Halloween in Chicago

BEST DATE NEWS

Oct. 31, 2024: Best Date News Volume #98

Welcome to Best Date News, your favorite Chicago weekly newsletter! Topics for today include the Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade, most popular Halloween costumes, Barnes & Noble and The Fresh Market grand openings, suburbs openings and closings and more!

Oct. 31: National Holidays

• Halloween

• National Caramel Apple Day

• National Doorbell Day

• National Knock Knock Joke Day

• National Magic Day

Chicago News

• Haunted Halsted: The 27th annual Haunted Halsted Parade takes place tonight, Thursday, Oct. 31 from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. The parade kicks off from Halsted and Belmont at 7:30 p.m., admission is free and all ages are welcome to attend. It’s been rated as one of the 10 Best Halloween Celebrations in the U.S.! Get all the parade information.

• Noel State Bank Building: The famous Vitamin Vault Walgreens at the beautiful Noel State Bank building in Wicker Park officially has a new tenant as Barnes & Noble had its grand opening yesterday morning. You may recall that the Walgreens closed back at the end of January 2023, and the building has been closed ever since. We were live on the scene for the opening festivities to get you a first look inside.

• Google Chicago: Another iconic piece of Chicago architecture is in the midst of a renovation as the former Thompson Center, and future home of Google, in the Loop is in full construction mode right now. However, progress is being made and a new rendering by the team at Google shows their vision for the future. And there is good news. The atrium will be open to the public not just tenants!

• Amazon Grocery: Google isn’t the only tech giant taking over the city. The first ever Amazon Grocery just opened, and it’s in Chicago. The new small-format grocery concept took over the first floor space underneath the Whole Foods in River North. This is a separate concept from Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go that the company is piloting here in Chicago.

• The Fresh Market: In other grocery store and grand opening news, The Fresh Market has replaced the Dom’s Kitchen & Market that had closed down in Lincoln Park in April at the corner of Halsted and Diversey. It’s the first ever Chicago location for the store but fifth in Illinois. The grand opening took place yesterday, but celebrity chef Carla Hall will be there today sampling her newest dessert creation from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

• Suburbs Openings & Closings: Toys ‘R’ Us is making a comeback, as the iconic toy store that every 90s kid knows and loves is reopening brick-and-mortar stores across the country. The first one just opened in the Chicago suburbs. In other suburbs news, Michael Jordan’s Steak House in Oak Brook announced this morning that that they are closing their doors on December 21 after seven years. And lastly, the Polar Express Train won’t return to Chicago’s Union Station this year but will also be headed to the suburbs.

Halloween Central

• Halloween Costumes: Are you curious which Halloween costumes are most popular this year? Google Trends has put together Google Frightgeist, a tool that has ranked the top 25 most popular Halloween costume based on their search data. They also have lists for kid, dog and couple costumes plus lists on popular makeup looks, party themes, spooky foods and Halloween decor.

• Guy Fieri: Speaking of Halloween costumes, you could dress up as the Mayor of Flavortown USA and then meet him the next day! Guy Fieri, aka the face of Food Network, will be in Chicago tomorrow, Nov. 1 at Binny’s Bucktown from 5 to 7 p.m. to sign autographs and promote his tequila brand.

• Zombie House: We found one of Chicago’s coolest, and creepiest, decorated Halloween houses. It’s located in Ravenswood and is called Alive Inside. There are 15 handmade zombies all put together with duct tape. Rumor has it that the zombie apocalypse takes place on Halloween night.

Poll Question of the Week

Last Newsletter's Poll Results

Poll Results: Last newsletter we asked you which weekend was best to celebrate Halloween on out at the bars. 77% of you said that Oct. 25 & 26 (last weekend) was the move over Nov. 1 & 2 (this weekend).

Today's Sunrise & Sunset in Chicago

Here is today’s outlook for sunrise and sunset in Chicago:

• Sunrise: 7:22 a.m. (8 minutes later than last week)

• Sunset: 5:45 p.m. (9 minutes earlier than last week)

• Daylength: 10:22:44 (17 minutes 51 seconds shorter than last week)

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