PHOTOS! Large Pre-Halloween Crowds Hit West Hollywood on Saturday Night

Halloween is days away, but that didn’t stop large crowds from hitting West Hollywood’s LGBT Rainbow District for some pre-Halloween nightlife fun on Santa Monica Boulevard this past Saturday night. The city is bracing itself for the return of the WeHo Halloween Carnaval on October 31, 2023, which will like draw over 100,000 people to the heart of WeHo.

People dressed up this weekend and waited in long lines to get into clubs like Schmitty’s, Micky’s WeHo, Rocco’s and the Abbey Food & Bar–all of which are fully decked out in the Halloween spirit with spider webs, skeletons and ghouls. The bars and clubs all had Halloween themed events in preparation for one of West Hollywood’s biggest nights of the the year next to the WeHo Pride festivities.

PHOTOS! Large Pre-Halloween Crowds Hit West Hollywood on Saturday Night. #wehotimes #weho #westhollywood #wehohalloween #Halloween2023 #Halloween https://t.co/va0kKbJqgx pic.twitter.com/rIzItYHO5i

— WEHO TIMES (@WEHO_TIMES) October 29, 2023

Photos by Mike Pingel for WEHO TIMES (click to enlarge).

The crowds only grew by 12:30 am, compared to 10:30. Some people didn’t bother going into the bars and just paraded themselves up and down the Boulevard to see the costumes and be seen.

There was also a lot of police presence last night with Los Angeles County sheriff deputies on patrol at various hot spots on the Boulevard. Incidents included the occasional street fight and some inebriated individuals collapsing on the street and needing medical attention. A full report will be available post Halloween.

Then there was the traffic.

Santa Monica Boulevard was backed up from La Cienega Boulevard to Robertson with traffic jams as people crowded the sidewalks and sometimes spilled onto the street.

It will only be more crowded this coming Tuesday as the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval returns after three years.

Photos by Paulo Murillo for WEHO TIMES (click to enlarge).

The Halloween event is free to attend and will take place 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on a one-mile stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard between N. Doheny Drive and N. La Cienega Boulevard.

The Halloween Carnaval will feature a stage at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and N. San Vicente Boulevard with a live DJ set, food trucks, and thousands of wildly dressed Halloween revelers for a one-of-a-kind experience.

There will also be Halloween celebrations at businesses, bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues throughout the City!

The City invites Halloween Carnaval-goers to get into the spirit and show-off costumes by uploading photos to social media sites with the hashtag #wehohalloween.

To ensure a safe Halloween Carnaval for everyone, the City of West Hollywood and the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station remind attendees about important safety guidelines:

• No alcohol or public drinking will be allowed
• No backpacks, camera cases, tote bags, etc. will be permitted (clear plastic bags will be allowed)
• No weapons, fireworks, or drones will be tolerated
• Kids and pets are strongly discouraged
• Carnaval-goers remember: If You See Something, Say Something.

West Hollywood Park facilities impacts/closures will occur as follows:

• West Hollywood Park will be closed from 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, October 31, 2023 through 7 a.m. Wednesday, November 1, 2023.
• West Hollywood Park small and large dog parks and basketball courts will be closed from 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, October  31, 2023 through 7 a.m. Wednesday, November 1, 2023.
• West Hollywood Park Five-Story Parking Structure will be closed all day on Tuesday, October 31, 2023; the structure will reopen on Wednesday, November 1, 2023 at 7 a.m.

Street closures associated with Halloween Carnaval are, as follows:

• N. San Vicente Boulevard between Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue from 12:01 a.m. on October 31, 2023 to no later than 7 a.m. on November 1, 2023.  All alleyways between Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue from 12:01 a.m. on October 31, 2023 to no later than 7 a.m. on November 1, 2023.
• Santa Monica Boulevard between N. Croft Avenue/ Holloway Drive and N. Doheny Drive from 10 a.m. on October 31, 2023 through 6 a.m. on November 1, 2023.
• La Cienega Boulevard between Holloway Drive and Willoughby Avenue from 10 a.m. October 31, 2023 to 6 a.m. on November 1, 2023.
• N. San Vicente Boulevard between Santa Monica Boulevard and Cynthia Street from 10 a.m. on October 31, 2023 through 6 a.m. on November 1, 2023.
• N. Robertson Boulevard between Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue from 10 a.m. on October 31, 2023 through 6 a.m. on November 1, 2023.
• N. La Peer Drive between Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue from 10 a.m. on October 31, 2023 through 6 a.m. on November 1, 2023.
• N. Almont Drive between Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue from 10 a.m. on October 31, 2023 through 6 a.m. on November 1, 2023.
• Sunset Boulevard eastbound and westbound turn lanes onto southbound La Cienega Boulevard from 10 a.m. on October 31, 2023 through 6 a.m. on November 1, 2023.

The City will lift residential permit parking Citywide between 11 a.m. on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, and 12 p.m. on Wednesday, November 1, 2023.

Cityline Commuter and Local routes will be closed west of Kings Road on October 31, 2023.  Cityline Flex and Local will end service at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, October 31, 2023.  Regular Cityline routes and services will resume on November 1, 2023.

The PickUp and Cityline will offer service from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. for West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval.  Combined services will operate from Kings Road to La Brea Avenue, and connecting to Hollywood/Highland Metro station from 5 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.  The PickUp will continue to operate until 3 a.m. between Kings Road and La Brea Avenue.

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) bus lines that connect to the City of West Hollywood include 4, 10, 30/330, 105, 212/312, 217, and 218. More information regarding lines and route changes is available at www.metro.net.

The City has approved the waiver of Special Event Permit fees, Encroachment Permit fees, and basic Los Angeles County Fire Department site plan review fees on behalf of City businesses hosting Halloween events from October 27 through October 31, in celebration of Halloween.  Application deadline is on Monday, October 16, 2023.  For more information please visit the Neighborhood and Business Safety Division – Special Event Permits.