By No Vacation Required, on September 27, 2014

Five epic Halloween celebrations

Americans love Halloween. In fact, according to a recent survey by the National Retail Federation, nearly 160 million people celebrate the spooky holiday every year.

If you want to make sure your Halloween activities are more treat than trick, we’ve got you covered. Here, in our opinions, are five of the best Halloween travel destinations in the United States, and the celebrations that make them worth the trip. 

New Orleans

Halloween in New Orleans is as much a holiday as it is a cultural experience. With the moniker of “The Most Haunted City in America,” graveyards filled with above-ground tombs, and a history of voodoo, New Orleans is perfect destination for a Halloween-themed trip.

Check out French Quarter Phantom’s Ghost Tours for spine-tingling tours led by real historians. Also join the Krewe Of Boo Halloween parade, or just watch the procession of extravagant and scary floats crafted by local artists.

Halloween in New Orleans

Los Angeles

West Hollywood is home to Halloween Carnaval, the largest Halloween street party in the world and the Los Angeles area’s second-largest annual bash. Each year the free event draws hundreds of thousands of revelers to Santa Monica Boulevard for live entertainment. The L.A. event’s popularity might also have something to do with the over-the-top and often risqué costumes (and the beautiful people donning them).

Make sure to stick around for the night’s main event, the crowning of an honorary “Queen of the Carnaval.”

Orlando, Florida

For the ultimate family-friendly Halloween celebration, visit Orlando and head to the place were every day is a costume party: the Magic Kingdom. Here, at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, the “happiest place on earth” treats visitors to Mickey’s “Boo-to-You” Halloween Parade, fireworks, and trick-or-treat stations. Make sure to come in costume so that you can walk in the costume parade. Heck, you may even consider bringing the kids.

Viewfinder Tip: If you’re bringing kids, make sure the Halloween party you’re attending is kid-friendly BEFORE you go.

New York City

New York City, a.k.a., “The City that Never Sleeps,” is a perfect place to celebrate Halloween. One of the Big Apple‘s best Halloween parties is the annual Village Halloween Parade. More than 50,000 participants from around the world don costumes to march in the parade and celebrate the unveiling of giant puppets created by artists and groups commissioned for the project.

If you’re a local or you’re in town ahead of time, you might want to attend a Village Halloween Parade Puppet-Building Workshop. These occur every weekend in October prior to the parade. Sign up early, they are popular activities!

Las Vegas

Las Vegas has become a Halloween hotspot in recent years. Bars overflow with costumed revelers, and braving the sidewalks of the Las Vegas Strip becomes a contact sport. One of the most outrageous, sexy, and risqué Halloween parties in Sin City is the Fetish and Fantasy Ball at the Hard Rock Casino. You have to be over 18 just to view the website, so you can only imagine what the party is like.

Where are your favorite destinations to celebrate Halloween and why?