New Orleans is great any time of year, but in October, especially the two weeks right before Halloween, you are sure to find so many fun things to do, you will wish you had taken more time for your southern vacation! October is the driest month, as far as rainfall, and the weather is spectacular, with daytime temps in the high 70s and nights in the 60s, perfect for strolling the spooky streets! Here are five reasons to visit our beloved city in the early autumn-time:
1- Halloween LGBT Style!
opens in a new windowHalloween New Orleans takes place October 20-22, 2017. This year’s theme is Studio 54/Disco, which should mean some incredible costumes. I envision a lot of glitter. The big costume dance party will be held on the 21st at House of Blues. The following day, at noon, you can take dance the day away at a Tea Dance on the Pier. A Second Line parade will wend its way through the French Quarter following the dance. Make sure you get your tickets early. Proceeds benefit the Lazarus Project.
2- Voodoo Music + Arts Experience!
A music festival like none other, opens in a new windowVoodoo takes place on Halloween weekend, October 27-29, 2017, at Festival Grounds in City Park, which is a comfortable walk from 1896 O’Malley House. There will be over 50 musical acts, including the Foo Fighters, The Killers and Kendrick Lamar. There will be delicious cuisine of all kinds at the Forked Up Food Court, and interactive, large art installations. It’s best to opens in a new window purchase your tickets ahead of time to get registered and save yourself some time and stress.
3- Haunted Houses!
You can bet that New Orleans will have some of the very best haunted houses experiences in the country – and we do! opens in a new windowThe Mortuary‘s theme for 2017 is Phobia- Face your Fears. You might just meet spiders, snakes, clowns, zombies, or who knows what! Besides the haunted house, The Mortuary also has Escape Rooms. You can get tickets ahead of time to skip the wait in line. opens in a new windowThe House of Shock was named the Travel Channel’s “Most Intense Haunted Attraction” – and is open each weekend from September 30 – Halloween. The cool thing about this joint is that in addition to the shocks and scares, you can enjoy a full service bar, along with live music and an “infamous” stage production.
4- Krewe of Boo and Zombie Run!
Held on the Saturday before Halloween, the Zombie Run invites you to dress up as your favorite undead brain-eater and run, walk or crawl from the Warehouse District through the French Quarter. Later that evening, the opens in a new windowKrewe of Boo parade turns the Vieux Carre into the “Boo Carre” – this is a family-friendly parade filled with spooky costumes and amazing floats – there is nothing like it anywhere else! Throws are fun stuff like candy, chee wees, pralinettes, light-up medallion beads, voodoo doll pins and magnets, doubloons, and children’s toys.
5- Haunted Tours!
In between all the music, parades, dancing and shrieking, take a tour through some of the city’s scariest spots. You can choose from Cemetery tours, opens in a new windowGhosts of New Orleans and Ghost Hunting Tours, opens in a new windowHaunted French Quarter, Vampire Tours, Voodoo Tours and more – there are several tour companies to choose from, with adults-only versions for those who want the full experience.
Visit us in October for spooky fun!