Rock Your Pride at These LGBTQIA+ Halloween Events – Thrillist

After a year without trick-or-treating or costume contests, our appetite for Halloween parties is ravenous. Pumpkin spice is nice and all, but October just isn’t the same without body paint and sexy superhero outfits. For LGBTQIA+ revelers especially, it’s a beloved, inclusive holiday worth celebrating — an apt opportunity to dabble in drag, wear as much makeup as you’d like, and lean into Hocus Pocus cosplay without anybody batting an eye. From a retro-themed block party in south Florida to a bear weekend in Provincetown, queer-friendly Halloween events are back on the calendar this year. So get your cute costumes ready and have a ball at these fetes.

Have a wicked good time in Wilton Manors, Florida

Come October 31, Wilton Manors transforms into Wicked Manors, an evening of frivolity, themed costumes, and outdoor dancing. An annual tradition in Florida’s most LGBTQIA-friendly small town, the event is a sprawling street party along Wilton Drive filled with dancing, drinks, music, and queer revelry. Even better, all proceeds benefit The Pride Center. The event starts out as a family-friendly one with kids’ trick-or-treating at 5 pm and a kids costume contest at 6:30 pm. But things quickly get mature with the sexiest costume contest at 7:30 pm; and from there, the night goes on with additional contests like best group costume and best theme costume. This year’s theme is “Turn Back Time,” so prepare to get retro in Florida’s gayest small town.

Celebrate with Dolly Parton (kinda) in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

For queer people, Dolly Parton is a veritable fairy godmother (and a literal angel), so when Dollywood throws a harvest festival, we don’t ask questions, we just follow the glow of the giant pumpkins. A wholesome queer-friendly affair, Dollywood Harvest Festival and LumiNights is a monthlong spree of daytime fun and nighttime lights at the amusement park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. From September 24 through October 30, the Halloween-y offerings include larger-than-life art sculptures, glowing lights, cute pumpkin cookies, and live outdoor music across 10 stages and 800 concerts — fingers crossed for a surprise appearance from queen Dolly herself. The main attraction, though, are the colossal pumpkins, which are whimsically carved and scattered throughout the park, clocking in at up to 1,500 pounds each (think mutant gourds). Come nightfall, the pumpkins — and the entire park — are illuminated, and Dolly herself narrates the scene over park speakers, so even if you don’t get to meet her in person, she’s with you in spirit.

Vie for costume contest glory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Come one, come all (especially if you’re queer) to Philadelphia’s longstanding Halloween party presided over by jeweler Henri David, a veritable Elton John of Philly’s over-the-top gay party scene known for his eccentric costumes and equally eccentric shindigs. Every Halloween since 1968, this LGBTQIA+ ball has gathered some of the flashiest costumes in the city, each vying to win in categories like Most Horrifying, Most Believable Female Impersonator, Most Sensual Fantasy, and Most Hysterical. (If you play your cards right, you just might win all of the above.) Held at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown on October 30 at 9 pm, the ball features hours of decadent dancing and drag queens before the contest conclusion at midnight.

Become queen of Carnavale in Palm Springs, California

On Halloween night, Arenas Road in Palm Springs transforms into a raucous wonderland of drag performances, dancing, DJ tunes, and a gigantic costume contest where the winner is crowned “Queen of the Carnavale.” The thoroughfare is closed to traffic from 4-10 pm on October 31 to make way for the costume contest on the main stage, a block party, and performances from the likes of Marina Mac, Keisha D & Hearts of Soul, and Pulp Vixen. After the queer shenanigans subside, make your way to any number of gay bars in the area to keep the party going at hot spots like Hunters Nightclub or Chill Bar for late-night tater tots and martinis.

Make your Halloween fantasies come true in Key West, Florida

An evergreen destination for queer-friendly fun, Key West is an eccentric, colorful, boozy wonderland all year long for people from all walks of life, but Fantasy Fest takes the Floridian shenanigans to a whole new level. Described as a “10-day party in paradise for grown-ups,” the late-October event has been a saucy staple since 1979 when it started as a way to drum up tourism during the slow season. Nowadays, it’s a Mardi Gras-level melee of sexy costumes, colorful parades, body paint, street fairs, rubber ducky-filled pool parties, and the fan-fave Masquerade March, a roving cocktail party where folks are encouraged to dress in their wackiest costumes and trick-or-treat for booze. This year’s fest takes place October 22-31, and while some of the events are family-friendly, many are geared towards adults who aren’t afraid to get a little risqué — like the Kinky Carnival, a party with fetish rooms and interactive BDSM stations, where kinky costumes are required, or the gay-centric Tops or Bottoms underwear party at Bourbon St. Pub.

Live your hairy story in Provincetown, Massachusetts

Provincetown is well regarded as one of the most popular LGBTQIA holiday destinations in the US, and though summer events like Bear Week garner the largest crowds, Halloween is prime time for hairy fun. Spooky Bear Weekend is an annual fete with different themes (this year: American Hairy Story) and all kinds of events from October 28-31, like the Haunted Tea Dance, ghost tours, and the Saints and Sinners Costume Ball. Though the weekend is billed as an attraction for gay bears, all are welcome, including families for more G-rated activities during the day, like trick-or-treating and not-so-scary haunted houses.

Party for a cause in Los Angeles, California

Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees are horror icons and notorious fictional killers, but they also love sexy gay Halloween parties. The duo is the inspiration behind Los Angeles’ 15th annual Fred & Jason’s Halloweenie, taking place October 29 at the Belasco Theater, where they trade their machetes and razor fingers for tighty whities and leather harnesses. A major annual fundraiser for the local LGBTQIA+ community, proceeds from this year’s event benefit Project Angel Food, which prepares and delivers meals to people with HIV/AIDS and other serious illnesses. So go ahead and feel extra good about wearing your skimpy costume and dancing until 3 am. Costumes are required for this adults-only bash, which sports two dance floors, Halloween-themed drinks, and performances, so dress up like a sexy slasher star and get ready to party for a cause.

Sex up your favorite superheroes in Detroit, Michigan

Get your Wonder Woman costume ready, because a duo of queer-focused Halloween parties in the Detroit area will provide plenty of opportunity for suggestive superhero attire. Taking place October 29 and October 30, Necto Pride and Thots & Prayers are back to back parties in Ann Arbor and Detroit, respectively. It starts with THOT-O-WEEN at Necto Nightclub, where costumes are encouraged and shirtless DJs spin tunes into the witching hour. The next night, it’s A Superhero Halloween party presented by Thots & Prayers at TV Lounge in Detroit. Again, costumes are encouraged, and considering the wide array of iconic gay superheroes and supervillains to choose from (Robin, Poison Ivy, Spider-Man, Batman’s nipple costume), it’s sure to be a night of festive frivolity.

Rock the Halloween Block Party in Dallas, Texas

After last year’s hiatus, the gigantic Oaklawn Halloween Block Party is back in Dallas. Held the Saturday before Halloween (in this case, October 23 from 7 pm until 2 am) on the 3900 block of Cedar Springs, the massive, free-to-attend, costumes-encouraged street party promises lots of music, beer, food booths, and performances from Rose Room drag queens. All ages are welcome at the street party, but if you’re looking to break away for some adults-only debauchery, neighborhood counter western gay bar The Round-Up Saloon will be decked out with fun Halloween decorations and the dance floor will be lit ’til 2 am.