Weekend Planner: October 28-31

It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for…Halloween
weekend has finally descended upon NYC! The city will be coming to life during
what’s arguably one of the year’s biggest holidays, and we know just how to
celebrate. From artsy festivities to sky-high parades, here are some of our
favorite bone-chilling bashes happening this weekend. —

For the first time ever, families
can get their Halloween high on at Halloween HiJinks on the High Line, towering
above Manhattan’s west side. Starting at the Seating Steps, the elevated parade
will march toward the cafe The Porch, where face painting and haunted house
workshops continue the fun. Another surreal celebration is the
Pumpkin Festival in Central Park, where
you’ll forget all about the city’s crowded streets. Among the leafy trees and
grassy lawns, run through obstacle courses, marvel at marionette
performances, and, of course, decorate your very own pumpkin to take home FOR FREE. (Though supplies are limited, so we suggest getting there early!)

Artistic souls will delight in the event Ghouls and Gourds at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, where the focus is on making spooky
masks, recycled masterpieces and other crafty projects in the presence of
inspired giant puppets. Prefer watching films? Wonderween at the Sony Wonder Technology Lab will be screening spooky shows like Elmo
Says Boo
, Dora The Explorer, and Go, Diego, Go in addition to the usual crafts
and goodies.

Meet more of everyone’s favorite fictional characters at the
16th Annual Halloween Celebration at the American Museum of Natural
History. As you carve pumpkins, trick-or-treat and enjoy live performances,
you might bump into the likes of Curious George, Cat in the Hat, and Toot and
Puddle.

Or, for a short escape from
Manhattan, families can make the trip to the Childrens Fall Festival at the Queens County Farm Museum.
With all the classics like sack races and pony rides, the farm’s grounds
are also perfect for pig races, country western music and dancing.

But we can’t wrap up without pointing out that these are only a few of the
highlights from our collection of
over 50 Halloween festivities, so
there’s definitely plenty more fun for New York families to find!

Looking for more weekend fun? Click here for more weekend highlights.

Click here for the full calendar of all family events happening this weekend and every day of the week.

And if you haven’t already, click here to register for our free weekly newsletter which features our favorite events to enjoy every weekend in the city and beyond.

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