19 Milwaukee Events to Haunt Your Halloween

Halloween. (Pixabay License)

Halloween weekend is creeping closer, and Milwaukee has no shortage of festivities to choose from — whether you’re in search of family-friendly frights or an all-out evening at one of your favorite haunts.

Choose your own Halloween adventure from the following list of activities and events.

A Halloween for “The Last of Us”

Lost Whale is bringing post-outbreak America to Bay View. The cocktail bar, known for its annual Halloween transformation, will offer themed drinks, decorations and entertainment inspired by “The Last of Us,” a video game that became a popular TV show.

The pop-up will take place from Oct. 26-29 at Lost Whale, 2151 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. There is no cover charge and no reservations.

Additional details will be shared to the event’s Facebook page.

Asian Moon Festival & Halloween Extravaganza

A cross-cultural event will celebrate both Halloween and the Asian Moon Festival, fusing traditional practices and holiday fun into one, multi-faceted event.

The 2023 Asian Moon Festival & Halloween Extravaganza, hosted by the Wisconsin Chinese Chamber of Commerce, will include a traditional mooncake tasting and tea ceremony demonstrations alongside pumpkin carving and a costume contest.

The Oct. 29 event will also feature a lineup of cultural performances, as well as food and classic cocktails.

The event will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago St. General admission tickets start at $35.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit the online event page.

Bartendo Pop-Up at Sugar Maple

A pre-Halloween pop-up at Sugar Maple, 441 E. Lincoln Ave., will celebrate the creators behind Mario Kart, Pokemon and Animal Crossing, incorporating local art, limited-edition merch and more into a four-day event starting on Thursday, Oct. 19.

Attendees can expect themed cocktails and decor, on-site food trucks and entertainment including live bands, cartoon marathons and video game tournaments.

Local artists will also get a spotlight during a curated art show and makers market.

For more information, read our earlier coverage.

Boo at the Zoo

The Milwaukee County Zoo will host a lineup “merry not scary” Halloween activities — perfect for families with young children. The event, Boo at the Zoo, will take place Oct. 19 through 22 from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 10001 W. Bluemound Rd.

Attendees can expect trick-or-treating, a light show, science experiments, pumpkin-carving demonstrations and much more. Kids and adults alike are encouraged to arrive in costume.

Tickets are required and must be purchased in advance. To view a full schedule of events and activities, or to purchase tickets, visit Milwaukee County Zoo online.

Boo You Whore

Bad Moon Saloon and Tots on the Street will host a collaborative Halloween bash, Boo You Whore, on Oct. 14. The irreverent event, which takes its title from an oft-quoted “Mean Girls” scene, will feature a drag show, flash tattoos and a costume contest.

Tots on the Street and Sweetly Baked will provide snacks throughout the evening, while Bad Moon Saloon, 4035 S. Clement Ave., serves themed cocktails and ciders.

The event begins at 8 p.m. and is free to attend.

Brady Street Halloween

Come Oct. 28, an onslaught of ghosts, clowns and other creepily-clad creatures will descend on Brady Street for the annual costume contest.

Boasting a hefty cash prize, the contest typically attracts some of the most creative costumes in town.

Participating bars (a full list is available online) will hold preliminary rounds of judging between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. Winners from each bar will head to Jack’s American Pub, where judges will crown three winners at midnight. First prize will take home $1,000, second place will receive $500 and third place will receive $250.

Visit the Brady Street BID website for more information and a look at previous years’ costumes.

Dia de los Muertos at Forest Home Cemetery & Arboretum

Forest Home Cemetery & Arboretum will host a free, family-friendly event on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 2405 W. Forest Home Ave.

The day-long celebration, which honors the traditions of Dia de los Muertos, will kick off at 8:30 a.m. with a 5k run/walk through the picturesque cemetery. The festival, which opens to the public at 10 a.m., will feature food trucks, local vendors, arts and crafts, face painting, traditional music and dance, altars to the dead, community resource booths and more.

Leading up to the festival, families who have loved ones buried at Forest Home are invited to create ofrendas or altars at their graves.

For more a full event schedule, vendor opportunities or to sign up for the 5k, visit the Forest Home Cemetery website.

Fear Garden

From Oct. 24 through 27, Pier Garden will reopen as Fear Garden for a weekend of “ooky spooky cocktails and treats.”

The four-day event will be held at 102 N. Water St., featuring games of spooky bingo, a costume contest and a daily plant sale. A list of specialty cocktails and a food menu by Tall Guy and a Grill Catering will be announced in the coming days.

For more updates and more information, visit the event page on Facebook.

Graveyard Gallery

A Halloween-themed makers market and party, Graveyard Gallery, will take place at Dead Bird Brewing on Saturday, Oct. 21.

Starting at 2 p.m., attendees can peruse a lineup of local vendors while sipping on a craft beer from the brewery, 1726 N. 5th St.

Halloween Bar Crawl

Calling all creepy crawlers — Red Rock Saloon will host the sixth installment of Milwaukee’s annual Halloween Bar Crawl on Friday, Oct. 27 and Saturday, Oct. 28. Participants will receive an entry into the costume contest ($1,000 grand prize), at least two complimentary beverages, waived cover at all venues and access to food and drink specials at participating locations, plus other surprises.

The crawl will kick off at Red Rock Saloon, 1227 N. Water St., with stops at Brother’s Bar & Grill, Drink Wisconsinbly Pub, Duke’s on Water, Lucky Clover, McGillycuddy’s, Mojo Mke, Pourman’s, Red, White and Blue, State Street Pizza Pub, The MECCA Sports Bar and Grill, Third Street Tavern, Taylor’s, Safe House and This Is It!

