Halloween Events Near Me: Best Parties & Attractions 2026
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Most Halloween activities tend to fall into one of the following, regardless of where you live: trick-or-treating around the neighborhood, parties around you, and a few major destinations you have to visit. This guide will cover all these aspects, including both local activities and trips to plan.
What Halloween Events Are Near Me in 2026
Halloween will occur on October 31, 2026, and it will be on Saturday. Activities in your local area include trick-or-treating, trunk-or-treat parties, and parties in bars and restaurants that can easily be found using the Parks & Recreation page or schedule in your city. For long trips, you could preplan activities like Haunted Happenings in Salem and the Village Halloween Parade of NYC.
When Is Halloween in 2026
Halloween occurs every year on October 31. According to the Farmers’ Almanac, Halloween in 2026 will occur on a Saturday, which means that Halloween will be a weekend event.
Question | Answer |
Date | October 31, 2026 |
Day of the week | Saturday |
Federal holiday? | No |
Last time it fell on a Friday | 2025 |
Halloween is not among the 11 holidays that are federally celebrated in the United States, and thus most businesses and schools remain open on this particular day.
How Many Days Until Halloween 2026
Halloween will be only 84 days away as of August 8, 2026. This number decreases by one day every day that goes by till October 31, and hence can be treated more as a factor rather than a fact. If you read this information on or around the same time, you can calculate the exact number of days left from today until the end of October, which usually should not go below sixty days since that’s when the most popular nights at events like Halloween Horror Nights start selling out.
How to Find Halloween Events Near You
The quickest way to know what events are happening in your town is on the parks and recs page of your city website, because most cities list trunk-or-treats, festivals, and fun family events on their websites by October. Other places to look include:
- Events schedule from your local county or city government
- Website from the local tourism bureau, which maintains a list of Halloween events year-round
- Eventbrite site, filtered by your city and event date
- Facebook groups for the local area, since these will include small parties not listed on the official sites
- Local library and school district, which host their own family events
Most events are posted two to four weeks before the actual date; therefore, your local calendar will be populated in early October.
Best Halloween Events in the US for 2026
If there is nothing nearby that makes the journey worthwhile, here are some events that are worth your schedule. All dates mentioned below are verified on the event pages.
Event | City | 2026 Dates | Free or Ticketed | Known For |
Haunted Happenings | Salem, MA | October 1 to 31, Grand Parade on Oct 1 | Mostly free, some ticketed attractions | Month-long festival, ghost tours, Grand Parade |
Village Halloween Parade | New York, NY | October 31, 7 p.m | Free | Costumes, giant puppets, open to marchers |
Krewe of Boo Parade | New Orleans, LA | October 24 | Free | Family-friendly Mardi Gras style parade |
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party | Orlando, FL | Select nights Aug 7 to Oct 31 | Ticketed, $119 to $229 | Parade, fireworks, trick-or-treating |
Halloween Horror Nights | Orlando, FL | Select nights Aug 28 to Nov 1 | Ticketed, $87.99 to $129.99 | Haunted houses, themed food |
HalloWeekends | Sandusky, OH (Cedar Point) | Select dates Sept 17 to Nov 1 | Ticketed, mazes priced separately | Family daytime activities, haunted mazes at night |
The minimum price for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween ticket ranges from $119 on off-peak evenings to $229 for the October weekend and Halloween evening tickets. For 2026, the tickets were released in May, and several October dates, such as Halloween, are already sold out. If one of these dates is important to you, it is recommended that you verify the dates ahead of time.
Halloween Horror Nights foods
But then again, Halloween Horror Nights is not just limited to haunted attractions; it’s food too. Universal Studios provides its guests with food items from pop-up stands as well as from their food vendors in CityWalk, such as Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen and Voodoo Doughnut, during Halloween Horror Nights.
Each year there is a new set of items on the menu, and usually, this comes out a few weeks before the event’s commencement. For specific food details, please check Universal’s official dining page.
Other Halloween-famous cities you may consider exploring in detail before your dates:
- Chicago and Boston are famous for their ghost tours
- Philadelphia is well-known for its haunted attractions
- Savannah and St. Augustine can surprise you with their cemetery and ghost tours
- Los Angeles can offer you one of the most popular events, Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood from September 3 through November 1, 2026.
Halloween Events by Type
Haunted Houses and Horror Nights
Halloween Horror Nights, HalloWeekends, and numerous other smaller haunted houses open during the weekends in September and October. Most charge for timed entrance tickets, which can be bought online. The most sought-after nights are booked months ahead.
