Halloween is Richmond to its core, and it all starts this weekend. We don’t have to sell you on it. Go have fun, get weird, and let’s all meet up for the Halloween Parade in Oregon Hill. Just be safe and don’t drink and drive.
Welcome to Halloweek 2026.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23 | LET THE WEIRDNESS BEGIN
6 PM | Southern Gothic Fest ’26 at VITCO
October 23–24 | 1010 N. Meadow Street | 21+ | $30 single-day door admission
Two nights of electronic music, dancing, and professional wrestling. Friday features RVA Pro Wrestling and DJs, while Saturday brings RABIT, BBYAFRICKA, Feardorian, PLAYTIME, and more. Experimental, loud, and just the right amount of weird for Halloweek.
Richmond Tattoo & Arts Convention | October 23–25
1021 Koger Center Blvd | October 23–25 | Friday 3 PM–2 AM, Saturday Noon–2 AM, Sunday Noon–7 PM | Tickets Required
Richmond’s tattoo culture runs deep, and the Richmond Tattoo & Arts Convention returns for three days of art, ink, and artists from across the tattoo world. Hosts Jesse Smith and Ryan Ashley Malarkey are back for a weekend of tattoos, creativity, and plenty of heavily inked people. Whether you’re getting new work or just checking out the artistry, it’s worth a visit.
7 PM | Red Vein Haunted House: Cursed Beneath
13580 Ashland Road, Ashland, VA | October 23–25 & 29–31 | 7 PM–11 PM on October 23, 24, 30 & 31 | Tickets Required
If your idea of Halloween involves paying strangers to scare the hell out of you, Red Vein is ready to hook you up. The haunted attraction returns with Cursed Beneath, featuring elaborate sets, creepy characters, and plenty of scares through Halloween night. October 29 offers a special No Slaughter Night, with all the atmosphere but no live actors or moving animatronics.
7 PM | Playtime After Dark: Halloween Singles Mixer at CNTR
318 W. Broad Street | Friday, October 23 | 7–10 PM | Tickets Required
Looking for someone to spend Halloween with? Thursday Dating is hosting a singles mixer at CNTR with retro video games, board games, a DJ, spooky movies, and Halloween icebreakers. Your ticket even includes a free drink. Costumes are encouraged but not required, and who knows, you might find a partner in crime before Halloween night.
7:30 PM | RVA Spooky Square Dance at Studio Two Three
109 W. 15th Street | $10
Square dancing, Halloween costumes, a cash-prize costume contest, and custom flash tattoos. Richmond’s art community puts its own spin on an old-school tradition. No square dancing experience required, but showing up in costume seems like the right move.
7:30 PM | Richmond Shakespeare Presents Frankenstein
Virginia Rep’s Theatre Gym | 114 W. Broad Street | October 23–25 & 29–31 | 7:30 PM | Tickets Required
What’s Halloween without a monster questioning his own existence? Richmond Shakespeare brings Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein to life, exploring unchecked ambition, the responsibilities of creation, and what happens when humanity plays God. Gothic horror with questions about science and technology that feel especially relevant today. Read our review of Frankenstein: The Post-Modern Prometheus HERE
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24 | THE DEAD WALK AMONG US
Noon | Spookeasy Punk Rock Flea Market & Street Fest
17th Street Market | Noon–7 PM | Free
Local artists, makers, food trucks, live music, and costume contests take over the 17th Street Market for an afternoon of punk rock commerce. There’s even a Booth or Treat for the kids. Support Richmond’s independent artists and buy something you probably don’t need but absolutely must have.
11 AM | Union Market Block Party in Church Hill
2306 Jefferson Avenue | 11 AM–9 PM | Free | Family Friendly
Union Market’s annual Church Hill block party brings live music from Bio Ritmo, Knifing Around, Shera Shi, Jared Pool Party, Peña Verde, and Jo Jo & The Kick Its. Expect oysters, lobster rolls, bratwurst, vegan Mexican food, plenty of drinks, and a local makers market. Bring the kids, bring the dogs, and stick around for Bio Ritmo closing things out from 7 to 9 PM.
