The best ways to celebrate Halloween 2022 in NYC
Photo of 2019 Village Halloween Parade by Steven Pisano on Flickr
It’s time to figure out your costume because Halloween is almost upon us. In New York City there is no shortage of fun events celebrating the spooky holiday, with plenty of opportunities to dress up, get candy, dine, and enjoy the season. Ahead, we found some of the city’s best Halloween offerings this year, from the legendary Village Halloween Parade to more low-key pumpkin picking at Historic Richmond Town’s Decker Farm on Staten Island.
Image courtesy of Blood Manor
Spooky tours & haunted happenings
Blood Manor
359 Broadway, Manhattan
New York City’s premier haunted house is inviting guests to visit all October long in celebration of Halloween. Blood Manor contains 10,000 square feet of spooky passageways, corridors, and rooms designed to “maximize one’s fears,” according to their website. On October 4 and 5, Blood Manor is hosting special lights-out nights, in which guests explore the manor in complete darkness equipped with just a glow stick. Tickets can be purchased here.
Halloween Dinner Cruise
Pier 36, 299 South Street, Manhattan
October 28 to 30, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Event Cruises NYC is offering a special Halloween dinner cruise for guests to celebrate the spooky holiday. Cruise guests will have access to a delicious dinner, a complimentary glass of sparkling wine, and a mix of entertainment options, including a live DJ, a dance floor, and a bar. Guests will have views of the city’s landmarks from the ship’s sky deck, like the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, and more. Adult tickets cost $179 and kids’ tickets cost $129.
Image courtesy of On Location Tours
Horror Movie Location Tour
On Location Tours is hosting a special walkthrough of horror movie filming locations on the Upper West Side. The journey will begin at Greyshot Arch in Central Park, which was featured in the film Cloverfield. Other locations include The Dakota, seen in Rosemary’s Baby, and The Belnord, the building featured in Only Murders in the Building. The self-guided tour costs $15.95, while the private tour costs $36. Tours can be booked here.
Trinity Cemetery, Brooklyn [Contract Four, Route 8, Section 6. Railroad tracks and Trinity Cemetery, near Central Avenue and Wilson Avenue, Brooklyn] Subway construction photograph collection, 1900-1950. © New York Transit Museum
The New York Transit Museum presents: Express Train to the Afterworld
October 12 at 6 p.m.
Hosted virtually by the New York Transit Museum, this informative Halloween event will teach attendants about the relationship between cemeteries and public transportation throughout New York City’s history. It will also explore the relationship between cemeteries and transit in other major cities, like London’s Necropolis Railway. Interested participants can register here.
Halloween Bar Crawl NYC
October 28, 29, and 30 from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Barcrawlerz is hosting a three-day event at bars across NYC in celebration of Halloween. There will be a map with participating bars and drink specials released at least one week before the event takes place. Event participants will purchase a wristband which will grant them access to any of the participating bars. More information and wristband sales can be found here.
NYC Ghost Tour
Washington Square Park, Manhattan
On this stroll through Greenwich Village, you will learn about the most haunted places in the neighborhood, with stories touching on notable figures like Edgar Allen Poe, Mark Twain, and Aaron Burr. Tour spots include the burial ground in Washington Square Park, former speakeasies and brothels, and more. Ticket prices start at $26 and can be purchased here.
Image courtesy of the Flatiron NoMad Partnership
Tour of the Dead
October 30
The Flatiron NoMad Partnership is hosting a free “Tour of the Dead” walking tour through the Flatiron District, highlighting different locations where spooky events have taken place. Taking place on October 30, the 90-minute tours will bring guests through the neighborhood, stopping at sites like the Eden Musée, filming locations for famous movies like Spider-Man and Harry Potter, and “architectural ghosts,” or buildings that have been demolished.
Image courtesy of the Central Park Conservancy
Family-friendly activities
Pumpkin Flotilla: Halloween on the Harlem Meer in Central Park
Central Park
October 27 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
For 30 years, the Halloween Pumpkin Flotilla has been a cherished event on Central Park’s Harlem Meer. The festival involves the creation of homemade jack-o’-lanterns that are set afloat and sent out into the open waters of the Harlem Meer. Once known as the “pumpkin sail,” the name was changed due to the fact that people thought there would be pumpkins available for purchase. The name was changed to “flotilla,” which refers to the creation of ships.
