Emerson's hALLoween brings nine days of creative programming designed to connect the entire Emerson community through the magic of hALLoween. Starting October 23, the campus will come alive with free student-led performances, immersive experiences, and festive celebrations showcasing what makes Emerson extraordinary: our creativity, our community, and our commitment to bringing everyone together.
Paint pumpkins over mocktails at a cozy sip-and-paint night. Experience cinema like never before at the Movie Taste Experience, where every scene is matched with a corresponding bite. Test your knowledge at Spooky Trivia, catch a drag performance that'll leave you screaming (in the best way), or watch classic horror on 16mm film. Whether you're drawn to the whimsical, the spooky, or the spectacular, hALLoween has a place for you—because we're All in for a Spirited Week.
But the night that brings it ALL together? The Emerson Phantasmagorium on Thursday, October 30. This is THE event of the week—a bewitching evening of performances, psychic readings, tarot, dancing, and a very Emerson costume contest. It's part party, part performance art, part pure hALLoween magic. Wear your best costume (prizes await!), bring your friends, and prepare for a night that captures everything hALLoween is about: creativity; the macabre; and a spooky, unforgettable celebration. This is where ALL of Emerson will come together—and trust us, you don't want to miss it.
Signature Event: Emerson Phantasmagorium on October 30
Sponsored by the President’s Office; Division of Student Affairs; and Division of Community, Culture, & Belonging
Location: Lion’s Den and The Loft
Time: 8:00 to 11:00 p.m.
Description: Step into a world of mystery, magic, and mayhem at Emerson Phantasmagorium—our campus-wide hALLoween celebration! Enjoy an evening packed with thrills and chills, and the bizarre featuring:
- Live readings & dazzling performances
- Original ghost stories by our very talented WLP students
- A costume contest with prizes
- Dancing (Dead Dance, anyone?)
- Two stages, DJs!
- Creepy refreshments to fuel your spooky fun
- Psychic readings
- A hALLoween photo booth
- Music and table activities throughout the night
- And more!
Whether you come in your creepiest, campiest, or most creative costume, you’ll find something amazing around every corner. Don’t miss this enchanting night of hALLoween fun! (And learn more about the evening's spellbinding performers.)
Be sure to RSVP so we know you’re coming! You are welcome to bring guests outside of Emerson; just complete the visitor registration process before their arrival.
Schedule at a Glance
October 23
Party Like It's 1975
Sponsored by WECB and EIV
Location: SPC Black Box
Time: 5:00 to 10:00 p.m.
Description: Party Like It's 1975 with WECB and EIV as we collab on a screening unlike any other! Works screened will include Everybody Loves Me and I'm Very Happy, Potato Heads, Douchebag Hotline, and The Sleepy Night Night Show, as well as a Tiny Dorm Concert from WECB. We'll have food, drinks, merch, Halloween candy, giveaways, and a DJ. Come dressed as your favorite 1970s film or TV character if you'd like to participate in our costume contest for the chance to win special prizes!
hALLoween Drag Show
Sponsored by Pride Coalition and Emerson Mane Events
Location: Greene Theater
Time: 8:00 to 10:00 p.m.
Description: Get ready for a frightfully fabulous evening filled with jaw-dropping performances, killer looks, and spine-chilling fun! Join us as our dazzling drag performers take the stage to serve glamour, ghouls, and plenty of tricks (and treats). Costumes encouraged—whether you’re spooky, campy, or downright terrifying, come dressed to impress. Don’t miss this night of fright, fun, and fierce artistry—it’s hALLoween like you’ve never seen before!
October 24
Ghosts and Gravestones Tour
Sponsored by Emerson Mane Events
Location: Meet at the Little Building
Time: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Description: Don’t miss your chance to experience the Ghosts and Gravestones Tour! Meet inside the Little Building lobby at 5:30 p.m for a guided tour led by the undead and a ghoulish band of roguish gravediggers aboard the Trolley of Terror. Travel back in time to uncover the chilling tales that haunt the city of Boston! Space is limited, so RSVP early on EmConnect to secure your seat!
October 25
Kidding Around’s Character Party! at the Uncommon Corner
Sponsored by Kidding Around and UnCommon Corner
Location: Uncommon Corner, Boston Common
Time: 12:00 p.m.
Description: As we get excited for hALLoween, come meet princesses and heroes right in the Common! Take pictures, play games, join storytimes, and more with some favorite characters. Come in your best costume!
Addy Lamaute Performance
Sponsored by UnCommon Corner
Location: UnCommon Corner, Boston Common
Time: 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Description: Student musician Addy Lamaute will perform original and cover songs in her hALLoween-themed two-hour set. Stop by when you can!
October 27
The Nightmare Before Christmas Movie Taste Experience
Sponsored by Emerson Mane Events and the President’s Office
Location: Bordy Theater
Time: 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Description: Step into hALLoween Town with a Movie Taste Experience like no other! This immersive event pairs Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas with curated food and drink inspired by the film’s most iconic moments, bringing Jack Skellington’s world to life through flavor, fun, and surprises!
October 28
Spooky Trivia
Sponsored by Student Success
Location: Student Performance Center, The Judee
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Description: hALLoween-themed trivia with pizza, drinks, and snacks. Come in costume and you’ll be entered to win a free AMC Theatre ticket!
Pumpkins & Potions
Sponsored by Off-Campus Services and the President’s Office
Location: The Loft
Time: 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Description: Join us for a paint and sip session with pumpkins and fall-themed mocktails.
October 29
The Bride of Frankenstein 16mm Screening
Sponsored by Films from the Margin
Location: Paramount Center, Bright Family Screening Room
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Description: A screening on 16mm film of a pristine print of the 1935 horror classic The Bride of Frankenstein. A landmark in the history of genre cinema, The Bride of Frankenstein uses a unique and affecting blend of horror, comedy, and tragedy, endearing it to critics, theorists, filmmakers, and audiences for 90 years.
Emerson Reads hALLoween Party
Sponsored by Emerson Reads
Location: Little Building, Room 229
Time: 8:00 p.m.
Description: Come hang out for a super fun and super cool hALLoween celebration! We're going to have pizza and drinks and probably some candy too. So come by in costume or not (whatever you're comfortable with) and say hi.
October 30
Blood Fest Screening
Sponsored by Cinema Emerson
Location: Paramount Center, Bright Family Screening Room
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Description: Assistant Professor Owen Egerton wrote and directed this horror/comedy, in which fans at a horror movie festival begin dying off, one by one. Egerton will lead a post-film discussion.
October 31
Trick or Treat Truman Time
Sponsored by Healing and Advocacy
Location: Healing and Advocacy Center, Piano Row, Room 240
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Description: Stop by to visit Truman the friendly beagle, play games, and pick up a treat. Costumes encouraged!