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Best Things To Do on Halloween in NYC with Kids: Halloween Events on October 31
Few holidays rival the scope and spectacle of Halloween in NYC, and while we've already told you about tons of fun things to do in NYC on Halloween, consider this your must-do guide to the big day. Our NYC Halloween Fun Guide overflows with Halloween parades, FREE Halloween events, and we've even spilled the beans on the best trick-or-treating spots in each of the five boroughs.
The countdown to Halloween is officially on. Some things are certain: The trick-or-treating in Tribeca will be packed with amazing costumes. The Jackson Heights Halloween Parade will be as big as ever, and the BAMboo! block party and Myrtle Monster Mash are going to rock Brooklyn.
Whatever you decide to do on Monday, October 31, arrive early and expect crowds. For the best ways to plan an epic Halloween night with your NYC kids, scroll on. Most of our picks are FREE or inexpensive.
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As always, if an event piques your interest, click through to our listing for all the details, including addresses and times. And keep in mind: Really cool things to do with kids often book quickly, so register or buy your tickets ASAP.
RELATED: Top Halloween Events in NYC for Families in 2022
Trick-or-treat with the help of the East Midtown Partnership, which rallies local businesses to provide fun, FREE programming and plenty of candy to costumed kids. Photo courtesy of East Midtown Partnership
Best Door-to-Door Trick-or-Treating in NYC
Trick-or-treating at stores or businesses is commonly accepted in New York City, so you don't have to stick to your own building. You can also leave your direct neighborhood for plenty of NYC neighborhoods with informally structured trick-or-treating. Our comprehensive trick-or-treat post includes specific blocks to hit in all five boroughs. But we've heard particularly great things about:
Harlem around Marcus Garvey Park
69th Street on the Upper West Side
92nd Street on the Upper East Side
Flushing's 166th Street between 45th and 46th Avenues in Queens
Find all the details and other options in our trick-or-treating post. Another option for safe trick-or-treating: Bookmark this map of NYC's Trick-or-Treat Streets, a newly announced initiative that expands NYC's Open Streets program to Halloween night and enlists the help of local neighborhood organizations to provide programming and treats to area kids. The Trick-or-Treat Streets are closed to traffic from 4pm-8pm on Halloween night.
RELATED: Best Free Halloween Events in New York City for Kids in 2022
The Cobble Hill Park Association hosts a raucous family parade on Halloween. Photo courtesy of the Cobble Hill Park Association
Best Costume Parades on Halloween in New York City
There is also a slew of Halloween parades on Monday, October 31—and we're not even including the you-have-to-see-it-once Halloween parade in Greenwich Village, which celebrates its 49th anniversary! These are all kid-friendly neighborhood processions that deposit you into a stationary outdoor bash or in the vicinity of great door-to-door trick-or-treating. Our Halloween parades post features processions in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, but our top parade picks for Monday, October 31, include:
The Cobble Hill Halloween Parade, which leads into a fabulous trick-or-treat run on Clinton Street, full of brownstones, decorations, and friendly neighbors. FREE
The Jackson Heights Halloween Parade proudly represents Queens as the second-largest Halloween procession in New York City. FREE
The beloved Hippo Playground Halloween Parade is an Upper West Side rite of passage. Meet at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument for a band-led parade into the park and then party and play with all your new costumed friends. FREE
The Dumboween festivities in downtown Brooklyn include a costume parade, trick-or-treating at local businesses along the waterfront, and more family fun. FREE
The lovely enclave of City Island hosts its parade on Halloween, inviting costumed characters to gather in Hawkins Park for a promenade before trick-or-treating on the isle. FREE
Find all the details and other processions in our comprehensive Halloween parades post.
RELATED: 6 Unique Halloween Costume Stores in NYC
Get ready to party at BAMBoo! Photo courtesy of BAM
Best Events on Halloween for NYC Kids
BAM in Fort Greene, Brooklyn hosts its annual BAMboo! block party at the Peter Jay Sharp Building, featuring music, treats, carnival games, and more. FREE
Head to Bryant Park for a bash at Le Carrousel including a magic show, face painting, a story time, and trick-or-treating through the holiday shops. FREE
Visit any local CAMP outpost for Campoween—there are locations in Flatiron, Hudson Yards, Columbus Circle, and City Point Brooklyn—in your best costume to trick-or-treat and enter the costume contest for a chance to win a $500 shopping spree. FREE
Teens too cool for trick-or-treating? Consider booking this Ghosts of Greenwich Village Tour for a self-guided, spine-tingling experience that's part tour, part treasure hunt, and completely thrilling.
Hit the streets with the East Midtown Partnership for a fun trick-or-treat event with local businesses. FREE
Bring your dancing shoes to the Myrtle Avenue Plaza for a Monster Mash dance party. FREE
While these are our top picks, there are plenty of other Halloween celebrations set for Monday, October 31, in our scarily jam-packed Activity Calendar.
A version of this post was published in 2017; it is updated annually.
