Trunk-or-treats are the newest Halloween craze for families, and Westchester and the Hudson Valley have plenty of opportunities for your family to check one out. Trunk-or-treats provide a safer alternative to knocking on random doors, as kids can go around a specified area and collect treats from decorated car trunks. As a bonus, many trunk-or-treat events offer additional activities, like parades, bounce houses, and even movies. 

We've rounded up the best trunk-or-treat events in Westchester and the Hudson Valley, most of which are absolutely free. Plus, many of them happen before Halloween, so even if you do plan to trick-or-treat in your local neighborhood, you can still enjoy nearby trunk-or-treats—which means double the candy! Families can also join the fun by decorating their cars, as many of the events give out prizes for the best-decorated cars. 

You can find more festive happenings for all age groups in our Westchester Halloween Guide and our Family Activity Calendar, which is continually updated with new, fun events as we learn about them.

Nothing says Halloween like a spooky haunted house, and Westchester and the Hudson Valley are teeming with top-of-the-line haunted houses and scream parks, many of them boasting Hollywood-quality makeup and special effects. If you have teens keen on a thrilling screamfest, look no further. 

Read on for our list of the best haunted houses and scream parks in Westchester and the Hudson Valley. Some of these are returning favorites that have been recognized as the top haunted houses in the country, such as Pure Terror Scream Park and Scared by the Sound. Others can even boast of being held in historic haunted locations, such as the Dark Forest at Burn Brae Mansion and Prison of Horrors.  

Find our favorite FREE Halloween events and more Westchester Halloween activities in our Westchester and Hudson Valley Halloween Guide, which includes recommendations for top local corn mazes, pumpkin patches near Westchester, at-home Halloween activities, and much more. You’ll also find tons more seasonal events on our Family Activity Calendar, with new ones added frequently.

Looking for the best Halloween events in Westchester and the Hudson Valley for toddlers and preschoolers? Read on for our top picks.

Halloween can be the most fun holiday of the year, but the costumes and effects that make it thrilling for teens and adults can sometimes be too scary for the little ones. Thankfully, Westchester and the Hudson Valley are full of toddler- and preschooler-friendly Halloween events that go easy on the scary while still managing to be full-on fun. 

So get your little ones dressed up in their favorite costumes and get ready for some not-so-spooky fun. Our toddler-friendly Halloween events include festivals, parades, and even zoo animals. As an added bonus, many of the events on this list are FREE to attend. 

You can find more festive happenings for all age groups in our Westchester Halloween Guide and our Family Activity Calendar, which is continually updated with new, fun events as we learn about them.

Looking for the best things to do in Westchester and the Hudson Valley over the long Columbus Day weekend? We've got tons of family-friendly events to add to your list.

Whether you call the holiday Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples Day, we're celebrating the day off on Monday, October 9, with tons of fun things to do. The long weekend makes a great jumping-off point for Halloween celebrations, beginning with the G-rated Headless Horseman Haunted Children's Day on Saturday.

Families can enjoy the festivities all weekend, including Monday, at Bear Mountain's Oktoberfest, Wappingers' Carni"fall", and the Eastchester Columbus Day Carnival and Parade. In honor of Indigenous Peoples Day, learn about some of the original inhabitants of the Westchester area at a Lenape Indigenous Peoples Day presentation at the historic St. Paul's Church.  

We've got tons more seasonal picks on our list of the best Halloween events in Westchester and the Hudson Valley, and you can find more things to do any day on our Family Activity Calendar.

Two of our favorite things collide in October: Halloween and FREE events in Westchester and the Hudson Valley. With all the money spent on costumes, ticketed events, and parties, having no-cost events to add fun without adding expense is a perfect way to enhance the season. 

Get ready to get the most out of Halloween without taking the most out of your wallet. We’ve rounded up tons of Halloween events that are FREE to attend. From pumpkin painting to trunk or treats, there’s enough variety here to justify getting costume mileage on many occasions throughout the month.

Be sure to check out our Guide to Halloween Fun for Westchester Families for other ways to enjoy the spooky season. And if you’re looking for more action, head to our Family Activity Calendar for all sorts of fun events.