Krewe of BOO! Halloween Parade

Krewe of BOO! became New Orleans' official Halloween parade in 2007 and has grown into a weekend that pairs Mardi Gras scale with All Hallows' Eve theatrics. Floats are built by Kern Studios: artists sketch props, and the pieces are finished in fiberglass or papier-mache. More than a thousand riders, marching bands, dance troupes, and walking krewes throw to crowds along a three-mile French Quarter route from Elysian Fields Avenue to Decatur, past Jackson Square, and up Canal Street. The morning Zombie Run sends costumed runners ahead of the Big Easy Rollergirls. The Monster Mash afterparty follows in the Warehouse District.

Our take: Stake a spot on Decatur past Jackson Square if you want the French Quarter stretch, then follow the krewe toward the Warehouse District for the Monster Mash.