The New York Botanical Garden - 6:00 PM
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Museum of the City of New York - 10:00 AM
The Shops at Columbus Circle - 5:00 PM Pick
Brooklyn Children's Museum - 2:30 PM Pick
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Halloween 2013 for NYC Kids: Best Halloween Parades, Parties and Trick-or-Treating on Thursday, October 31
Because of Hurricane Sandy slamming into the East Coast last October, Halloween 2012 was a literal washout for lots of NYC kids, and worse, a devastating blow to many local families, communities and businesses. So we expect that everyone will want to party all the harder this year. My son is definitely ready to!
There are certainly plenty of ways to celebrate Halloween this Thursday, including kid-friendly parades, ghoulish gatherings, not-so-spooky haunted houses and, of course, neighborhoods that are well known for doling out lots of candy. And here's the best treat of all: Almost all of our Halloween evening picks are FREE or inexpensive. So grab your little ghosts and goblins (or in my case, Steve from Minecraft) and hit the streets for some fearsome fun. The only trick will be figuring out how to fit it all in!
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If one of these Halloween events piques your interest, be sure to click through to our listing for all the details, including address and time. And whatever you decide to do on October 31, arrive early and expect crowds. Young or old, everyone in New York City loves Halloween!
Best Door-to-Door Trick-or-Treating
You don't have to stick to your own building or community; there are many NYC neighborhoods where you can trick-or-treat door-to-door, just like suburban kids do. 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
Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn
Brooklyn's Lefferts "Safe Walk" Trick-or-Treat Route
Find all the details and other options in our trick-or-treating post.
Halloween Parades
There are also a slew of Halloween parades on October 31—and I'm not even talking about the insane one in Greenwich Village. These are all kid-friendly neighborhood processions that usually include door-to-door trick-or-treating. Our Halloween parades post features processions in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx but our top parade picks are:
The Greenwich Village Children's Halloween Parade in Washington Square Park, which also includes rides, face painting and treats. FREE
The Hippo Playground Halloween Parade right after school, where little ones can enjoy cider and doughnuts. FREE
The Cobble Hill Halloween Parade starring the Jah Pan Steel Drum Band. Afterward, trick-or-treat on Clinton Street and gawk at the incredible Halloween pumpkin house on Kane Street. FREE
The Jackson Heights Halloween Parade, the second-largest Halloween procession in New York City. FREE
The Park Slope Civic Council Children’s Halloween Parade, one of the biggest bashes of the night, which ends at the Old Stone House. FREE
Find all the details and other processions in our comprehensive Halloween parades post.
Best Halloween Parties
BAM in Fort Greene throws its annual BAMboo! block party outside of the Peter Jay Sharp Building. Expect live entertainment, art projects and treats. FREE
The sports-centric Asphalt Screams! takes place at both Asphalt Green locations on the Upper East Side and in Battery Park City. Pre-registration recommended. FREE but suggested donation of $20 per family
HarlemWeen on 125th Street, which includes a tribute to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and tunes spun by DJ Stormin’ Norman. FREE
Halloween Remixed at Flushing Town Hall, where you can celebrate the Day of the Dead, Halloween and All Saints' Day in one shot. FREE
Hometown Halloween at Trinity Church, where kids can trick-or-treat in the historic graveyard and catch a screening of the silent 1920 classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. FREE
The opening night of the annual Day of the Dead at St. Mark's Church in the Bowery fest in the East Village. FREE
Bay Ridge's annual Haunted Hallowe'en Walk and Fairytale Forest in Owl's Head Park promises rides, a pumpkin patch, a not-too-spooky forest and treats. $1 suggested donation
A one-night-only spooky spectacular at the Halloween 313 house on Clinton Avenue in Fort Greene. FREE
The Halloween Celebration at the American Museum of Natural History, where costumed kids can trick-or-treat throughout the ghoulishly decked out galleries. Advance tickets recommended. $11
And these are only our top picks! There are plenty of other Halloween celebrations on Thursday, October 31 in our scarily jam-packed Event Calendar.
What is your family planning to do on Halloween?
