Vinyl 95.3

[Babygirl1]

Belem, Brazil

Every year in October, Belem hosts the 15-day Cirio de Nazare festival – one of the world´s largest celebrations to honour the Virgin Mary. Over 2 million visitors and pilgrims descend upon Belem to participate in the festivities, including street processions, religious traditions, music, dancing, and more. The main event is the procession of the statue of the Virgin, Our Lady of Nazareth: the statue is placed on a chariot decorated with flowers and carried from Belem Cathedral to Nazare Basilica for the duration of the festival.

[Babygirl1]

Montmartre, Paris, France

In the artsy neighbourhood of Montmartre, every October marks the Montmartre Grape Harvest or Fete des Vendages. Set in the city of Paris, the neighbourhood comes to life when oenophiles and the country´s many wine producers get together to celebrate the end of the grape harvest with lots of local wines and produce. Along with fireworks and wine tasting in the streets, non-marriage proposals are also popular, i.e. 'will you not marry me?' The festival takes place from October 6 to 10, 2011.

[Babygirl1]

Italy

The end of October marks the beginning of one of the world´s best cuisine´s top festivals: the Salone del Gusto. Taking place in a major Italian city, the Salone del Gusto Market is open for five-days and offers food in a market setting that adheres to the slow food movement conventions: slowly raised, natural, organic produce that preserves culintary traditions, conserves biodiversity, and encourages proper agricultural practices as opposed to mass consumerism. Tasting workshops, children´s activities, and dinner events are also part of the festival

[Babygirl1]

Lima, Peru

One of the best times to visit Lima, Peru is during October´s Mes Morado, when a host of festivals take place throughout the month, including massive processions in city streets, street festivals, feasts, and more. One such procession is El Senor de los Milagros (Lord of Miracles) on October 18, 19, and 28 when everything and everyone dons purple and celebrates the mural of Jesus Christ at the Sanctuary of Las Nazarenas church – one of the only surviving things in Lima after a massive earthquake in the 17th century.

[Babygirl1]

Bran, Romania

In the spirit of Halloween, one of the world´s most legendary haunted houses is located in Bran, Romania – on the border between Transylvania and Wallachia. That´s right, Bran Castle has a long history of myth and fable but is most commonly known as 'Dracula´s Castle.' Built in the 1300´s for a second time, the castle´s remote location in the mountains is open for tours to visitors, is associated with Vlad III (Bram Stoker´s inspiration for Dracula), and has secret passageways that might just make your skin crawl.

[Babygirl1]

Bhangarh, India

Equally as creepy as Dracula´s castle is Bhangarh, India. Once a bustling city in the 1500´s, the town of Bhangarh between Jaipur and Alwar now lies deserted and is only frequented during the day by tourists in the area. The sign at the city gate reads, 'Entering the borders of Bhangarh before sunrise and after sunset is strictly prohibited.' A way to keep out unwanted guests, perhaps – but as far as anyone knows, just 200-300 years after it was built, the city became deserted. Some say it was cursed by a guru, others say it war, famine, or plague. Either way, this deserted city is creepy enough during the day.

[Babygirl1]

Salem, Massachusetts

A workable day trip from Boston, a visit to Salem is best in October when the city hosts +100 events for all ages under the banner of 'Haunted Happenings,' local beer tastings to concerts, festivals, tours of historical sites, and the Annual Psychic Fair and Witchcraft Expo. On Halloween night, you can easily find lovers of the paranormal and ghost hunters looking for a thrill in Salem and Danvers where the witch trials took place in 1693.

[Babygirl1]

Colonial Williamsburg

On any normal day, families, students, and adults alike can visit Colonial Williamsburg and experience a living museum. Dozens of dressed-up characters and educators are at the ready to teach and tell you about how it was like in colonial and revolutionary times in Williamsburg. During Halloween, the Ghosts Among Us tours take visitors through the city at night for a ghost hunt. Both adult and child-friendly Halloween activities/events are available.

[Babygirl1]

[Babygirl1]

[Babygirl1]

[Babygirl1]

[Babygirl1]

[Babygirl1]

[Babygirl1]