Have an amazing weekend without opening your wallet! For even more activity inspiration, check out our Weekend Planner.
Friday, October 26-Sunday, October 28
Day of the Dead NYC
12-6pm
St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery
All Ages
This weekend-long event commemorates and honors those lost with classic festivities. In the East Yard of St. Mark’s, you’ll find a variety of activities and events, including a marketplace, altar building, live music performances, art workshops, and even more. Be sure to bring the whole family all three days; check the website to see all the different times and events.
Friday, October 26
Asphalt Screams
4-6pm
Asphalt Green
All Ages
Wear your best costume and join Asphalt Green for an afternoon of tricks, treats, and active Halloween games. Free and open to the public, Asphalt Screams will feature trick-or-treating and sports-related activities, including a Spooktacular Soccer Shootout.
20 Years of Magic: Celebrating Harry Potter: Meet Brian Selznick and Mary GrandPré
6-8pm
Books of Wonder
All Ages
Join Books of Wonder as they celebrate 20 years of magic with Harry Potter! Help the store welcome illustrators Brian Selznick and Mary GrandPré on Friday, October 26 from 6-8pm for a truly magical event and book signing.
Saturday, October 27
Beyond X Industry City: Kids’ Halloween Parade
10am-4pm
51 35th Street, Brooklyn
All Ages
Join Beyond and Industry City’s second annual Kids’ Halloween Parade and Trick-or-Treat Scavenger Hunt! With activities such as mural painting, pumpkin patches, and more, come with your best Halloween costume for a day to remember.
9th Annual Children’s Halloween Parade
11am-2pm
Coney Island Beach and Boardwalk
Ages 14 and under
The party starts with games, face painting, live entertainment, trick-or-treating and of course, the Official Coney Island Costume Contest! Registration opens at 10am the day of the event. The first 1,500 children will get a free 2-hour wristband to Luna Park.
Halloween Bash
12-3pm
Brookfield Place
All Ages
Bring your costume-clad kids for a FANGtastic afternoon at the family-friendly Brookfield Place Halloween Bash! Festivities include a costume catwalk, a photo booth, temporary tattoos, a juggler, trick-or-treating, movie screenings, a performance by The Pop-Ups, and much more.
Halloween Harvest Festival
12-4pm
Socrates Sculpture Park
All Ages
This year, the Halloween Harvest Festival is inspired by Fet Gede, the Haitian Festival of the Ancestors! Experience vibrant cultural activities including a Gede song workshop with Menesky “Sky” Magloire, card readings with members of K.N.V.A., and a procession culminating in a special dance and drum performance featuring Imamou. Also, take part in costume-making, fantastical face-painting with Agostino Arts, and Urban Shaman Mama Donna’s Blessing of the Animals, now including a Pet Memorial Altar (part of Reimagine NYC). Dress up your pooch and don’t miss the annual Doggie Costume Contest.
Dia de los Muertos
12-5pm
National Museum of the American Indian
All Ages
Traditional dances honoring ancestors will be performed by Cetiliztli Nauhcampa around the community ofrenda, or altar. Hands-on activities include embellishing paper skull masks, decorating skeleton puppets, creating paper flowers, and painting plaster skulls.
Bank of America Winter Village Opening
12-10pm
Bryant Park
All Ages
The opening of Bank of America’s Winter Village in Bryant Park is set for noon on Saturday, October 27. That means the return of free-admission skating for everyone at The Rink, and a selection of more than 150 quality vendors at the Holiday Shops, opening in plenty of time to check everyone off your list.
Trick-or-Treating at Pumpkin Point
1-3pm
Governors Island
All Ages
Calling all ghouls, goblins, princesses and witches – put on your most creative costumes and experience the rare chance to trick-or-treat from house to house in New York City! Governors Island exhibitors and spooky friends will be stationed at the historic houses of Nolan Park to hand out candy to kids, families and the young at heart. Free and open to the public. Reservations are recommended.
BKLYN Boo!
1-3pm
Albee Square
All Ages
From 1-3pm, come and haunt Albee Square for some spooky fun, balloon ghouls, monster tunes, a photo booth (for those of you whose images can be caught on film), and more! Starting at 2pm, head inside City Point for more Halloween festivities.
Twisted Toy Factory
1-4pm
Brooklyn Navy Yard
All Ages
Twisted Toy Factory: Making Mischief offers all ages a free, safe, fun-filled afternoon of trick-or-treating, immersive scenery, raffles, and Halloween-themed activities! Pre-registration is required.
NYSoM Halloween Havoc
2-6pm
Jackie Robinson Educational Complex
All Ages
NYSoM Halloween Havoc will be a terrifying spectacle featuring the NYSoM Ghostbusters Haunted House (Haunted House opens at 3pm). There will also be pumpkin painting, a make-your-own slime activity, spooky storytelling, Halloween games and activities, and a Halloween artisan fair.
4th Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest
5-6pm
Washington Market Park
All Ages
Sponsored by The Friends of Washington Market Park, this is a free community event with prizes awarded in several categories: “scariest,” “funniest” and “most creative” being just a few. Bring your own jack-o-lantern to enter, or just stop by with your family to enjoy the festive display!
Sunday, October 28
Dog Costume Parade
10am
The High Line Hotel
All Ages
Let The High Line Hotel will bow wow you with their biggest and best-ever annual Dog Costume Parade on Sunday, October 28. Fetch a costume for your pup, who could win the coveted Golden Sneaker Award, and come enjoy the face painters, Halloween craft stations, professional pumpkin carver and treats tricking out the hotel’s front garden starting at 10am. Pet-friendly refreshments will be provided by Lord Jameson Dog Patisserie, a local organic dog treat company. When the final winning canine is crowned, the party isn’t over: The hotel will hand out candy to neighborhood trick-or-treaters from 4pm to 7pm on October 31 and the Lobby Bar will feature drink specials.
Trick-or-Treat the Terminal
11am-2pm
Grand Central Terminal
All Ages
Sponsored by GoGo squeeZ, Grand Central Terminal is celebrating Halloween with trick-or-treating and family activities. Participating Grand Central shops and restaurants will be giving away candy and other surprises to children in costume, providing a safe, easy, and indoor setting for kids to trick-or-treat! Families are invited to check-in and begin their fun in Vanderbilt Hall.
20th Annual Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest
11:30am
Fort Greene Park
All Ages
Judging of dog costumes will start at 11:30am sharp at the bottom of the monument stairs. All dogs must be registered to enter the contest. On-site registration begins at 10:30am. Please note: There is a suggested donation fee of $5.
An Irish Halloween/Oíche Shamhna: Celtic Magic
12-3pm
Irish Arts Center
All Ages
This Halloween is all about tricks! Learn some magical mischief with RTÉ Junior’s abraKIDabra magician Joe Daly. Emerging magicians will learn about Halloween’s Irish origins by carving turnips, playing traditional Irish Halloween games, and watching a performance from Darrah Carr Dance.
Halloween Parade and Party
1-3pm
Washington Market Park
All Ages
This long-standing Tribeca tradition brings the entire neighborhood together for a parade down Greenwich Street, culminating at Washington Market Park’s huge party featuring games and music.
Halloween Pumpkin Flotilla
4-7pm
Central Park
All Ages
Head to Central Park for a costume parade, pumpkin carving demos, spooky stories, and a pumpkin flotilla on the Harlem Meer. Click here for pumpkin flotilla rules and guidelines.
