One thing us gays may not need to worry too much about is trick-or-treat-ers. Why? Because we are never home! We’re out celebrating being even more free than we usually are. Costumes are great, but people watching is just as good.
But where do we go to celebrate All Hallows Eve? There are many great destinations we can hit up for Halloween. Here are some of our favorites that we’ve been to. Let us know your favorite Halloween destination.
Chicago Halloween Hits Different
Get ready, Boystown! The 27th Annual Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade & Costume Contest is about to take over the neighborhood. This spooky celebration transforms the streets of Chicago into a dazzling spectacle of creativity and flair. With a lineup of jaw-dropping costumes, the energy is electric as participants compete for cash prizes in categories like Scariest, Most Original, and Best Drag. Every bar along the strip will be doing their own celebrations, too.
Chicago was one of my first big city Halloweens. When we arrived in Chicago and walked around Halstead, we did not realize that Chicagoans go hard for Halloween as we had to buy more costumes for the 4 days we were there. My quick purchase of a conductor costume was good enough to rope in a Dick-tater. Aww, costumes are great to wear, but even better when they come off. Remember, the walk of shame / Uber the morning after hits different on November 1st going home in your costume at 10 AM. Own it, live it, love it.
San Francisco haunts and howls for Halloween
If you live in the bay area, maybe it’s time to explore San Francisco’s spookier side. With its fog-shrouded streets, ornate architecture, and rich history, San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area are home to some of the most haunted and spooky spots on the West Coast. Whether you’re a ghost hunter, a thrill-seeker, or just curious, these haunted locations are sure to send chills down your spine. Ready for a spooky adventure? Head over to SFTravel.com for a list of the most haunted places around San Francisco and the Bay Area.
NYC with Gaga for Halloween
So it may not be Halloween proper, but there will be dress and drag and it’s at a gay bar. Who wouldn’t want to see Gaga any day of the year!
Hell’s Kitchen’s queer venue, Balcon Salon, will host The Gaga Ball on October 26, headlined by New York City’s top Lady Gaga impersonator, Nick Gaga. Known for recreating some of Gaga’s most iconic moments, Nick has built a loyal following throughout the city’s queer nightlife scene.
The Gaga Ball is a unique tribute, blending highlights from Gaga’s most famous tours, including The Born This Way Ball, ArtRave: The ARTPOP Ball, and the Chromatica Stadium Tour.
MEOW – It’s a Halloween Parade in the City
If you’re still around for the 31st, make sure to get to the village and watch New York City’s 51st Annual VILLAGE HALLOWEEN PARADE, Thursday, October 31, 2024 at 7 pm (presented LIVE on Spectrum News NY1 at 8 pm). This year’s parade theme? MEOW! But it’s more than just a parade, so for more information, check out halloween-nyc.com.
For More in NYC…
For more options in New York City, check out DoNYC.com. and their extensive calendar of events. It even includes ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show” with the New York Cast and the original Brad – Barry Bostwick.
If Rocky Horror is not gay enough for you, put on even less clothes and head over to get some M.E.A.T. Hmmm a massive play area? It may not be for pickle ball, but may involve pickles and balls.
New Orleans both Camp and Krewe for Halloween
Our vacations to New Orleans have happened during all the 12 months of the year over the past 27 years, but Halloween always holds a special place for a visit to the Crescent City.
We had one of the best and unique experiences last year with our ride on one of the floats in Krewe of Boo which we talked about in New Orleans and Columbus Raised The Halloween Bar & We Loved It. This year, the main event is on October 19th.
The Krewe of Boo is not just a single parade as there are events during the entire weekend. Friday’s events ranged from a luncheon, to a Second Line (walk/parade through the quarter) a happy hour at Pat O’Brien’s, and at night, a Masquerade Ball.
Saturday was the big day and it started early with a Zombie Run where runners were able to have make-up applied, free participant t-shirts, and were chased through the Warehouse District by Roller Derby girls with bats and swords.
Besides the Krewe of Boo, Halloween New Orleans has some very gay events during the same weekend, October 18- 20. These events are open to all, but it is traditionally a fundraiser for our community.
Camp is calling! Halloween New Orleans is BACK this October with another spine-tingling weekend of adventure and memories. Take in the best of the great outdoors with friends old and new at Camp HNO, where the spirit of summer thrives in the heart of Halloween! Join us for a weekend of thrilling adventures and chilling entertainment, in support of Project Lazarus, for our 41st year.
