43 Halloween Events and Activities for Families Around NYC
There are countless Halloween events and activities for families around NYC. Celebrating Halloween is a great way to spend time together as a family, and we’ve rounded up some of the best events and activities to check out this spooky season!
Click on your region to jump to events near you!
Psst… Check Out The Ultimate Guide to Haunted Houses in New York
Manhattan
The Month of the ’Mallow Mash
Five Below – 5th Ave NYC, 530 Fifth Ave., Midtown
Sunday, Oct. 12, noon – 4 pm
All ages
Free
In celebration of Squishmallows’ annual Halloween spooktacular, The Month of the ’Mallow Mash, Squishmallows and Five Below are teaming up to host a free, in-store Halloween event featuring a special giveaway for the first 75 shoppers: a Squishmallows Cannon the Candy Corn Plush Treat Pail. Plus, a meet-and-greet with fan-favorite Squishmallows mascot, Emily the Bat, and two festive photo ops designed for families and fans to capture the moment.
Sleepy Hollow the Musical
The Players Theatre, 115 MacDougal St., Greenwich Village
Fridays, 7 – 8:30 pm, through Nov. 9
Ages 12 and older
Tickets start at $46 without code; $30 tix with a min purchase of 2 for Tier 2 seats with code FRIDAY
200 years ago, Ichabod Crane lost his way in the hollow and was never seen again. Did the headless horseman get to him? Don’t look to the kindly folk of Sleepy Hollow for answers – they don’t talk to strangers. This musical adaptation of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” features live music and spell-binding choreography that draws you into the hollow and takes you for a breathless ride.
Sloomoooween
Sloomoo Institute, 475 Broadway, SoHo
Oct. 18-26, Saturdays and Sundays, 10 am – 6 pm; Friday, Oct. 31, 10 am – 8 pm
All ages
$39.99
Halloween is going gooey this October as Sloomoooween returns to Sloomoo Institute! Imagine slime-covered décor, candy surprises, and hands-on slime making, transforming spooky season into an unforgettable, gooey adventure. Throughout the month, guests who visit Sloomoo Institute can dive into vats of Halloween-themed slime, create custom creations at the DIY Slime Bar with limited-edition festive scents, and craft their own Halloween projects at Elmer’s Craft Corner. Trick-or-treating and candy bags add to the fun, while costume contests bring a playful dose of competition.
Spooktacular!
St. Paul and St. Andrew Church, 263 W 86th St., Upper West Side
Saturday, Oct. 18, 10:30 – 11:15 am
Ages 8 and younger
$37; free for children younger than 13
Join this spooktacular musical adventure where you and your little ones can jam, dance, and play! Dress in your favorite costumes and get ready to swing and shiver from head to toe with a thrilling variety of music, including spooky favorites and interactive moments that will delight and entertain. Plus, a costume parade and treats for all! The talented musicians will perform a mix of lively and enchanting tunes, from classical Halloween pieces to jazzy numbers that will get everyone moving. Enjoy spooky favorites like “Monster Mash,” “Ghostbusters,” and eerie classical compositions that set the perfect Halloween mood.
Cirque-tacular and DCA Productions Present “Spooktacular”
BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center, 199 Chambers St., Tribeca
Saturday, Oct. 18, 3 pm
All ages
$40
Spooks, specters, and scaredy-cats contort and cavort through a high-flying circus of scare. Vampires soar, skeletons stagger, and acrobatic cats romp through a humorously haunted bazaar of the bizarre. Indulge your inner eerie in this family-friendly, bone-chilling delight!
Asphalt Screams
Asphalt Green’s Upper East Side Campus, 1750 York Ave., Upper East Side
Friday, Oct. 24, 2:30 – 6:30 pm
All ages
Free
Enjoy a night of ghostly delights, family-friendly frights, and unforgettable memories.
Healthful Halloween Kids Food Festival
Children’s Museum of Manhattan, 212 West 83rd St., Upper West Side
Oct. 25-26, Saturday and Sunday, 10 am – 4 pm
All ages
Included with museum admission: $14-$18
The Creative Kitchen Kids Food Festival is excited to host a Healthful Halloween weekend full of flavorful fun. The Creative Kitchen Kids Food Festival is a celebration to educate families about making balanced food choices to help create wholesome lifelong eating habits for both kids and parents. The weekend-long event offers a family-friendly Trick-or-Treat Trail with goody bag prizes!