Ghost Tours and Paranormal Investigations
The ghost tour is in a league apart from the haunted house, as it is not choreographed or planned, and no one will jump out at you. It entails a walking tour in the historic section of the city, guided by someone who narrates the true story behind the ghost stories that haunt the place. Towns and cities with a strong colonial and 19th-century background, such as Salem, New Orleans, Savannah, and St. Augustine, offer haunted tours every night through the end of October. Some sites of haunting have taken things a step further, with scheduled times when people are allowed to investigate paranormal activity using ghost-hunting materials, guided by a tour guide in the building.
Parades
The Grand Parade in Salem, New York City’s Village Halloween Parade, and the Krewe of Boo in New Orleans are the most famous parades in the US, and all three are free to attend. Mid-sized cities tend to have their own version of a parade as well.
Pumpkin Patches, Corn Mazes, and Hayrides
These take place throughout October at area farms instead of on one particular day, and most of them are oriented toward families and during the daytime. Look up “[your town] pumpkin patch” or “corn maze” in early October because many farms do not advertise their hours for the season until then.
Trunk or Treat and Family Festivals
These events are usually organized by churches, schools, or business associations and trade candy given from door-to-door for cars in a parking lot, with the treats given out of the car’s trunk. This is a good option for communities that have low foot traffic.
Bar Crawls and Costume Parties
Most towns have an organized bar crawl that happens the weekend before Halloween, along with individual bars holding costume competitions and drink specials. As Halloween will happen on a Saturday in 2026, this will be more prevalent than normal.
Halloween Food Deals to Watch For
Various national chain stores hold promotions during the week of Halloween annually, such as discounts on donuts, complimentary items for those dressed up in costumes, or an entire-day discount related to the date itself. Every year, there will be varying discounts and prices offered; moreover, it is normally not clear until early to mid-October as to what those discounts would be, so you can look out for your store’s app or website just before Halloween rather than waiting for the same as last year’s promotion.
Halloween Cruises and Nightlife Parties
In places with a beachfront or active nightlife, Halloween night parties are more elaborate than regular bar crawls. There are themed boat cruises and yacht parties taking place in cities such as Newport Beach, Portland, and San Francisco, which operate as costume party nights on the rivers and bays.
Bigger nightclub markets, especially Las Vegas, run an extended Halloween weekend of club nights with major DJ lineups, usually priced well above a standard cover charge.
Giant Pumpkin Festivals and Pumpkin Drops
Along with traditional pumpkin farms, some cities organize special giant pumpkin festivals. At these festivals, participants can do such fun things as pumpkin weighing, pumpkin carving, and even pumpkin dropping. Such festivals are often free or inexpensive, and they are suitable for children, as they include pumpkin carving workshops, food stands, and even a small race. Just search for “[your city] pumpkin festival” or “giant pumpkin weigh-off” in early October, since these dates are usually announced a week before the festival.
Haunted Trolley and Train Rides
Some locations offer Halloween trolley or train rides instead of the normal walking tour, which can be helpful if you are traveling with children or any passengers who would prefer sitting over walking a couple of miles. The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, about 30 minutes from Pittsburgh, holds a special haunted ride, complete with ghosts and spooky tales from the museum’s collections. Other tourist railroads around the United States have a similar Halloween ride, whether it is a pumpkin patch ride or trick-or-treating on the train.
Free Halloween Events Near You
If you want to experience the night without spending a lot of money, these should be your priorities: Halloween activities such as trick-or-treat, trunk-or-treats, Halloween events by cities, libraries, and schools, and the parades discussed above, because they are all free to watch. Tickets will apply in theme parks and haunted houses.
Halloween Guides by Region
In case any of the destinations listed here are out of your reach, most states/regions do have their own seasonal guide to running Halloween events. New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Midwest are all well-known regional guides that list haunted houses, pumpkin festivals, and ghost tours county-wise and are regularly updated as local spots confirm event dates. They might be good to look at along with your own city’s parks and recreation webpage.
Halloween Events for Kids
Trunk-or-Treats, daytime pumpkin farms, library activities, and school parties will likely be easier and safer choices when dealing with small children. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is also built with families in mind, with trick-or-treat trails inside the park itself.
Halloween Events for Adults
Haunted houses, ghost walks, bar crawls, and costume parties have basically got it all covered for adults. Halloween Horror Nights is clearly made for the adult audience, as both the haunted houses and scare zones offer thrills.