1 PM | Richmond Zombie Walk
Byrd Park and Carytown | Free | Walk begins approximately 2:30 PM
One of Richmond’s favorite Halloween traditions returns as the undead descend upon Carytown in search of brains and probably a beer afterward. Zombies gather at Fountain Lake in Byrd Park at 1 PM for judging and photos before the walk begins at 2:30 PM. There are awards for the best and most disgusting costumes, with a suggested $5 donation benefiting suicide awareness and prevention. Twenty-one years of Richmonders dressing like corpses and wandering Cary Street. Some traditions are worth preserving.
4 PM | Southern Gothic Fest, Night Two at VITCO
October 23–24 | 1010 N. Meadow Street | 21+ | $30 single-day door admission
The second night gets deeper into experimental electronic territory with RABIT, BBYAFRICKA, Feardorian, and more. Friday brings the wrestling, Saturday brings the late-night dance floor. The event runs until 1:30 AM.
6 PM | LOSTBOWL MASSACRE at Lost Bowl
6–10:30 PM | $10 suggested donation | 18+ | Costumes Mandatory
Richmond’s skateboarding community gets into the Halloween spirit with the LOSTBOWL MASSACRE. Expect a haunted house, DJ Floormanager, live bands, and plenty of backyard skate chaos. Costumes are mandatory, and organizers ask everyone to carpool, respect the neighbors, and leave the glass at home.
7 PM | Into the Abyss at Unkindness Art
2923 North Avenue | 7 PM–1 AM | $75 advance, $80 door | 21+
Unkindness Art goes full maritime nightmare with pirates, sea monsters, and an underwater Halloween world. Expect Irish punk folk from The Ex-Patriots, DJs, fire performers, food from The Smoky Mug, elaborate handmade sets, a costume contest with cash prizes, and a neighborhood parade.
7 PM & 9:30 PM | Plunky & Oneness of Juju at Révéler
3108 W. Cary Street | $35 | Reserved Seating | 21+
Richmond’s legendary saxophonist James “Plunky” Branch brings Oneness of Juju to Révéler for two shows of Afrocentric jazz, funk, and Afrobeats. With more than five decades of music and 30 albums behind him, Plunky remains one of the city’s most influential musicians. A little soul and funk amid the Halloween madness. Shows at 7 PM and 9:30 PM.
8 PM | Piranha Rama, Camo Face, and Reverse Yr Curse at Get Tight Lounge
1104 W. Main Street
Piranha Rama, Camo Face, and Reverse Yr Curse take over Get Tight for a Saturday night of Richmond-made music. Three local bands, one neighborhood venue, and no elaborate Halloween production required. Sometimes that’s all you need.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25 | KEEP THE HORROR GOING
1 PM | Crabs N’ Oysters at Get Tight Lounge
1104 W. Main Street | 1 PM Until Sold Out | $1 Oysters / $45 Dozen Steamed Crabs
Not everything during Halloweek needs blood and guts. Sometimes you just want crabs, oysters, and a few beers. Get Tight is serving up $1 freshly shucked oysters, $45 dozens of steamed crabs, and drink specials featuring seafood from Kinnakeet Oyster Company in North Carolina. It all runs until they sell out, so get there early or preorder your crabs online.
5 PM | The Phantom of the Opera (1925) with the Mighty Wurlitzer at the Byrd Theatre
2908 W. Cary Street | Tickets at byrdtheatre.org | Almost Sold Out
The Byrd Theatre celebrates Halloween with the 1925 silent horror classic The Phantom of the Opera, starring Lon Chaney, accompanied live by its Mighty Wurlitzer organ. Ken Double, organist at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, provides the score for a century-old film in one of Richmond’s most beautiful theaters. Fewer than 50 tickets remained at last announcement, so don’t wait too long.
7 PM | Syzygyx, Midnight Choir, Feyleux & Blood Ponies at Fallout
117 N. 18th Street | Doors 6 PM | $17 Advance / $20 Door | 18+
If the world is ending, at least we can give it a decent soundtrack. DC’s Syzygyx brings post-apocalyptic electro-punk to Fallout, joined by Midnight Choir’s anarchist darkwave, Feyleux’s dreamy post-punk, and Blood Ponies’ dystopian doom punk. Four bands ready to dance through the apocalypse. No Fallout membership required.