High Line Halloween: Little Park of Horrors
High Line at West 14th St., Meatpacking District
Saturday, Oct. 25, 11 am – 2 pm
All ages
Free
Register in advance
This spooky Halloween event will celebrate NYC’s fierce and resilient nature, showcasing plants and creatures—both real and imagined—that come alive on the High Line at night. Strut in your best costume, experience Halloween games and activities, transform through face painting, take family photos, dance, and have a great time. Children will experience an immersive cardboard cityscape, engage with hands-on art activities, join in the Rat Race game, marvel at a carnivorous plant puppet, and party all while being regaled by a Halloween drag emcee. Seasonal food and drinks will also be available for purchase from your favorite High Line food vendors.
Grand Central Halloween
Grand Central Terminal, 89 E 42nd St., Midtown East
Saturday, Oct. 25, 11 am – 2 pm
All ages
Free
Advance registration is required
Whether you’re a vampire, witch, or ghost, everyone is welcome to celebrate! This family-friendly event will feature a Halloween-themed decorating table, face painting, a live DJ, and a photo booth. Guests can also look forward to a lively costume contest with amazing prizes and special surprises from retailers throughout the day.
Campfire Stories & Songs
Teardrop Park, 175 North End Ave., Battery Park City
Saturday, Oct. 25, 2 – 3:30 pm
All ages
Free
Cozy up to a campfire for stories and songs with family and friends featuring a live performance, nature activity, Halloween art project, lawn games, and so much more!
Watson Adventures’ Ghosts of Greenwich Village Scavenger Hunt for Families
Washington Square Park, Washington Square, Greenwich Village
Saturday, Oct. 25, 3 – 5 pm
Ages 7 and older
$17.50-$21.50
Advance purchase is required
Kids and adults work together to uncover the stories of creepy places and the ghosts that have haunted them. The story features secret cemeteries, looming skeletons, the haunted homes of Edgar Allen Poe and Mark Twain, bats on a building, Dickensian door knockers, Harry Potter’s nemesis, and a gorilla in a window.
Spooky City
Museum of the City of New York, 1220 5th Ave., Upper East Side
Friday, Oct. 31, 3 pm
All ages
$14-$23; free for children and teens
Spooky City encourages families to dress in costumes for a scavenger hunt, crafts, storytime, harvest games, and “grave” etching. Activities are designed for adults and children to complete together.
Halloween in East Midtown 2025
Begins at 919 3rd Ave., East Midtown
Friday, Oct. 31, 3 – 7 pm
Ages 12 and younger
Free
Paint your ghastliest pumpkins with the seniors at Sunshine at E. 56th Street, snap selfies at the spooky Jack-O-Lantern display by Maniac Pumpkin Carvers at 919 3rd Avenue, transform into the creepiest ghouls and goblins with face painting, and of course, trick-or-treat for candy and other phantasmic treats at over 100 participating businesses around East Midtown.
Kids Halloween Party
City Tavern and Table, 629 W 57th, Hell’s Kitchen
Friday, Oct. 31, 5 – 7 pm
Ages 5 – 8
$12.51
Bring the whole family for a spooktacular night of fun at our Halloween Kids’ Event! Enjoy festive treats, themed activities, and plenty of kid-friendly entertainment in a safe and lively setting. Little ones are encouraged to dress up in their costumes and join in on the fun—there will be music, games, and special surprises waiting!
Bronx
The Bronx Fun O Ween Festival
49th Police Precinct, 2121 Eastchester Road, Eastchester Gardens
Friday, Oct. 17, 4 – 7 pm
All ages
Free
Join the 49th Precinct Community Affairs Bureau and the 49th Precinct Community Council for a fun afternoon of games, bouncy houses, arts and crafts, face painting, and oh yes, candy and lots of candy. Come in your best costume!
Giant Pumpkin Carving
New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx Park
Oct. 23, Daily, 10 am – 5 pm, through Oct. 26
All ages
$17-$39
Adam Bierton returns for the pumpkin-carving season finale to carve one of the largest pumpkins in the world, sourced by the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth, into an organic masterpiece. Witness Bierton and his team chisel, carve, and detail a seasonal design. The final, completed design will be on view during the day on Sunday, October 26.
