Scavenger Hunt | 12-3 p.m. | Meadow Farm, Glen Allen | Free
Fundraiser Dog Costume Contest for Flop RVA Dog Rescue | 2-5 p.m. | Susie’s Delicatessen
Hanover Halloween Hoedown + Line Dance Party | 7-11 p.m. | Hanover Vegetable Farm, Ashland | $10+