Halloween Happenings for 2011

New Orleans, Louisiana

Every year, the Voodoo Music Experience places New Orleans under a weekend-long spell of music, food, crafts and culture. The festival began in 1999 and has grown tremendously ever since. For three whole days, the festival takes over City Park with two main stages and several smaller stages, not to mention countless local food and beverage vendors. Many local shops also take their goods to the fest and sell everything from clothing to jewelry, art, and everything else in between. For more details and to purchase tickets please visit www.thevoodooexperience.com.

Alabama - Huntsville and Montgomery

Visitors can experience Alabama's haunted history in October with ghost trails, story-telling festivals and ghost walks. A variety of events and trails pay homage to the state's ghostly history including a rare moonlit tour of the famous ghost town Old Cahawba. The Black Belt Ghost Trail showcases dozens of haunted sites that include homes, restaurants, cemeteries and Civil War sites. The 33rd Alabama Tale Tellin'Festival in Selma honors renowned storyteller Kathryn Tucker Windham.

Huntsville Ghost Walking Tour - Fridays/Saturdays in October
Participants will hear stories of Huntsville's haunted past while walking along in the Old Town Historic District. The Huntsville Ghost Walk offers a one hour trolley tour through Huntsville's haunted past. Reservations should be made in advance by purchasing tickets at Harrison Brothers Hardware Store at 124 South Side Square. Adult tickets are $12 and children 10 and under can ride for $10. Seating is limited. All tours begin promptly at 6 p.m. The walking tours take place on Friday nights as well as Saturday nights. Trolley tours will only be offered on Saturday nights. Tickets for the walking tours are $8 for adults, $6 for children 12 and under. Call 256.509.3940 or visit HuntsvilleGhostWalk for more information.

Montgomery
Haunted Hearse Tours — October 1-31 - Tour operators offer you to 'take a ride in a renovated hearse if you dare." The hearse can accommodate a maximum of six guests per trip. The tour will go by Hank Williams grave in the Oakwood Cemetery Annex as well as by numerous other sites in Montgomery with "haunted" histories. Tours begin on the hour - 7 p.m. - 12 a.m. each night. Pickup will be at the Alley in downtown Montgomery. Guides will share stories with the guests. Reservations can be made by calling 334.514.4457. Cost is $15 per person.

Traverse City, Michigan

Oct 14, 21-22, 28-29 -- Historic Ghost Tours at the Grand Traverse Lighthouse
Is the Grand Traverse Lighthouse really haunted? Learn the stories of those who once dwelt here, and who may dwell here still! Shopping and refreshments to follow each Ghost Tour in the lighthouse gift shop.

Oct 15–16 -- Haunted Grand Traverse Lighthouse
The Grand Traverse Lighthouse, located within the Leelanau State Park in Northport, holds its annual Haunted Lighthouse weekend.

For more information on both these events (231) 386-7195 GrandTraverseLighthouse.com

Key West, Florida

For devilish divers who prefer their spookiness submerged, the annual Underwater Pumpkin Carving Contest is set for 8:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 16, hosted by Amy Slate's Amoray Dive Resort, mile marker (MM) 104 bayside in Key Largo. The contest is open to all certified scuba divers and is slated for the morning dive. Buddy teams each receive a hollowed-out pumpkin that is to be turned into a jack-o-lantern. Space aboard the dive boat is limited, so would-be competitors are reminded to sign up early. There is no contest entry fee, and the regular dive boat fee is $80 per diver for the two-tank dive. For information, call 800-426-6729 or visit Amoray

Nights of ghoulish delight are planned for the annual Haunting of Fort Zachary Taylor, a Civil War–era fort on Key West's Atlantic Ocean shore. The spooky celebration is set for 8-11 p.m. Oct. 20-23, Oct. 28 and Oct. 30-31, with hours extending till midnight on Halloween. Fort Zachary Taylor will present two hauntings for guests’ frightening pleasure, the "Habitat for History" and “Habitat for Insanity,” and attendees must choose which path to brave first. Admission to the haunting event is $13 per adult, $10 for military members, $8 for kids and free for children 5 and under. Revelers also can don their most devilish gothic attire for the fort's Vampire's Ball, set for 8-11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22. In addition, tricks and treats for kids such as magic, candy and games are planned for 5-7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23. For complete event information, HauntedKeyWestFort.com

Tens of thousands of party-lovers will descend upon Key West during the annual Fantasy Fest masking and costuming celebration. The 10-day festival takes on an undersea aspect with the theme “Aquatic Afrolic,” sure to draw celebrants ranging from seductive seafarers to mischievous mermaids. The highlight of the maritime madness is the Captain Morgan Fantasy Fest Parade. Set to take place at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, the flamboyant procession down Key West’s main drag, Duval Street, will feature dozens of lavishly decorated motorized floats, Caribbean bands and costumed marching groups. Visit www.fantasyfest.net for more information.

Prescott Arizona

Touring Haunted Prescott Prescott is an "Old West" town with a diverse history, full of legend and lore. You’re invited to stroll along the streets of our community and visit some of its most storied and haunted sites. The tour begins at a haunted hotel and ends at a haunted saloon or restaurant.

A Haunting Experience: Tours to the Other Side blends local legend, history and ghost stories.
This is a 1 ½ to 2 hour walking tour; so wear comfortable shoes, bring water, and dress appropriately for the weather. Cameras are encouraged, as some guests have actually captured ghostly phenomena. These tours are not necessarily appropriate for children under the age of 13. Parental discretion is advised. Children must be accompanied by parent or legal guardian.

Tours are conducted regularly every Thursday through Sunday beginning at 7:30 pm. On Thursdays and Saturdays, meet in the lobby of the Hassayampa Inn (122 E. Gurley Street). On Fridays and Sundays, meet in the lobby of the Hotel Vendome (230 S. Cortez Street). Both venues are famous for their resident ghosts. The cost is $20 per person. For more information or to set up your own special tour, call 928-642-5074 or visit AHauntingExperienceTours.com

The Dearly Departed
Take a stroll into Yavapai County's past, where you'll visit with some permanent residents of Citizens Cemetery--Prescott's oldest cemetery. Actors and guides, in period dress, will be on hand to tell the true stories of many of these early pioneers.

You will hear of murder, suicide and sorrow, as well as fascinating tales filled with the courage, perseverance and even humor of many who are interred here. The guided tour is presented by the Yavapai Cemetery Association. Call 928-636-2489 for more information.

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