It’s time to break out the pumpkin spice everything and get those couples’ costumes in order (Taylor and Travis? Deadpool and Wolverine?) because spooky season is officially upon us. Of course, Halloween is the reason for the season, but there are plenty of other events and experiences worthy of sweater weather. Keep reading for experiential inspiration from the biggest happenings this month — and check out how XP Land XLISTERS are involved in everything from the world’s largest gourmet chain food festival to AEW’s WrestleDream.
HALLOWEEN
Haunted Happenings: Oct 1-31; Salem, MA
The annual Haunted Happenings, the month-long Halloween celebration in “Witch City,” draws over a half-million visitors to experience Salem’s rich history. The festivities include haunted houses, psychic fairs, costume balls, children’s events and historical tours of iconic spots like the Salem Witch Museum and House of the Seven Gables. Visitors can also enjoy scenic cruises, spooky harbor tours and narrated nighttime walks through the city’s haunted streets. The event starts with the famous Salem Halloween Parade and continues with fairs, rides and vendor markets throughout the month.
Meow Wolf Halloween: Oct 1-31; Various locations
Meow Wolf, from has exciting plans for October, with immersive art experiences across Colorado, New Mexico and Texas, including The Cosmic Howl, an autumn and Halloween-themed celebration featuring paranormal activations, roaming performers and family-friendly activities throughout the month. Grapevine’s The Real Unreal installation will offer special missions and dynamic “Howl States” that surprise visitors with interactive elements. Meanwhile, Meow Wolf Houston will open its newest exhibition, Radio Tave, on October 31, a mind-bending interactive art experience set in a radio station that has been transported to another dimension. The Houston exhibition features contributions from over 100 artists, immersing visitors in a maze of creativity, mystery and interactive storytelling.
Black Lodge: Oct 19; LA
Black Lodge at CAP UCLA is a hauntingly immersive blend of operatic film, live performance and industrial rock. The experience, in partnership with XLISTER Beth Morrison’s Beth Morrison Projects, is inspired by the surrealist work of William S. Burroughs and follows a tormented writer trapped in a psychological “Bardo” (a liminal space between life and death), where he confronts his deepest regrets. The evening culminates in a live performance by glam-opera band Timur and the Dime Museum. Attendees are encouraged to embrace the spooky atmosphere with costumes, making this an unforgettable Halloween season event.
Krewe of Boo!: Oct 19; New Orleans
If you can’t make it to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, try the Krewe of Boo! Halloween parade, which winds through the French Quarter and the Warehouse District. Musicians will perform throughout the parade, as costumed revelers toss beads and candy from elaborately decorated floats to the crowd. After the parade, the party continues downtown with the lively Monster Mash afterparty, complete with music, dancing and Halloween-themed cocktails.
Spooktacular Hot Air Balloon Festival: Oct 25-27; Scottsdale, AZ
The 12th annual Spooktacular Hot Air Balloon Festival offers a one-of-a-kind Halloween experience. Twenty-plus hot air balloons serve as trick-or-treat stations, handing out more than 4,000 pounds of candy. Visitors can enjoy balloon rides, nightly costume contests, and a spectacular fireworks show. Hosted at Salt River Fields, the festival is packed with free activities for kids, making it a fun-filled event for the whole family.
Village Halloween Parade: Oct 31; NYC
The 2024 Village Halloween Parade will march up Sixth Avenue from King Street to 15th Street. Celebrating it’s 50th year, 2024’s theme, “Meow,” invites cat lovers to showcase their best feline-inspired costumes, while Broadway legend André De Shields will serve as the Grand Marshal. Anyone in costume can march for free, with VIP options available to skip the line. Spectators are encouraged to arrive early or catch the parade live on NY1 from 8-9:30 p.m.
art installations
CJ Hendry’s “Pink Chairs”: Closes Oct 31; NYC
Contemporary artist and XLISTER, CJ Hendry’s “Pink Chairs” installation — part of her “Inflatable” series — is on display near Prospect Park Lake through the end of the month. The large, pink, sculpture-like benches are designed to look like inflatable chairs but are actually solid, playing with the ideas of weight and scale. This functional public art aims to reimagine seating in public spaces while also serving as an eye-catching, viral attraction. The chairs are already gaining attention for their bold design and unexpected material and are already listed on eBay, costing between $8,000 and over $39,000.
ATTRACTIONS
Overnightmare at the Stanley Hotel: Oct 18-20; Estes Park, CO
Peacock and Blumhouse are launching a two-day immersive horror experience called Overnightmare at the Stanley Hotel, the inspiration for the Overlook Hotel in The Shining. Guests can stay in rooms themed around Blumhouse films like Insidious, The Purge, Happy Death Day and Freaky, with varying levels of scare intensity. Daytime activities include interactions with creepy characters and visits to themed spaces, while nighttime offers interactive horror experiences based on Blumhouse’s filmography. The package includes a two-night stay, themed experiences, meals, drinks at the Blumhouse Bar and screenings, with tickets available on the Stanley Hotel’s website.
culinary
ChainFEST: Oct 5; LA
ChainFEST, the world’s largest gourmet chain food festival, returns to Los Angeles following its sold-out debut last year. Under the direction of Michelin-starred chef Tim Hollingsworth, attendees will enjoy gourmet versions of iconic dishes from beloved chains like Domino’s, KFC, Panda Express and Red Lobster. The festival will feature over 15 exclusive food collaborations, with all food included in the ticket price, alongside immersive experiences, games and pop-up restaurants. VIP tickets offer unlimited bites, early entry, and a full-service tasting experience, while general admission starts at $99.99. Produced by Medium Rare — co-founded by XLISTERS Joe Silberzweig and Adam Richman — ChainFEST promises an extraordinary culinary experience blending nostalgia and gourmet innovation.
Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival: Oct 17-20; NYC
The 17th annual Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival (NYCWFF) will feature over 80 events across Manhattan and a new culinary campus at Brooklyn Army Terminal. The festival, which supports God’s Love We Deliver, will offer Brooklyn residents 25% off events at the new location. NYCWFF’s lineup includes fan-favorite events like the Blue Moon Burger Bash and new additions like Brooklyn Eats & Beats, featuring top Brooklyn chefs. Attendees can enjoy events such as a Caviar & Cocktail Affair at One World Observatory and the Triple Threat Dance Party hosted by Bobby Flay. Special festival-only ferry services will make traveling between Manhattan and Brooklyn easy for the festivities.
The Hawai‘i Food and Wine Festival: Oct 25-27; Kaanapali, HI
The 14th annual Hawai‘i Food and Wine Festival will bring together local chefs with international culinary talents to celebrate food, drink and culture. The 2024 festival theme, “Empowerment,” highlights a new partnership with the James Beard Foundation to support women in the culinary industry. Key events include the Culinary EmpowHERment brunch and panel discussions featuring prominent female chefs, with proceeds benefiting the Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership program. The fest also launched a new Chefs Week initiative to support local restaurants, offering exclusive discounts for festival events.
FASHION
Los Angeles Fashion Week: Oct 17-19; LA
Hosted at the historic Union Station, Los Angeles Fashion Week (LAFW) promises runway shows from both emerging and established designers, blending fashion with art and technology. This year’s edition, under the leadership of N4XT Experiences and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), will feature cutting-edge runway shows alongside immersive fashion experiences. Attendees can expect a mix of avant-garde and West Coast styles, with iconic labels like No Sesso and Neon Cowboys set to showcase their collections. With over 100 performances planned, LAFW 2024 will be a must-see celebration of Los Angeles as a fashion capital.
FESTIVALS
Austin City Limits Music Festival: Oct 4-6 and 11-13; Austin
Austin City Limits (ACL) returns with two weekends of performances at Zilker Park, featuring artists like Dua Lipa, Chappell Roan and Something Corporate. The festival, known for its diverse lineup of over 100 acts, draws around 450,000 attendees across nine stages, showcasing a wide range of genres from rock to EDM. In addition to the music, ACL offers a vibrant festival experience with an art market, kid-friendly activities at Austin Kiddie Limits, and Texas craft brews in the beer hall.
Telluride Horror Show: Oct 11-13; Telluride, CO
Known for showcasing the latest in horror, suspense, thriller, dark fantasy, and sci-fi, the Telluride Horror Show features a mix of new films and classics like The Return of the Living Dead. Attendees can enjoy full-length features, short films, special events and programs in Telluride’s unique theaters. Celebrating its 15th year, the festival attracts a global audience of horror enthusiasts for a three-day marathon of all things thrilling and terrifying.
New York Comic Con: Oct 17-20; NYC
New York Comic Con (NYCC) returns to the Javits Center with expanded professional programming. A new Retailer Day on October 16 and library- and educator-focused events push NYCC closer to a five-day format, transforming it into more of a professional conference. However, fewer major comic publishers attend due to rising exhibition costs, leaving space for smaller comics startups and companies from the collectibles, manga and video game industries. Marvel remains the only top direct-market publisher attending, while DC will focus on panels. NYCC will also offer a separately ticketed author brunch, featuring popular “romantasy” authors, expanding its appeal to the broader publishing industry.
SPORTS
WrestleDream: Oct 12; Tacoma, WA
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) will host its second annual WrestleDream pay-per-view event at the Tacoma Dome. The event, from AEW’s founder and XLISTER, Tony Khan, honors New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) founder Antonio Inoki and features matches built on storylines from AEW’s weekly shows Dynamite, Rampage and Collision. WrestleDream has quickly become an anticipated annual event, celebrating Inoki’s legacy and AEW’s growing collaboration with NJPW. Fans can expect an exciting matchup that showcases American and Japanese wrestling styles.
The MLB World Series: Begins Oct 25; TBD
Major League Baseball’s 2024 World Series matchup is still a mystery. Still, we do know it will kick off on October 25 and, if the championship series extends to seven games, we’ll have the newest MLB champions on November 2. This year, the Los Angeles Dodgers, boosted by their acquisition of superstar Shohei Ohtani, are strong favorites from the National League. Meanwhile, the New York Yankees, led by Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, are seen as top contenders in the American League. The Cleveland Guardians and Philadelphia Phillies are also in the mix, with the defending champion Texas Rangers already eliminated from postseason contention.
Join us in XP Land. A community for experiential creatives and experience-makers, brand leaders and IP-owners, space stewards and venue visionaries — all of those in the business of epic gatherings and live, immersive storytelling.