40th Annual Bronx Halloween Parade 2025
Parade begins at Southern Blvd & Westchester Ave., Mott Haven
Saturday, Oct. 25, noon – 5 pm
All ages
Free
For four decades, the Bronx Halloween Parade has been a vibrant celebration of our community’s spirit, creativity, and diversity. There will be exciting floats, spectacular costumes, and lively performances. Whether you’re marching in the parade, watching from the sidelines, or participating in various activities, there’s something for everyone to enjoy! The excitement doesn’t end when the Parade passes by! Extend the celebration immediately after the parade at Bill Rainey Park for a spectacular post-parade festival. This special event promises a vibrant atmosphere featuring appearances by celebrities, influencers, and elected officials. Get ready to be entertained by energetic marching bands and witness thrilling costume contests where participants can win fantastic cash prizes! As a sweet conclusion, they’ll also be distributing plenty of candy and treats for everyone to enjoy.
The Mall at Bay Plaza Kids’ Halloween Event
The Mall at Bay Plaza, 200 Baychester Ave., Co-op City
Saturday, Oct. 25, 1 – 5 pm
All ages
Free
Visit Guest Services for tickets
Time to get creative and have some Halloween fun with free pumpkin decorating. Level 3, Food Court.
Halloween: Wags to Witches
The Van Cortlandt House Museum, 6036 Broadway, Van Cortlandt Park, Riverdale
Sunday, Oct. 26, 1 – 5 pm
All ages
Free
Van Cortlandt Park Alliance, Van Cortlandt House Museum, and the Urban Park Rangers invite you to a fang-tastic afternoon of family and doggy fun. Get ready for creepy crafts, face painting, spine-chilling stories and more! Be there at 3 pm for the Second Annual Canine Costume Contest.
Wave Hill-O-Ween
Wave Hill, 675 W 252nd St., Riverdale
Thursday, Oct. 30, 3 – 7:30 pm
All ages
Free with Registration
Calling all ghosts and goblins, pirates and princesses! Venture through the iron gates (if you dare!) for an evening adventure with treats, tricks, and good old spooky fun. Grab a map to guide you on an eerie treasure trail through the gardens with “gourdgeous” photo ops along the way. Decorate a mini-pumpkin to take home in between fun and imaginative garden delights!
Halloween Spooktacular Party & Trick-or-Treating
The Mall at Bay Plaza, 200 Baychester Ave., Co-Op City
Friday, Oct. 31, 3:30 pm
All ages
Free
Enjoy a fun-filled party featuring Mr. Pennygaff —Tricks, Laughter and Circus with a Halloween Costume Dance Party. Level 3, Food Court. Trick-or-Treating at participating stores from 3:30–5:30 pm.
Brooklyn
Spooktacular!
St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church, 157 Montague St., Brooklyn Heights
Friday, Oct. 25, 11 – 11:45 am
Ages 8 and younger
$44.43; free for children younger than 13
Join this spooktacular musical adventure where you and your little ones can jam, dance, and play! Come dressed in your favorite costumes and get ready to swing and shiver from head to toe with a thrilling variety of music, including spooky favorites and interactive moments that will delight and entertain. Plus, a costume parade and treats for all! Talented musicians will perform a mix of lively and enchanting tunes, from classical Halloween pieces to jazzy numbers that will get everyone moving. Enjoy spooky favorites like “Monster Mash,” “Ghostbusters,” and eerie classical compositions that set the perfect Halloween mood.
Upcycling Halloween Crafts for Kids
Fort Greene Park Visitor Center, Willoughby Ave. & Washington Park, Fort Greene
Saturday, Oct. 25, 11 am – 12:30 pm
All ages
Free
Join the Urban Park Rangers and make your very own Boo-Bag for trick or treating. Bring your own reusable tote bag to decorate for Halloween!
Kids Fall Spooktacular
Wyckoff House Museum, 5816 Clarendon Road, East Flatbush
Saturday, Oct. 25, noon – 3 pm
All ages
Free
Families and kids can celebrate Halloween outdoors with a visit to the Wyckoff Farmhouse Park. Enjoy the historic grounds and Spooktacular activities including a live DJ and positive vibes, kids and adult costume contest with prizes, Pumpkin Patch, Halloween themed crafts and games, Spooky House, along with snacks and refreshments.
Celebrate Halloween
Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 145 Brooklyn Ave., Crown Heights
Sunday, Oct. 26, 10 am – 6:30 pm
Ages 10 and younger
$15; free for members
Spooky meets cute as Halloween and anime collide in a celebration of candy, costumes, and Japanese culture! Trick-or-treat around the Museum, strut your costume on our runway, meet creepy crawly animals, make anime art, and enjoy storytimes with professional cosplayers.
