Oh, you carved a pumpkin? That's cute, but it's not cutting it. The volunteers at The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze carved seven thousand of them. Every year, gourd gobblers travel to the Van Cortlandt Manor on the Hudson River (20 minutes north of the small New York town once terrorized by the Headless Horseman) to get a glimpse at larger-than-life pumpkin displays. Journey through a tunnel of jack-o-lanterns, marvel at a moving pumpkin windmill and creep yourself out at a cemetery with pumpkin tombstones and pumpkin-headed characters. With twinkling lights and a cup full of chili, this is one pumpkin-fueled autumnal experience.
When it comes to Halloween, countries celebrate the day (or similarly inspired holidays) in various ways around the world. But in America, when October 31 hits, you can sum up the festivities in three words: candy, costumes and pumpkins. Lots and lots of pumpkins.
However, it’s not just the day of Halloween that brings the action—the U.S. goes big the entire month of October. The best and biggest Halloween events across the country range from family-friendly activities like the massive Village Halloween Parade in Manhattan that draws more than 50,000 "costumed participants" (and 2 million spectators!) to a stunning Hot Air Balloon Festival in Scottsdale, AZ. Other events will have you staring at seven thousand jack-o-lanterns, dressing up as a zombie or learning about witches of the past.
No matter which one you choose, these October Halloween in the U.S. have one thing in common: they're a bit outrageous in the best way.