The City of West Hollywood is set to host the annual WeHo Halloween Carnaval–one of the largest, most creative Halloween carnivals in the world.
The WeHo Halloween Carnaval is taking place on Wednesday, October 31, from 6pm to 11pm, on a one-mile stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard between Doheny Drive and La Cienega Boulevard on the Historic Route 66. The WeHo Halloween Carnaval will feature several areas with live DJs, dancing, live entertainment and wildly dressed crowds for a one-of-a-kind experience.
“The City of West Hollywood’s annual Halloween Carnaval is always wonderful,” said West Hollywood Mayor John J. Duran. “Each year, thousands of people plan for weeks, even months, ahead of time to imagine and create incredible costumes. The joy of the crowd is endlessly entertaining and the event is a terrific reflection of West Hollywood’s creative community.”
Mayor Duran and members of the West Hollywood City Council will host a brief program at approximately 9 p.m. at the San Vicente Stage located at the intersection of Santa Monica and San Vicente Boulevards.
In order to ensure a safe Halloween Carnaval for everyone, the City of West Hollywood and the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station are reminding 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); and no weapons, fireworks, or drones will be tolerated. Kids and pets are strongly discouraged. Festival-goers should remember — If You See Something, Say Something.
Due to the Halloween Carnaval, the two dog parks at West Hollywood Park will be closed at 12 a.m. on Wednesday, October 31, 2018 and will re-open at 6 a.m. on Thursday, November 1, 2018.
There will be street closures in West Hollywood on Wednesday, October 31, 2018 and the morning of Thursday, November 1, 2018. Main closures are:
San Vicente Boulevard between Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue from 12 a.m. on Wednesday, October 31, 2018 to no later than 7 a.m. on Thursday, November 1, 2018;
Santa Monica Boulevard between La Cienega Boulevard and Holloway Drive/Croft Avenue from 6 a.m. on Wednesday, October 31, 2018 through 6 a.m. on Thursday, November 1, 2018; Santa Monica Boulevard between Doheny Drive and La Cienega Boulevard and all side streets will be closed from 12 p.m. on Wednesday, October 31, 2018 to 6 a.m. on Thursday, November 1, 2018; and La Cienega Boulevard between Holloway Drive and Melrose Avenue from 4 p.m. on Wednesday, October 31, 2018 to 6 a.m. on Thursday, November 1, 2018.
The City will suspend permit parking restrictions for the WeHo Halloween Carnaval from 11 a.m. on Wednesday, October 31, 2018 to 12 p.m. on Thursday, November 1, 2018. Parking meters will be waived citywide from 6 p.m. on Wednesday, October 31, 2018 to 2 a.m. on Thursday, November 1, 2018. Carnaval-goers are reminded to observe the boundaries of West Hollywood. If parking occurs in the City of Los Angeles or in the City of Beverly Hills, all parking restrictions must be strictly observed. Public parking will be available at lots throughout the City for a fee; lot location and price information is posted on the City’s website at www.weho.org/halloween.
The City encourages Carnaval-goers to leave cars at home, to carpool, or to use public transportation options. Metro offers several transit options to get to West Hollywood. A trip planner is available at www.metro.net.
The City will offer Carnaval-goers three free transit options to help get to and from the carnaval:
Cityline (Modified Service) — Cityline Commuter, which connects riders to and from the Metro Red Line Station in Hollywood, will run a modified route between Hollywood and Highland and Santa Monica Boulevard/Kings Road from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.;
Hollywood Link (Special Cityline Service to and from La Brea Only) — Hollywood Link will run from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. between Hollywood and Highland and Santa Monica Boulevard/La Brea Avenue. (Connect to The PickUp’s Special Service from the stop at La Brea, on the south side of the street, to reach the Halloween Carnaval); and
The PickUp (Special Service) — The PickUp will run from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. along Santa Monica Boulevard and will stop at all regular eastbound stops between Sweetzer Avenue/La Brea Avenue. Once the PickUp reaches its La Brea Avenue stop, it will take an express route west toward the Halloween Carnaval via Melrose Avenue to its special Halloween stop on Kings Road/Santa Monica Boulevard. From 11 p.m. to 3 a.m., The PickUp will only run eastbound from Kings Road/Santa Monica Boulevard to La Brea Avenue/Santa Monica Boulevard.
Additional information will be posted on the website for The PickUp at www.wehopickup.com and for Cityline at www.weho.org/cityline.
The WeHo Halloween Carnaval 2018 is organized by the City of West Hollywood and produced with Authentic, a branded entertainment and experiential marketing agency that has enjoyed a successful partnership around Halloween Carnaval and other City events for many years.
The City of West Hollywood’s Halloween Carnaval was launched in 1987 and is rooted in the foundation of the City of West Hollywood’s diverse culture and community. Each year, the event is a gathering of phenomenal costumes, entertainment, culture, and self-expression with a myriad of observers, revelers, exhibitionists, and performers. People come from all over the region to take part in the fun.
The City invites Carnaval-goers to get into the spirit and show-off costumes by uploading photos to social media sites with the hashtag #wehohalloween.
For additional information about the WeHo Halloween Carnaval, call (323) 848-6503. To contact the City’s Communications staff during the event, please call Sheri Lunn at (213) 503-8109; Joshua Schare at (213) 248-1391; or Lisa Marie Belsanti at (323) 513-7861.
