As it showed in style at its 50th anniversary celebration, Saturday Night Live has generations of stars, recurring characters, and even movie franchises. Over time, SNL’s best sketches are remembered, while others fade into obscurity.

Halloween has always provided a spark of inspiration for SNL, and these incredible sketches from across the decades prove why. The holiday’s mix of scary and silly energy is tailor-made for the show’s blend of satire and chaos.

These SNL sketches are all worthy of a Halloween rewatch. These showcase some of the best seasons of SNL, and highlight the fan-favorite characters, impressions, and dance moves that define its legacy.

10

Matt Foley: A Scary Story on Halloween (1993)

Chris Farley, Phil Hartman, Melanie Hutsell, Host Christian Slater, & David Spade

Matt Foley is the quintessential Chris Farley character—loud, unhinged, and powered by pure physical comedy. In “Matt Foley: A Scary Story on Halloween” (1993), Foley is called in to lecture a mischievous teens (played by host Christian Slater and David Spade) after a Halloween prank, while Phil Hartman plays their frustrated father.

The sketch follows the familiar Foley formula: his misguided attempts at “motivation” devolve into chaos, complete with wild gesturing, red-faced shouting, and inevitable pratfalls. Though it only loosely ties to Halloween, Farley’s full-throttle energy transforms it into a seasonal standout.

Farley’s total commitment to the bit—both physically and emotionally—showcases why Matt Foley became one of SNL’s most beloved recurring characters. Farley’s comedic genius was gone too soon, but it’s captured forever in sketches like this.

9

The Clinton’s Halloween Party (2007)

Featuring Fred Armisen, Will Forte, Bill Hader, SNL Alum Darrell Hammond, Special Guest Barak Obama, Amy Poehler, Simon Rich, Jason Sudeikis

“The Clintons’ Halloween Party” (2007) is a standout SNL Halloween sketch because it blends sharp political satire with the fun of a costume party. The setup—Bill and Hillary Clinton (then running for president) hosting a Halloween bash—creates the perfect excuse for timely impressions and playful jabs at real-world politics.

Darrell Hammond’s return as Bill Clinton, ever-charming if slightly sleazy, pairs perfectly with Amy Poehler’s uptight, image-conscious Hillary, a pitch-perfect caricature of her public persona during the 2008 campaign season. The sketch’s highlight comes when then-Senator Barack Obama appears as himself, declaring he doesn’t need to wear a costume because he won’t change who he is, even for Halloween.

It’s a clever mix of satire and spectacle, capturing SNL’s ability to turn politics into both parody and pop culture event. The sketch expertly combines the talents of its current cast with Hammond’s classic Clinton impression, plus a bonus surprise appearance by Obama—all grounded in a festive Halloween setting.

8

Horror Choreographer (2024)

Featuring Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Host Michael Keaton

“Horror Choreographer” (2024) perfectly exemplifies SNL’s signature blend of absurdity and pop culture mash-ups. Andrew Dismukes plays a director trying to shoot a straightforward slasher movie, but Michael Keaton’s “stunt movement coordinator” Beau has a very different take on Michael Myers’ movements.

The premise is inherently ridiculous, but the humor lands thanks to the cast’s full commitment—particularly SNL cast member Mikey Day, whose dancerly movements Dismukes calls “sassy and flirty,” like something a Jojo Siwa backup dancer would do. Day’s dance moves will come up later on this list as well.

Keaton flexes his comedic chops as well, blithely making Dismukes’ straight man more and more frustrated. By taking a classic Halloween icon and filtering it through a screwball lens, this sketch exemplifies SNL’s many riffs on reinventing horror tropes with gleeful absurdity.

7

NPR’s Delicious Dish: Gordon Hoover’s Halloween Scary Town (2000)

Host & SNL Alum Dana Carvey, Ana Gasteyer, & Molly Shannon

Photo: NBC via MovieStillsDB

Ana Gasteyer and Molly Shannon’s recurring “NPR’s Delicious Dish” characters remain a hidden gem of SNL comedy. The duo’s subtle, wordplay-driven humor is a loving homage to public radio: if you close your eyes, it almost sounds like a real NPR broadcast, with a calming, ASMR-like quality that contrasts sharply with broader, physical comedy like a Matt Foley skit.

Their 2000 Halloween sketch, featuring Dana Carvey as Gordon Hoover added a seasonal twist with “horror d’oeuvres” and a gentle escalation as Hoover shifted from shy to aggressive. The interplay of understated wit, absurd premises, and stellar performances makes this Halloween sketch a standout example of their comedic brilliance, even if it’s less remembered than “Schweddy Balls”.

6

Graveyard Song (2014)

Pete Davidson, Host Jim Carrey, Taran Killam, Kate McKinnon, Bobby Monihan, Jay Pharoah, Keenan Thompson, Sasheer Zamata

“The Graveyard Song” (2014) is a perfect example of SNL’s Halloween magic, blending absurdity, music, and production flair. The sketch follows a hapless couple who wander into a graveyard, only to find that the objects and spirits around them are sentient—and ready to sing.

Chaos ensues as two ghosts, Bob and Phil, played by Taran Killam and guest host Jim Carrey, monopolize the song, frustrating the otherworldly ensemble. The premise’s sudden, bizarre detour makes the humor feel fresh and unpredictable.

