Fall is here! Halloween is just around the corner and that means spooky festivities are upon us. Here are some popular Halloween festivals around the United States for all different ages.
Chicago, Illinois – Night of 1,000 Jack-O’-Lanterns
The Chicago Botanic Garden is transformed into a family-friendly Halloween festival in the weeks before Halloween. Over a thousand LED-lit Jack-o’-lanterns designed with different characters and themes such as Charlie Brown, Chicago sports teams, and classic horror movies line the garden’s pathway, and there are also live pumpkin carvings, a spooky Model Railroad Garden, as well as favorite fall refreshments like apple cider and ale.
The Night of 1,000 Jack-O’-Lanterns runs select evenings Wednesday through Sunday from October 16 to October 27, 2019 from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Visit their website for more information, https://www.chicagobotanic.org/halloween
Louisville, Kentucky – Jack-O’-Lantern Spectacular
The Louisville Jack O’ Lantern Spectacular features some 5,000 illuminated jack-o’-lanterns lining a walking trail at night. This family-friendly Halloween event at the Iroquois Amphitheater in Louisville runs daily from October 8 to November 3, 2019 from dusk to 11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, check out the website at https://www.jack-o-lanternlouisville.com/
Scottsdale, Arizona – Spooktacular Hot Air Balloon Festival
Another popular Halloween festival is the Spooktacular Hot Air Balloon Festival in Scottsdale, Arizona. This unique, family-fun Halloween event includes over 20 hot air balloons on display, with tons of candy at each balloon for kids to go trick-or-treating. There will be balloon glows throughout the evening, as well as tethered balloon rides for an extra fee. The event also features live music, a Kids Zone, vendor market, costume contests, and refreshments. The Spooktacular Hot Air Balloon Festival takes place over two nights, Friday, October 25 and Saturday, October 26, 2019 from 5:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. and both nights end with a fireworks display. Visit their website for the event at http://azspooktacular.com/
Buena Park, California – Knott’s Scary Farm
If you are looking for something truly frightening for Halloween, then this is the place for you. Knott’s Berry Farm transforms to Knott’s Scary Farm for select nights September 19 to November 2, 2019 from 7 p.m. and closes at approximately 1 a.m. This interactive event features haunted mazes, scary performances from more than 1,000 horrifying creatures, and is not recommended for children under 13. For more information, visit https://www.knotts.com/play/scary-farm
Sleepy Hollow, New York – Sleepy Hollow Halloween
Located just north of New York City in and around Sleepy Hollow, New York, weeks of events known as Halloween in Sleepy Hollow Country takes place to thrill and excite you. There are a variety of events that take place from late September to early November, including a pumpkin blaze with 10,000 hand-carved jack o’ lanterns, a performance of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, cemetary tours, haunted hayrides, farmers markets, live music, parades, and an outdoor immersive performance of Washington Irving’s classic horror story known as the Sleepy Hollow Experience. For more information, visit https://hudsonvalley.org/halloween-in-sleepy-hollow-country/
