Around the World Halloween Events 

By: Caleb Shaulis  

If people were asked what happens on Halloween the most common answer would be that kids go trick or treating. However, that’s not the only thing that happens. Some places hold special events such as parades or contests to see who has the best pumpkin carving skills. This article will answer, what do other places do on the night of Halloween? 

   “Arts in the Dark” is a parade hosted at night where people can enjoy large scale puppets, lanterns, floats, and costumed performers where they celebrate the art of creativity. The Art Institute of Chicago and local dance troupes host the event. Chicago also hosts “The Night of a Thousand Jack-o’-lanterns” at the Chicago Botanic Garden.  They also host a ghost tour where people would get on a boat and tour the Congress Plaza Hotel, Lincoln Park Zoo, and former site of H. H. Holmes’ Murder Castle where people tour the labyrinth and mazes of the infamous murder. 

   In New York, at Central Park they host the “Enchanting Pumpkin Flotilla”. Part of this event has crafts or trick or a treat scavenger hunt. At twilight people get to see pumpkins float down the Harlem Meer and see all the different carvings on the pumpkins. The “Great Jack-O’-Lantern Blaze” is an event where thousands of carved pumpkins are displayed in a full tunnel like path that are all lit up with different colors.  In Brooklyn, New York they have a candle light concert that Highline String Quartet performs a variety of Halloween themed songs around lit candles for an hour. New Blood Manor is a ten thousand square feet haunted house with tons of themed rooms, a labyrinth, with a more horrific atmosphere. Blood Manor was featured in the 2016 episode of the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. The manor has a crypt room, maggot invasion, Hannibal’s underworld, and killer clowns. Blood Manor cannot permit children under 14 as the manor was deemed to scary for any other age under. 

  In Southern California, Universal Studios host live shows based on horror movies and shows. The event also has scare zones, mazes, and eight haunted houses. The haunted hayride is an event where people will ride a tractor pulled wagon through park woods. The hayride offers mazes, scare zones, and a reverse scary-go-round. The Live Oak Canyon Fall Harvest Festival has rides, photo shoots, a petting zoo, a large pumpkin patch, games, train rides, food vendors and a gift shop. At Original Farmers’ Market is a fall festival, it offers a pumpkin patch, a snack bar, live music, a petting zoo, and games. 

  Halloween is not just for trick or treating, it is a holiday with many other ways to celebrate or enjoy the night. Some places hold rides and some hold a haunted house experience. Halloween is a holiday that allows everyone to enjoy a day of horror and excitement. 

Siting:  ChooseChicago.com   Loving-newyork.com    Daytrippen.com Stamfordadvocate.com     secretnyc.co   Timeout.com