The South gets spooky on Halloween with celebrations geared at ghouls and goblins of all ages. One of Reese’s personal favorite traditions: trunk-or-treating, where folks gather in parking lots and go from car to car collecting candy and comparing not only costumes, but also car-stumes—since the cars get as decked out as the trick-or-treaters.
For more Fright Night fun, here’s a list (by no means comprehensive!) of a few favorite happenings around the South on October 31st. Nervous Nellies: You’ve been warned.
Nashville
Shoppers at the Draper James boutique can pick from the “treat” jar, where sweet promotions of all kinds are being doled out at random to lucky customers. (Visit the store for details.) If you’re trick-or-treating in the neighborhood, stop by our store on 12 South for some Reese’s Pieces (!) and more candy galore. We also recommend the annual Halloween Movie Night at the Nashville Symphony: The 1925 silent movie classic, The Phantom of the Opera, will be shown accompanied by a live concert organ for an eerily mesmerizing show.
Dallas
Our Draper James boutique in Highland Park Village will have a similar “treat” jar to the one in Nashville, so stop on by for your chance to score more than just your usual Halloween candy—though we’ll have plenty of that, too, for trick-or-treaters and anyone with a sweet tooth. Looking for something scary? So-called “slaughter houses” abound throughout the Dallas area, and most are open on Halloween night: At Reindeer Manor, the oldest Halloween attraction in Texas, you can visit three haunted hotspots, plus a pitch-black maze lined with plenty of monsters. Other equally bloody attractions include Slaughter House and Hatch & Kraven’s Slaughterhouse.
Orlando
Universal Studios Orlando becomes a living horror film during its Halloween Horror Nights. Inspired by iconic shows and movies like Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Walking Dead, The Exorcist, and others, these haunted houses, scare zones, live shows and more are decidedly hair-raising.
Savannah
The unsettled spirits of this infamously haunted city get particularly ghostly during the season. On Halloween night, book a spine-chilling Uncensored Zombies Tour (rated among the best ghost tours in the world) from the folks at Blue Orb. Or explore Savannah’s truly “spirited” side with one of many haunted pub crawls offered throughout the city.
New Orleans
For a raucous time, Bourbon Street never fails on Halloween night (or any other night of the year), but costumed locals love to head to Frenchmen Street in the Marigny for live music, restaurants, and bars. During the day, get into the spooky spirit by checking out some of the city’s famous voodoo shops.
Atlanta
You’re encouraged to “Eat, Drink, and Be Scary” at Ponce City Market, where families are invited for trick-or-treating and sweet treats from restaurants and shops, plus a variety of performances from local groups.
Winter Park, FL
At the 6th Annual Pumpkins & Munchkins in Shady Park, families can enjoy games, bounce houses, a costume contest, and a candy-filled Trick-or-Treat Trail.
