Orange graphic with large black lettering that says T'Challaween, A South End Tribute to Our Heroes, Saturday, October 30, 2021, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m., Masks Required, Socially Distanced, Vaccines Encouraged, Costume Contest! Free No-Touch Candy! Photobooth! Livestream! Parade route follows Beacon Hill Stay Healthy Street

T’Challaween Parade, Contests, More This Weekend! The Event & How to Enter the Contests

This Saturday, Oct. 30, “T’Challaween — A South End Tribute to Our Heroes” returns for a second year of costumes, candy, contests, and — most importantly — community! 🎃

Learn how to enter the costume and (our inaugural) “Spookiest House” contests.
👻 🏠 🏆

by Emerald Staff


The South Seattle Emerald’s second-annual socially distant costume parade, T’Challaween, takes place again this year along the Beacon Hill Stay Healthy Street — beginning on 18th Avenue South South College Street and ending at Jefferson Park (via the South Spokane Street entrance) — on Saturday, Oct. 30.

(Note that the Stay Health Street will not be closed for this event. Vehicle traffic is permitted — local access only. We’ll be there to help keep everyone safe — so please follow directions from event staff!)

Paraders: Arrive whenever and wherever you like! Enter the parade at any point along the one-mile route — no need to traverse the full mile to participate. Additionally, arrive any time between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.! Candy tossers stationed along the route will shower you with sweetness.

The parade ends at Jefferson Park where the South End Public Market will feature local arts, crafts, and goods from talented neighborhood artisans. Plus, check out the livestream in the park featuring live entertainment — including performances by Shaina Shepherd, Chris King, Da Qween, and more! All event details are on our T’Challaween web page.

👻 Costume Contest

Kids of Color dressed up in Halloween costumes against a purple background with Black Panther character repeating pattern.
Photographer Jovelle Tamayo captured this image of children in Halloween costumes and we put some Black Panthers behind it.

Bringing your A-game to the costume parade?

You work hard on your costumes, so we encourage you to enter this year’s costume contest by making your way to the T’Challaween banner at Jefferson Park (near the parade’s end) where we’ll have our photo “booth” set up (on Saturday, Oct. 30, 1–4 p.m.). At the photo booth, a staff member will ask if you want to enter and — if so — write down your name/contact info. And that’s it! (Must be present to enter.)

Read on for info about prizes and winner announcements!

🏠 “Spookiest House” Contest

The front porch of a white/beige house decorated for Halloween with paper skeletons and carved pumpkins.
A house decorated all spooky-like for Halloween (image attributed to AgnosticPreachersKid on Wikimedia; used here under CC BY-SA license).

Is your house the spookiest in all of South Seattle? 

Snap a picture of your spooky house (apartment, bedroom — wherever you call home!) to enter our “Spookiest House” contest for a chance win cool prizes!

We’re not looking for giant inflatables (those are cool tho). If you live/work/play in the South End, we want to see your creativity! Bag up those leaves and make ghosties; carve some cardboard into a ghoulie graveyard; light up your jack-o’-lanterns. Then post a pic to Facebook or Instagram and use the hashtag #tchallaween2021 (be sure to spell it right!).

Make sure you respond if we comment on your post so we can contact you if you’re a winner! Enter the “Spookiest House” contest by Sunday, Oct. 31, at 11:59 p.m.  

🏆 Prizes!

A purple graphic with black lettering and graphic overlay that says "T’Challaween 2021" with a stylized Marvel's Black Panther face. Also says "Contest Winner: Your Name Here" and "Awarded for..." and "A South End Tribute to Our Heroes"
Limited-edition T’Challaween 2021 commemorative poster.

Contest winners will receive prize packs with fun stuff like Marvel’s Black Panther masks, pins, toys, plus sparkly Emerald “gems,” a How Kids Feel #BLM Picture Protest poster (signed by the photographer!), and more. All winners will also receive a limited-edition commemorative T’Challaween 2021 11×17 poster with their name hand-written on it (plus bragging rights for all time!). 

We’ll post the winners of both contests on our social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) and include them in a special South Seattle Emerald article.  

Photographer Sharon Ho Chang took portraits of kids who wanted to participate in the 2020 summer protests and created this poster collage (featured in the TChallaween contest prize packs).

See you in community!


📸 Featured Image: T’Challaween 2021 promotional artwork (collaborative design by Nikki Barron and Jessie McKenna).

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