One of Illinois’ Favorite Small Towns Hosts the Biggest Halloween Parade in 3 States
Grab your costume, gather your family, and make sure you don't miss Illinois' biggest Halloween Parade on October 28, 2023!
Fall Fun in Illinois
Fall is a great time to live in Illinois. The trees are beautiful, the weather is usually pleasant, and there are a TON of fall events, apple orchards, and pumpkin patches to visit and enjoy.
Illinois is not only home to the "Pumpkin Capital of the World", (Morton, IL), but also the largest Halloween Parade in three states as well. The Halloween Parade and Festival that is held each October in Galena, Illinois is something I always have on my fall-fun bucket list, but sadly, I have yet to make it there.
Why have I never experienced Galena's Halloween Parade and Festival before? It's not because my family never visits Galena, we try to go there as often as we are able to. It's because we always have something going on when the parade happens, but I really want to change that in 2023. Now I'm marking the date on my calendar early, and you totally should too!
Have You Been to Galena, IL's Halloween Parade and Festival Before?
Many people I know have seen Galena's Halloween Parade several times, and they are always raving about how cool it is. I've been to Galena in early October several times, so I know the downtown area and all its cute, little shops are dressed to the 9's in their Halloween best, so I can only imagine how spooky it gets for parade time.
What To Expect at the Galena Halloween Parade and Festival
Galena's 2023 Halloween Parade begins at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 28, but there is plenty of fun to be had before the actual parade begins at night! There will be a Kids' Fest at Galena's middle school, a food festival with tons of delicious eats, plenty of spooktacular shopping, (always my favorite thing to do in Galena), and even a Halloween costume contest!
Parking for the Galena Halloween Parade and Festival
Since so many people attend Galena's Halloween Parade and Festival each year, I've heard parking can be quite a nightmare if you don't already have a game plan going in.
A couple of different parking shuttles will be available on the day of the parade according to visitgalena.org;
Free shuttles will be provided from parking areas to Main Street. Shuttles will run beginning at 4:30PM, with last shuttle at 5:45PM from the Walmart parking lot located off of US 20, to Downtown Galena. The cost of a round trip ticket on the shuttle is $5.00 per person for ages 6 and up. You will be given a wrist band to ride the shuttle. If you do not wish to ride the shuttle you can access the public parking areas for free or paid parking.
Here's more Halloween fun up for grabs in Illinois this year...