Boograss!
Old Stone House, 336 3rd St., Park Slope
Sunday, Oct. 26, 10:30 – 11:15 am
Ages 8 and younger
$37; free for children younger than 13
Join fiddler Melody Allegra and friends for a spooky hoot! Dress in your favorite costumes and get ready to swing and shiver from head to toe to the thrilling tunes of bluegrass music, including spooky favorites and interactive moments that will delight and entertain. Plus, a costume parade and treats for all!
Halloween Kiddie Disco!
Friends of Firefighters, 199 Van Brunt St., Red Hook
Sunday, Oct. 26, 11 am – 3 pm
Ages 8 and younger
$10 and $35
Purchase tickets in advance
Get ready for a spooktacular afternoon of fun and dancing at the Halloween Kiddie Disco! Wear your favorite costume and bring your best dance moves!
Celebrate Halloween at IKEA Brooklyn
IKEA Brooklyn, 1 Beard St., Red Hook
Sunday, Oct. 26, 11 am – 2 pm
All ages
Free
Join IKEA for a frightfully fun day—costumes encouraged. Enjoy Swedish candy treats, festive activities, and exclusive IKEA Family offers. Dress up and strike a pose at the themed photo station, enjoy sweet treats at our candy station, go on a Mummy Scavenger Hunt, and explore spooky seasonal items in-store. Plus, the play area will be transformed into a haunted crafting zone for little ghouls and goblins (ages 5–10). The first 100 IKEA Family Members at check-in: Receive a free KUSTFYR Halloween bundle (Ghost Tote, Spatula & Food Storage Bag). Bonus: Take home a Meatball Mummy & Meatball Spiders recipe card!
The Rock and Roll Playhouse Presents Halloween Spectacular 2025
Brooklyn Bowl, 61 Wythe Ave., Williamsburg
Sunday, Oct. 26, noon
Ages 10 and younger
$24
Dress to impress and rock out to your favorite Halloween hits at this music spooktacular!
A Vert Grimm Story Spooktacular with Adam Gidwitz
Littlefield, 635 Sackett St., Gowanus
Sunday, Oct. 26, 1 – 4 pm
Ages 5-12
$25.39
The fairy tales you thought you knew are about to get a Grimm makeover—live on stage! This family-friendly event brings the hit podcast Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest to life for an afternoon of storytelling, laughter, and spooky season fun. Join award-winning author and host Adam Gidwitz (A Tale Dark & Grimm, Max in the House of Spies) for an interactive performance featuring two fairytales told like never before. Kids and parents alike will laugh, gasp, and help shape the twists and turns of each story! Come dressed in costume to get into the spirit of the day!
Halloween Party at Laugh N Play
Laugh N Play, 4210 Ave. U, Marine Park
Sunday, Oct. 26, 4 – 6 pm
Ages 8 and younger
$35 per child and up to two adults
Advanced registration required
Enjoy a spooktacular celebration filled with fun for the whole family. The event will feature a costume contest, Halloween crafts, games, dancing, character appearances, and refreshments.
BAMboo!
Brooklyn Academy of Music, 30 Lafayette Ave, Fort Greene
Friday, Oct. 31, 4 – 7 pm
All ages
Free
BAM’s Halloween block party is back for another autumn afternoon of spooky fun. Enjoy candy giveaways, carnival games, arts & crafts, kid-friendly movies, and more. Put on your costume and meet outside the Peter Jay Sharp Building for a monstrous good time.
Haunted Halloween Labyrinth
Brooklyn Bridge Park, 334 Furman St, DUMBO
Friday, Oct. 31, 4 – 7 pm
All ages
Free
Take part in a slightly spooky – but not too scary – Halloween experience for youngsters at Brooklyn Bridge Park! The Pier 3 Labyrinth is transformed into a haunted Halloween labyrinth to explore. Costumes encouraged, but not required. Candy will be handed out (as supplies last).
Queens
Halloween on the Farm
Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park
Oct. 25-26, Friday and Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm
All ages
$24
It’s a monster mash! Wear your costume to the farm for this Halloween spooktacular for kids and their grown-ups. Admission includes Monster Mash Dancing, Spooky Ghost Stories in our historic Adriance Farmhouse, Trick-or-treating, The Amazing Maize Maze, Halloween hayrides, a Pumpkin Patch, fall photo ops, and more.
