The three top-ranked Florida schools — University of Florida, University of Miami and Florida State, all celebrate Halloween a little differently.
University of Miami:
Miami offers an extremely vibrant scene, with fraternity functions and events.
“UF and FSU have more of a college-town atmosphere, while UM is heavily focused on Miami nightlife. Miami has a lot of options around the city,” Nico Verdu, a sophomore at UM, shares.
Factory Town offers an event called “Hocus Pocus,” from Friday, Oct. 30 to Sunday, Nov. 1. DJs such as Meduza, Prospa and John Summit will be playing sets. Club Space also offers a multi-day Halloween event series known as “Halloweek,” which runs from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1.
“A lot of us go to house parties. We also go to Key West the weekend before actual Halloween for ‘Fantasy Fest’ where 21 and older students bar hop on Duval Street,” Verdu says.
People go all out for costumes. “Last year, I saw lots of angels, athletes and devils. This year, I expect more celebrity-inspired costumes. I was Top Gun Maverick last year, and will likely be a character from the Hunger Games this year,” Verdu shared. “We are definitely festive here. I have found that a lot of people decorate their dorms.”
Florida State University:
“Halloween at FSU is more than just a holiday — it is an experience. Although Tally gets really packed and the nightlife might be more crazy than usual, it is still a lot of fun to see everyone in their costumes having a good time,” Oti Vitier, a sophomore at FSU, states.
“FSU’s contained college-town makes it simple for students to go out and have a good time.”
At Florida State University, the weeklong celebrations are called “Tallyween,” revolving around FSU and Florida A&M University (FAMU).
In Tallahassee, they have a Halloween-themed “alley cat” bike race, as well as a scavenger hunt in which participants find the fastest route to competitively return to their designated spot.
“Halloween at Florida State is absolutely crazy. However, it is so much fun. So many people from different universities come to celebrate Halloween. There are a ton of different events and parties to pick from,” Vitier says.
“It is awesome to have my friends visit from different colleges after not seeing them for months.”
The costumes are also well-done at FSU. “Last year, I saw a lot of princesses, superheroes and pirates. This year, I expect to see a lot of people dressed like Michael Jackson and Nikki from the movie called Obsession,” Vitier continues.
“I dressed up as Barden Bellas and Fancy Nancy, and this year I’m planning on being Sharpay Evans from High School Musical and Barney Stinson from the show “How I Met Your Mother.”
Vitier also expresses that she thinks dorms are well-decorated, and that apartments tend to have even better decorations, “especially in their living rooms.”
University of Florida:
“Halloween at UF is truly a whole ordeal. Throughout October, fraternities throw costume-themed parties. During the week leading up to the weekend of Halloween, there’s many Halloween date functions (if you’re in Greek life) as well as bar hopping,” Mia Shields, sophomore at the University of Florida, shares.
“Going to a big school, there isn’t just one path — Halloween definitely looks different for everyone, and it’s what you make of it. UF has lots of options that cater to different demographics and interests. I think it’s a pretty classic college-town Halloween experience.
“Frankly though, a lot of people go to FSU for what is called Tallyween, since we don’t have any crazy, sought-after events,” Shields states. “My friends and people around campus like to go to pumpkin patches as well.”
“There were lots of candy-themed costumes from the girls. I really loved seeing people dressed as Paddington Bear. I feel like most of the costumes were pretty mainstream in what was trending on social media at the time. I think it will be similar this year with cute animal-inspired costumes, dolls, princesses, etc. The halls are usually decorated cutely by the RAs.”
“This year, I am going to be a Victoria’s Secret Angel, Marie Antoinette and then do matching costumes (mimes) with my roommates.” Shields also expressed matching costumes are particularly popular at UF.
Final Rankings
#1- Nico Verdu: “I would rate Miami an 8.5/ 10 for Halloween. It has great nightlife and a variety of choices, but it is a bit spread out,” Verdu added.
Tied for #2: “I would rate Halloween at FSU an 8/10. While it is such a fun weekend, and there are so many different things to do, the amount of people visiting makes Tallahassee extremely overcrowded,” says Oti Vitier.
Tied for #2: “I would rate Halloween at UF an 8/10. It’s definitely fun, but I wouldn’t say it’s the best weekend here,” Mia Shields says.
Oct. 31 might be reserved for Halloween and its differing celebrations at every school, but one thing these three schools do have in common is football. Each anticipates a game that same night.