Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, which makes it the perfect opportunity to enjoy the holiday, whether through atmospheric Airbnb getaways, spooky entertainment at American Dream or local community events across the Meadowlands. A surge of holiday interest is already showing up in search data, as people are starting to celebrate ahead of the big weekend.
Spike in Halloween-Themed Searches Driven by Gen Z
Searches for Halloween weekend getaways are up 15% year-over-year, driven by Gen Z, whose Halloween searches are up 45% year-over-year. Users are clearly in the Halloween spirit, with wishlists for Halloween-inspired titles up 60% and those with “witch” in the title up 15%.
Top “Haunted” Locations Airbnb recommends
The East Coast emerged as a fan favorite for renting, with Salem, Massachusetts representing the top trending destination for Halloween weekend.
- Catskills Modern Amber Lake Cottage (Livingston Manor, NY): Located along the shores of Amber Lake, this restored former fishing cabin offers a private dock and sits just minutes from the main commercial district.
- 8 Bedroom Mountain Retreat with Barrel Sauna (Windham, NY): Set on 7 acres, this 1890s farmhouse boasts host-curated artistic interiors, a pond, an outdoor barrel sauna, a fireplace, and a piano.
- The Salem Porch House (Salem, MA): Positioned across from Salem Common, this 1913 Colonial Revival condo features a porch with direct views of the town’s Halloween trick-or-treating crowds.
- The Hewitt (Philadelphia, PA): Occupying the 2,500-square-foot third floor of an 1886 Queen Anne Victorian mansion in historic Germantown, this residence conceals an east wing behind a secret bookshelf doorway.
Significance of the Holiday Timing
Halloween Airbnb searches can be partially attributed to the fact that Halloween fell on a weekend this year. New Jersey made nearly $52 billion in visitor spending in 2025, so the holiday weekend is a prime opportunity for the Meadowlands tourism industry to capture consumer attention this Halloween.
American Dream Events
| Event | Date |
| Brick or Treat at LegoLand Discovery Center | Oct 01- Oct 31 |
| Booniverse | Oct 05- Nov 01 |
| Geoffrey’s Boo-Tastic Express | Oct 18- Nov 01 |
| Hall of Haunted Reflections | Oct 18 Nov 01 |
| Coast to Coast International Halloween Spooktacular Pageant | Oct 24 |
| Spooktacular Splash Weekend | Oct 24- Oct 25 |
| Count Von Count’s Batty Bat Hunt | Oct 25- Nov 01 |
| Rocky Horror Picture Show screening with live shadow cast | Oct 30 |
| Annual Halloween Party- Parade & Costume Contest | Oct 31 |
| Characters of the Dream Halloween Parade | Oct 31 |
Other Local Meadowlands Events
| Event | Date | Location |
| Halloween Trunk or Treat | Oct 27 (5:00 pm-7:00 pm) | Ramapo College |
| Lyndhurst Annual Halloween Parade | Oct 31 (starts at 3:30 pm) | Town Hall Park on Delafield Avenue |
| Haunted Forest | Oct 25 (1:00 pm-4:00 pm) | Secaucus High School, 11 Milridge Road |
| Ridgewood Halloween Maze | Daily through Oct 31 | Ridgewood |
| Zoo Boo | Oct 16- Oct 18 | Paramus |
| Cornerstone Christian Church Family Trunk or Treat | Oct 24 | Wyckoff (2:00 pm-4:00 pm) |
| Bergen New Bridge Medical Center Trunk or Treat | Oct 24 | 2:00 pm |
| Sensory-Friendly Trunk-or-Treat | Oct 24 | Ramsey |
| Paramus Halloween Trunk or Treat Festival | Oct 24 | Paramus (11:00 am-5:00 pm) |
| Little Nightmares Trunk or Treat | Oct 31 | Waldwick (11:00 am-2:00 pm) |
| Haunted Attractions at Brighton Asylum | Oct 22-Nov 1 (hours vary) | 2 Brighton Ave, Passaic |
| Liberty Science Center Spooky Fest | Oct 3-Nov 1 | Liberty State Park, 222 Jersey City Boulevard, Jersey City |
