If you’ve ever been looking for that storybook Halloween experience, look no further and New York State and New England in the northeast of the United States. With picture perfect communities pulled straight from the movies, the day of trick-or-treating is filled with incredible costumes, and houses that go all out with decorations; not to mention the seemingly endless supply of candy that is distributed to the children of the town.
But Halloween is more than just a night, it’s a season, and every year the region is filled with incredible events, in the weeks leading up to – and even following the last night of October. From pumpkin carving competitions, to themed light trails and haunted experiences, there’s a little bit of everything for families, couples and friends to enjoy. So as we rapidly approach the annual holiday, join us as we share some of the annual events that you may want to enjoy this year or next.
The Bronx, New York City
In the almost two decades I’ve been visiting New York City, I’d never been to the Botanical Gardens in the Bronx – that was until this past weekend.
It’s not difficult to get there – you can either jump on the B, D, or 4 train to Bedford Park Blvd, or the Metro-North – which takes you on a much more comfortable and quicker (though slightly more expensive) journey straight to the Gardens from Grand Central Station.
Unlike Central Park, the Botanic Gardens is not free to enter – there is a cost for every visitor – although there is a free window to visit on Wednesdays. However, this allows the space to be treated as a beautifully maintained destination for nature and events.
Right now, this sees their annual Fall-O-Ween take place, with pumpkin carvings amongst the beauty of the fall foliage. And this year, there’s an Alice in Wonderland theme throughout the park with Wonderland: Curious Nature. Walking through the park is a joy, and look out for some truly giant pumpkins along the way.
Fall-O-Ween runs until October 27th, when it culminates in the “Giant Pumpkin Palooza Weekend”, with more details available HERE.
For an extra fee, guests visiting the park in 2024 can also experience a Light Trail themed around Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas that will extend beyond the Fall-O-Ween run. This particular experience – which is perfect for a family outing – will be on ground until 30th November.
The trail features lights, projections and music from Danny Elfman – as well as impressive sculptures of the iconic characters from the classic film. You can also enjoy the walk with some specially-made cocktails, and treats like a delicious apple cider donut. Tickets and more information about the experience can be found HERE.
While the Wonderland theme continues in the park, look out for the “White Rabbit” near the entry to the light walk, as well as “The Looking Glass” pop-up cafe, with “tea-to-go” sets. It’s a whole vibe! And the gardens are simply beautiful.
Beacon, New York
If you keep travelling north through New York State on the Metro-North line, eventually you’ll make it up the Hudson to Beacon, New York – once described to me as where trendy Brooklyn kids move to raise a family and escape the city. It’s an absolutely beautiful part of the country (that I’ve talked about on the site before), so you can understand why they do.
Here, you’ll find a number of events for the season, like the annual Scary Stories in the Barn, at the Mount Gulian Historic Site, where master storyteller Lorraine Hartin Gelardi will tell a number of spooky tales in a 300 year old Dutch barn. No doubt the creaky doors will be used to horrifying effect – or at least will lend to the ambience. This event takes place at 4pm this Sunday, 27th October. Find details about that event HERE.
On the Hudson River in Beacon you’ll find Pollepel Island, on which sits Bannerman Castle. A quick look at the venue already gives off haunted vibes, but it’s here that every year they host movie nights and performances. This year they hosted a screening of Hocus Pocus, and a performance of the original 1927 production of Dracula. Tickets sold out, and these events have now past, but this one is something to put on the bucket list for next year. You can board the Estuary Steward tour boat to the island adjacent to the Beacon Metro-North train station. The venue hosts movie nights throughout the year and details can be found HERE.
Poughkeepsie and Hyde Park, New York
Back in 2022, I spent Halloween just north of Beacon, and I don’t know if I could have picked a better place to be. From those picturesque streets with families trick-or-treating, to Paul Rudd’s candy store (yes, this is a real place), towns like Poughkeepsie and Rhinebeck (where you’ll find said sweet shop – pictured below) felt right out of a movie.