8 PM | Stress Reliever, Lagoon, Coded & D.M.V. at Gallery5
200 W. Marshall Street | Doors 7 PM | $12 Advance / $15 Door | All Ages
If your idea of stress relief involves loud music and a mosh pit, Gallery5 has you covered. Atlanta’s Stress Reliever brings grindviolence, joined by Lagoon’s blast-heavy hardcore, Richmond’s own Coded, and D.M.V.’s noise punk.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27 | Goth Line Dancing WITCHCRAFT
7 PM | Bat Scoot Boogie at Fallout
117 N. 18th Street | Free, tips encouraged | 18+
Goth line dancing. Yes, that’s a thing. Kayy Lovely and Storm Psycho 6 lead an evening of darkly inclined boot-scooting at Fallout. Cowboy boots and black eyeliner have probably always belonged together. Richmond just needed an excuse to make it official.
7 PM | Punk, Hardcore & Rave for Reproductive Freedom at Gallery5
200 W. Marshall Street | Free | All Ages
Punk rock and politics come together at Gallery5 for a free, all-ages show featuring Lay Waste, Shartchan, NBPHOBIC, and Los San Patricios. Organized with Feminist Generation and Virginians for Reproductive Freedom, the night supports the Vote Yes on 1 campaign for reproductive rights in Virginia’s Constitution, with voter information and prizes from local vendors. Loud music, political organizing, and a little Richmond-style resistance.
7:30 PM | Halloween III: Season of the Witch at Studio Two Three
109 W. 15th Street | Pay what you can, $7 minimum
Nowhere Cinema continues its horror threequels series with Halloween III: Season of the Witch, the 1982 cult oddity that ditched Michael Myers for witchcraft, sinister masks, and a deadly conspiracy. There’s a costume contest, subtitles, and plenty of reasons to revisit one of the franchise’s strangest films.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28 | MIDWEEK MAYHEM
8 PM | Harlan Steed, Trapcry, Bubbler, and Dr. Slice at Fallout
117 N. 18th Street | 17–20 | 18+
Four acts take over Fallout for a midweek show. Not everything on the Halloweek calendar needs to involve a pumpkin or a costume contest. Sometimes you just need to get out of the house, find some loud music, and spend an evening among the city’s night creatures.
10:30 PM | Boney Blingo 5 at Sticky Rice
2232 W. Main Street | 10:30 PM
Sticky Rice brings bingo back from the dead for its fifth annual Boney Blingo. Expect Halloween-themed bingo, a Wild West twist, and apparently a little anatomical knowledge. Brush up on your bones, grab a drink, and get ready to yell BINGO well past your bedtime. Sleep is for November
10 PM | Acid’s Groove at Get Tight Lounge
1104 W. Main Street
Chill out, it’s Wednesday. Acid’s Groove at Get Tight Lounge brings rare grooves and acid jazz courtesy of DJs Hip Hop Henry and Billy Crystal Fingers. A laid-back trip through ’90s sounds, good drinks, and a chance to catch your breath before Halloween weekend kicks into high gear.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29 | THE FINAL COUNTDOWN
10 AM | Halloween on Hanover Walking Tour with The Valentine
Hanover Avenue at Strawberry Street | $20 adults, $10 members, free for children
Before the Halloween madness begins, The Valentine offers a walking tour exploring Richmond’s Halloween history and how Hanover Avenue became one of the country’s most celebrated trick-or-treating destinations. Enjoy the decorations before the streets fill with thousands of tiny superheroes, witches, and sugar-fueled children.
7 PM | Hit Like a Girl, Good Teal, 40 Reps & Madison Turner at Bandito’s
2905 Patterson Avenue | Doors 7 PM | $15
Hit Like a Girl and Good Teal bring their Burning at Both Ends Tour to Bandito’s, joined by Richmond’s 40 Reps and Madison Turner. Four bands, loud guitars, and a good excuse to start Halloween weekend early.