Image courtesy of Julie Larsen Maher for The Bronx Zoo
Boo at the Zoo
2300 Southern Boulevard, the Bronx
Saturdays & Sundays from October 1 to 30
The Bronx Zoo’s annual Halloween tradition is back. Over the course of the month, the zoo is hosting a variety of Halloween festivities, including arts and crafts, magic, pumpkin carvings, trick-or-treating, and costume parades. On select days of the month, the zoo is hosting Dinosaurs in Darkness: The Hatching, a night-time walkthrough experience that gets guests “up close with prehistoric creatures in a whole new way,” according to the zoo’s website. Tickets can be purchased here.
Image courtesy of Matthew Carasella Photography
Pumpkin picking at Decker Farm
435 Richmond Hill Road, Staten Island
Saturday & Sundays in October, plus Monday, October 11
Come pick pumpkins at New York City’s oldest, continuously working family farm. Every October, the 11-acre farm, part of Historic Richmond Town, celebrates the fall season with pumpkin picking, hayrides, hay mazes, pumpkin chucking, and pumpkin painting. Decker Farm’s slew of events is perfect to attend with the whole family. Tickets can be purchased here.
Image via Governors Island
Pumpkin Point
October 22 to 23 and 29 to 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Governors Island is welcoming back visitors for its annual Pumpkin Point fall festival. Hosted in Nolan Park, guests are invited to come and pick pumpkins for free with a suggested donation. The event also features a variety of fall-themed activities, including pumpkin painting, arts & crafts, and more.
Image courtesy of The Center for Science Teaching and Learning
Spooky Fest
1450 Tanglewood Road, Rockville Centre
October 7 to 9, 14 to 16, 21 to 23, and 28 to 30
Hosted by the Center for Science Teaching and Learning (CSTL), Spooky Fest takes place at Tanglewood Preserve in Rockville Centre on Long Island. The grounds have been made Halloween-themed, with eerily-lit paths and walkways. There are plenty of festivities for kids, including arts and crafts, face painting, and fortune telling. Tickets start at $20 and can be purchased here.
Image courtesy of the Queens County Farm Museum
Halloween on the Farm
73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Queens
October 30
The Queens County Farm Museum is hosting its own Halloween celebration for the whole family. Festivities include hay rides, trick-or-treating, live DJs, a spooky farmhouse experience, and much more. Food will be provided by some of the area’s local vendors. The Queens County Farm Museum is the longest continually farmed site in New York State, beginning in 1697. The farm is celebrating its 325th year of operation this year.
Image courtesy of Ellington in the Park
Ellington in the Park
Riverside Drive, West 105th Street, Manhattan
October 30 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Ellington in the Park, the outdoor beach-themed restaurant and bar, is throwing a party to celebrate the coming of fall and Halloween. On the 30th, the bar is hosting a kids’ Halloween party right before they close for the season, offering guests complimentary candy bags, and non-alcoholic apple cider, while adults can purchase $3 beers. The best-dressed family will receive a $100 gift card to the restaurant’s sister establishment Ellington on Broadway on the Upper West Side.
Image courtesy of Iri Greco & Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media
Treats in the Streets
Meatpacking District, Manhattan
October 22 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Meatpacking District is welcoming guests of all ages to come and celebrate Halloween. Many of the district’s businesses will be participating, handing out both kid and adult-friendly treats to visitors. Games and activities include live music, an artists & fleas outdoor market, spooky storytime, and the fourth annual Meatpacking Doggie Costume Contest. The winner of the doggie costume contest will be awarded an overnight stay at the dog-friendly Gansevoort Hotel, and second and third place will be awarded gift cards to neighborhood pet store Beasty Feast.
Image courtesy of East Midtown on Flickr
Trick-or-Treat With East Midtown
October 31 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
East Midtown businesses are welcoming back trick-or-treaters this Halloween. Before starting the candy hunt, families can check in, pick up bags and maps, and paint pumpkins at Sunrise East 56th Street at 56th and Lexington Avenue. There will also be a spooky photo booth at 56th Street and 3rd Avenue where the same items can be picked up. The map of participating businesses will be released on October 1, with more being added in the days leading up to Halloween.
