Dallas is getting two full weekends of Halloween this year, and if you’re trying to decide when to pull out the big costume, the answer may simply be: both.
- Getting around for the Oaklawn block party
The traditional Oak Lawn Halloween Block Party returns Saturday, October 24, 2026, taking over the Cedar Springs Strip one week before Halloween itself. Then on Saturday, October 31, another round of parties, costume contests and major DJ events will give DFW a second Halloween night.
For Dallas’ LGBTQ+ community, October is shaping up to end with one very busy week.
Oak Lawn Halloween Block Party — Saturday, October 24
The main event starts at 7 p.m. Saturday, October 24 around the 3900 block of Cedar Springs Road, centered around Station 4, JR’s Bar & Grill, The Mining Company and nearby venues.
The official Halloween Block Party site describes the event as free and 18+, with cocktails limited to guests 21 and older. The night is expected to include live music, drag performances, DJs and the always-popular costume runway.
This is the night when Cedar Springs tends to become one giant costume parade. You’ll see everything from elaborate creations that clearly took weeks to build to groups who somehow decided on their costumes approximately 20 minutes before leaving home.
Either way, Halloween on the Strip is one of those Dallas traditions where people-watching can be every bit as entertaining as whatever is happening on stage.
The party also stretches through the parking areas around the Caven venues and toward Dallas Woody’s, putting much of the OakLawn entertainment district right in the middle of the celebration.
Saturday, Oct. 24
Starts: 7 p.m.
Where: 3900 Block of Cedar Springs Road, Dallas
Admission: Free
Age: 18+; 21+ for alcoholic beverages
But Halloween Isn’t Over: The Big Night Is Saturday, October 31
Having the Block Party a week early creates something Dallas doesn’t get every year: Halloween itself falls on a Saturday, giving everyone a second excuse to dress up.
Several of the biggest Oak Lawn costume contests are scheduled for Halloween night.
Round-Up Saloon Halloween Costume Contest
Across Cedar Springs, Round-Up Saloon will hold its Halloween costume contest on Saturday, October 31.
Round-Up is advertising $1,000 in cash prizes, split into two audience-voted categories:
- Best Solo Costume — $500
- Best Group Costume — $500
The venue lists the event as 21+, with free parking and a $10 cover after 10 p.m. Round-Up also notes restrictions on large bags, weapons and large costume props, so keep that in mind if your costume involves something enormous.
And considering how seriously some people take Halloween costumes in Oak Lawn, expect some competition.
Caven’s Halloween Costume Contest Finale at S4
The Caven venues are also planning their own Halloween competition across the Strip on October 31.
Pre-registration is scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m., with contests taking place across JR’s, TMC, Sue Ellen’s, CheatCode and S4 before the finals at midnight at Station 4.
More than $1,000 in cash and prizes is being advertised for the competition.
That means anyone who missed the Block Party costume runway — or has another look waiting in the closet — gets another chance to show it off one week later.
HUGEL Brings “Make The Girls Dance” to DFW on Halloween
If your Halloween plans lean more toward house music than costume contests, HUGEL is also coming to DFW on October 31. If you heard the biggest club hit of the Summer of 2026 it was Ultra Nate and HUGEL “Movin’ to the Sun”.
The French DJ and producer will bring HUGEL Presents: Make The Girls Dance to The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving, with the show scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Saturday, October 31.
It gives dance-music fans another major option before heading into Dallas later that night — or it can be the Halloween destination all by itself.
With HUGEL on the lineup, this one should appeal especially to fans of house, Latin-influenced dance music and the international club sound that has become a major part of his sets.
The Church Celebrates Halloween on Halloween at It’ll Do
For something considerably darker, The Church is doing Halloween exactly where you would expect The Church to be on Halloween: on a dance floor.
The legendary Dallas alternative nightlife institution will present Halloween On Halloween at It’ll Do Club on Elm Street.
The October 31 event runs from 8 p.m. until 2 a.m. and features Lord Byron and Red Vamp. The event is listed as 21+.
If your Halloween aesthetic is more goth, industrial, darkwave and black eyeliner than cowboy boots and Cedar Springs, this may be your stop.
And it is hard to imagine a more appropriate night of the year to experience The Church.
Two Saturdays, One Very Big Dallas Halloween
The calendar lined up nicely for Dallas in 2026.
Saturday, October 24 brings the huge Oak Lawn Halloween Block Party to Cedar Springs.
Then Saturday, October 31 brings Halloween night itself, including Round-Up’s costume contest, the Caven costume contest finals at S4, HUGEL at Toyota Music Factory and The Church at It’ll Do.
In other words, don’t put the costume away after the Block Party.
You may need it again seven days later.
Halloween 2026 DFW Quick Guide
Saturday, October 24
- Oak Lawn Halloween Block Party
- 3900 block of Cedar Springs
- Starts at 7 p.m.
- Free admission
- 18+; 21+ for cocktails
Saturday, October 31
- Round-Up Saloon Halloween Costume Contest — $1,000 in prizes
- Caven Halloween contests — finals at midnight at S4
- HUGEL: Make The Girls Dance — Toyota Music Factory, 6 p.m.
- The Church: Halloween On Halloween — It’ll Do Club, 8 p.m.–2 a.m.
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