LGBTQ+ Halloween New Orleans
Halloween New Orleans was founded in 1983 to raise money for Project Lazarus, an organization dedicated to helping people experiencing homelessness and HIV/AIDS. This year’s theme is Myths and Legends, so guests are expected to dress in their finest Greek and Roman inspired regalia. The Parthenon Ball will be hosted on Friday, Oct. 24 in Gallier Hall, with a black-tie optional dress code and a silent auction planned for participants. If that’s too fancy for your taste, the next night’s live DJ set and costume contest, titled Olympus After Dark, will shake the Fillmore. Ticket prices range from $105 for Olympus After Dark to
$1,000 for a full weekend pass.
In the heart of one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city, historically occupied by New Orleans’ free people of color, the Tremé Fall Festival falls on Oct. 17 this year. Marketed as the most culturally authentic festival in New Orleans, the festival invites iconic musicians such as Kermit Ruffins and Leroy Jones as well as New Orleans craftspeople and chefs. The proceeds from donations and patrons will be used to fund the restoration of St. Augustine Catholic Church in Tremé, a cultural touchstone where people of all races were allowed to worship before racial integration, a rarity in the 19th century. The festival is free and open to the public.
Krewe of BOO!
If you’re itching for some New Orleans Mardi Gras fun, get your fix at the Krewe of BOO! parade. Rolling on Oct. 25 at sunset — around 6:30 p.m. — the parade is full of family-friendly floats that are sure to get you in the Halloween spirit. Dress up in a comfortable costume and head to the French Quarter to catch candy and other Halloween-themed throws. Starting at Elysian Fields Avenue, rolling down North Peters Street and Tchoupitoulas and ending on Andrew Higgins Drive, Krewe of BOO! always delivers fun throws and exciting costumes.
Visit haunted houses
If jump scares and mazes are more your thing, buy a ticket to one of New Orleans’ haunted houses to test your limits. The Mortuary sits at the end of Canal Street in a Victorian mansion that served as a real mortuary until 2003. The ghosts of former corpses who laid in the mortuary are said to haunt the halls, making the scares all the better. Alternatively, New Orleans Nightmare is a haunted house in two parts. Two separately themed haunts are designed to give everyone the creeps, with scare actors placed around the premises to jump out at guests as they round corners and walk through the creepy scenes.
Occurring on three weekends in October in Bayou St. John, Deutsches Haus presents New Orleans’ own spin on the beloved German tradition of Oktoberfest. Serving German food, beer and schnapps, Oktoberfest brings the European fun for everyone, including children, with family-friendly performances and arts and crafts for kids. Other events include a 6K race on Saturday, Oct. 18, a beer stein holding contest every weekend and live music to keep the fun coming all month. Admission to the fest is $10 at the door.
Watch Halloween movies at Prytania Theatre
If you prefer a more hands-off, sit-down experience, the Prytania Theatre’s Kill-O-Rama — a lineup of spooky classic films — runs from Oct. 17 to 23. Showing a mix of classics and modern horrors, the event is perfect for every Halloween lover. Guillermo del Toro’s new “Frankenstein,” “Corpse Bride,” “Bride of Frankenstein,” “The Exorcist,” “Sinners” and more are on the table for viewing at the historic theater. Also hosted at the Prytania are shadow cast performances of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” an annual tradition across the world. The Well Hung Speakers, the acting troupe that puts on the performances, has shows from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1. Performing on stage in front of the original 1975 movie, actors and audience alike participate in the lighthearted tradition.