9 PM | Goth Karaoke at Fallout
117 N. 18th Street | Free | 18+
Goth karaoke and Just Dance take over the club later in the evening. Sing something dark, dance to something darker.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30 | HALLOWEEN EVE
8 PM | CLUE: The Drag Show at Gallery5
200 W. Marshall Street | $15
A murder mystery, but make it drag. Gallery5 hosts an interactive evening of theatrical deception, outrageous performances, and audience participation. Hosted by Michelle Livigne, with Teddi Baerbach, Melanin Monroe, Liquid Skin, and Harlot Schmarlot, the show invites the audience to question performers, solve puzzles, and figure out who’s responsible for the evening’s fictional homicide.
8 PM | Halloween Cabaret at Révéler
3108 W. Cary Street | $25 | 21+
Qing Blaze hosts a Halloween cabaret of music, burlesque, and theatrical misbehavior featuring Alisa Miles, Gordita Maricona, Jo’Rie Tigerlily, and more. Expect glamour, darkness, and probably something that requires an explanation afterward. Doors at 6:30 PM, show from 8 to 10:30 PM.
8 PM | Miramar, Yeni Nostalji & DJ Doguchi at Get Tight Lounge
1104 W. Main Street | Doors 7:30 PM | $18 Advance / $22 Door
Get Tight takes Halloween weekend in a different direction with Miramar’s tropical boleros, Yeni Nostalji’s Turkish pop ballads, and DJ Doguchi spinning vinyl. An eclectic night of international sounds, with partial proceeds benefiting Diversity Richmond. The show is outdoors and partially covered, so dress accordingly. Costumes couldn’t hurt either.
9 PM | GAGGED at Fallout
117 N. 18th Street | 7–10 | 21+
Jasmen Clitopatra, Lavender Menace, Beau Tox, and Artemis Lazuli take over Fallout for a Halloween Eve drag party. Performances, dancing, and the sort of nightlife that reminds us Richmond’s alternative scene is alive and well, even when everyone is pretending to be dead.
9 PM | I See Red Vol. V at LOSO
2727 W. Broad Street | Tickets Required
If your Halloween soundtrack leans more toward techno than Monster Mash, LOSO has you covered. TonalTheory and Undertone present I See Red Vol. V, with two rooms of electronic music. Burl Faircloth b2b CJS, JR2K, TonalTheory, and XAV bring the techno, while Hoppa and Stukes offer an ambient escape. Pick your room and get lost in the music.
9:30 PM | Halloween Punk Cover Show at The Camel
1621 W. Broad Street | Doors 9 PM | $12 Advance / $15 Door
Richmond punk bands dress up as punk legends for Halloween at The Camel. Green Tips take on The Misfits, Art School becomes The Clash, Snow Control covers Bad Religion, This Man May Die tackles Dead Kennedys, and members of 414 and company channel Descendents. Five bands, plenty of singalongs, and probably a few questionable Glenn Danzig impressions.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31 | HALLOWEEN NIGHT. RICHMOND’S HIGH HOLY DAY.
10 AM | Halloween on Hanover Walking Tour with The Valentine
Hanover Avenue at Strawberry Street | $20 adults, $10 members, free for children
Before the evening’s madness begins, The Valentine offers a walking tour exploring the history of Halloween in Richmond and the evolution of Hanover Avenue into one of the country’s most celebrated trick-or-treating destinations. It’s a chance to appreciate the neighborhood’s decorations without navigating thousands of tiny superheroes, witches, and sugar-fueled children.
11 AM | Spooky Halloween Flash Day at Unkindness Art
2923 North Avenue | 11 AM–6 PM | Tattoos $131 in costume, $150 without
Six tattoo artists, one Halloween, and a discount for showing up in costume. Unkindness Art hosts a flash tattoo day with Kailyn Byers, Matt Corbin, Sara Stigmata, Ian Kiser, Frankee Graves, and Liam Williams. Tattoos are $150, or $131 if you’re dressed up. Just make sure your costume doesn’t get in the way of the needle.
11:30 AM | CONEX Spooktacular & Halloween Party
900 Axtell Street | Daytime festivities free | Evening Party 8 PM–Midnight | 21+ after 8 PM
CONEX goes all in for Halloween with a full day of festivities. The daytime Spooktacular features candy, live music from Blair’s West Band, and costume contests for dogs at 1 PM and kids at 3 PM. At 8 PM, the 21+ party takes over with DJ Phil Sky, a haunted hay maze, and a costume contest featuring $550 in cash and prizes.
