The 12 Most Iconic Halloween Events All Across America In 2024

In the United States, the spooky season is serious business. It was estimated that Americans spent $12.2 billion on the holiday in 2023, according to the National Retail Federation, a record that puts the previous year's $10.6 billion to shame. People of all ages come out in droves to wear costumes, attend Halloween parties, go trick-or-treating, visit haunted attractions, and more. But with so many Halloween activities to choose from and only so much cash and October dates to go around, where do you begin celebrating this beloved holiday that nearly 70% of Americans participate in, according to Consolidated Credit?

To answer that question, we rounded up the most iconic Halloween events across the country, ranging from coffin races in Colorado to an eye-boggling parade in New Orleans to a horde of haunted houses in Orlando. If you're a diehard Halloween fan and don't mind hopping on a plane or driving across state lines for a must-visit thrill, here are the events not to miss out on — if you dare. Or, for a laid-back time, take a picture-perfect Halloween vacation to this European destination. 

In 1889, Emma Crawford, who was plagued with tuberculosis, moved to Manitou Springs, Colorado, in hopes of using the town's mineral springs as a cure. That didn't go to plan, as she died two years later. But her legacy was far from over. After her body and coffin swept down Red Mountain in 1929, following torrential rains, the town decided to celebrate her with the annual Emma Crawford Coffin Races and Festival in 1995, which was the first coffin race hosted in the United States. This year, the festival and races will take place on October 26, starting with live music at 10 a.m., the parade at noon, and then the races.

But these are no ordinary races — although "mourners" should wear their sneakers. Teams create their own coffin-like devices on wheels and then pull their own costumed Crawford to the finish line. Besides seeing who can finish first, they also compete for "Best Emma," "Best Coffin," and "Best Entourage." But it's not all fun and games for this long-passed resident. On October 25, a Victorian wake will be held for Crawford at Miramont Castle, a 14,000-square-foot Victorian home built in 1895. Despite the annual wakes and her memorial stone at the approximate original location of her burial, Crawford still allegedly haunts Red Mountain. To extend your trip to Colorado, visit this charming town that inspired Disneyland's Main Street, two hours from Manitou Springs. 

Perhaps no American city incites the dead quite like Salem, Massachusetts. The city doesn't hesitate to go all-out for Halloween, with a daily calendar of events throughout October. At the Witch City Mall, visitors can check out the city's oldest psychic fair to meet accredited psychics and practicing witches every day. These professionals read tarot cards, palms, and crystal balls, communicate with passed-away loved ones, and help you discover your past life. There's also a market for wands, voodoo dolls, pendulums, and more. Also, every night through October 31 at the Omen: Psychic Parlor and Witchcraft Emporium, séances occur.

Unsurprisingly, the fun really gears up in the weekend leading up to Halloween, with events like the Graveyard Magic presentation on October 26, which helps visitors learn about graveyard magic. It includes visiting one of the oldest graveyards in the country. Then, there's the Dumb Supper on October 27, a silent meal at the Hawthorne Hotel to memorialize the dead in an age-old tradition. But the one event of the month not to miss in Salem is the Witches' Halloween Ball on October 25. It occurs at the Hawthorne Hotel and includes music and dancing, food, witchcraft rituals, psychic readings, a séance, live drumming and ceremonial dance performances, and a costume contest for $212 per person.

Nearly 10 miles from the setting of "Sleepy Hollow" is the Great Jack O' Lantern Blaze. It's a 20-year-old attraction featuring scenes built from illuminated pumpkins showcased for 52 nights at the historic Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson, New York. The manor is a restored historic property, and the event, a non-profit organization promoting local historic landmarks, benefits the building and those like it in the Historic Hudson Valley. 

The Halloween tradition that has welcomed 2 million people since its establishment showcases unique displays annually over a ½-mile, self-guided walk. This year, new elements lighted by pumpkins include an arch and an enormous birthday cake to celebrate the attraction's 20^th anniversary, monsters from must-see films, and a Kraken in the Croton River. Past displays comprise the New York cityscape, dinosaur skeletons, a bridge lighted by pumpkins, and Sleepy Hollow's Headless Horseman. 

From September 13 through November 17, tickets range from $39 to $57 per person. For an additional experience, book the combination ticket for $74 to $92, which includes admission to the new speakeasy-themed Gourd & Goblet Tavern, beverages, food, and souvenirs to remember your spooky day out. And if you miss out on the coveted tickets to the Croton-on-Hudson event, you can snag some at its second location at Old Bethpage Village Restoration on Long Island.

