If you’re looking for a spook-tacular celebration to travel for this Halloween, why not consider visiting a small town? Small towns celebrate in big ways, including events such as parades, festivals, and haunted houses. Here’s our round up of five small town destinations worth traveling for.
Conjuring spirits? Seances? Witches’ Market? All these things and witchy vibes reign supreme in Salem, Massachusetts. Haunted Happenings has been hosting the largest celebration of Halloween in the world in Salem for 40 Years. Activities like broom decorating, a zombie walk, a haunted magic show and a Vampire Ball, are all part of the haunted fun. Salem’s Festival of the Dead is just as spooky and includes a psychic reading to discover your mystical future, and revelry with witches at the Salem Witches’ Halloween Ball. Honor the dead with The Dumb Supper, where you dine on a feast and ceremoniously honor your deceased loved ones. Don’t forget to make a visit to The Witch House at Salem, which explores the 1692 Salem witch trials, where it all started.
Book your stay at Best Western Plus North Shore Hotel.
Since 1937, the modest town of Anoka Minnesota, has self-proclaimed the title, “Halloween Capital of the World,” and Halloween enthusiasts agree – family-fun Halloweens happen here. The town hosts a variety of family-friendly, Halloween-themed events such as the Light up Night Parade, with colorfully lit floats, the Big Parade of Little People, which showcases the town’s elementary students parading in costumes with a live marching band, and the 36th Annual Gray Ghost 5K, a costume-themed run filled with cheering fans. Catch the main event, the Grande Day Parade, where the whole town fills up Main St. for an almost two-mile celebration.
Book your stay at Best Western Plus Blaine at the National Sports Center.
Neewollah, (Halloween spelled backwards), began in 1919 as a modest effort to prevent Halloween pranks in Independence, Kansas. Now, over 75,000 visitors come to celebrate in the largest annual festival in Kansas. Neewollah events include a carnival, complete with a Ferris wheel, games, and rides, an adults-only Doo Dah Parade, a Kiddie Parade and the Neewollah Grand Parade.
Book your stay at Best Western Coffeyville Central Business District Inn and Suites.
The small town of St. Helens, Oregon has been the backdrop for many spooky movies, such as Halloweentown and Twilight. The Spirit of Halloweentown lives in with a month-long celebration kicked off with the Lighting of the Great Pumpkin. Fans will have a blast meeting spooky movie stars who will be joining in on the festivities, including: Olivia Taylor Dudley, or “Alice Quinn” from The Magicians; Ashley Greene, or “Alice Cullen” from Twilight; Peter Facinelli, or Doctor Cullen from Twilight and Martin Klebba, or Marty from Pirates of the Caribbean. Check out the Haunted House, the Pirates Parade, the Haunted Hot Rods, and the Big Parade to get into the Halloweentown spirit.
Book your stay at Best Western Oak Meadows Inn.
Tired of cheesy haunted houses? Go to Spookywoods in Kersey Valley, North Carolina for some real scares. Celebrating 38 years as a haunted attraction and ranking “Top 5 Haunted Attractions in America” by the Travel Channel, Spookywoods has movie-quality sets with epic costumes and make-up to truly deliver a scary experience. Other activities include ziplining, solving a corn maze and ghost hunting.
Book your stay at Best Western Plus Burlington.
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