More than just trick-or-treat, Halloween is a huge happening across the U.S. Thousands of celebrations are staged across the country to mark this annual end-of-October observance.
More than two-thirds of Americans are said to partake in Halloween activities, spending almost $7 billion annually on candy, costumes and decorations. That makes it second only to Mother's Day as the nation's largest commercial holiday.
A time of celebration and superstition, Halloween is thought to have originated with the ancient Celtic harvest festival of Samhain, a pagan ritual during which people would wear costumes and light bonfires to ward off evil spirits.
In 835 AD, Pope Gregory III designated Nov. 1 as a day to honor saints and martyrs. The occasion was named All Saints' Day. The evening before was known as All Hallows' Eve — later shortened to Halloween. Over the centuries, Halloween evolved into a secular, community-based celebration characterized by child-friendly exercises such as trick-or-treating and costume parties — plus, of course, a variety of spooky rituals and macabre activities.
From Greenwich Village to West Hollywood, the following Halloween celebrations are guaranteed to get the whole family into the spirit.
1. Village Halloween Parade, New York, New York
Anyone in costume can join the 43rd rendition of this cultural phenomenon that shuts down lower Manhattan on All Hallows' Eve. More than 50 bands, hundreds of papier-mâché puppets and thousands of revelers join in this mile-long march along 6th Avenue through Greenwich Village.
2. The Great Jack-O-Lantern Blaze, Croton-on-Hudson, New York
Billed as the tri-state area's biggest Halloween event, the Blaze runs for 38 days in October and November. Staged at historic Van Cortland Manor on the Hudson River, this fete features more than 7,000 hand-carved, illuminated jack-o-lanterns. The innovative walk-through experience here is enhanced with sound effects and elaborate synchronized lighting, making it quite a spectacle.
3. Festival of the Dead, Salem, Massachusetts
Salem capitalizes on its witch-trial legacy each October with a mind-boggling month-long list of spooky events paying tribute to its gruesome colonial past. Nearly a half-million visitors come to explore death's macabre customs, heretical histories and strange rituals. The Psychic Fair and Witchcraft Expo runs daily, offering the opportunity to interact with psychics, mediums and crystal balls. Topping the festivities is the Salem Witches' Halloween Ball, where guests celebrate the afterlife with food, dancing, music and ritual.
4. Anoka Halloween, Anoka, Minnesota
In 1920, Anoka became one of the first cities in the U.S. to host a Halloween celebration. The event came about as a fun diversion for young pranksters — and the tradition stuck. The 2016 celebration marks the 96th anniversary of the fete, featuring such activities as costume contests, pumpkin-carving, scavenger hunts, a 5K run, wine tasting and house decorating. The big event here in the self-proclaimed "Halloween Capital of the World" is the Grand Day Parade on Oct. 29 — said to be Minnesota's largest parade.
5. Louisville Zoo Halloween Party, Louisville, Kentucky
Dubbed the "World's Largest Halloween Party," the Louisville Zoo's annual October celebration invites families to join activities described as "Cheery. Not Eerie." The zoo is transformed into a living storybook with costumed characters from Frozen, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Wizard of Oz on hand for photos and fun interactions. Youngsters can cavort through themed walkways to trick-or-treat alongside gorillas, zebras and giraffes — all the while on the lookout for the Headless Horseman who appears at the most unexpected moment.
www.louisvillezoo.org/halloween
6. Halloween in New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana
If you're thinking Halloween is just a night for the kids to go trick-or-treating, you should thing again. In New Orleans, it's a whole different scene. Halloween, Big Easy-style, is second only to Mardi Gras for wild and crazy fun that definitely isn't just for kids. The city's open containers laws heighten the party atmosphere, especially in the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood near the French Quarter. The Crescent City is so rich in haunted history that it is known as "The Most Haunted City in America," and there are dozens of haunted tours focused on ghosts, vampires and voodoo.
www.neworleansonline.com/neworleans/seasonal/halloween
7. Neewollah, Independence, Kansas
You might think they've got it backwards in the small Kansas town of Independence (pop. 9,400), but Neewollah (Halloween spelled in reverse) has grown since 1919 to become the largest annual celebration in the state. More than 65,000 visitors crowd the town during the final days of the 10-day event, set this year for Oct. 21-30. Activities include three parades, a queen's pageant, fun runs, a chili cook-off, music events and an arts & crafts show.
8. Day of the Dead Festival, Houston, Texas
Houston's annual Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) Festival, to be held this year from Oct. 29 to Nov. 5, celebrates Halloween Hispanic-style, bringing death to life in a number of delightful ways. Activities include a fun run, a flamenco concert, arts & crafts shows, an exhibition of traditional ofrenda or altars and an authentic Dia de los Muertos celebration on Nov. 5.
www.hispanichouston.com/celebrating-dia-de-los-muertos-2016-in-houston
9. Las Vegas Halloween, Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas manages to do most everything with pizzazz, and its Halloween festivities are no different. All along the Strip, megaresorts vie for the honor of top thrills. Most of them hold costume contests — doling out more cash than you could stuff into a jack-o-lantern. Even a stroll down the Strip will bring you mask-to-mask with some of the most elaborate and inventive costumes on Earth. For one of the most immersive spooktaculars, head to Circus Circus where the Adventuredome morphs into the Fright Dome, with six haunted houses including the Insanitarium, a mock insane asylum where the Surgeon of Slaughter promises to terrify you.
10. West Hollywood Carnaval, Los Angeles, California
It's a well-known fact that WeHo knows how to throw a party, and the biggest and most bewitching one of the year is the Halloween Carnaval. Roughly 500,000 party monsters fill Santa Monica Boulevard on All Hallows' Eve for a bit of debauchery — making this the world's largest Halloween street party. More than 50 bands provide background ambience as revelers drift and ogle along the boulevard. The party culminates with the crowning of the "Queen of the Carnaval," usually an A-list Hollywood celebrity.
