Story Idea: See A New And Delightfully Haunting Side Of NYC This Halloween
NYC STORY IDEA:
SEE A NEW AND DELIGHTFULLY HAUNTING SIDE OF NYC THIS HALLOWEEN
Each Halloween, New York City welcomes costumed revelers to enjoy themed parties, festive fall street fairs, and haunted houses across the five boroughs, all leading up to the grand finale in Manhattan: the Village Halloween Parade. Held on the evening of October 31, the Parade is billed as the nation’s most wildly creative public participatory event in the greatest city in the world.
On behalf of NYC & Company, the City’s official destination marketing organization, please reference the list below for a selection of Halloween events in all five boroughs. For more information on these events and other fantastic fall activity ideas, visit NYCGO.com/fall.
There has never been a better time to visit a new side of your City! Tag @NYCGO on Instagram with #SeeYourCity.
Select Halloween Events
THE BRONX
Scarecrows & Pumpkins; through October 31 at the New York Botanical Garden
Enjoy this bountiful time of year with eye-popping pumpkins, spooky scarecrows, and plenty of fun in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. Kids can explore more than 100 friendly scarecrows set among rare and unusual pumpkins and gourds or take part in guided activities like potting up a spooky spider plant or investigating creepy crawlers in their pond and soil.
Boo at the Zoo; through October 29 at the Bronx Zoo
This annual Bronx Zoo tradition has upped the spook factor this year. Plan a trip to see what's new and enjoy yearly favorites. Come dressed in your Halloween best, or leave the costume home and show off your good looks. Journey into the Haunted Forest if you dare. You never know what’s lurking, crawling, or flying above!
BROOKLYN
Movies Under the Stars: Shoctoberfest – Poltergeist; October 27 at Sunset Park
Join NYC Parks and New York City Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment for this free film! This classic supernatural horror film features an average California family whose home is invaded by ghosts. Initially friendly and playful, the spirits turn unexpectedly menacing. 6:00 – 8:00pm.
8th Annual Coney Island Children’s Halloween Parade; October 28 at Luna Park in Coney Island
Families are invited to the 8th Annual Coney Island Children’s Halloween Parade and Costume Contest. This year’s kid-friendly event promises to be better than ever with free entertainment, giveaways and, of course, trick-or-treating! Hand-made Coney Island themed costumes are encouraged for the costume contest.
The Shining Halloween Party; October 28 at Videology Bar & Cinema in Williamsburg
Videology Bar & Cinema is taking cues from The Shining and turning Videology into The Gold Room at the Overlook Hotel! They will have specialty cocktails and all your favorite Shining décor. And take note, super-fans. They will also be screening The Shining at 4PM, 7:15PM and 10:30PM in the screening room, and each ticket will include Jack Daniel’s and Advocaat, just like Mr. Torrance orders.
MANHATTAN
Movies Under the Stars: The Addams Family; October 26 at Thomas Jefferson Recreation Center in East Harlem
Watch a classic Halloween film, The Addams Family, under the stars. The plot develops as a stranger shows up on the ghoulish Addams Family's doorstep, claiming to be a long-lost uncle. However, he is really a con trying to dupe the ghoulish family out of their fortune. 6:00 – 9:00pm.
Night of 1,000 Jack O’ Lanterns; October 26 – 29 on Governors Island
New York City’s newest and most anticipated event, Night of 1,000 Jack O’ Lanterns, is ready to light up New York Harbor this October! Come see more than 1,000 illuminated jack o’ lanterns carved by artists from around the tri-state area, all staged along a festive, paved, tree-lined pathway among the backdrop of centuries old buildings.
Art After Dark: Halloween; October 27 at the Guggenheim Museum on the Upper East Side
Join Art After Dark for its first-ever Halloween event. Enjoy a live DJ performance by BEARCAT (Discwoman) and an after-hours private viewing of current exhibitions, including Art and China after 1989: Theater of the World. Costumes are encouraged and the attendee with the most Guggenheim-inspired costume wins a special prize!
Halloween Murder Mystery; October 27 and 28 at Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden on the Upper East Side
Join the murder mystery game, loosely based on an actual newspaper account of an unidentified skeleton discovered at the Mount Vernon Hotel. Who was killed? By whom? With what? Explore the Museum by candlelight and collect clues to unravel the mystery and solve the case. Collaborate with others or go it alone, and find out how quickly you can uncover the truth. Appropriate for adults and families with children 10+. Advance ticket purchase required.