Image courtesy of Rebecca Greenfield
BAMboo!
30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn
October 31 at 4 p.m.
The Brooklyn Academy of Music’s annual free Halloween block party is returning this year with an outdoor celebration. The spooky afternoon will be full of exciting activities, including music, carnival games, arts and crafts, candy giveaways, and trick-or-treat popcorn. This year’s celebration will include family-friendly Halloween short film showings.
Image courtesy of Cricket’s Candy Creations
Halloween Harvest at Cricket’s Candy Creations
200 Hudson Street, Manhattan
October 1 to 30
Cricket’s Candy Creations is hosting a variety of events in celebration of Halloween, including a Halloween Harvest, movie night, and trick-or-treat extravaganza. Other activities include pumpkin painting and arts and crafts. The movie night will take place on October 22 starting at 4 p.m., with a variety of different spooky movie screenings. The trick-or-treat extravaganza will take place on October 29 and 30, and features face painting, Halloween candy crafts, balloon twisting, and a costume parade. Tickets can be purchased here.
Image courtesy of the New York Botanical Garden
Fall-o-Ween at the New York Botanical Garden
2900 Southern Boulevard, the Bronx
The New York Botanical Garden is hosting Fall-o-Ween, a month-long series of events that celebrate the fall season and Halloween. Over the course of the month, the NYBG is putting on a pumpkin carving competition, a pumpkin parade, haunted trail journeys, and more. Information and ticket sales for the events can be found here.
Image courtesy of Jane Kratochvil
The Seaport’s Pumpkin Fest
Fulton Street and Pier 17
October 1 through November 7
The Seaport is holding its first annual month-long festival to usher in the change of the season and celebrate Halloween. Over the course of the month, Pier 17 will be the host of festivities like pumpkin installations, community initiatives, painting activities, and a block party. Other events include a dog costume contest and spooky movie screenings. There will also be a variety of seasonal food and drink specials.
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine’s Halloween Extravaganza
1047 Amsterdam Avenue, Manhattan
October 28 at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine’s Halloween celebration is returning this year. The event will begin with a screening of the classic silent film Nosferatu accompanied by organist Timothy Brumfield. After the film, people dressed as goblins and ghosts fill the Cathedral for the “Procession of the Ghouls,” giving out treats and adding to the Halloween fun. The Cathedral is also offering a spooky tour of its rarely-soon lower crypt levels. Tickets can be purchased here.
Image courtesy of Peter Burka on Flickr
Parades
Village Halloween Parade
Greenwich Village
October 31 at 7:30 p.m.
The annual Village Halloween Parade is returning for its 49th year. This year’s theme is freedom, and the parade’s grand marshal is the Brooklyn United Marching Band who will be performing a special rendition of Jon Batiste’s song “Freedom.” There will be a special section of the parade where participants can dance along with the marching band as they perform the song. An official after-party will be held at Webster Hall, and tickets can be purchased here.
Image courtesy of Hassan Mokaddam
Dumboween
October 31 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Dumbo is inviting trick-or-treaters to spend Halloween in the Brooklyn neighborhood with a variety of free activities. The celebration begins with a “March to the Arch,” setting off from Washington Street between Front and Water Streets. Costumed participants will walk through Dumbo and Brooklyn Bridge Park to the Dumbo Archway accompanied by live music and puppets. Once they arrive, guests can do arts and crafts, use a photo booth, and participate in a costume contest. To end the night, trick-or-treaters can roam the neighborhood and get candy from over 50 participating Dumbo businesses.
Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade
Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade
Tompkins Square Park
October 22 at 1 p.m.
The Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Festival is returning to the East Village park for its 32nd year. Hosted by Dan Schachner, the contest will decide which dog has the best costume and award them prizes. Expect to see hundreds of dogs in costumes and thousands of spectators who flock to the park every October to witness the event. Those who are interested in participating must pre-register here.
Elizabeth Street Garden’s Halloween Pet Parade
211 Elizabeth Street, Manhattan
October 30 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The Elizabeth Street Garden’s annual Halloween pet parade is back for its third year. Pets will compete in a costume runway with a chance at winning prizes. Registration for the event costs $20, and the deadline to enter is October 28. The event is free for spectators.
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