Parade of Lost Souls Returns to East Van on Halloween Night
Last year the Parade of Lost Souls held its procession on November 1, which is a bit like throwing the surprise party the day after the birthday. This year it's back on the night itself: the Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret's official page lists the parade for Saturday, October 31, 2026, from 7 to 10pm, under the theme Trickster's Treat, and 604 Now included it in its Halloween weekend listings on October 28.
What changed this year
Two things make this year easier to plan. The date is the actual holiday, and the starting point is published ahead of time: the organiser's page and 2026 poster have processions departing from the corner of Vernon and Napier, where last year's poster held the location back until midnight before the parade. The page does still promise a new collaboration reveal after midnight on October 31, so check it before you leave the house. The family-friendly Parade of Little Souls goes first at 7pm, and the main processions follow on the hour at 8 and 9pm.
What it costs, and why the donation matters
Watching costs nothing, but the organisers ask for a $10 suggested donation per person, and they're upfront that the parade runs on community money: permits, insurance, security and artist fees add up to many tens of thousands of dollars a year. We can't think of a cheaper Halloween night out that still feels like an event, and $20 for two buys music, performance and a carnival band rather than a fog machine in a parking lot.
The 2026 poster lists a ticketed after-party at Strange Fellows Brewery, 1345 Clark Drive, from 10pm to 2am, with tickets sold through the Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret's site and a warning that it will sell out. The page itself says more after-party details are coming, so treat the poster as the plan and the website as the final word.
How we'd do it as a date
Leave the 7pm slot to the small trick-or-treaters and aim for the 9pm procession; the dark does the decorating, and it lands you at the after-party's 10pm start with no awkward gap to fill. Costumes are optional, though this is a crowd that takes them seriously. If you want to show up matching, the poster lists costume sales at the cabaret's studio every Friday in October from 4 to 6pm, which makes October 30 the last chance. Eat beforehand on Commercial Drive, dress for an October evening outdoors before you dress clever, and pick a meeting spot in case the crowd splits you up.
Who should skip it? Anyone who wants a seat and a heated room. For that, Science World's 19+ After Dark on October 30 is our indoor pick for the same weekend. Everyone else: bring a tenner each and let the tricksters do the rest.
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