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
Trick or Treat at VMHC | Friday, Oct. 24 | 4-7 p.m. | Virginia Museum of History and Culture | Free | More than 20 nonprofits have teamed up with the museum to help treat your sugar fix.
Howl-O-Ween + RVA Black Farmers Market | Saturday, Oct. 25 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | Stony Point Fashion Park | Free | Dress your dog up in something silly, then hit this event together for farmers market picks, Halloween treats (for pups and people), and free caricature drawings.
20th Annual Richmond Zombie Walk | Saturday, Oct. 25 | Walk begins at 2:30 p.m. | Carytown | Free | Staggering into its 20th year, this tradition summons a parade of the undead to Carytown’s commercial strip. Participants can join the pre-walk meet-up at Boat Lake in Byrd Park, starting at 1 p.m.
Halloween Pinball Party | Saturday, Oct. 25 | Pinball sign-ups start at 6 p.m. | Wax Moon Records | Free | Don your costume for an evening of seasonal movies, music, and competitive pinball.
“The Witches” Outdoor Movie Screening | Saturday, Oct. 25 | 6-8:30 p.m. | Fat Rabbit Bakery | $15 | Catch a cozy screening on the outdoor patio behind this neighborhood bakery, where each ticket includes a complementary dark chocolate + olive oil cookie.
“Rocky Horror Picture Show” (with Shadow Cast) | Saturday, Oct. 25 | 8 p.m. | Ashland Theatre | $13 | Actors from RockyHorrorRVA will command the stage for a participatory rendition of this cult classic musical, plus you can buy audience prop bags at entry for $5 each.
Monroe Grand Market + Halloween Block Party | Sunday, Oct. 26 | 11 a.m.-5 p.m. | Monroe Park | Free | Come dressed in costume and ready to party; Leave with new vintage threads.
Hill-O-Ween | Sunday, Oct. 26-Friday, Oct. 31 | Times vary | Church Hill | $21 | There’s a lot on the docket for this neighborhood bash, including Trunk or Treat, two ghost tours, a house decoration contest, and a Halloween costume parade.
Mug Mayhem | Sunday, Oct. 26 | 3-6 p.m. | The Smoky Mug | Free | Creep over to Northside for costume prizes, boozy drinks, treats, dancing, and the ever-so-cryptic “spooky stalls.”
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 | 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.
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.
20th Annual All the Saints Richmond Halloween Parade | Friday, Oct. 31 | 6:15-9:15 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.
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.
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.