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Halloween in New Orleans 2026: The Party Crew’s Plan

a garden in front of a building

Halloween falls on a Saturday this year. In a city that already treats costumes like a personality trait, that means one thing: the whole last week of October is the party. Here’s how locals would plan it.

The two weekends

Weekend 1 (Oct 23-24): parade weekend. Krewe of Boo rolls, City Park turns into a 21+ amusement park, and the after-party goes till 2am.

Weekend 2 (Oct 30-Nov 1): Halloween proper. Vampire balls Friday, Frenchmen Street on Saturday night, and a Sunday tea dance to recover.

If you can only do one, do Halloween weekend. If your crew can swing both, you’ll understand why people move here.

Saturday, Oct 24: Krewe of BOO!

New Orleans’ official Halloween parade, with Mardi Gras-scale floats, throws, and a crowd dressed to compete. It rolls at 6:30pm from Elysian Fields in the Marigny, down Decatur past Jackson Square, and along Canal to the Warehouse District.

  • Where to watch: Decatur near Jackson Square if you want the classic backdrop. Canal if you want room to breathe.
  • After-party: the official Monster Mash runs 8pm-2am at Generations Hall, right where the parade ends. 18+, live band, costume contest, VIP open bar.
  • Friday before: the krewe’s second line runs from Galatoire’s to Pat O’Brien’s, 3-6pm on Oct 23 (the krewe calls the itinerary tentative). A bachelorette crew in costume behind a brass band is the photo you came for.

Fri-Sat, Oct 23-24: Brews & Boos in City Park

21+ only at Carousel Gardens: unlimited rides, beer, and costumes encouraged. VIP gets a full open bar. It’s an adult amusement park in the dark, and it’s exactly as fun as it sounds.

The vampire balls (book the day tickets drop)

  • Anne Rice Vampire Ball, Fri Oct 30, 7-11pm, Capital on Baronne. 21+, open bar, costume contest with cash prizes, and the 50th anniversary of Interview with the Vampire. Last year’s sold out in seven minutes. The dress code is enforced, so don’t show up in a store-bought cape.
  • Endless Night Vampire Ball, Sat Oct 31, House of Blues. Carnevale masquerade theme, gothic Victorian dress required.

Halloween night, Saturday Oct 31

Frenchmen Street. No tickets, no organizer. Every year thousands of people in costume pack the street, every club has a band, and the people-watching beats anything in the city. Get there by 9, pick a bar with a band you like, and let the night happen.

Other options:
– Halloween Bar Crawl, 3-10pm, starting at Coyote Ugly on N. Peters. 21+ wristband crawl.
– HNO Costume Party, 10pm-3am at The Fillmore. It’s the big night of Halloween New Orleans, the city’s LGBTQ+ Halloween weekend, which raises money for Project Lazarus. Costumes required. The weekend wraps with a Sunday tea dance on the riverfront.
– Beyond the Veil, Tue Oct 27 at the AllWays Lounge. A 21+ haunted variety show and burlesque, a few blocks off Frenchmen. It’s a great weeknight pick if you land early.

Actually getting scared

  • The Mortuary Haunted Mansion, 4800 Canal St. A real former funeral home, regularly ranked among the scariest haunts in the country. This year’s theme is “Through the Looking Glass.” Open most nights 7-11pm through mid-November. Weekend waits run over an hour, so buy the timed or VIP ticket.
  • Cemeteries. St. Louis No. 1 is guided-tour only. Big news this year: Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 reopens Oct 1 after seven years closed. Tours are history only, no ghost stuff, and groups are capped at 16, so it’s better for a morning-after walk than a scare.
  • Ghost tours. Plenty run nightly in the Quarter. Go with a licensed operator and book ahead for Halloween week.

What’s not happening

Voodoo Fest isn’t back. It hasn’t run since 2019, whatever some listing sites say about 2026. Don’t plan a trip around it.

Costume game

Locals shop Fifi Mahony’s for wigs and makeup, Uptown Costume & Dancewear for the full look, and the Magazine Street vintage shops for everything in between. Matching group costumes are strongly encouraged. Nobody in New Orleans will think you’re doing too much.

Book these now

  1. Hotel for Oct 30-31. Halloween on a Saturday fills the Quarter and Marigny fast.
  2. Anne Rice Ball tickets.
  3. Mortuary timed tickets for your night.
  4. Your daytime plan. Nights like these run late, so the afternoon is for the bayou. A private party boat 15 minutes from the Quarter, BYOB, with gators and cypress trees for the costume photos, is how a lot of crews warm up. See our Halloween party cruise →

Planning a New Orleans trip with your crew? See our party boats →

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