For a list of specials, after-party information or to purchase tickets, visit the event website.

Haunted Mini Golf

At Nine Below, the only thing scarier than the bogeyman is a bogey. Starting Oct. 19, the East Side mini golf course will be decked out with strobe lights, fog and other haunted decorations for rounds of Halloween-themed mini golf.

The event will take place Oct. 19-22 and 26-31. The course is open for walk-ins only, with hours from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays.

Tickets are $20 per player for general admission, or $45 per player for VIP access. Specialty cocktails and snacks will be available for guests while they play.

Nine Below, 1905 E. North Ave., is open to patrons age 16 and above, but younger golfers (age 10 and above) can join the fun on Sunday, Oct. 22 and 29 for family trick-or-treat haunted mini golf.

For more information, visit Nine Below online.

Nightmare on Center Street

Company Brewing, 735 E. Center St., will play host to a Halloween-themed block party on Oct. 28, featuring a giant inflatable trampoline park, blood bag cocktails and stomach-turning food specials.

The all-day event will begin at 11 a.m. sharp and continue until bar close. Family-friendly activities, including trick-or-treating, kids and pets costume contests and more, will take place during the afternoon and early evening.

Attendees can also expect live music, a makers market, cocktails and beer, along with street food and dinner specials, including “brain” lasagna and “bat wings.”

For more details and a full schedule of activities, visit the event page.

Paint and Sip at Zocalo

For a laid-back evening of alcohol and artistry, look no further than Zocalo Food Park. The Walker’s Point business, 636 S. 6th St., will host a paint-and-sip pop-up on Oct. 31.

Attendees will spend the evening (6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.) completing a guided painting class with instructions in both English and Spanish.

Three tacos are included with the purchase of a $30 ticket. Spooky cocktails can be added on for $8 each. Tickets are available to purchase online.

Riverfront Frights and Fun

The Bridgewater Modern Grill‘s first anniversary falls just a week before Halloween, giving the Benson’s Group restaurant an excuse to throw a dual-purpose party that’s equal parts spooky and celebratory.

The weekend-long event will take place Oct. 20 through 22 at Bridgewater, 2011 S. 1st St., featuring movie nights, live music, themed cocktails and a prix-fixe harvest menu.

On Friday and Saturday at 6:30 p.m., The Bridgewater will show family-friendly Halloween movies on its 245-foot, riverfront patio. The restaurant will also have live music performances during brunch service on Saturday and Sunday.

During dinner service Friday through Sunday, the restaurant will offer  three-course, prix-fixe harvest menus. To start, guests can choose between caesar salad or potato leek soup. Entree choices include cabernet-braised short rib with grilled mushroom and potato puree or shrimp and yellow corn grits with tasso ham creole sauce. For dessert, there’s pumpkin cheesecake with toasted pumpkin seed crumb or flourless chocolate cake with toasted hazelnuts and whipped cream.

A special cocktail menu for the weekend includes a Bloody Sour, Midnight Black Berry Smash and spiked Harvest Cider.

Spooky Camp

Deer Camp has once again transformed into its spooky alter ego for the Halloween season. The downtown bar, 1023 N. Martin Luther King Jr Dr., kicked off a “whole month of fears and frights” on Sept. 29.

The deer-themed bar — known for its over-the-top holiday decorations –has been engulfed by spider webs, skulls and all-around spooky decor.

Last year’s festivities included scary movie trivia, drink specials, DJs and a costume contest.

Information on upcoming events will be shared to the Deer Camp Facebook page.

Halloween and Pizza Movie Nights

Supermoon Beer Company will usher in Halloween with a series of film screenings at its Bay View taproom, 3145 S. Howell Ave., accompanied by fresh pies from Pizza Ortolana The showings will kick off — fittingly — on Friday, Oct. 13. with John Carpenter‘s 1978 “Halloween.”

Subsequent showings will include “The Shining” on Oct. 18, “Beetlejuice” on Oct. 19, “Ghostbusters” on Oct. 25 and “Scream” on Oct. 26.

“Twin Peaks” Drink Menu at Seven Swans

Twin Peaks protagonist Dale Cooper once said, “every day, once a day, give yourself a present.” If you find yourself at Seven Swans this month, gift yourself a drink from the creperie’s “Twin Peaks”-inspired menu.

Offerings such as The Black Lodge (activated charcoal, black sesame syrup, espresso), The Laura Palmer (Rishi Scarlet Tea, lemonade, muddled berries, ginger syrup) and The Fire Walk With Me (urfa biber and cayenne-spiced chocolate sauce, espresso, butcher-ground black peppercorns) pay homage to the cult classic television series, which first aired in 1990.

Make a trip to the creperie, 808 E. Chambers St., before the end of the month to try one of these unusual offerings. While you’re there, don’t miss the Harry Potter-themed butterbeer crepe.

VIA’s Spooktacular Day

VIA CDC is putting on a free day of festivities on Oct. 21. The event will be held at Arlington Heights Park, 3429 W. Pierce St., featuring family-friendly activities, youth resources, local food trucks and a costume contest.

Free candy and pumpkins will be available while supplies last. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Wag Around the Ward

This dog-friendly event invites Historic Third Ward residents and their pets for an afternoon of “howl-o-ween” fun.

Wag Around the Ward is set for Sunday, Oct. 22 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and will include a dog costume contest, dog-friendly vendors and food trucks.

The event will take place at Catalano Square, 147 N. Broadway — in close proximity to dog-friendly businesses including Riley’s Social House and Salty Paws.