This October, New York City will once again host countless Halloween festivities across all five boroughs. From one of the largest Halloween parades in the country – the Village Halloween Parade– to the dozens of haunted houses and autumn activities, New York City provides something for all Halloween buffs, no matter age or spooky-tolerance.
NYC & Company, the City’s official destination marketing organization, is pleased to present a selection of Halloween events in all five boroughs, below. For more information on these events and other festive fall offerings, visit nycgo.com/fall.
Village Halloween parade
Sixth Avenue – Manhattan
October 31
New York City’s most iconic Halloween event, including inventive costumes and numerous live bands, returns for its 45th year with a different theme, ‘I AM a Robot!’New this year is a special Robot section of the Parade where folks can pay $25 to join the VIP lines and march with 2018 Grand Marshal Machine Dazzle. Attracting 50,000 spectators annually including locals and visitors, the jubilant parade will start on Spring Street at 7 p.m. and head north up Sixth Avenue, ending at 16th Street. An after-party will be held at Performance Space New York to benefit the Research Foundation to Cure AIDS. For more information, visit: nycgo.com/events/village-halloween-parade
Boo at the Zoo&Brew at the Zoo
Bronx Zoo – The Bronx
September 29through October 28; October 19
Families can enjoy the spooky season with Boo at the Zoo taking place every weekend until Halloween, starting September 29. The event includes a hay maze, pumpkin carving, and haunted forest, to name a few of the activities. For further details, visit nycgo.com/events/bronx-zoo-boo-at-the-zoo
Brew at the Zoo is back on Friday, October 19, with beer and wine vendors, local food trucks, costume contests, live music, and a retro game room. A selection of tickets is available for entry from 6 to 11 p.m., including “general admission,” “VIP,” and “designated driver.”For more information, visit bronxzoo.com/brew.
Pumpkin Picking at Decker Farm
Decker Farm – Staten Island
October 1-31
Throughout the month of October, Decker Farm is continuing Halloween traditions with an old-fashioned family pumpkin-picking adventure. The 11-acre picturesque historic fields will offer old-fashioned tractor-hay rides and a corn maze, as well as a chance to feed the farm animals. For more information, visit:www.eventbrite.com/pumpkin-picking-at-decker-farm
5th Annual THE RIDE in Masquerade
42nd Street and Eight Avenue – Manhattan
October 1-31
Approaching 25,000performances, New York City’s greatest show on wheels, THE RIDE, will showcase a Medieval Halloween with‘THE RIDE in Masquerade.’ throughout the month of October. Performers will be decked out in lace and bejeweled masks, adding to the already one-of-a-kind experience on the streets on Manhattan. For tickets and more information, visit:ExperienceTheRide.com.
3rd Annual Brooklyn Horror Film Festival
Various Locations – Brooklyn
October 11-18
Locals and travelers seeking a horror film extravaganza can look no further than Brooklyn this Halloween season. Brooklyn Horror Fest will screen 43 creative horror movies over eight days, with opening and closing showings at Nitehawk Cinema. For more information visit:brooklynhorrorfest.com.
Drive-in Movie – Ghostbusters
John Golden Parking Lot – Queens
October 19
The fan favorite ‘Ghostbusters’ will be back on the big screen in the John Golden Park parking lot for a drive-in movie. Perfect for a Halloween season date night, this event is free and first-come, first-serve. For more information, visit: nycgovparks.org/events. For dedicated Ghostbuster fans, NYC & Company has created a Ghostbusters guide to NYC that can be found here: nycgo.com/itineraries/ghostbusters.
Giant Pumpkin Weekend & Spooky Pumpkin Garden Weekend
New York Botanical Garden – The Bronx
October 20-21 & October 26-27
New York City’s living museum and cultural attraction, the New York Botanical Garden, will showcase massive pumpkins, weighing up to 1,800 lbs., during Giant Pumpkin Weekend on October 20 and 21, fitting for a weekend of family fun. Spooky Pumpkins will also be on display in the garden on October 26-27 to give locals and travelers a fright on the weekend before Halloween. For more information, visit nybg.org/event.
7th Annual Halloween Hunt – Esoterica VII
Jacques Marchias Museum off Tibetan Art– Staten Island
October 20
For a unique twist this fall, the Jacques Marchias Museum of Tibetan Art will open its doors for the 7th annual Halloween haunt, beginning at 7 p.m. Attendees must be 21 and older, and are encouraged to attend in costume for the chance to win a prize. For more information visit:tibetanmuseum.org/halloween-haunt.
Halloween Harbor
Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden – Staten Island
October 27
Festive traditions to get in the Halloween spirit can be found at the Halloween Harbor. Trick-or-treating, spooky movies, themed arts and crafts, and even mad scientist experiments are a few of the many reasons to visit one of Staten Island’s biggest fall attractions. For more information visit, snug-harbor.org/event/halloween-harbor.
Halloween Parade and Pumpkin Flotilla
Central Park (Fifth Avenue and Central Park West) – Manhattan
October 28
Take part in a costume parade, ghost stories, and a Pumpkin Flotilla at Central Park to kick-off Halloween week.ThePumpkin Flotilla will conclude the day of fun, where 50 pumpkins will be set afloat in the Harlem Meer at dusk. For more information please visit: nycgo.com/events/halloween-parade-and-pumpkin-flotilla.
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