That is quite the accolade to receive, we must say!
In the lead up to this year’s Hallowe’en, the New York Times listed the six places in the world that are best to visit for the spooky season, and they placed Derry on that very distinguishable list.
This is how the publication described the celebrations in the city:
Halloween is believed by many to have its roots in the ancient Gaelic festival of Samhain, which was celebrated by Derry’s ancestors. Selected as the top Halloween destination in the world in a USA Today readers’ poll last year, Derry (or Londonderry, as it is also known) seems to do everything it can each year to earn such a reputation. About 80,000 people attended the 30th annual Derry Halloween festival last year.
Derry has done much to overcome its tumultuous past as the birthplace of the Troubles, the three-decade-long struggle between Irish nationalists and Protestant “loyalists,” who sought to keep Northern Ireland part of the United Kingdom. The centrepiece of the town is the soaring Peace Bridge that opened over the River Foyle in 2011.
The other five on the list are mostly American locations:
- New Orleans (USA)
- Transylvania (Romania)
- Whitby (England)
- Salem (USA)
- Orlando (USA)
According the official Derry Hallowe’en website, folks who attend the four day festival can expect events such as Awakening the Walls, Haunted Harvest Market, Museum of the Moon, Little Horrors shows and entertainment, Invasion, Hero’s & Legend, Monster Fun Fair, Samhain Sessions, Tours & Trails, Carnival Parade, Fireworks plus lots more.
Clip via Derry City & Strabane District Council