Beyond the comedy, the sketch highlights SNL’s production strengths: intricate sets, detailed costuming, hair, and makeup create a convincingly spooky world, while musical cues that start and stop seamlessly heighten the absurdity. It’s a finely tuned blend of visual, auditory, and situational humor—exactly the kind of high-concept sketch that defines an SNL Halloween classic.

5

Martha Stewart On Halloween (1997)

Ana Gasteyer

Photo: NBC via MovieStillsDB

Ana Gasteyer’s Martha Stewart impression was a recurring SNL highlight in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, blending spot-on vocal mimicry with subtle facial expressions to make the character instantly recognizable and endlessly funny. Gasteyer portrayed Stewart as a slightly uptight, overly precise domestic guru, exaggerating the calm, meticulous persona the real Stewart cultivated.

Stewart offers absurd tips for optimizing Halloween pranks like toilet-papering a house, egging, or even flaming poop—heightening the comedy through contrast with her prim demeanor. SNL has a knack for turning pop culture figures into satirical, topical characters while using seasonal or holiday hooks to keep the material fresh and surprising.

4

A Girl’s Halloween (2016)

Featuring Vanessa Bayer, Aidy Bryant, & Cecily Strong

“A Girl’s Halloween” (2016) arrived during a strong era for women writing and performing on SNL, capturing the millennial female experience with sharp insight and absurdist humor. The sketch resonates because it reflects the arc of many girls’ nights out—starting innocently but escalating into chaos, amplified by the heightened energy of Halloween.

Aidy Bryant’s character begins meticulously applying makeup, but by the night’s end she smashes through a pizza place window like the Kool-Aid Man, a comedic exaggeration of how the night gets away from her. It’s a perfect blend of relatable truth and SNL’s signature over-the-top comedy brought to life by three of the best SNL cast members of the 2010s.

3

Spooky Song (2019)

Beck Bennett, Aidy Bryant, Host Chance The Rapper, Mikey Day, Heidi Gardener, Kyle Mooney, Keenan Thompson

“Spooky Song” from the 2019 SNL‘s Halloween episode is a beautifully deranged, lovingly detailed sketch that perfectly showcases the show’s ability to mix silly concepts with high production value. From the skeleton playing piano to animated clouds telling the story alongside the song, and the shady owl observing the chaos, every visual detail enhances the comedy.

Costuming, set design, and makeup are meticulously crafted, making the surreal world feel tangible. The sketch balances lowbrow humor with these intricate production touches.

Host Chance the Rapper delivers a ghost character who is hilariously evasive about his death, escalating the absurdity to the point where the “Diddy of the Damned” plotline screeches to a halt. This Halloween sketch is both visually striking and riotously funny, a testament to SNL’s seasonal creativity at its best.

2

Vincent Price’s Halloween Special II (2010)

Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Host Jon Hamm, & Kristen Wiig

“Vincent Price’s Halloween Special II” (2010) is a quintessential SNL Halloween sketch, perfectly blending dark humor, historical figures, and theatrical production. By lampooning long-deceased celebrities, the writers gain creative freedom to exaggerate personalities without restraint—Kristen Wiig’s Judy Garland popping pills like M&Ms exemplifies this playful irreverence.

Presented in black and white, the sketch stages a Halloween party hosted by Vincent Price, with costumed guests including Liberace, JFK, and Garland—a delightfully absurd historical mash-up. The humor is sharp yet affectionate, reminiscent of the Harvard Lampoon sensibility that often informs SNL’s writing, elevated by two of SNL‘s best cast members of the 2000s.

High production values—elaborate sets, precise props, meticulous hair and makeup—give the sketch a polished yet chaotic energy. It’s a perfect example of how SNL merges nostalgia, satire, and holiday whimsy into a truly memorable seasonal sketch.

1

Haunted Elevator (2016)

Beck Bennett, Mikey Day, Host Tom Hanks, Kate McKinnon, Bobby Moynihan, & Keenan Thompson

“Haunted Elevator” (the David S. Pumpkins sketch) became an instant SNL classic, with its illogical, absurd premise fueling a cultural frenzy that sold out Halloween costumes and even inspired a full animated short. Tom Hanks’ eccentric vocal choices, paired with Mikey Day and Bobby Moynihan’s inexplicable dance moves, cemented David S. Pumpkins a pop-culture phenomenon.

The sketch’s success lies in its unapologetic weirdness—nothing about it should work, but everything comes together perfectly, and that’s precisely what makes it iconic. Interestingly, Hanks suggested that Chris Hemsworth might be a better fit. Thankfully, SNL stayed the course, because no one else could inhabit the chaotic appeal of David S. Pumpkins.

Release Date

October 11, 1975

Showrunner

Lorne Michaels

Directors

Dave Wilson, Don Roy King, Liz Patrick, Andy Warhol, Linda Lee Cadwell, Matthew Meshekoff, Paul Miller, Robert Altman, Robert Smigel

Writers

Will Forte, Bill Hader, Tina Fey, Kristen Wiig, Chris Parnell, Asa Taccone, John Lutz, Tom Schiller, Simon Rich, Michael Patrick O’Brien, Nicki Minaj, Herbert Sargent, Matt Piedmont, John Solomon, Chris Kelly, Alan Zweibel, Kent Sublette, Ari Katcher, Marika Sawyer, Sarah Schnedier, Scott Jung, Justin Franks, Jerrod Bettis, Rhiannon Bryan