Project Lazarus is a non-profit organization that works to provide housing and support services for people living with HIV.
The Day Of…
But wait, there’s more, if you can wait. You need to do New Orleans for actual Halloween night, too. We went for Krewe of Boo, left New Orleans, and then came back for the 31st. The French Quarter is fun during the true Halloween, but if you want to be in the thick of it all, bypass the quarter and Bourbon and go to Marigny, a small artsy area of the city just down river, northeast of the French Quarter. You can go to the bars, the gay bars in the quarter, and some will charge a cover, but if you’ve ever been to New Orleans, you know you meet more people just walking the streets.
Columbus Ohio is Halloween Central
We found ourselves galavanting around in late October last year so we popped into Columbus, Ohio to see how the Midwest does Halloween.
Highball Halloween is one of the nation’s most elaborate costume parties, Highball Halloween, returns on October 26, 2024. Bridging runway style with the culture of the North Shore Arts District, this event is the perfect excuse to go all out and embrace whoever you want this Halloween. We truly enjoyed our time soaking up some gentle fall weather and some great Halloween celebrations which we covered in New Orleans and Columbus Raised The Halloween Bar & We Loved It. Check out the article for more coverage and some suggestions on where to stay.
First held in 2008 with 10,000 visitors, this event sees it’s 17th year in 2024 (was not held in 2020, 2021, 2022). When we were there last year in 2023, we saw Nina take the stage and you thought it was a movie star as the crowd exploded the loudest for her, and every time her name was mentioned. At a time where drag queens are under the microscope and the victims of anti-woke, pro-stupid laws, to see a predominantly straight crowd cheer like they did for her was therapeutic.
Wilton Manors, the Gayest Halloween Ever
Would you like to go where there are 30,000+ people in the streets in Halloween attire where the most common costume is a jock strap and glitter? It’s really hard to pass up being a part of this event every year.
Wicked Manors, a Halloween Celebration founded in 2007, once again returns to Wilton Drive under the production of The Pride Center at Equality Park in collaboration with The City of Wilton Manors. The iconic block party happens every Halloween (October 31st) and benefits the vital programs and services of The Pride Center. It will take place from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM and stretches from NE 21st Court to N. Dixie Highway. Traffic is blocked off to provide a safe space for costumed guests to celebrate and enjoy the revelries.
Yes, it’s on the 31st, always on the 31st, and it’s always an amazing time. Less is more and more is amazing. This year’s theme is There were some good promos for this event, but I feel one of the better one was from 2019. These hosts really worked to share what the event is like.
Key West Doubles Down on Halloween
Like New Orleans, Key West has two big celebrations in October. The first is the historic Fantasy Fest.
If you’ve ever spent any time on Key West’s Duval Street, you’d imagine there’s always a party going on, but that wasn’t always true. Back in the 1970s, despite reliably beautiful weather, from a retail and tourism standpoint October was dead. Shops up and down Duval, put out the “gone fishing” signs and closed up for months at a time.
A group of local business owners started thinking about what they could do to change that by attracting visitors and tempting snowbirds to return sooner for an earlier start of the lucrative winter season. Bill Conkle, Tony Falcone, Joe Liszka and Frank Romano decided a big party might just do the trick — and taking advantage of the popularity of Halloween and the tradition of fanciful costuming locally, in 1979, they threw a parade.
Since its inception, Fantasy Fest has continually boosted the economy by filling up hotel rooms and showcasing local businesses, restaurants, and bars during the two weekends closest to Halloween. Bringing in as many as 75,000 revelers each year, it’s an event that invites grown-ups out to play and celebrates our Florida Keys culture (fantasyfest.com).
But Where Will We Be for Halloween This Year?
We’ve decided to take our trick or treating to Key West and participate in the Key West Bear Weekend.
We were lucky to get a room at IslandHouse Resort for the 5 nights. It’s a weekend for bears and their admirers and everyone between. Key West is always a great time and adding a bear event to the fun can only make it better.
Wherever you choose, be safe, have fun, and say hello to an axe murder or 3. Halloween is a time where we all should be happy, enjoying ourselves and celebrating expression, creativity, and jock straps and glitter.