Halloween and Trick or Treating in 2026
There is also the best time for this event. In general, trick-or-treating occurs between 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Halloween night. However, some cities have different times for trick-or-treating; hence, it is recommended that you check your city’s government websites by the beginning of October.
Safety precautions
- Walking along lit streets
- Having flashlights with you
- Screening the candy your children get should not be overlooked
- Attaching reflective tape on costumes allows trick-or-treaters to be seen by motorists
Halloween Party at Home
The easiest party to throw is always a house party. Choose your theme early on, keep decorations simple, and you will be covered with a list of songs and just one type of drink.
Ideas for Couples on Halloween
There are many alternative places a couple can visit if they do not wish to get crowded in the bars. Couples can, for example, have fun visiting a haunted place and then enjoy their dinner somewhere else in peace. Couples can choose to carve out their own pumpkins, watch horror movies, or even dress up in their own Halloween costumes.
In case their town does not offer anything, they can take a weekend trip and create their own date based on the chosen destination, Salem for the Haunted Happenings or New Orleans for the French Quarter.
Planning a Trip for a Bigger Halloween
If your choices at home are few, it might be worthwhile to plan an escape for a couple of days to one of the above locations, particularly with Halloween in 2026 coming on a Saturday, giving you an extra night over a single night’s stay. You can use a travel itinerary template to plan a two-day escape easily. If you’re not traveling by plane but by bus, BoletoXpress offers bus routes to destinations such as Orlando and New Orleans. For shorter trips generally, our guide to quick weekend getaways has more ideas.
Halloween Events by Traveler Type
Traveler Type | Best Fit | Why |
Families with kids | Trunk or treats, daytime pumpkin patches | Safer, shorter, easier with young kids |
Couples | Haunted house plus dinner, a weekend trip | Lower crowd, more one-on-one time |
Groups of friends | Bar crawls, costume contests, theme parks | Built for bigger groups and later nights |
Solo travelers | Theme park events, local ghost tours | Flexible schedule, no group planning needed |
Final Thoughts
A Saturday Halloween in 2026 allows you to have your Halloween on a whole weekend instead of a stressful weeknight, whether this consists of your participation in a trunk-or-treat near where you live, or in some place as far as Salem or New Orleans, where one of America’s biggest parades takes place during Halloween. The more popular events, particularly at amusement parks, usually fill up fast, and hence it is recommended that you purchase your ticket in time before October comes around. If your best choice involves taking the bus, BoletoXpress provides a simple way to book your bus ride.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best Halloween events near me in 2026?
It depends on your city, but trunk-or-treats, local parades, and bar or restaurant parties cover most towns, with Salem, New Orleans, and Orlando as the biggest destination options.
How do I find Halloween events near me?
Check your city’s parks and recreation site first, then Eventbrite and local Facebook groups for smaller parties that don’t make official calendars.
Are Halloween events usually free?
Trick-or-treating, trunk-or-treats, and the big parades are free. Theme park events and dedicated haunted houses are ticketed.
Do I need Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party tickets in advance?
Yes. It’s separately ticketed, and popular nights, including October 31, tend to sell out months ahead.
Is Halloween Horror Nights good for families?
Not really. Universal markets it toward older teens and adults, since the houses and scare zones are intentionally intense.
When was the last time Halloween was on a Friday?
Last Friday Halloween occurred on October 31, 2025. The next Friday Halloween will be October 31, 2031.
Is Halloween a national holiday?
No. It’s not one of the 11 federal holidays, so most schools, banks, and offices stay open.
Do Christians celebrate Halloween?
It varies. Many Christians treat it as a secular holiday or link it to All Hallows’ Eve, while others avoid it over its pre-Christian roots.
What does the christian bible say about Halloween?
The Bible does not mention Halloween by name, since the holiday developed centuries later. Views among Christians differ based on other passages about related practices.
What cities have the best Halloween events in 2026?
Salem, New Orleans, and Orlando are the biggest destination options, with Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Savannah, and St. Augustine known for strong ghost tour and haunted attraction scenes.
What should I do if local Halloween events sell out?
Check the venue’s waitlist or resale page first, then look at a nearby town’s events, since smaller neighboring cities often have availability later into October.
Are Halloween boat parties and cruises worth it?
They work well for an adults-only night out in a city with a waterfront, but they usually cost more than a bar cover and sell out early, so book a few weeks ahead.
How many weeks until Halloween?
As of August 8, 2026, Halloween is 12 weeks away. That number changes daily, so subtract today’s date from October 31, 2026 for your own count.
