10 Best U.S. Cities for Halloween 2026: Salem, Sleepy Hollow, New Orleans, Savannah, Anoka, and more
On Saturday, October 31, 2026, Halloween is set to attract unprecedented crowds in ten cities across the U.S. Salem, Massachusetts, is gearing up for its 44th Haunted Happenings festival, coinciding with its 400th anniversary and anticipating over 500,000 attendees. From September 18 to November 8, Sleepy Hollow, New York, will host the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze. The Village Halloween Parade in New York City, established by Ralph Lee in 1974, will celebrate its 53rd edition on Halloween night. Other notable events include the Krewe of Boo parade in New Orleans on October 24, nightly ghost tours in Savannah, Georgia, and the Spirit of Halloweentown in St. Helens, Oregon. Additionally, Estes Park, Colorado, will hold the Shining Ball on October 24, while West Hollywood's Halloween Carnaval takes place on October 31. Orlando's Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights runs from August 28 to November 1.
Key facts
- Halloween falls on a Saturday in 2026, leading to expected record crowds in many cities.
- Salem's Haunted Happenings runs daily in October, marking its 44th year in 2026, with over 500,000 visitors expected.
- The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze in Sleepy Hollow features over 7,000 carved pumpkins and runs from Sept. 18 to Nov. 8, 2026.
- New York City's Village Halloween Parade, in its 53rd year, starts at 7 p.m. on Oct. 31 with more than 50,000 marchers.
- New Orleans' Krewe of Boo parade rolls on Oct. 24, 2026, at 6:30 p.m.
- Anoka, Minnesota, has held a citywide Halloween celebration since 1920 and was recognized by the U.S. House in 2002.
- St. Helens, Oregon, the filming location for Disney's 1998 'Halloweentown,' runs Spirit of Halloweentown from late September to Oct. 31.
- Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights 2026 runs for 48 nights from Aug. 28 to Nov. 1, its 35th year and longest run.
Entities
Artists
- Ralph Lee
- Washington Irving
- Jonathan Corwin
- Marie Laveau
- Stephen King
- Stanley Kubrick
- Andrew Carnegie
- William Rockefeller
- Andrew Low
Institutions
- Historic Hudson Valley
- Universal Orlando Resort
- Universal Studios Florida
- Disney
- Anoka Halloween Inc.
- Amusement Today
- Golden Ticket Awards
- Salem Witch Trials Memorial
- The Witch House
- Old Burying Point Cemetery
- Philipsburg Manor
- Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
- Old Dutch Church
- Van Cortlandt Manor
- St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
- Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop
- LaLaurie Mansion
- Colonial Park Cemetery
- Bonaventure Cemetery
- Sorrel-Weed House
- The Stanley Hotel
- Stanley Live
- Rocky Mountain National Park
- Metro-North
- NYC Parks
- Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade
- Village Halloween Parade
- Krewe of Boo
Locations
- Salem
- Massachusetts
- United States
- Sleepy Hollow
- New York
- Croton-on-Hudson
- New York City
- New Orleans
- Louisiana
- Savannah
- Georgia
- Anoka
- Minnesota
- Minneapolis
- St. Helens
- Oregon
- Portland
- Estes Park
- Colorado
- Denver
- West Hollywood
- Los Angeles County
- Orlando
- Florida
- Boston
- Beverly
- Peabody
- Hudson Valley
- Greenwich Village
- East Village
- Williamsburg
- Faubourg Marigny
- French Quarter
- Warehouse District
- Bourbon Street
- Thunderbolt
- Columbia River
- Rocky Mountain National Park
- Santa Monica Boulevard
- North Doheny Drive
- North La Cienega Boulevard
- North San Vicente Boulevard
- Melrose Avenue
- Rainbow District
- Hollywood
- Main Street
- Riverfront Memorial Park
- City Hall
- Old Town St. Helens
- Masonic Building
Sources
- Quartz —