According to the U.S. government, the title of Halloween Capital of the World doesn't belong to haunted cities like Salem, Sleepy Hollow, or New Orleans — that honor falls to Anoka, Minnesota, which started a tradition of keeping kids busy instead of terrorizing their town on Halloween night in 1920. And like it did in Independence, Kansas, that effort has evolved through the past century. These days, 60,000 people flock to the town, usually home to 18,000, to celebrate the big day. They enjoy the Light Up the Night Parade, the three-hour Grand Day Parade, a pumpkin carving contest, a house decorating contest, a bonfire, trick-or-treating, a pumpkin smashing party, and a 5K.

The October 26 race, called the Gray Ghost Run, honors runner and resident William Andberg, who was seen running through an Anoka cemetery in gray sweats to avoid pesky pups. The recipient of several running world records for his age group, he created his nickname-namesake race in the 1970s as part of his town's Halloween fun. But the fanfare doesn't end on November 1. Anoka's traffic circle is painted like a jack-o-lantern no matter the month, and there's also a store and museum in town that teaches visitors about Anoka's beloved Halloween history. It became official in 1937 when Congress declared Anoka the Halloween Capital of the World after the town sent its paperboy to Washington, D.C., to lobby their cause.

Forget the Zombie Walk. At the annual Halloween Festival and Thriller Parade on Main Street in Lexington, Kentucky, the dead dance along to Michael Jackson's classic song "Thriller" in the biggest Halloween celebration in the city. The event is so treasured that it has been named one of the best Halloween shows by USA Today as well as Oprah Magazine.

This year, the zombies will take to the streets on October 20. If you want to join the crowd, all you need to do is attend one $6 to $16 dance rehearsal or watch the dancers stumble through Lexington for free. Directly preceding the iconic dance is the Halloween Parade, in which anyone wearing a costume can walk in for free. And before that is the Halloween Variety Show, which includes spooky performances by local troupes as well as music spun by a DJ. While there, enjoy the fall weather at a unique landmark in Kentucky, a dream destination for climbers and hikers. 

Although many of the events on this list are family-friendly with low-key scares, Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort in Florida is the opposite. The resort isn't suitable for kids under 13. The event includes 10 haunted houses inspired by famous horror movies, frightening attractions, and nearly a half-dozen scare zones. Since it runs from August 30 through November 3 this year, this is one of the easiest ways to prolong your Halloween for over a month. But don't wait to snag your tickets (ranging from $83 for one night, if you purchase in advance, to $400 for all the nights); they often sell out, especially the package deals.

Halloween Horror Nights begin at 6:30 p.m. and end at 2 a.m., making for a full evening of spooktacular fun at Universal Studios' haunted houses, which are all new this year. Plus, as you're walking from house to house, you'll see Halloween Horror Night haunters looking to make you scream. Not sure which house to start at? One of the highlights includes A Quiet Place, set at the Abbott Farmhouse, where visitors will need to stay completely silent to dodge the ghoulish creatures that call the home, forest, and foundry their hiding places. Another highly-anticipated house is Insidious: The Further, which sends visitors to the underworld filled with demons, just like where the Lambert family went in the movie after plunging through the red door.

The Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is no fake haunted house that only comes alive during Halloween. Instead, this prison that kept its inmates in isolation and tortured them for 142 years is known as one of the most haunted jails in the country. Visitors can experience it — with some Halloween magic — from September 20 to November 2. Five haunted houses decked out with actors will fill the property, and if you want an elevated and interactive experience, opt for a glowing necklace that will allow the actors to touch you.

One of the new features at the penitentiary's Halloween Nights this year is Through the Veil, a choose-your-own-adventure experience that puts your scare in your hands. The prison will also host several spooky-themed bars, restaurants, live entertainment, and historic tours. For access, buy a ticket for $39 to $59, depending on your preferred night. If you want to explore more local history with less of a haunted flair, check out the best museums in Philadelphia.

Mardi Gras is undoubtedly New Orleans' most famous parade, but the Krewe of Boo, the city's Halloween parade, gives it a run for its money. That's no surprise — the parade's elaborate, ghostly floats are designed by Kern Studios, which also creates some of the most acclaimed papier-mâché floats of Mardi Gras. The Krewe of Boo is so famous that it was even featured in the movie "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back," which stars Tom Cruise. This year, the Halloween parade will grace the streets of New Orleans — known as one of the most haunted cities in the country — on October 19 at 6:30 p.m. It will include 450 riders, more than a dozen floats, 35 bands, dance troupes, and parade throws like candy, beads, voodoo doll pins, and doubloons.

