It’s been called “the little parade that could,” but what was once a small procession has evolved into the Arts in the Dark annual Halloween parade, which celebrated its 10th anniversary on Saturday night in the Loop.
The full-on parade may have grown in size, but it remains true to its founding principles: “Celebrating Halloween as the ‘artists’ holiday’ and parading as an art form.” To wit, the parade excludes commercial floats and political guests “in order to maintain the integrity of its mission to display the diverse artists of our great city.”
Thousands of eventgoers lined the parade route along State Street to watch the magical evening unfold (the annual event was named one of the “10 best Halloween parades” in the country, according to USA today).
Ballet Folklorico, the South Shore Drill Team, the El Gran Festival Colombiano, the Chicago Architects’ Guild, Full Moon Jam and Second City Samba were among the 80 local cultural arts groups celebrating Chicago’s diverse arts community and rich cultural traditions on Saturday night.