Evening | Halloween on Hanover Avenue
Hanover Avenue, The Fan | Free
There are Halloween decorations, and then there’s Hanover Avenue. For decades, residents of the Fan have transformed their homes into elaborate haunted spectacles, drawing thousands of costumed visitors. The 1900 block is the heart of it all, but the real magic is wandering the neighborhood, running into old friends, and remembering why Richmond can still feel like one big, strange community.
7 PM | All the Saints Theater Company’s 21st Annual Halloween Parade
Monroe Park through Oregon Hill | Free
If there’s one event that captures Richmond’s Halloween spirit, it’s the All the Saints Halloween Parade. For more than two decades, enormous handmade puppets, skeletons, musicians, and costumed Richmonders have taken over Oregon Hill for a celebration that’s equal parts art, theater, and protest. This year’s theme, Dada the Data! A Funeral March for Intelligence, takes on AI, surveillance, and our increasingly strange relationship with technology. Bring a costume, carry a puppet, or just join the madness. The parade leaves Monroe Park at 7 PM sharp.
7 PM | Halloween with The Significant Others at Gallery5
200 W. Marshall Street | 7–11 PM
Gallery5 trades Friday night’s murder mystery for a Halloween dance party with The Significant Others, performing favorites from the 1980s through today. Costumes are encouraged, with a contest for those willing to put their creativity on display.
8 PM | House Halloween Kickback at Studio Two Three
109 W. 15th Street | DJ Statistics | October 31
The house is open, and Richmond’s Black queer community is bringing the party. Presented by the Virginia Anti-Violence Project with UGRC / Black Pride RVA, this Halloween celebration brings costumes, community, and house music from DJ Statistics. Come dressed for the occasion, bring your people, and find your way to the dance floor.
8 PM | Monsters Ball at Fallout
117 N. 18th Street | 8 PM–2 AM | 10–15 | 21+
Richmond’s own little bat cave in Shockoe Bottom is doing what it does best. Fallout’s annual Monsters Ball returns with goth, industrial, darkwave, new wave, and alternative music courtesy of DJ ScareyPete and all-vinyl sets from DJ Ben Speed. There’s cage dancing from Dollz Entertainment, a costume contest with a cash prize, and an entire evening dedicated to looking as sinister as possible. Some places decorate for Halloween. Fallout mostly just turns the lights down and carries on.
8 PM | Haunted at the Hofheimer
2818 W. Broad Street | 8 PM–Close
Nearly a century after the Hofheimer Building opened, it’s time to wake the ghosts. Halloween takes over the historic venue with themed cocktails, live music from Solacoustix, DJs, dancing, and plenty of costumes. Live music gives way to a late-night dance party in a building that’s been watching Richmond change since 1928.
9 PM | Halloween Dance Party at Susie’s Delicatessen
1600 W. Cary Street | Saturday, October 31 | 9 PM–2 AM | $5 Advance / $7 Door
Susie’s Halloween Dance Party returns with DJs Robert August and Dogpants spinning five hours of music, dancing, and costumed neighborhood chaos. Costumes are encouraged, the kitchen stays open until 11:30 PM, and tickets are $5 in advance or $7 at the door. Come get a little booo-gie with the neighborhood.
9:30 PM | Stanley’s Second Annual Halloween Party
2601 Park Ave | 9:30 PM–Midnight | $5
Forget cash prizes. Stanley’s is offering something far more valuable: a year of free hoagies. Their second annual Halloween party features DJ Pizza, a special appearance by Jabbawakeez, and a costume contest where the grand prize is one free hoagie a week for a year. Five bucks gets you in, and a great costume could keep you fed until next Halloween.
8 PM | Spectre Halloween at Pandora
3119 W. Moore Street | 8 PM–Late | 21+
If your Halloween plans involve disappearing into a dark room full of electronic music, Spectre has you covered. Pandora hosts a Halloween takeover featuring Pogsta, Jon Jar b2b Syntaks, Tam, Ricky S, Spiral, Yung Mate, Risu, and Nico Maric. Costumes are encouraged but not required. Just show up ready to dance.
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