Halloween in Toronto is kind of like New Years for freaks. There are parties and events in pretty much every bar and park in the city, with people dressing up creatively, terrifyingly or just plain old sexy. With everything from Stranger Things to Tim Burton themes, haunted boat cruises to slime parties, there's no shortage of options to get your freak on.

Here's our guide to Halloween parties in Toronto for 2016.

TOP PARTIES

Thriller with DJ Snake (October 28, Rebel)
The Sound Academy, as you may have heard, is now called Rebel. Thousands were spent renovated the big party complex and this is their first stab at Halloween. A great big costume party starring DJ Snake.

Screamwhistle Halloween Party (October 28-29, Steam Whistle Brewery)
The Steam Whistle Brewery Halloween parties are legendary. It's their biggest event of the year and they go all out with visuals, costumes and other spooky detailing. If you're looking to dance with a big ol' beer factory with a bunch of other fun-focused folks, this is the party for you.

Monster Ball (October 28, The Monster Mansion)
An Eyes Wide Shut vibe is promised at this Hip Hop, R&B, Soca, Reggae and Afrobeats bashment. There'll be a candy bar and costume prizes all inside a big mansion on Gerrard Street.

Zombie Prom to Remember (October 28, The Great Hall)
Sexy corpses, dapper survivors, cute cadavers and hazmat tuxedos. Dress to impress or infect at this massive zombie dance party with DJ Johnny B Goode. Free glam photo shoots, zombie makeup, costume contests, prizes and giveaways for the living, dead, and living dead.

Work in Progress: Possessed (October 28, The Black Eagle)
The Work In Progress crew take over the three-level dark zone known as the Dirty Bird in Toronto's gay village for a night of dark dance music. DJs Gunnar Haslam, CMD, E-Saggila and CL spin alongside horror show visuals by the mad rave scientist Karl Skene.

Nightmare Before Halloween (October 29, Gladstone Hotel)
If you're a fan of any Tim Burton film, this is the party for you. The entire hotel is transformed into a "desperately dark, freakishly fun, amazingly animated inside-out upside-down wonderland." Selfie stations, bands, DJs, performers, dancers, decorators and prizes all night.

Hotnuts Halloqween (October 29, The Garrison)
Hands down the greatest places to see costumes and dance and makeout in an all-inclusive wild dance space. The legendary Hotnuts halloqween parties are hilarious, terrifying, disgusting and gorgeous all at once. Get there early to get inside.

Dudebox is F*#king Dead VII - Warehouse of Dooooom
This Halloween, Toronto's most terrifying/semi-original/thrown-together party returns, and this time it's inside a warehouse at the Stockyards. Dudebox's 7th annual hilarious halloween jam encourages costumes like a tombstone that says " 'The 6ix' | Born 2014 | Died 2016."
or maybe really opinionated twitter account with 18 followers. $10 before 11pm $15 after.

Promise Warehouse Halloween (October 29, The old IMPark building)
We all know Promise throws the best beach parties in the city, but they also throw big events all year long, including this annual warehouse party. It's inside a stunning raw industrial warehouse in the heart of our downtown harbour district and features Mario J from Spain, Kizmet's first ever 360ยบ 3D installation and loads of other visuals and house and techno.

TOP EVENTS

Casa Loma Haunted House (Until October 31, Casa Loma)
The Casa Loma haunted house is this year's surprise Halloween hit because they actually did it right! It's scary as hell! Horror movie stories are brought to life, real monsters roam and the lineup is large, so arrive early or wear something comfortable to waiting.

Halloween Haunt (Until October 31, Canada's Wonderland)
Mazes, scare zones, and rides wait for you at our city's biggest amusement park. Lots of spooky character roam the grounds waiting to scare your pants off at every corner. There's a trick or treat zone, something called CarnEvil and Ghostly Pines backwoods hick horror fantasy zone. Tickets start at $34.

Zombie Wrestling (October 21, The Great Hall)
Kickoff is at 7:30p.m. and the games begin at 8. Zombies vs humans vs Mexican luchadores battle to the ultimate Death at this rowdy event inside the Great Hall. It's a super bloody affair and tickets start at $25.

Day of the Dead (October 29, The Rockpile)
A daytime Halloween event can be even creepier than the same old nighttime gatherings. This one's inspired by the beautiful art of the Day of the Dead celebrations which take place in Mexico. Giant skull processions, pinatas, sugar skulls, face painting and DJs help you roam around in style. This isn't associated with the official Dia De Los Muertos.

Night of Dread (October 29, Dufferin Grove Park)
An evening of fearful pageantry, revels and mockery in a spooky park. This event incorporates "international folk and theatrical traditions, drawing inspiration from festivals of death and remembrance around the world." It's basically an amazing, creepy costume parade.

Brockton Zombie Walk (October 29, McCormick Park)
Don't wear white if you plan on watching this zombie procession. There'll be brains, blood, slime and lots of moaning. These walks are super gross and endlessly entertaining. The official Zombie Walk is no more, so neighbourhoods are taking back the streets themselves. This one starts at Noon.

Halloween on Church Street (October 31, Church Wellesley Village)
The Halloween invasion of Church Street is the only place to be on the big night, really. The costumes are next level, the people watching is fantastic and then there's just the general vibe of a major street closure and all it's bars being open and bumping on a Monday.

