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5 Spooky and Magical Halloween Events

10/23/08 - By Nina

This city loves Halloween and there are an endless number of events. There is a lot of cool-sounding stuff to do for Halloween with kids in every corner of the city from now until the 31st. Little neighborhood events can be the best ones, so definitely keep an eye out for what's going on in your hood (and let us know).

Here are a few, just five events that each take a different spin on celebrating the holiday and hopefully bring that Halloween magic that will give you and your family great Halloween memories.

Ghouls and Ghords - Brooklyn Botanical Gardens
At Ghouls and Gourds kids learn about plants as they engage in freakishly fun activities. 

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Wear your costumes and bring some instruments as you take part in New York City's wackiest Halloween extravaganzas. Enjoy performances by Bash the Trash and John Carlin and the Kid's Music Underground. Kids can also join junk-instrument-making workshops, create masks, and march in the Halloween costume parade led by drummers from the Brazilian percussion corps Maracatu NY.  Free with admission to the Gardens, $8 Adults, Kids under 12 Free. When: Sunday October 26, 12-5PM.

Scared Silly: Halloween in Prospect Park
A weekend of Halloween family fun in Prospect Park. There'll be the Haunted Carousel, Scary Stories from the past and period Halloween crafts at Lefferts Historic House, spooky creepy crawlers at the Audubon Center, Boo at the Zoo, and the Halloween Haunted Walk and carnival (Saturday only 12-3PM). All FREE except for carousel ($1.50) and Zoo admission. When: October 25 & 26

Children's Fall Festival - Queens County Farm Museum
Wear your costumes as you play traditional games, including sack races and trinkets-in-the-haystack, plus pony rides and visit a petting zoo and haunted house. Professional character look-a-likes will visit to add to the fun. Craft vendors will display and sell fall items, food, country western music and dancing will make this event fun for people of all ages. $4 per person, the haunted house is an additional $4.  When: Sunday, Oct 26 11AM - 4PM

Di­a de los Muertos - El Museo Del Barrio
Not eactly Halloween, but I thought it would be interesting to add a slightly different cultural perspective on this Holiday. Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is the Mexican version of our All Saints Day or Halloween. At this Family festival, families are invited to explore the ancient roots and contemporary Di­a de los Muertos customs through bilingual educator-led altar discussions, artist-led workshops, storytelling, live music and dance performances, and families will create ofrendas (offerings) for their communal altar designed by artist Diego Medina.. FREE.  When: Saturday, November 3, 12:00 pm - 3:30 pm

The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze - Van Courtlandt Manor (Croton-on-the-Hudson)
Arguably the largest Halloween event in the tri-state area, you need a car for this one but it is worth the trip.  During this 18 night extravaganza, visitors meander through a woodsy, darkened, riverside landscape and discover more than 4,000 individually hand-carved illuminated Jack O'Lanterns.  Adults $15, Kids ages 5-17 $10, Children under 5 Free.  Buy your tickets on-line since they tend to sell out.  When: Oct 23-31 and weekends Oct 4-5, 10-13, 17-19