Here’s some last minute information on anyone planning on coming into Los Angeles for the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval.
First and foremost, arrive early! There’s tons of great things that can be done in the general vicinity. Restaurants line Santa Monica Blvd, as well as Melrose to the south and Sunset Blvd to the north. If you have an elaborate costume and need time to prep and prepare, it may not be too late to get a local room. Look into walkable nearby hotels like The London West Hollywood Hotel, The Best Western Sunset Plaza, Sunset Marquis, Mondrian and The Andaz.
Parking will be nearly non-existent in the general vicinity as it gets closer to the start time of 6PM. Many visitors might have to park east of Fairfax and walk down the boulevard to reach the official entrance area of La Cienega. On the west side of the parade, one will be entering into the city of Beverly Hills. Read the signs, for parking here can be very restrictive. The scariest part of the night can be the traffic. Remember, it will be you, and about 499,999 other participants. Because Santa Monica Boulevard is a major thoroughfare, and it’s completely closed off, expect unbelievable gridlock on side streets like Beverly, Melrose, Fountain and Sunset. A few years back, it literately took over 2-hours to drive from The Beverly Hills Hotel to La Cienega on the Sunset Strip. This same drive would normally take about 5 minutes. So again, don’t risk your Halloween fun by sitting in traffic…get here early and enjoy all that West Hollywood has to offer!
Halloween in West Hollywood
More on the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval from their website. One of the most important notes below, DON’T BRING KIDS OR PETS! It’s not a place for either. Every year, hundreds of strollers with infants try to make their way through the crowds, and it’s just not a safe venue for kids. Pets also get lost underfoot and stepped on repeatedly with wall to wall people:
West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval
Located on Santa Monica Boulevard between Doheny Drive and La Cienega Boulevard, West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval takes over the street on October 31 from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Don’t worry, the parties continue inside nearby venues well into the night.
While the street party is free (no tickets required) and open to the public, we recommend leaving the kids and pets at home. Between large crowds and potential nip-slips, this celebration can be a bit on the naughty side.
Alcohol isn’t served or allowed on the street, so be sure to patronize the participating bars lining Santa Monica Boulevard. Rest assured, however, there will be killer drink specials to sustain your celebratory buzz all evening long. You can get your grub on at the many food trucks parked along the street—cheers to drunchies.
If the people-watching doesn’t sufficiently entertain, there are multiple music stages along the boulevard blasting live sets and DJ tracks.
All this being said, the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval really is a blast, and the biggest Halloween street party in the world.
Note: Glitterati Tours conducts private L.A. sightseeing tours on Halloween, but we stick to the morning hours this particular day due to traffic.
