5 of the Best Towns to Celebrate Halloween - For kids, Halloween is infamous for costumes and trick-or-treating; for teens, horror flicks and potentially a day off school; for college students, lingerie and beer; for parents, watching their children do all of the formerly mentioned (lingerie and beer aside). If you love everything about Halloween, then put on your disguise and head to one of these cities that knows how to party, whether it’s rated PG or R.
Halloween Key West-Style (Toast to Life/Flickr)
Party-Hardy: New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans and its above-ground gravesites can be creepy even when it’s not Halloween, but The Big Easy sure knows how to celebrate. Second in size only to Mardi Gras, All Hallows’ Eve is celebrated with elaborate costumes, drinking, dancing, and parades. Even the zoo gets in on the action with “Boo at the Zoo.” And while you're there, chow down on what New Orleans is most known for, its tasty local cuisine—try a po’boy and some beignets to replenish your appetite during all your wickedly awesome fun.
Sexiest: Key West, Florida
The annual Key West Fantasy Fest is one word: risqué. During the week-and-a-half before Halloween, clothing is sparse, lingerie is welcomed in public, and Captain Morgan is about as frequent as water. The Pretenders in Paradise event has up to a $10,000 cash prize costume contest; the Duval Street’s mile-long street fair promises lively libations and costumed frivolity; and Captain Morgan’s famous parade, with 70,000 frolicking partygoers, finishes out the celebrations on Saturday night.
College Town: Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
Reigning supreme as one of the nation’s top party schools by the Princeton Review (and numerous other sites), Ohio University’s insane Halloween parties date back to the 70s, when the indiscretions of the college culture were a bit more hush-hush. The Annual Athens Halloween Street Party is considered to be one of the largest block parties in the nation, typically attracting more than 20,000 people to the streets of downtown Athens. If you’re going, be smart and call a taxi. Each year a few dozen people take the festivities too far and end up in the back of a cop car.
Historical: Salem, Massachusetts
The site of the historic Salem Witch Trials of 1692, Salem, Massachusetts has witch-tastic events all through October. The activities vary from haunted corn mazes to spooky boat cruises, topping off the month with the Salem Witches’ Halloween Ball and a firework finale on Halloween night.
Kid-Friendly: Disney World or Disneyland
There is no better way to have fun on Halloween than to dress up as a princess or prince and go trick-or-treating with the ones who inspired the costumes in the first place. Disney Parks celebrate Halloween with parades, fireworks, and costume parties, complete with meet-and-greets by kids’ favorite Disney stars. The events are on the tamer side and not so scary, as they are geared toward grade-school aged children. ( away.com )
Halloween Key West-Style (Toast to Life/Flickr)
Party-Hardy: New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans and its above-ground gravesites can be creepy even when it’s not Halloween, but The Big Easy sure knows how to celebrate. Second in size only to Mardi Gras, All Hallows’ Eve is celebrated with elaborate costumes, drinking, dancing, and parades. Even the zoo gets in on the action with “Boo at the Zoo.” And while you're there, chow down on what New Orleans is most known for, its tasty local cuisine—try a po’boy and some beignets to replenish your appetite during all your wickedly awesome fun.
Sexiest: Key West, Florida
The annual Key West Fantasy Fest is one word: risqué. During the week-and-a-half before Halloween, clothing is sparse, lingerie is welcomed in public, and Captain Morgan is about as frequent as water. The Pretenders in Paradise event has up to a $10,000 cash prize costume contest; the Duval Street’s mile-long street fair promises lively libations and costumed frivolity; and Captain Morgan’s famous parade, with 70,000 frolicking partygoers, finishes out the celebrations on Saturday night.
College Town: Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
Reigning supreme as one of the nation’s top party schools by the Princeton Review (and numerous other sites), Ohio University’s insane Halloween parties date back to the 70s, when the indiscretions of the college culture were a bit more hush-hush. The Annual Athens Halloween Street Party is considered to be one of the largest block parties in the nation, typically attracting more than 20,000 people to the streets of downtown Athens. If you’re going, be smart and call a taxi. Each year a few dozen people take the festivities too far and end up in the back of a cop car.
Historical: Salem, Massachusetts
The site of the historic Salem Witch Trials of 1692, Salem, Massachusetts has witch-tastic events all through October. The activities vary from haunted corn mazes to spooky boat cruises, topping off the month with the Salem Witches’ Halloween Ball and a firework finale on Halloween night.
Kid-Friendly: Disney World or Disneyland
There is no better way to have fun on Halloween than to dress up as a princess or prince and go trick-or-treating with the ones who inspired the costumes in the first place. Disney Parks celebrate Halloween with parades, fireworks, and costume parties, complete with meet-and-greets by kids’ favorite Disney stars. The events are on the tamer side and not so scary, as they are geared toward grade-school aged children. ( away.com )
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