Every year, the The Bardavon 1869 Opera House in Poughkeepsie hosts a silent movie screening accompanied by an original score from world renowned organist Juan Cardona Jr. will play an original score for the 1925 version of The Phantom of the Opera (starring “The Man of a Thousand Faces” Lon Chaney Sr.) on the Bardavon Mighty Wurlitzer Organ. This year the screening will be held on Friday, 25th October at 7.30pm. And best of all – it’s totally free!
Details can be found HERE, and while the movie changes each year, the screening with organ accompaniment is annual.
Not far from Poughkeepsie is the Hyde Park region, where a lot of the Gilded Age mansions can be found. Here, the 200-year-old St. James Episcopal Church hosts graveyard tours by lantern light. You can “meet” some of the iconic people who are buried there, with the tours available through reservation only. Get more details HERE.
Also in this area you’ll find the Clermont State Historic Site, where Legends by Candlelight is held annually. Here, you’ll come face-to-face with “ghosts” of Clermont’s past and hear their tales of glory, loss, failure and success. And what starts as a campy candlelit tour of the museum quickly turns into a quest to quell the spirits of the mansion. There are two events remaining for this year – on 25th and 26th October. Tickets and more details about this one can be found HERE, with tours of the Clermont Mansion available year round.
Buffalo, New York
Keeping going north and eventually you’ll hit Buffalo, NY – right on the Canadian border, near where you’ll find Niagara Falls.
Every year The Witches’ Ball takes over The Statler Hotel, with the 11th annual event being called Buffalo Rising’s Witches’ Ball: Zodiac, and taking place this Saturday, 26th October. The event promised costume contests, live music and DJs, a silent disco and “mystical encounters”, with psychics, tarot readers, mediums and more. You can find more details about this event HERE.
Another annual event in the city is the annual Halloween Bar Crawl – which is being held in 2024 for the 7th time. The crawl starts at 4pm at La Fiesta Cantina. That’s also happening this Saturday, and tickets are available HERE.
Waterbury, Vermont
Moving out of New York and into New England, we take you to Vermont now, where some year-round attractions will sit as perfect stop off points for any Halloween enthusiasts. In Waterbury, not too far out of Burlington, you’ll find the original Ben & Jerry’s Factory, which is certainly worth a visit.
It’s here you can have a run through their “Flavour Graveyard” – where all the flavours of the past are given a morbid finale – before taking a tour of the facility, and trying some of the ice creams on offer. There’s also plenty of great merchandise that you won’t find anywhere else.
The graveyard sets the tone for Halloween, but if you want to embrace this further, be sure to head to the nearby Gold Brook Covered Bridge, also known as “Emily’s Bridge”, which is said to be haunted (as are many in the region), and featured some pumpkins at its entryway when we passed through.
Mystic, Connecticut
Ever wanted to immerse yourself in a recreated 19th-century seafaring village? Well, in Mystic, CT, in New England, you can do just that. In Mystic Seaport Museum’s “Seaport Village” you’ll immerse yourself in actual buildings and ships – collected from around New England – from the 1800s. They’re not replications, they’re the real deal, showcasing the bustling maritime trades from the period, while shipsmiths, coopers, woodcarvers and riggers show you how it all worked.
And throughout the year they hold a number of events. Around Halloween time, you can do “ghost tours” of the museum through events in the evenings. This year the theme is “What Lurks Beneath”, with actors and storytellers throughout the ground paying homage to Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
For tickets to this event, head HERE – and for more details about the Mystic Seaport Museum, which is worth a visit any time of the year, head to their official website.
Stockbridge, Massachusetts
And finally, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, you can experience the annual Naumkeag Pumpkin Show.
The event – which runs until October 27th this year – turns the Gilded Age-style Berkshire public garden and historic home, Naumkeag, into a “celebration of autumn” with more than 1,500 jack-o-lanterns, haunted houses, hot cider and “countless locally grown gourds”. You can get tickets to the events happening this week, from Wednesday to Sunday, HERE.
All photos by the author. Headline photo taken at the Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail in The Bronx. The author visited as a guest of the Botanical Gardens.
