Press release
LUMA8 proudly celebrates the 10th Annual Arts in the Dark Halloween parade, a family-friendly happening featuring unique floats, spectacle puppets and all forms of creative performance taking place Saturday, October 19, from 6-8pm. This magical evening procession will celebrate ten years of honoring Halloween as the “artists’ holiday” and the parade as an art form largely lost in American culture. Where parades often feature political and commercial messages, the purpose of the Arts in the Dark parade is solely to uphold and uplift Chicago’s creative communities.
This parade draws together participants from major cultural organizations, inspiring youth programs, and aspiring artists in every field and from every ward of Chicago. This dazzling production – included in USA Today’s 10 best Halloween parades in the US and named ‘One of the best Halloween celebrations in the world’ by UK-based Wanderlust magazine – annually delights an audience of 60,000+ gathered along historic State Street, from Lake to Van Buren Streets.
In celebration of the 10th year of this phenomenal explosion of art, color and spectacle, this anniversary parade is sure to be bigger, better and grander than ever; among the new elements is the honoring of “10 Creative Spirits” – ten esteemed, on-the-ground individuals of Chicago’s arts and culture world who will be introduced and honored at the Parade.
Furthermore, this year will include new cultural groups including South Asia Kaleidoscope and Actors Gymnasium Circus Arts, as well as additional international performance troupes coming in from Mexico to participate. Plus, a brand–new architects guild featuring nearly 50 Chicago architecture professionalsfrom different organizations will unite to represent this creative field. Each will create and wear an individual headpiece, reinterpreting a beloved spatial moment, Chicago landmark, out-of-the-box creation, or other recognizable structure in our city. Together, the collective will march along State Street in a seven-by-seven grid, reminding us that every individual plays a part in creating and reimagining Chicago’s vibrant cultural landscape.
While the Arts in the Dark parade is a ‘Halloween’ event, the participants are not bound by a ‘Halloween’ theme; each group is invited to showcase who they are as an organization with music, dance, costumes, and other dramatic visual elements. The parade features an array of cultural and ethnic representation including a powerful representation of Black and Mexican cultures throughout a plethora of groups. Additionally, the parade will feature a diverse array of Irish, Columbian, Polynesian, Brazilian, South Asia, Korean, Puerto Rican, Caribbean, Chinese, Indonesian, Peruvian, and LGTBQ+ organizations and groups. These and many more groups capture the expanse of Chicago’s cultural landscape in areas including film, museums, visual arts, theatre, architecture, drag performance, fashion, dance, circus arts, creative youth, hip-hop, jazz, rock, opera, street arts, fire arts, drumlines, puppeteers and so much more!
“I am thrilled to see scores of Chicago arts organizations bring their inspiration and creativity to State Street as we celebrate the 10th annual iteration of this parade, showcasing Chicago as a world class cultural capital,” said Mark Kelly, Arts in the Dark parade co-founder and artistic director.
Arts in the Dark is presented by LUMA8 and the City of Chicago with Major Support from the Chicago Free For All Fund and Chicago Loop Alliance. It is produced in partnership with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and is a proud recipient of a 2024 Chicago Presents Grant. Additional support is provided by Choose Chicago, Harris Theater for Music and Dance at Millennium Park, William Blair and the Millennium Garages.
According to LUMA8 President & CEO Sharene Shariatzadeh, “We have been grateful for the continued support of our sponsors and partners and especially for the many cultural organizations that never fail to surprise us with their creativity. We are delighted that our partners share our commitment to maintaining the authenticity of the parade and to elevating Chicago as a center for artistic innovation,” she continued. “With their help, and the support of Choose Chicago, the City’s destination marketing organization, we believe that Chicago will become an international focal point for Halloween.”
LUMA8 (Light Up My Arts) is an independent not-for-profit that strives to elevate Chicago as a focal point of artistic innovation to enrich the lives of its citizens and create economic impact. www.luma8.org
About the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is dedicated to enriching Chicago’s artistic vitality and cultural vibrancy. This includes fostering the development of Chicago’s non-profit arts sector, independent working artists and for-profit arts businesses; providing a framework to guide the City’s future cultural and economic growth, via the 2012 Chicago Cultural Plan; marketing the City’s cultural assets to a worldwide audience; and presenting high-quality, free and affordable cultural programs for residents and visitors. https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca.html
About Chicago Loop Alliance
Chicago Loop Alliance (CLA)’s mission is to create, manage and promote positive and inclusive programs that attract people to the Loop and accelerate economic recovery. CLA is a membership organization as well as the sole service provider for Special Service Area#1-2015, and the Chicago Loop Alliance Foundation produces public art projects and events. www.loopchicago.com.
For more information visit www.artsinthedark.org , LUMA8.org.
