The best halloween events in the U.S.

If you were to attend a pumpkin circus at a serene historic estate, you’d be at the Incredible Naumkeag Pumpkin Show. This gourd-geous event is one part serene, garden stroll through the Gilded Ages and one part pumpkin explosion. Last year, we wobbled through a blacklit “vortex” into a supernatural greenhouse, complete with Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors (as a pumpkin, of course). Hot cocoa in hand, weave through paths of pumpkins carved as your favorite characters—the candlelit casts of Sesame Street and Golden Girls are on deck. Muster your courage to see the architectural glory of Naumkeag in the dark, alight with the glow of a giant, bubbling cauldron outside.

Date: Wednesdays–Sundays from October 1–31

Time Out tip: Getting there is just as fun! Park at one of the three zones and take a spooky, sparkling school bus up the hill to the estate. Costumes encouraged!

In Salem, the witchiest center of the country, the Festival of the Dead celebrates death itself all month long. From evenings with psychic mediums who communicate with the spirit world to livelier events that explore the many mysteries of the afterlife, this festival offers an outlet for celebrating passed loved ones. However, the Witches Ball, at the heart of the festival, shows a different side of a normally macabre topic—the party includes a DJ, costumes, selfies and more. Who wouldn’t want to honor the dead with a sinful night out?

Dates: October 1–November 2

Time Out tip: The best way to get to Salem is by boat! But if you must drive, Salem has a great app that alerts you about parking and other fun events going on in their monthlong Haunted Happenings programming.

If you love Halloween for the lore, rather than the gore, this one is for you. The Days of Incandescence is a three-day event in upstate New York that’s inspired by a local legend from 1880. It celebrates the role of the town’s glass company in making the first glass bulbs for Thomas Edison’s incandescent lamps and a mysterious young shop boy at the factory who blew the first glass bubble. As you wander the historic Market Street, you’ll be greeted by actors in period costume, ushering you back in time. Enjoy live folk music, horse and wagon rides, blacksmithing demos, juggling, artisan and food vendors, a magician, storytelling, a headless horseman and a pumpkin carving by a Guiness World Record holder. 

Dates: October 23–25

Time Out tip: While you’re in town, make sure to visit the Corning Museum of Glass. You can blow your own glass pumpkin—but sign up early, as slots fill up.

Evil demons, rattling skeletons, and… kitty costumes? The Village Halloween Parade checks every Halloween activity off your bucket list: the weird, the horrifying and the cute! Over two million people—adults and children alike—line the streets of New York’s Greenwich Village each year to see mammoth puppets, marching bands and creative costumes at the largest public Halloween celebration in the U.S. And, after the little ones go home to feast on their fresh stash of candy, grown-ups can stick around for the afterparty.

Date: October 31 7–11pm

Time Out tip: Get to Sixth Ave by 6:30pm to get a good viewing spot. There are also VIP viewing options. Or, you could always walk in the parade—you’ll have to have a pretty bitchin’ costume, though.

Halloween gets a Mardi Gras twist with the Krewe of BOO! This two-day event is highlighted by a parade that has been spooking its way through the French Quarter since 2007. Over a dozen floats masterminded by Kern Studios bring ghastly theatrics to the parade route as 450 riders and 35 marching bands and dance krewes pass by. Giant paper mache creatures toss out locally made treats, voodoo doll pins and yes, light-up bead necklaces. The festivities kick off with the New Orleans Zombie Run—be sure to dress up like the living dead so you can escape the Big Easy Rollergirls as they hunt down zombies on skates.

Date: October 25 at 6:30pm

Time Out tip: Don’t leave the gory get-ups to the paraders! Show off your costume at the parade’s after-party, the Monster Mash, and win a prize.

Some say that you can’t recreate movie magic. The town of St. Helens, Oregon, not only begs to differ, but offers to one-up the magic. Their experience of Halloweentown (yes, from the Disney Channel classic) every October transforms the charming town into a month-long extravaganza. This year, spook connoisseurs have access to a haunted house, oddities museum and a gargantuan pumpkin in the town plaza. And of course, no visit to Halloweentown is complete without checking out Benny’s Taxi and an appearance from Kimberly J. Brown (a.k.a. Marnie Piper) herself.

