The East Side will host a Halloween happening at the end of the month – and where better to have it than the neighborhood feature named after black cats.

Indeed, The East Side will throw a festively freaky – and, most importantly, free – Halloween dance party in Black Cat Alley on Saturday, Oct. 29. Starting at 7 p.m., the free open-air art gallery will come to life with throwback dance jams from DJ Fuzzy Logic and TJK, along with tarot card readings, a costume contest for adults and an outdoor bar.

“Black Cat Alley is such a cool space. Festival goers had such a fun time during Summer Soulstice, and we wanted to recreate the atmosphere," said East Side executive director David Smulyan. "We are excited to host this Halloween event that has activities for all ages. Going into 2023, we are planning to activate the Alley on a regular basis for all sorts of musical and art events as well as a variety of special occasion events.”

The East Side's spooky season shenanigans that Saturday won't be limited to the Black Cat Alley. The family-friendly festivities will actually take place throughout the day in locations around the neighborhood, with both a children's costume contest and a dog costume contest – complete with a food truck for pups – at Crossroads Collective, a cookie pop-up, crafting at the Milwaukee Public Library's East Branch and build-your-own scarecrows in Black Cat Alley.

For more information on all the Halloween hijinks, visit The East Side's website or Black Cat Alley's website. And for even more spooky season fun, check out our guide to Halloween pop-up bars and events this month.