Halloween 2011 – Best Haunted Houses, Corn Mazes, and More

All Hallows Eve is October 31, 2011, but many people begin celebrating Halloween long before the end of October. From harvest festivals to haunted houses, you're sure to find some entertaining way to celebrate this national holiday. Want some help planning your Halloween 2011 activities? Keep reading.

Carve Pumpkins

Putting jack-o-lanterns out at Halloween has been a long-standing Halloween tradition, but the origins aren't always the same for families. Some people follow the tradition as homage to the phenomenon called ignis fatuus, and event that occurs when strange lights flicker over peat bogs.

Others celebrate an Irish Halloween legend about a lazy gambler named Jack who trapped the Devil to escape death. Each story has a slightly different take detailing how Jack managed to trap the Devil, but most end with Jack trapped between Heaven and Hell with only a candle inside a pumpkin to light his way.

Some families carve pumpkins just because it is a popular Halloween activity for kids. You can modernize this classic Halloween tradition in numerous ways:

• Enter an online photo contest, like the one at Extreme Pumpkins. Browse through the collection of last year's Jack o' Lantern designs, and see what inspiration you can find. You can find free Jack o' Lantern patterns and other useful information to help you carve a winning pumpkin.


• Carve pumpkins in an unusual place. The Foothill Dive Club in Kings Mountain, North Carolina and York Divers in York, Pennsylvania host underwater pumpkin-carving contests. Entrants must bring a pre-scooped pumpkin and a dive knife. Pre-tracing designs is against the rules. Tip: Bring a weight to hold the pumpkin down while you carve — buoyancy does not work in your favor.


• Pair Jack o' Lantern carving with another fun event. At the Santa Barbara pumpkin-carving contest, you can enjoy autumnal varietals from Kunin Wines. Celebrity judges will be on hand to award prizes, and the family friendly event offers separate contests for children and adults.

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Get Lost in a Corn Maze

Nearly every state has a corn maze, making this one of the best things to do for Halloween. If you like picking berries or fruits for summer events, like the Fourth of July or Flag Day, you may already know a farm that will host a maze. Otherwise, the Maize works with famers across the U.S. to create unique designs to entertain the masses, and it keeps a list of its affiliates. Richardson Farm in Spring Grove, Illinois claims to have the largest corn maze in the world. It actually combines five mazes and encompasses 33 acres. You can also find plenty of haunted corn mazes, if you dare. HauntedHouses.com maintains a list of spooky corn mazes.

Buy Popular Halloween Costumes for 2011

Whether you have kids who want to go trick-or-treating or you have plans to attend an adult costume party, you're going to need a Halloween costume. You can find Halloween costumes for sale at places like Costume Express or from local costume stores. Here are some of the costumes you'll find for Halloween 2011.

• Captain America Costumes – The movie version of this Marvel classic that debuted in 2011 starred Chris Evans as Steve Rogers. You can find costumes in a range of sizes from toddler to adult. Expect to pay more for accessories, such as Captain America's shield.



• Harry Potter Costumes – It all ended in July 2011 with the release of the final Harry Potter film. While J.K. Rowling fans will keep these outfits in fashion for years to come, expect to see plenty of wizards running around this year.


• Monster High Costumes – This popular series offers quite the selection of costumes from Frankie Stein to Lagoona Blue. Guys may prefer Jackson Jekyll's look or Holt Hyde's style.


• Thor Costumes – You'll find more than Thor's hammer to accessorize your comic-based Halloween costume when you dress up as Thor. Some of your options include Thor hats, boots, belts, capes and swords. Superhero costumes come in all sizes, from toddler to adult.


• Sexy Halloween Costumes – If your Halloween party involves adult mingling rather than chaperoning kids, you may want to check out these popular choices inspired by movies like Red Riding Hood, Star Trek or Tron.

Scream Like a Girl at Haunted Houses

Hack saws. Chains. Bloody stumps. If these don't make you scream, then you may not be in the right haunted venue. Don't be surprised if you sign up for alarm services after a trip to one of the best haunted houses in the U.S.

1. Netherworld Haunted House – Atlanta, Georgia: Live actors and special effects make this haunted attraction the number one scariest place you can visit. The Travel Channel reported that Netherworld makes "Hollywood creature-features look like Bambi." If you don't want a long wait in line, plan to go early in October or on a weeknight.


2. Erebus Haunted Attraction – Pontiac, Michigan: With its four stories of terror, Erebus laughs at the term house. This haunted attraction consistently ranks in the top haunted houses. It has even earned a Guinness World Book Record.


3. Pennhurst Asylum – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The setting for this haunted house is an abandoned asylum. Your visit will deliver you to the underground tunnels, where you'll have to find your way out on your own. For an extra dose of fear, visit the nearby Bates Motel.


4. The Thirteenth Floor Haunted House – Denver, Colorado: Many buildings skip the 13th floor, but this attraction brings to life all the ghost stories that help shroud that level in superstition. This attraction is so frightening that it offers a special promotion to help motivate guests to finish the entire route. Fair warning: expect live insects, rodents and reptiles.


5. The House of Torment – Austin, Texas: The masterminds behind this haunted attraction take their jobs very seriously. So seriously, you should not attend if you are pregnant or have a heart condition. Thousands of guests fail to complete the tour each year, and many have left after wetting their pants.

Celebrate Halloween

Halloween can be a fun-filled holiday, even if you don't like the religious or superstitious connotations the history of Halloween relies upon. (Many people celebrate a harvest festival or another fall-themed event as an alternative to Halloween.) If you live in a place with cold winter weather and short days, this may be the last holiday you can enjoy outside until spring rolls around. It's also a good time to grab pumpkins to can for upcoming holidays, like Thanksgiving or Christmas.

You can find more information on national holidays at our DIY blog.