After the parade, visitors can celebrate at the Monster Mash costume party with a DJ, live music, and costume contests for $25 per person. You can also gear up for the fun with the 2-mile costumed Zombie Run through the Warehouse District and French Quarter on the day of the parade for $25 per person. The parade started in 2007 as a fundraiser to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina, which ravaged New Orleans two years prior. But people enjoyed it so much that in 2013, the parade was resurrected and has been going strong ever since.

More than a century ago, Independence, Kansas, started its Neewollah festival — which is simply Halloween spelled backward. It's a series of parades in October, invented to occupy kids, preventing them from engaging in Halloween shenanigans. But those efforts have taken on a life (or death) of their own in those decades since. Neewollah is now the biggest festival in the state, attracting over 75,000 people over 9 days to the small town with a population of just 8,500. This year, the festivities will start on October 18, culminating with the two-hour Neewollah Grand Parade on Neewollah's last weekend, which includes a marching band competition that attracts bands from three states.

But don't just wait around for that. Neewollah comprises three parades: the Grand Parade; the adults-only Doo Dah parade, where adults can showcase their best costumes; the Kiddie Parade, where kids can get dressed up. There are also chili and dessert competitions on October 19. If chili isn't your jam, food vendors set up shop in the downtown area starting October 23 and offer items such as funnel cake, Polish sausages, fried pickles, and Philly cheesesteak sandwiches. Before that, from October 21 to 22, 20 women will duke it out with their talents to be crowned Queen Neelah. Then, on October 24, the carnival will come to town, and kids and adults can hop on rides and play classic games.

In the Disney movie "Halloweentown," Marnie and her family travel to Halloweentown to save the creatures who call it home. But in real life, that home is St. Helens, Oregon, where the movie was filmed. Every year, this town named for Mount St. Helens volcano transforms into the real Halloweentown, complete with costumes and scarecrow contests, shopping, performances, pumpkin displays, a haunted house, and celebrity guests. This occurs from September 28, when the Great Pumpkin is lit, through October 31 at Courthouse Plaza. While some events are free and open to the public, such as the pumpkin displays and performances, a full day of admission to other ghostly events starts at $45. Some individual events start at $12, with specific days and events selling out in advance.

Other family-friendly events visitors can look forward to in Halloweentown include trick-or-treating through the historic Old Town District, parades, and displays, like a replica of the taxi driven by the skeleton in "Halloweentown." However, "Halloweentown" isn't St. Helens only Hollywood claim to fame. Twilight was also filmed here, and during the Halloweentown festivities, you might just spot some of your favorite Twilight actors. You can even stay overnight at Charlie and Bella Swan's home, listed on Airbnb, for $380 to $450 per night. If you really have a thing for vampires, head to the Twilight Saga film setting in the Pacific Northwest.

Halloween parades are as common as black cat costumes, but the Village Halloween Parade is a broomstick above. The parade at 7 p.m. on Halloween night in Greenwich Village, New York City, is the biggest event for the public in the Big Apple, attracting 2 million spectators and 50,000 costumed marchers. Celebrating its 51st anniversary this year, the Village Halloween Parade — which features a different theme annually — will have the theme of "Meow," so bring those black cat costumes out. Actually, bring any costume since only people in costumes or masks are allowed to walk in the parade that starts at Canal and 6^th Avenue and ends at 6^th Avenue and 15^th Street East before celebrating with a Webster Hall after-party.

To march, simply show up in your Halloween getup at the corner of 6^th Avenue and Canal Street between 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. and join puppets, dancers, artists, and 50 bands helping marchers rock to live music. Or, to see the free parade in all its ghostly glory, watch from the east or west side of 6^th Avenue between King Street and West 15^th Street. Marchers and spectators can also purchase VIP tickets, which cost $100 for marchers and $250 for spectators. The VIP tickets give marchers their own entrance and admission to the after-party, while the spectator tickets give watchers the best standing spot for views as well as free food, drinks, and after-party admission.

West Hollywood is a haven for creatives, and no town puts on a more creative Halloween block party than West Hollywood. Called the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval, the free event attracts 500,000 people to Santa Monica Boulevard to party it up — costumed, of course — with DJ-spun tunes, live music, shows, contests, and more. It takes to the streets on Halloween night from 6:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., and even outside of Santa Monica Boulevard, the festivities will be rocking at restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues, including after-parties.

The event got its start 37 years ago after being inspired by the city's unique array of residents. But as the years went on, so did the crowd, and today, people from all over the world strut their stuff in their most imaginative costumes at the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval. That includes everyone from spectators to performers and exhibitionists (so call the babysitter for this one), who all want to celebrate October 31 in style — and with their best face on. The most extraordinary will be named the Queen of The Carnaval, and everyone from Queen Latifah to Ryan Seacrest has earned the title. This California city is also a great place to celebrate Halloween on the West Coast.