Candy Hunt
Alley Pond Park, 7920 Winchester Blvd., Queens Village
Saturdays and Sundays, 11 am – 5 pm, through Oct. 26
All ages
$14
Calling all little ghouls and goblins — in costume or not — to a Halloween celebration full of sweet surprises! Join this fun-filled day as your children enjoy a Candy Hunt, then spend time visiting with the friendly animals, from fluffy bunnies to playful goats. Kids can climb, slide, and explore in the farm playground, and every child will take home a free pumpkin from the patch to complete the fall magic.
Trunk or Treat
The Shops at Atlas Park, 8000 Cooper Ave., Glendale
Saturday, Oct. 25, 11 am – 2 pm
All ages
Free
Head to the parking lot and the center green for pumpkin decorating, a Live DJ, local vendors, a photo booth, and fun and games!
Halloween Harvest Festival
Socrates Sculpture Park, 35-01 Vernon Blvd., Long Island City
Saturday, Oct. 25, noon – 5 pm
All ages
Free
Advanced registration required
The beloved Halloween Harvest Festival is back with family-friendly workshops, a community resource fair, and New York’s second-largest dog costume contest, co-presented with Chateau le Woof. Celebrate the autumn season with pumpkin decorating and creative workshops.
Mall-O-Ween
Rego Center, 6135 Junction Blvd., Rego Park
Oct. 25-26, Saturday and Sunday, noon – 2 pm
All ages
Free
Meet cartoon characters, see balloon twisters, have candy, and dress up to win prizes! Plus, a Halloween contest for ages 1-9 and a DJ dance party for ages 10-14.
The Nightmare Before Christmas 3D
Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria
Saturday, Oct. 25, 12:30 – 1:50 pm; Sunday, Oct. 26, 12:15 – 1:35 pm
Ages 9 and older
$10-$17.50
Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloweentown, becomes determined to take over Christmastown in this brilliant, animated feature conceived and produced by Tim Burton and directed by stop-motion animation whiz Henry Selick. Featuring Oscar-nominated special effects and a dazzling, tuneful song score by the great composer Danny Elfman, The Nightmare Before Christmas has become a staple of both Christmas and Halloween.
Trunk-or-Treat at Culture Lab LIC
Culture Lab LIC, 5-25 46th Ave., Long Island City
Saturday, Oct. 25, 2 – 5 pm
Ages 8 and younger
$20 per family; free for families who register to decorate a trunk and participate
Enjoy a frightfully fun and family-friendly Halloween festival that brings together community, creativity, and a whole lot of candy – all in support of a magical cause! The afternoon includes a magic show, face painting, pumpkin decorating, Trunk-or-Treating, and local vendors. All proceeds go directly to Make-A-Wish, helping make dreams come true for children with critical illnesses. Costumes are highly encouraged.
Halloween at Queens Botanical Garden
Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing
Sunday, Oct. 26, noon – 4 pm
All ages
$10; $8 child
Celebrate Halloween with a fun-filled, spooky afternoon at Queens Botanical Garden! Little ones can show off their costumes, stroll the Trick-or-Treat Trail, make Halloween crafts, and catch lively performances. Meanwhile, grown-ups can relax with harvest beers and ciders at the Beer & Wine Garden.
Batty Over Halloween 2025
Astoria Park Lawn, Shore Blvd. bet. the Hell Gate Bridge and the Pool, Astoria
Sunday, Oct. 26, 1 – 4 pm
All ages
Free
Get into the Halloween spirit with a puppet show, performances by Local Art Schools and Performance Centers, face painting, arts & crafts station, and balloon art.
Halloween Spooktacular: Hotel Skyview
The Shops at Skyview, 40-24 College Point Blvd., Flushing
Friday, Oct. 31, 4 – 7 pm
All ages
Free
The Shops at Skyview will be eerily transformed into the antique haunted “Hotel Skyview” this Halloween! Check in – if you dare! You can roam ghostly “Guest Rooms” (participating retailers) to collect sweet treats while supplies last; snap spooky memories at the immersive hotel lobby next to Sephora; and flaunt your frightful fashions during the “World Traveler Costume Competition”!
Psst… Check Out Fall Festivals, Halloween Activities, and Events In Staten Island 2025
