Put on your wig/giant animal head/fishnet tights/glitter/otherwise unruly outfit and get ready for a wild Wednesday night out. Though Halloween falls on a weekday this year, there are still plenty of ways to celebrate like we do every year. The Halloween season will be chock-full of events— including the Krewe of Boo parade, the Voodoo Music + Arts Experience, the Endless Night Vampire Ball, and the more family-friendly Boo at the Zoo and Crawloween. But, if you are itching to do some gallivanting around town on All Hallow’s Eve proper, there is something for everyone.

Ghost Manor on Magazine Street (Photo: Kelsey Campion)

Halloween in New Orleans

Frenchmen Street

As has been the trend, general merriment and revelry ensues along Frenchmen Street for Halloween celebrations. Frenchmen Street’s numerous bars and music venues attract a large and diverse costumed crowd. Maison, d.b.a., and other music clubs are hosting live shows for Halloween evening.

St. Claude Corridor

If you have spent your share of Halloween nights bouncing up and down Frenchmen Street, switch up the scenery a bit by migrating to St. Claude Avenue. Siberia features Jackson & The Janks, plus special guests, starting at 10:00 p.m. Otherwise, bar hop along the corridor to establishments like Kajun’s Pub and the Hi-Ho Lounge.

Quintron and Miss Pussycat at One-Eyed Jack’s

For those who like a little more structure in their Halloween evening, catching a music show is a great option. The famous NOLA duo Quintron and Miss Pussycat will be joined by JEFF The Brotherhood for this Halloween night show at One Eyed Jack’s. If you’ve not experienced a Quintron and Miss Pussycat show before, you’re in for a special treat — shows include dance music, maracas, and puppets. One Eyed Jack’s intimate space coupled with the interactive musical stylings of this duo provides one of the most unique and entertaining shows happening on Halloween night.

Haunted Houses

What’s Halloween in New Orleans without a haunted house? Bernie Baxter’s Traveling Side Show is free and located across the river in Algiers. This year’s theme is “Dr. Tisdale’s Terrors” and tells the story of a former psychiatrist who forced his patients to face their worst nightmares. Entry is free. Another favorite local haunted house is The Mortuary, located in the old mortuary on Canal Boulevard. This year’s theme is “The Mortuary Strikes 12,” with murder becoming legal. General admission tickets are $30. Lastly, the Music Box Village plays host to an immersive haunted experience, Promised Estates Realty, a collaboration between the organization and Yamil Rodriquez. It is on view from Thursday, October 25 through Sunday, October 28. Tickets start at $15.

The Prytania Theater (Photo: Rebecca Todd)

Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Prytania Theatre

For those who prefer to stick to more traditional Halloween events, check out the 10:00 p.m. or midnight showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Prytania Theatre Uptown. A shadow cast will be on hand to guide participants through this musical movie experience. If you can’t make it out to the showing on Halloween night, the theater is also screening the classic on Friday, Oct. 26 and Saturday, Oct. 27 at midnight. Come as you are or wear a costume. And don’t forget the props!

Galactic + New Breed Brass Band at Tipitina’s

Local funk-jazz-blues band Galactic often takes the stage at Tipitina’s for sets that continue into the wee hours. This Halloween, Galactic teams up with another local band, the New Breed Brass Band. Don your favorite costume and enjoy jamming out to two high-quality local bands. The show starts at 10:00 p.m. (doors at 9:00 p.m.), and tickets are now on sale.

Scout Island Scream Park

Scout Island, in City Park, is a 50-acre piece of land with swamp and woodlands. Brand new this year, the Scout Island Scream Park bills itself as a Halloween festival. There is a lot packed into this frightening attraction: three outdoor fright zones, Cirque du Fear, Blood Bayou, and The Horseman; the Devil’s Swamp Haunted Terror Tour, the live action Zombie Outbreak Battlefield, and the Scream Factory, a haunted house. The Scream Park also welcomes kids to its Kid Zone for scare-free fun like hayrides. Scout Island Scream Park is open throughout October, including Halloween night, and the first weekend of November.

Ed Sheeran at the Superdome

All Hallows’ Eve is said to have originated from ancient Celtic traditions in what is now the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Northern France. Spend Halloween night with singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran, who hails from the UK and has Irish grandparents. His 2018 North American Stadium Tour takes over the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, and while your evening probably won’t be scary, it will definitely be memorable.

st roch cemetery — St. Roch Cemetery (Photo: Rebecca Ratliff)

Lagniappe

Cemetery Tours

If you want to get in the spirit, but without the late night reveling, schedule a cemetery tour during the day with Save Our Cemeteries, where you will get a good dose of history whilst walking amidst a city of the dead.

Thriller Flash Mob

Each year on Halloween, the Thriller Flash Mob shows off their creepy dance routines which, this year, will take place at Louis Armstrong Park. They will be flash-mobbing the birthplace of jazz around noon on October 31, and it is free to watch.