Windy City Haunts: Chicago Halloween Deals, Freebies & Giveaways 2025

Chicago Halloween deals and freebies are creeping in early this year, and 2025 is shaping up to be a banner season for budget-friendly frights. If you’re plotting costumes, candy, or a spooky night out, here’s how locals are scoring discounts, snagging giveaways, and finding the best free events all across the city.

Best Chicago Halloween Deals and Freebies

Here’s where Chicagoans are saving big on costumes, candy, and decor—without sacrificing the fun:

• Fantasy Costumes (Portage Park): The legendary mega-warehouse is a one-stop shop for costumes and makeup. Keep an eye on their social channels and email list for weekday promos and late-October markdowns.
• Chicago Costume (multiple neighborhoods): A local favorite for rentals and last-minute pieces. Watch for bundle discounts on accessories and makeup closer to Halloween weekend.
• Mariano’s, Jewel-Osco, and ALDI: Rotating candy and pumpkin specials hit hard in mid-October. Stack weekly ads with digital coupons for the best price-per-piece on fun-size favorites.
• Target & Party City (city locations): Both typically roll out price drops the final two weeks of the month. Sign up for the apps—app-only offers can beat in-store sale tags.
• Chicago Public Library branches: Some branches host costume swaps or craft hours. They’re free, kid-friendly, and great for trading last year’s witch hat for this year’s pirate gear.

Free Halloween Events Around Chicago

From neighborhood parades to family activities, you can fill your calendar without spending a cent. As dates are confirmed, always double-check organizer sites for 2025 details.

• Arts in the Dark Parade (Loop): This dazzling nighttime parade typically lights up State Street with lanterns, puppets, performers, and community groups. It’s free to attend and perfectly photogenic.
• Spooky Zoo at Lincoln Park Zoo: A beloved free trick-or-treat celebration with costumes, candy stations, and family activities. Expect crowds—arrive early and consider public transit.
• Northalsted Halloween Parade (Lakeview): Known for spectacular costumes, this after-dark parade is a local rite of passage. Free to watch; arrive early to grab a good spot along the route.
• Andersonville Trick-or-Treat on Clark: Small businesses hand out candy up and down the corridor. Many shops host in-store photo ops and giveaways for kids (and leashed pups).
• Southport Halloween Hop (Lakeview): A family-forward afternoon of treats and storefront activities along the Southport Corridor. Often includes live music and themed photo backdrops.

Quick tips for zero-cost fun

1. Use the Chicago Park District events calendar for free movie nights and pop-up pumpkin patches in neighborhood parks.
2. Follow your alderperson’s office on social media—many host free trunk-or-treats and community costume contests.
3. Check school, PTA, and park advisory pages for low-key, free evening events the week of Halloween.

Haunted Houses, Pumpkin Patches, and Spooky Attractions

If you’re up for a scare (or just a cute pumpkin photo), Chicago has options at every price point—plus a few ways to soften the blow.

• 13th Floor Chicago (Schiller Park): One of the region’s most elaborate haunted attractions. Look for off-peak pricing on weeknights and early-season tickets; promo codes often circulate via email.
• Jack’s Pumpkin Pop-Up (Goose Island): A city-sized pumpkin patch with photo ops, a corn maze, and seasonal bites. Early-bird tickets and weekday entry times tend to be the best value.
• Navy Pier’s Halloween happenings: From lakefront light displays to pier-wide trick-or-treating, the pier often mixes free experiences with ticketed add-ons. Keep tabs on the official events page for 2025 schedule drops.
• Chicago Botanic Garden’s fall festivities (nearby): While not downtown, the garden’s seasonal displays and select events are worth the trip. Watch for member discounts and family bundles.

Where Locals Are Saving on Costumes and Decor

Costumes are half the fun—and half the budget. Here’s how Chicagoans keep it affordable while looking frightfully good:

• Shop late, but smart: The deepest discounts usually hit the final week of October. Go with a flexible idea (vampire, 1920s, sci-fi) so you can grab whatever’s marked down.
• Thrift the essentials: Brown Elephant (Andersonville/Lakeview), Village Discount, and local thrift shops often roll out special racks of costume-friendly pieces—think capes, gloves, blazers, and tulle.
• DIY makeup over masks: A small set of cream paints and setting powder from local beauty stores will outlast a single-use mask and looks better in photos.
• Neighborhood swaps: Community groups on Facebook and Buy Nothing pages regularly share kids’ costumes for free. Post your outgrown sizes and trade locally.

Neighborhood Bites & Spooky Discounts

Seasonal eats and sips are everywhere in October, and many spots add Halloween specials the week of the 31st.

• Bakeries and coffee shops: Stan’s Donuts, Do-Rite, and neighborhood cafes often debut ghostly cookies and pumpkin spice treats. Look for punch-card freebies or app rewards.
• Pizzerias and taquerias: Watch for family bundles and limited-time menu items in Pilsen, Logan Square, and Edgewater—especially on weeknights before the big rush.
• Sweet shops: Candy boutiques along Michigan Avenue and in Lincoln Square sometimes run BOGO offers right before Halloween; late afternoon can be a sweet spot for markdowns.

3 fast ways to stretch your Halloween budget

1. Set a candy limit by block: If you’re in a high-traffic neighborhood, buy in batches and reload only if needed—prevents overbuying.
2. Ride CTA instead of rideshares: Parades and haunted houses mean surge pricing; the Red and Brown Lines are your friends.
3. Bundle plans: Pair a free parade with a weekday haunted house ticket to balance the splurge.

Plan Your Halloween Weekend in Chicago

Here’s a simple playbook that blends free events with paid highlights so you don’t miss the magic:

• Friday: Kick off with a free neighborhood trick-or-treat or a Chicago Park District movie night. Grab discounted candy and decor on your grocery run.
• Saturday: Do photos at Jack’s Pumpkin Pop-Up, then an early dinner at a local spot offering a Halloween special. Night owls can brave 13th Floor Chicago during off-peak hours.
• Sunday: Close it out with Arts in the Dark or the Northalsted Parade. Prep costumes for weekday school or office events and set out a bowl for trick-or-treaters.

Whatever your vibe—costume-crafting, parade-peeping, or haunted-house-hopping—Chicago makes it easy to celebrate without overspending. Keep tabs on neighborhood associations and venue pages as 2025 lineups finalize, and don’t forget to scan for app-only promos the week of Halloween when the best last-minute deals tend to drop. And if you like a little extra thrill, ZipSweep is another fun way for locals to grab daily free prizes—no tickets, no fees, just a quick check-in and a chance to win.