The Halloween Gathering

Saturday October 24, 2015 marked a new tradition in Chicago: The first «Halloween Gathering» took place on the Chicago Cultural Mile.
The event consisted of tents scattered in Millennium Park, Grant Park and Maggie Daley Park; and an evening parade along Columbus Drive.
It was the first year, and granted there were a few hiccups: I could not find the TheaTRICKS stage and there were not enough volunteers to help me find it, the parade started about 10 minutes late. But otherwise it was a great event for all ages. The main venue, called the Conjure Creative Tent, had free product samples (Mamma Chia drinks, Smartpop popcorn, and candy corn), free arts and crafts (create masks, lanterns, artwork), live music, and live entertainment. Maggie Daley Park had a kid’s costume procession, dance performances, and hula-​hooping. A couple other booths along the east side of Michigan Ave had things like magicians and tarot card readings.
The nighttime parade was scheduled for 2 hours. The announcer mentioned the parade had 70 floats, but we only stayed for the first hour. There were entries from museums (Art Institute, Field Museum), schools (DePaul University, School of the Art Institute), dance companies (Joffrey Ballet), and various other cultural communities. There were a few marching bands, dance performances, and some cars with interesting hydraulics.
It was great free event and I look forward to see how it will look in years to come!