The Best Things to Do in October in the U.S.

From bountiful harvests to haunted happenings, autumn is in full swing come October. Whether you spend the fall on the east coast or on a tropical island in Hawaii, there are plenty of ways to celebrate the season. You could don a costume and join the revelry of a Halloween parade, or you could hop in the basket of a hot air balloon and join the party in the skies over Albuquerque.

Here are some of the best places to visit and things to do in the U.S. this October.

Scare Yourself Silly at a Picture Show in the Rockies

Not your average film festival, the Telluride Horror Show specializes in all things thrilling, gory, and haunting. Every October, horror aficionados get together in the famed Colorado resort town for a weekend-long marathon of scary movies, including full-length features and short films. The schedule is a mix of new movies and classics like The Return of the Living Dead and Little Shop of Horrors.

Celebrate the Oyster Harvest in Portland, Maine

Experience Portland, Maine's exceptional waterfront during Harvest on the Harbor, an annual three-day food and wine festival where award-winning chefs showcase their talents with the freshest of ingredients from local waters. Given the state's reputation for fantastic seafood, at the harvest festival, you'll naturally find a smorgasbord of lobster, oysters, beer, wine, and spirits to sample while enjoying live musical performances. Try some of the tastiest lobster in the country prepared by local cooks vying for the title of Maine Lobster Chef of the Year.

Get Witchy in Salem

With haunted houses, psychic fairs, children's events, and costume balls, Salem comes to life in October. The city’s annual Haunted Happenings event is a month-long celebration of Halloween in a particularly historic part of Massachusetts. Explore the Salem Witch Museum or the House of the Seven Gables, or choose between a scenic lighthouse-and-foliage cruise and a frightful Haunted Happenings harbor cruise. Only the bravest will take the narrated nighttime stroll through the spectral streets of the city.

Taste Culinary Excellence at the Hawai'i Food and Wine Festival

Indulge in the Polynesian culture and charm of Hawaii during the shoulder season while you eat and drink your fill at the Hawai'i Food and Wine Festival. Every October, this festival brings local chefs together with winemakers, mixologists, and other chefs from all over the world for a celebration of gastronomy. Events include tasting-menu dinners, panels, cooking classes, and golf tournaments, and take place across the islands. There is something for everyone – whether you want to learn about indigenous ingredients or just want to meet your favorite celebrity chef.

Feast on Seafood in Miami Beach

At the South Beach Seafood Festival, you can sample specialties from some of Greater Miami's top seafood restaurants from the classic Joe's Stone Crab to the upmarket Uchi. Cooking demonstrations, chef competitions, and live music will captivate you while you wander through Lummus Park right on the sand. Don't leave without trying the fish tacos, lobster waffle cones, and mouthwatering ceviche. Oh, and did we mention the open bars?

Party With the Krewe of Boo! in New Orleans

If you can't make it to New Orleans in winter for Mardi Gras, get there the third weekend of October. That’s when the Krewe of Boo! Halloween parade rolls through the French Quarter and the Warehouse District. Myriad monsters, morticians, and zombies march, dance, and ride
horseback while musicians perform and costumed revelers toss beads and candy from elaborate floats. When the parade is over, the fun continues downtown at the Monster Mash afterparty.

Watch Hundreds of Hot Air Balloons Take Flight in Albuquerque

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is the largest piloted balloon event in the world, and it claims to be the most photographed — for good reason. Watching hundreds of balloons paint the sky above the Sandia Mountains is a truly unforgettable sight. When you’re done sky-gazing, check out the exhibitions and competitions. There are also themed events like the Special Shape Rodeo, where you can try to find balloons shaped like dinosaurs, flowers, or penguins donning sunglasses in addition to an elaborate kaleidoscope variety.

Although most airborne balloons at the Fiesta contain crew only, you can hitch a ride on one through Rainbow Ryders, Inc.

Jam Out in Austin

With rock, pop, jazz, and other musical genres radiating from multiple stages, the Austin City Limits Music Festival combines exciting live performances with southern hospitality and a family-friendly good time. Held on the grounds of the 351-acre Zilker Park, the festival also features an art market and Austin Kiddie Limits, a festival within the festival that features kid-friendly bands and art classes. A beer hall spotlights Texas craft brews, and food vendors feature local flavors.

Eat Apple Everything in Bayfield, Wisconsin

A charming, small Wisconsin town on the scenic shores of Lake Superior does it grand at the Bayfield Apple Festival, a celebration of the autumn harvest and the season's most popular fruit. Seemingly endless booths offer fresh apples, apple pies and tarts, apple dumplings, caramel apples, apple cider, and apple sundaes. Apple bratwurst, apple mustard, apple butter, and even apple wines are also plentiful for more adventurous palates. More than 100 booths display fine arts, pottery, woodwork, and other wares for browsing and purchasing, and a parade adds to the fun.

Show Off Your Costume in New York City

Prepare to be frightened, impressed, or shocked, but always entertained by New York City's annual Village Halloween Parade. The procession starts at 7 p.m. and marches up Manhattan's Sixth Avenue. Anyone in a costume is welcome to join. Outlandish, scary, risqué, political, funny, and downright strange getups captivate the crowds, and live bands add to the wild atmosphere. The revelry continues at the Webster Hell afterparty (though you'll need a ticket for that one).