It’s no secret that Halloween in New York is a big deal. Since it does fall on a Wednesday this year, you’ll have to settle for celebrating this beloved candy-filled holiday for the entire week leading up to it! Here are some family-friendly events from festivals to parties to contests that will keep you in the spooky spirit.
The Great Jack-O’-Lantern Blaze
[All Ages]
Wander through this historic riverside scenery that is made entirely out of jack-o’-lanterns, all hand-carved on site by a team of professionals! From walking the Pumpkin Zee Bridge to taking a picture with the jack-o’-lantern Statue of Liberty to taking a ride on the fully operating Pumpkin Carousel, you and the family will be fully immersed in pumpkin madness! $22-27 adults, $16-20 children, September 28-November 24, hours vary. Van Cortlandt Manor, 525 South Riverside, Croton-on-Hudson, hudsonvalley.org
LUNA PARK’S Halloween
[All Ages]
Don’t miss out on Luna Park’s fifth-annual pirate-themed Halloween Harvest happening at Coney Island! In addition to nonstop fun and candy, there will be spooktacular rides on Tillie’s Tractor, where kids will search for hidden treasure! Other entertainment includes face-painting, pumpkin picking, “Arggghs and Crafts,” puppet shows, and so much more! Free, Every weekend from September 29-October 28. Coney Island, lunaparknyc.com
Halloween Harvest Festival
[All Ages]
Socrates Sculpture Park’s last event of their 2018 season is the wonderful Halloween Harvest Festival. This year’s event is inspired by Fet Gede, the Haitian Festival of the Ancestors. There will be costume-making and face-painting, as well as card readings, cultural performances, and so much more! Free, October 27, 12-4pm. 32-01 Vernon Boulevard, Long Island City, Queens, socratessculpturepark.org
Pumpkin Carving Contest
[All Ages]
Who doesn’t love carving pumpkins and winning prizes? At this annual carving contest, families can bring their own jack-o’-lantern and enter into this fierce competition. Prizes are awarded in different categories such as scariest, funniest, and most creative. And if you don’t feel like getting your hands messy, feel free to stop by and watch the jack-o’-lanterns come to life! Free, Saturday, October 27, 4:45-6pm. 199 Chambers Street, washingtonmarketpark.org
LC Trick-or-Treat
[All Ages]
Celebrate Halloween at the Lincoln Center this year! It’s an afternoon full of costumes, stories, and of course all the candy your little ones can dream of. Your kids can go trick-or-treating across the various plazas, participate in a spooky scavenger hunt, and even create a stuffed zombie! And after all of this craziness, the whole fam is invited to watch a screening of “Monster House!” Free, October 28, 11am-1pm. 70 Lincoln Center Plaza, lincolncenter.org
Halloween Party and Parade
[All Ages]
Join in on this long-standing Tribeca tradition! With a parade, live music, and huge park party, there’s nowhere else you’ll want to celebrate Halloween! This community favorite brings together the NYC community and is perfect for filling your day with family fun before heading out for trick-or-treating. Free, October 28, 1-3pm. 199 Chambers Street, washingtonmarketpark.org
Village Halloween Parade
[All Ages]
What better way to commemorate this spooky holiday than to watch or participate in the Village Halloween Parade? The theme for the 45th annual parade is “I AM a Robot!” so if you’re in need of some costume inspiration, go along with the theme and put together a robot costume like nobody has ever seen before. Don’t forget, creativity is pretty much mandatory! Free, October 31, 7pm. 6th Avenue from Spring Street to 16th Street, halloween-nyc.com
