New Orleans. The gay community there puts on a full weekend of events, proceeds to charity, including a huge costume dance party on Saturday night-- always the weekend before Halloween, not on October 31 itself. It's a circuit party but with a somewhat different crowd than your usual circuit party. Historically, the main event has been open bar and hosted in cool venues: Robins Street wharf, Civic Auditorium, the basketball arena, the Sugar Mill, Mardi Gras World. After parties at the main bars in the Quarter. And you don't have to do it as a big partying weekend; you can do lots of sightseeing and such if you like. From Dallas, NOLA is very close and easy to reach.