Pumpkin Parade (November 1, Centennial Park)
Kind of like the Christmas tradition of throwing your tree out on Boxing Day, the city's Pumpkin Parades step it up by giving one final chance to see the neighbourhood's most creative carvings. There are good ones at Sorauren Park and the Mimico Pumpkin Parade.

MORE PARTIES

Friday, October 21

• AX Halloween (October 21, Fly 2.0)
• Arabian Knights - Halloween (October 21, Club120)

Saturday, October 22

• Fright Night Costume Party (October 22, The Tennessee)
• Fit Pumpkin Spice Sport-o-ween (October 22, The Beaver)
• Batcave North pre-Halloween bash (October 22, Remix Lounge)

Thursday, October 27

• The &Co. Haunted Mansion (October 27, &Company Resto Bar)
• Blaq Hole (October 28, Luana House)

Friday, October 28

• Spectrum Halloween (October 28, Baby G)
• Halloween Birthday Dance (October 28, HardLuck)
• Freakout 2016 (October 28, Maison Mercer)
• Got To Hell (Milk Glass)
• Totally '80s Halloween costume party (October 28, The Phoenix)
• Nerdgasm: Slasher Edition (October 28, WAYLA)
• Dirty Decibels ft Detroit Swindle: The Thumpin Pumpkin (October 28, District 28)
• Tenderness Halloween Ball (October 28, The Emmet Ray)
• Wizard's Ball (October 28, Hart House)
• Impulse Halloween (October 28, Lithuanian House)
• Mortem (October 29, Rebel)

Saturday, October 29

• Scream Me Up! (October 29, The Beaver)
• Italoween (October 29, Holy Oak)
• Hulaween (October 29, The Shore Leave)
• Motown Party Monster Mash (October 29, Studio Bar)
• Toastrweeeeeeeen! (October 29, WAYLA)
• Halloween Spooktacular (October 29, Clinton's)
• Ghost Ship (October 29, Empress of Canada)
• Stranger Things '80s Halloween Party (Velvet Underground)
• Halloween Haunt (October 29, Adelaide Hall)
• Halloween Slime Party (October 29, College Street Bar)
• The Breakfast Club '80s Halloween party (October 29, Blnd Tiger)
• Haunted Mansion (October 29, The Gates)
• Barcode Halloween Edition (October 29, Stadium Nightclub)
• 7th Annual Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air 90's Halloween (October 29, 99 Sudbury)

Monday, October 31

• Halloween at Handlebar (October 31, Handlebar)
• All Star Halloween Night (October 31, Stadium Nightclub)
• Diablo Halloween Ball (October 31, Uniun Nightclub)
• Halloween Freakshow (October 31, The Rockpile)

MORE EVENTS

Tuesday, October 18 - Thursday, October 27

• Halloween Criss Stitching (October 18, Gladstone Hotel)
• Happy Hour Market - Halloween Edition (October 22, The End)
• Ghost tours (October 23, Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres)
• Seance of the Century (October 27, Murray Newbigging Funeral Home)
• Love you to death (October 27, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre)

Friday, October 28

• Scavenger Haunt (October 28, Christie Pitts)
• Halloween Glow in the Dark Party (October 28, Paintlounge)
• That's My Drag Halloween (October 28, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre)
• Haunted Laser Tag (October 28, LaserPlay)
• Peek 'n Freak Halloween Show (October 28-30, Jukebox Live Resto Lounge)
• Scratch Nasty "Danger" Album Release Costume Party (October 28, Cameron House)
• FNL ROM: Goosebumps (October 28, ROM)
• Hocus, Pocus and Clap Focus (October 28, Comedy Bar)

Saturday, October 29

• Haunted Hotel (October 29, Thompson Hotel)
• Dia De Los Muertos (October 29, Wychwood Barns)
• The Junction Pumpkin Fest (October 29, Junction)
• Gills & Ghouls (October 29, Ripley's Aquarium)
• Love you to Death (October 29, Buddies in Bad Times)
• St Claire West Zombie Walk (October 29, Wells High Park)
• Danny Elfman's Music from the Films of Tim Burton (October 29, Roy Thomson Hall)
• Park Dark: Halloween edition (Bad Dog Theatre)

Sunday, October 30

• Ghost Stories told live (October 30, The Garrison)
• 21st Annual Twilight Pumpkin Float (October 30, High Park)

Monday, October 31

• Zombie Island (October 31, Shameful Tiki)
• Haunted School (October 31, School Bakery & Cafe)

FILMS

• The Cabin in The Woods screening (October 20, Carlton Cinema)
• Little Shop of Horrors (October 20, Royal Cinema)
• Hxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (October 22, Revue Cinema)
• Scream quote along (October 28, Hot Docs Cinema)
• Phantom of Paradise (October 29, Royal Cinema)
• Screen Queens presents: Beetlejuice (October 30, Royal Cinema)
• Toronto Silent Film Festival presents The Man Who Laughs (October 30, Fox Theatre)

Did I miss your favourite Halloween event or party? Let us know in the comments so we can all get even more spooked.

Photos by Jesse Milns, Christian Bobak and Alejandro Santiago.