Dates: Weekends starting September 26 (full event schedule)

Time Out tip: St. Helens is also home to Bella Swan’s house from Twilight, where you can stay in Bella’s actual bedroom from the movie—before she turns into a vampire and births a vampire baby, that is.

What started as a small coven of friends celebrating their Halloween-season birthdays in 2013 turned into a swarm of 600 witches and warlocks paddling Morro Bay, California. That first gathering wasn’t organized or even named; it was just an impromptu mix of costumes, cackles and paddles cutting through the calm harbor. Now, the unique event benefits the Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County, conjuring community spirit and inspiring similar paddles across North America. Thirteen years later, the magic is still alive—proof that even the simplest traditions, when shared with friends, can cast the longest spells.

Date: October 26 from 2ish to 4ish (there’s no official start time—just vibes)

Time Out tip: Bring your stand-up paddleboard or a kayak, and don your witchiest attire. And don’t forget to follow water safety!

If there were a Halloween version of the competitive neighborhood light displays in Christmas Vacation, it would look something like Terror on Tillson Street. This two-block street in the small town of Romeo (outside of Detroit) hosts an estimated 80,000 visitors a year for its frighteningly extravagant decorations. There’s a killer-clown house, a ghostly pirate ship and even a hockey rink full of skeleton skaters. Each house gives out at least 2,000 pieces of candy—a trick-or-treater’s dream!

Dates: Houses will become increasingly more decorated in October, culminating with the ultimate trick-or-treating on October 31.

Time Out tip: Carpool with friends. Do not park on Tillson Street, as it’s closed off to cars starting at 5:30pm on Halloween night.

Not many people would want to invite The Walking Dead to their hometown—what with its drooling zombies and constant killing—but the Thriller Parade in Lexington provides a more jubilant zombie walk for the masses. Set to the soundtrack of Michael Jackson’s iconic “Thriller,” several hundred zombies “dance, dawdle and drag” themselves down Lexington’s Main Street. Kids and adults alike dress up, and grotesque costumes are outright encouraged.

Date: Lexington’s Halloween festivities take place on October 26, starting with a variety show at 4:45pm, followed by a Halloween parade at 6:30 and finally the “Thriller” reenactment at 7.

Time Out tip: Don’t just watch the parade—join in! Both children and adults can register to zombie strut down Main Street.

The average Halloween enthusiast might have, I don’t know, maybe two or three pumpkins sitting on their doorstep. But not the folks at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The annual gourdish tradition puts 1,000 pumpkins on display—all carved to artistic and spooky delights. Costumes are highly recommended as you traipse the Garden after dark, weaving through entertainers, fall treats and, of course, the jack-o’-lanterns carved into album covers, eerie cartoons, haunted tales from Chicago and vibrant Día de los Muertos tributes.

Dates: October 8–12, 15–19, 22–26 6:30–10:30pm

Time Out tip: If the carvings inspire you to make your own jack-o’-lantern, stop by Jack’s Pumpkin pop-up to bring one home.

What started as an unfortunate story became a hilariously creative tradition held every year in Manitou Springs, Colorado. Legend has it that, after being buried atop a mountain, Emma Crawford and her coffin were washed away by a landslide. What did the town do? In honor of her life, it now holds coffin races in her name. Each team meticulously decorates a coffin, places one “Emma” inside and cruises down the street as they attempt to beat each other’s times. Of course, if you’re more of a glue-gunner than a runner, there are also prizes for the best coffin designs (some of which are delightfully over-the-top).

Date: October 25, 2025

Time Out tip: Sign up to build and race a coffin by October 17. Good luck!

If your Halloween vibe is less spooky, more camp, look no further than the Halloween Carnaval. West Hollywood’s iconic bash brings an estimated half million costumed revelers to Santa Monica Boulevard, closed off for an entire mile for plenty of party space. The event features a live DJ set, food trucks and more. Dress your best, because Carnaval attendees have been known to go all out.

Date: October 31

Time Out tip: The official Carnaval runs from 6–11pm, but there are plenty of after parties in the neighborhood to keep the spooky vibes going all night!