Halloween Weekend for NYC Kids: Free Pumpkin Festival in Central Park, Costume Parades, Pumpkin Sail October 26-27
Submitted by Stephanie Ogozalek on
Halloween may officially fall on October 31 but many of New York City's best celebrations for families take place this weekend—and a bunch of them are FREE. Put on your costumes and head to Central Park's annual Pumpkin Fest, Prospect Park's Haunted Walk and Halloween Carnival, Battery Park City's Screamin' Green Halloween or one of the many kid-friendly Halloween parades taking place throughout NYC. There are also a handful of truly exceptional Halloween events worth paying for like the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Ghouls & Gourds fete, the ride-filled Children's Fall Festival at the Queens County Farm Museum and a spooky after-dark tour of the New York Botanical Garden's Haunted Pumpkin Garden.
Need a break from all the fearsome fun? There are actually some great non-Halloween events this weekend, too, like Pickle Day on the Lower East Side, a big anniversary celebration for Encyclopedia Brown at the main branch of the New York Public Library, and opening day at Wollman and Lasker Rinks in Central Park.
There's so much going on this Saturday and Sunday that it's easy to feel overwhelmed. (I actually had a couple of panic attacks while writing this post!) That's why we've done the work for you by highlighting the very best things to do with kids this jam-packed weekend, Halloween-themed and otherwise. Now all you need to do is go and enjoy!