Night of Dread Parade

Clay & Paper Theatre presents the annual NIGHT OF DREAD, an evening of fearful pageantry, revels and mockery. At this much loved, family-friendly, community event, Torontonians are invited to call on, mock and banish their private and collective fears through parade and pageantry, music and masquerade, dance and a devilishly good party.

2025

Spectators are treated to a community theatrical spectacle in which the Fear of the Year for 2025 is announced and confronted. The pageant is followed by a concert in the Forest of Remembrance (in the park grove) and a bonfire where the Fire Keeper will name our fears and burn them for us. The evening ends with our audience members slipping back into the darkness of the night, hopefully, less fearful of what lies ahead of them.

Starting at 5:00 pm in Dufferin Grove Park on the Basketball Court, we have live music and a participatory warm-up dance with our favourite witches. Then the Magpie Club, our youth stilt walking ensemble, opens the event with their incantation and performance.

Audience members can sign-out and carry Clay and Paper Theatre puppets as part of the park procession of our fears and lead us into the pageant. Puppet sign-out begins at 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM at Puppet Central (Dufferin Grove Rinkhouse).

During the pageant, spectators are treated to a community theatrical display in which the Fear of the Year for 2025 is announced and confronted (Soccer Field). The pageant is followed by a journey through the Forest of Shadows (Park Grove), leading the audience to the final concert in the Valley of Resistance and Rejoicing (Park Valley).

The evening ends with our audience members slipping back into the darkness of the night, hopefully, less fearful of what lies ahead of them.

Who is it for?

All ages

Tickets :
to participate: Pay-What-You-Can: Suggested $25

We ask that you please give as generously as you possibly can. Your every dollar goes to support artists so that they can create, build and perform beautiful and inspired work that is about the community and in the heart of the community that we all live in.
How to get tickets?

Donate Online

Date & Time:

Saturday, October 25th | 5:00pm to 8:40pm

4 to 5:30 PM – Puppet Central
Puppet/Mask and Character sign-out OPENS

5:00 to 5:30 PM – Basketball Court
The Dufferin Groove performs

5:30 to 5:45 PM – Basketball Court
The Witchy Witches dance with the audience

5:45 to 6:00 PM – Basketball Court
The Magpie Club incantation

6:00 to 6:15 PM – Gladstone Path
Everyone gets into Parade order

6:15 to 6:45 PM – Dufferin Grove Neighbourhood
The Parade begins

6:45 to 7:15 PM – Soccer Field
The Parade returns & the Pageant begins

7:15 to 7:30 PM – Park Grove
Audience escorted through the Forest of Shadows to the Valley

7:30 to 7:50 PM – Park Valley
Concert in the Valley of Resistance & Rejoicing

7:50 to 8:30 PM – Park Grove
The Forest of Shadows Installation continues

Venue & Address :

 

Dufferin Grove Park, 875 Dufferin St., Toronto, ON M6H 3K8

Parade:

• North on the Gladstone Path > East on Dufferin Park Ave.
• North on Havelock St, turn east to Hepbourne St.
• East on Hepbourne St to Delaware Ave.
• South on Delaware Ave. to Dewson St.
• West on Dewson St back to Havelock St.
• North on Havelock St. to the South entrance of Dufferin Grove Park
• Continue north to the soccer field and the Scenario Circle

 

Halloween in Toronto