DRACULA Performance; October 28 at Morris-Jumel Mansion in Washington Heights
From the mind of Bram Stoker and adapted for the stage by Steven Dietz, this Fall, the Morris-Jumel Mansion proudly presents, DRACULA. Surrounded by the historic furnishings of the oldest residence in Manhattan, audiences will witness this enduring tale of seduction and immortality unlike ever before.
Halloween Parade and Pumpkin Flotilla; October 29 at Harlem Meer in the Northeast Corner of Central Park
Watching a parade of jack o’ lanterns magically float across a lake is probably the closest anyone of us will get to being Harry Potter. Central Park Conservancy’s Halloween Parade and Pumpkin Flotilla is a daylong bash with an all-ages-friendly lineup including live music, scary stories, carvings and tons of Halloween crafting. Enter at Central Park North and Malcolm X Blvd.
Village Halloween Parade; October 31 on 6
Every year, 50,000 folks parade up 6th Avenue—decked out in some of the City’s scariest, most inventive and most hilarious costumes—while numerous live bands complement the ghoulish revelry. Show up with a creative costume and join the parade (but note that a costume is a must to march!), or stick to your civvies and take in the spectacle from the sidelines. Marchers line up on 6th Avenue between Canal and Spring Streets. The parade gets rolling at 7pm and heads north up 6th Avenue to 16th Street.
QUEENS
Movies Under the Stars: Ghostbusters; October 27 at Lost Battalion Hall Recreation Center in Rego Park
Watch a classic Halloween film, Ghostbusters, under the stars. The plot thickens as unemployed parapsychologists devise a system for neutralizing ghosts when New York City comes under attack from supernatural demons. 6:00 – 8:00pm.
The Sixth Annual MoMA PS1 Halloween Ball with Susanne Bartsch; October 28 at MoMA PS1 in Long Island City
Calling all creatures of the night for an evening of futuristic fantasy, exploring the vast reaches of the creative cosmos with performances, DJs, dancing, and the most out-of-this-world costumes in NYC! Join MoMA PS1 and the legendary Susanne Bartsch for an otherworldly gathering of sci-fi cyber babes, glam-rock robots, and arty extraterrestrials.
Dead or Alive: Special Effects Workshop for Children; October 28 at The New York Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Meet special effects, artists, and technologists, while participating in hands-on activities and exploring the science of creepy. Watch live pumpkin carving demonstrations. Learn tips and tricks for carving your own pumpkin at home with the Maniac Pumpkin Carvers. Customize your own batch of gooey fun with a variety of colors and textures at the NYSCI Slime Bar!
Children’s Fall Festival; October 29 at Queens County Farm Museum in Floral Park
Dress in costume for this fall celebration! Kids will love the bounce houses, traditional games, pig racing, and cartoon character look-alikes. Boogie down to live country music, take an autumn hayride, visit the Haunted House and Amazing Maize Maze, and enjoy a pony ride and farm animals.
STATEN ISLAND
Second Annual Halloween Movie Night; October 27 at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Ocean Breeze Park
Enjoy a family-friendly film at this community movie night, followed by a scary film suited for older audiences. 6:00 – 10:00pm.
Halloween in Richmond Town; October 27 in Historic Richmond Town
Guest are invited to trick-or-treat in the historic village. Costumed kiddies will enjoy tasty treats as well as crafts, apple bobbing and games. Prepaid reservation required. $12 for children, $6 for adults.
Halloween Activities; October 28 at Staten Island Children's Museum at Snug Harbor
Enjoy hourly activities including vampire slime, very spooky stories, villainous mad science, vamping it up with the Monster Mash, and a vibrant costume parade!
Pumpkin Patch Playland; Open until October 31 at Greenside Up Garden Center in Annandale
Endless fall fun awaits, including face painting, jumping inflatables, pumpkin painting, family friendly corn maze, gift shop, inside and outside decorations. A snack shack is onsite with fresh hot popcorn, hot dogs, pretzels, and more!
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NYC & Company/Kim Klein 212-484-1270