THREE To VISIT

A trio of global events to check out this month

Fantasy Fest

Florida, USA If you like dressing up in outlandish costumes, dancing till you can’t dance no more and meeting lots of free-spirited hippies, this is the festival for you. And it’s all set on the sundrenched, laidback, balmy paradise that is the Florida Keys. There are decadent balls for mingling, body painting for the brave and, the highlight, a toga party at the famous – or should that be infamous – Sloppy Joe’s, one of former local resident Ernest Hemingway’s favourite hangouts. October 21 to November 1

fantasyfest.com

Vegetarian Festival

Phuket, Thailand Forget anything you’ve ever thought about vegetarian food being bland and all about beans. This veggie festival is about more than just abstaining from poultry. It’s about proving you have self-determination, inner strength and purity. So with that in mind, locals not only give up certain gastronomic pleasures but make sacrifices too. Expect to hear lots of chanting in temples, see people walking on hot coals and climbing knife-blade sharp ladders. October 15 to 23 phuket.com

The Village Halloween Parade

New York City, USA

If you’ve always harboured a strange desire to cover yourself in gore and grime you have to head to the Big Apple on this spooky evening. From sultry sorceresses to a hundred Harry Potters, the wild and wonderful dance through lower Manhattan before cruising into the plethora of hotspots where costumes are not only welcomed but encouraged. The theme this year is ‘shine a light’ so expect lots of angels and a few Buzz Lightyears floating past when the parade starts at 7pm to the beat of more than 50 bands. October 31 halloween-nyc.com