Halloween is a holiday that children and adults look forward to. The day is spent trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, donning costumes, and of course, eating candies. Trick-or-treating is an inexpensive way for the entire family and community to celebrate Halloween.
If you have received the much-awaited US visa and are planning a trip to the USA during October-November, you should take the opportunity to attend the nearest Halloween celebrations.
Read on to know about the best Halloween parties in usa for a unique experience.
Kentucky’s Louisville Zoo Halloween Party:
The list begins with the “World’s Largest Halloween Party” at Kentucky’s Louisville Zoo. This is mainly for the younger members of the family aged 3 and above. The activities are pleasing to the little ones and the adults are asked to refrain from wearing masks and scary costumes. The walkways have themes based on popular characters of Hollywood films or storybooks. Enjoy trick-or-treating alongside the favorite animals at the zoo. Book your tickets online and enjoy the party with safety protocols.
Village Halloween Parade:
This is the world’s largest Halloween procession as well as the only major nighttime parade in the U.S. Apart from dancers, artists, and bands, you find New Yorkers dressed in ingenious costumes participate and walk along the streets of Greenwich Village in Lower Manhattan. Costumes are a must if you want to join the parade but you can observe from the sidelines without a costume. Marvel at the creative and unique costumes and the incredible large-scale puppets. Be prepared for the huge crowds.
Sleepy Hollow Halloween:
At Sleepy Hollow, where the legend of the headless horseman began, you will find various activities aligned with Halloween. If you can spend the day here, then begin with a daytime or nighttime tour of the cemetery. Listen to master storytellers retell the story of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. Take a tour of the castle that turns into “Jay Ghoul’s House of Curiosities.” To have those delicious chills, go on a trek to Horseman’s Hollow and have an encounter with ghosts, ghouls, the undead, and maybe, even the horseman himself. Children under 10 are not allowed on this tour.
West Hollywood Halloween Carnival:
The world’s largest Halloween street party takes place in Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, on 31st October. Live musical performances, creative costumes, and food trucks with a variety of food, all go to make a memorable Halloween. The performances from the multiple stages have music from around the world like reggae, samba, and more. The massive crowd goes crazy on the anointment of an A-list celebrity as royalty- “Queen of the Carnival.”
Emma Crawford Festival:
If you are in Colorado during Halloween then head to Manitou Springs, just outside Colorado Springs. Halloween is celebrated in a different way here. The coffin race on Halloween is unique. Four members of a team push a casket down the hill and a fifth member, posing as Emma Crawford, sits in the coffin. This race is in memory of Emma’s coffin being dislodged and sliding down from its resting place on the hill. Prizes are awarded for the first coffin to reach the finishing line, best entourage, best coffin, best Emma, etc.
Halloween in New Orleans:
Halloween is second only to Mardi Gras. You can see bizarre, scary, and strange costumes for the parade on Halloween, a popular holiday in New Orleans. You find vampires, zombies, ghosts, goblins, and others in the parade in creative and unique costumes. Go on a haunted tour, explore the voodoo shops or visit the above-ground tombs called the cities of the dead. Walk around the haunted French quarter and maybe have an encounter with a spirit. There are many family-friendly activities too.
Festival of the Dead:
In Salem, Massachusetts, The Salem Witches honor Halloween with the Festival of the Dead. Here you find one of the grandest celebrations of Halloween in the country. The month of October is filled with many activities and attracts visitors from everywhere. Interact with psychics, mediums, crystal balls, and more. The finale is a Salem Witches’ Halloween Ball, where hundreds gather to “summon the spirits” of Halloween. Voodoo ceremonies, ritual drummers, and appearances by witch doctors make this an unforgettable event.
The pandemic may have forced changes in the celebrations. Keep yourself updated by visiting the official websites. If you are traveling with family and children, check out the family-friendly activities available. Many of the activities are free and can be enjoyed with the whole family. Let your imagination free, design unique costumes, and join in the fun. After all, such activities bind communities together and let the child within us live.