Free Halloween Parades for Kids Around New York City

Halloween is all about parades, candy, costumes and of course making spooky memories. Luckily, New York City is a great place for the entire family to get into the Halloween spirit and show off your awesome costumes. Take advantage of all the frightening fun the city has to offer with these free parades and parties. They’re all a treat, without the tricks!

Can’t get enough of Halloween in the city? Check out more family-friendly events here.

Manhattan

Toddler Halloween Parade
Wednesday, October 30: 11 am to 1 pm
Gertrude Ederle Recreation Center, 232 W. 60^th St.

Parents and little ones can flaunt their costumes to friends, family and their neighbors with this fun-filled Halloween parade. Participate in wholesome Halloween-themed games, show off your moves on the dance floor and take Instagram-worthy pictures at the pumpkin patch. This event is a great way for toddlers to celebrate Halloween without being spooked.

Neighborhood: Hell’s Kitchen

Photo by TimeOut

29^th Annual Children’s Halloween Parade
Thursday, October 31: 3 pm to 6 pm
Washington Square Arch, Washington Square N.

Before you hit the streets to trick or treat, join NYU and Community Board 2 for the 29^th Annual Children’s Halloween Parade. Parents and children are invited to show off their costumes as they parade from the arch to LaGuardia Place, between Washington Square South and West 3^rd Street. Awaiting them will be free trick-or-treat bags, Halloween games, and rides. Kick off your Halloween festivities early with this fun Greenwich Village event.

Neighborhood: Greenwich Village

Brookfield Place Halloween Bash
Saturday, October 26: 12 pm to 3 pm
Brookfield Place Complex, 230 Vesey St.

Bring the entire family to this “Spook-tacular” Halloween celebration at Brookfield Place. Looking for a perfect way to show off your costume? Strut your stuff with the Costume Catwalk, a fun twist on a Halloween parade. Participants will be able to work it red-carpet style, complete with music and an emcee. Other activities include a Halloween dance-off, a Lego photo-op, temporary tattoos and more. Don’t miss out on this great event, perfect for the entire family!

Neighborhood: World Trade Center

Washington Market Park Halloween Parade and Party
Sunday, October 27: 1 pm to 3 pm
Corner of Beach St. and Greenwich Street

Join the Friends of Washington Market Park for this free public Halloween celebration. Parade in your costumes into Washington Market Park where the party will begin. Enjoy music from the Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps Band and juggling and hula-hooping acts from Playful Productions. Children can create their own crafts, learn parkour and stilt walking and participate in carnival games. Prizes, candy, and costume contest awards will be given away as well.

Neighborhood: Tribeca

Brooklyn

Park Slope Costume Contest and Mini Parade
Sunday, October 27: 2 pm – 5 pm
336 3^rd St.

Join the Park Slope Civic Council at the Old Stone House of Brooklyn and JJ Byrne Playground for a fun-filled afternoon. Be sure to dress to impress for the costume contest followed by a mini parade. Community-based and kid-friendly, this event is a great way for younger children to celebrate the holiday. The entire family can celebrate Halloween and spend a Sunday afternoon together before the work and school week starts back up.

Neighborhood: Park Slope

Photo by Alliance for Coney Island

10^th Annual Coney Island Children’s Halloween Parade
Saturday, October 26: 11 am
MCU Park, 1904 Surf Ave.

Come out to Coney Island for their annual Halloween Bash. Enjoy games, bounce houses, face painting, live music, trick-or-treating and of course the Official Coney Island Costume Contest and parade. Costume prizes will be awarded for the best group, most creative, funniest and best handmade costume. Children ages 3 to 14 are welcome to show off their best costumes and celebrate this spooky holiday. On-site registration begins at 10:30 am.

Neighborhood: Coney Island

3^rd Annual Kids’ Halloween Parade and Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, October 26: 10 am to 4 pm
Beyond at Liberty View, 850 3^rd Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11232

This all-day Halloween party is perfect for the entire family. Start your fun-filled day at Bed Bath and Beyond with trick-or-treating, a live DJ spinning spooky songs, photo booth and pumpkin patch. Afterwards, move on to Industry City for Rock + Roll Playhouse: Halloween Edition, more trick-or-treating, arts and crafts, face painting and more. Parades between Beyond at Liberty View and Industry City will give you the perfect chance to flaunt your Halloween costume in-between events for this action-packed day.

Neighborhood: Sunset Park

Queens

Jackson Heights Halloween Parade
Thursday, October 31: 5 pm
Corner of 89^th St. and 37^th Ave.

Be one of more than 3,000 anticipated attendees for the 28^th installment of New York City’s second-largest Halloween parade. Participants, along with school groups, marching bands and dance groups will march down to 76^th Street, decked out in their spooky attire. At the end of the route, trick-or-treaters will be gifted one of 3,200 bags of candy. Channel your Halloween spirit and join the Jackson Heights Beautification Group for this great event.

Neighborhood: Jackson Heights

Bronx

34^th Annual Bronx Halloween Parade
Saturday, October 26: 12 pm to 3 pm
Corner of Simpson St. and Westchester Ave.

Join fellow paraders in this Tim Burton-themed installment of an over-30-year Bronx tradition. Be sure to look your best because cash prizes are available for the costumes that impress the judges the most. Cash prize categories include kids ages 5 to 17, adults 18 and over, seniors over 55, most creative, Tim Burton-themed costumes, and best parade banner. Additional prizes will be given for toddlers ages 4 and under.

Neighborhood: Longwood

The School at the Mark Morris Dance Center

The School at the Mark Morris Dance Center offers year-round, community-based dance and music programming in a fully inclusive and nurturing environment, located in the heart of the Brooklyn Cultural District. The School&rsquo;s diverse and professional faculty provides progressive and non-competitive instruction with all of our classes accompanied by live music. Though we are a non-recital school, there are opportunities for students to perform and for parents to see their dancers in action.

Chickenshed NYC

Chickenshed is an inclusive theatre company that began in the UK in 1974. Chickenshed NYC is a young organization bringing that same ethos and unique methodology to the USA. Chickenshed&rsquo;s mission is to create entertaining and outstanding theatre that celebrates diversity and inspires positive change. Chickenshed's model of Inclusive Theatre is based in the belief that everyone can flourish when everyone is included. At Chickenshed everyone is welcome, everyone is valued, and together we produce remarkable theatre. We want to break down barriers between people to create a world without labels and where differences no longer divide. At Chickenshed, support is given to those who need it, and given by those who can . We believe that creative activities, self-expression and performance should be available to anyone who has the desire, no matter their background or circumstances. We know that when everyone has the opportunity to shine, amazing things happen. Chickenshed NYC provides programming for little ones, children and youth through semester-long activities and performances.

Instituto Cervantes

Children and teenagers learn to understand and express themselves in Spanish, while improving their communication skills through a dynamic immersion program taught by NATIVE TEACHERS that combines CLASSES, ARTISTIC WORKSHOPS and FUN ACTIVITIES! All of our high-qualified teachers are native Spanish speakers who adapt the structure of the class to the needs and levels of each group while conducting the classes entirely in Spanish. We offer both Spanish Summer Camps and Regular Courses for children along the year to foster language learning and multicultural understanding.