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The Holiday Almanac · Halloween

Halloween in New York 2026

The Village Halloween Parade, the best trick-or-treat streets, candlelit ghost tours and a pumpkin blaze an hour up the Hudson, with dates and prices for 2026.

Checked on the organizers’ own pages, October 17, 2026

Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, which makes Saturday, October 31 the biggest night of the season. The Village Halloween Parade steps off on Sixth Avenue at 7pm, the city closes more than a hundred streets for trick-or-treating, and the ghost tours and pumpkin trails that run all month have their last nights.

Every date and price below was checked on the organizer's own page on October 17, 2026. Two things are not happening this year: the Central Park Pumpkin Flotilla on the Harlem Meer is cancelled for 2026, and the Long Island edition of the Jack O'Lantern Blaze has not returned. The Hudson Valley original is on.

Halloween night at Union Square

  • A reveler in a white rabbit-monster costume with fangs and long claws on Halloween night at Union Square
    Photo: LovelyNYC
  • A woman in a white-and-red costume with pale makeup and a red paper umbrella by the Union Square subway entrance on Halloween night
    Photo: LovelyNYC
  • A costumed group, with an angel, a devil, Marge Simpson and a furry beast, under the Union Square subway sign on Halloween night
    Photo: LovelyNYC
  • Friends dressed as a luchador, Pikachu and other characters strike poses at Union Square on Halloween night
    Photo: LovelyNYC

Greenwich Village, ManhattanConfirmed for 2026

Village Halloween Parade

The 53rd parade, theme "Body & Soul", with Joey Arias as Grand Marshal and a new giant puppet piece by Basil Twist. Anyone in costume can march: join the lineup at Canal St and Sixth Ave between 6:30 and 9pm, no registration. It is broadcast live on NY1.

When
Sat Oct 31, 2026, 7pm
Hours
Steps off at 7pm and runs until about 11pm; rain or shine
Cost
Free to watch or march; optional paid VIP viewing
Where
North up Sixth Avenue from the Canal/Spring Street end to about 15th Street
Subway
B/D/F/M to W 4 St, 14 St or 23 St; 1 to Christopher St or Houston St; A/C/E to W 4 St or Canal St

Watch anywhere along Sixth Ave between King St and 15th St. It's most packed between Bleecker and 14th, so arrive early there or pick a stretch further south. In past years, downtown C and E trains skipped Spring St during the parade, and some stations near the route became exit-only.

Source: Official site ↗ · On LovelyNYC →

All five boroughsConfirmed for 2026

Trick-or-treat streets (Trick-or-Streets)

The city is closing a record 160 streets and plazas to cars this October for trick-or-treating. West 69th Street's block party, a tradition since 1971, runs 6–8pm. Park Slope's Halloween Parade marches down Seventh Avenue from 3rd to 14th St, 6:30–9pm.

When
Sat Oct 31, 2026 (times vary by street)
Cost
Free
Where
Car-free blocks across the city, including W 69th St (Broadway to Central Park West), Montgomery Pl in Park Slope, Strivers' Row (W 139th St) in Harlem, W 11th St in the Village and Joralemon St in Brooklyn Heights

The DOT's Trick-or-Streets page lists every block with its exact hours. Many start in the early afternoon, so small children can be home before dark.

Source: Official site ↗

East Village / NoHo, ManhattanConfirmed for 2026

Candlelight Ghost Tours at the Merchant's House Museum

A candlelit tour of what is often called Manhattan's most haunted house, an 1832 rowhouse kept almost exactly as the Tredwell family left it. The 90-minute "Super Spooky" tours with a paranormal investigator start at 9:30pm.

When
Oct 16, 17, 23, 24, 29 and 30, 2026
Hours
50-minute tours every half hour, 6:30–9pm
Cost
$45 ($35 members); later "Super Spooky" tours $70
Where
29 E 4th St, between Lafayette St and the Bowery
Subway
6 to Bleecker St or Astor Pl; B/D/F/M to Broadway–Lafayette

No tours on Halloween night itself. Book the final weekend, October 29–30, early.

Source: Official site ↗

Croton-on-Hudson, Hudson ValleyConfirmed for 2026

The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze

Thousands of hand-carved, lit jack-o'-lanterns arranged into sculptures along a winding trail at an 18th-century manor, about an hour from Grand Central by train.

When
Sep 18 – Nov 8, 2026; open every night in October
Cost
Timed tickets from $24; children 2 and under free; advance tickets only, none sold on site
Where
Van Cortlandt Manor, 525 S Riverside Ave, Croton-on-Hudson
Subway
Metro-North Hudson Line to Croton-Harmon, then a 15-minute walk or short cab ride

Weeknight entries after 8pm are the cheapest. Weekends close to Halloween sell out first.

Source: Official site ↗

2026TBA

Sleepy Hollow & Irvington, Hudson ValleyConfirmed for 2026

Twilight Village and Irving's Legend, Sleepy Hollow

Twilight Village is the all-ages one: storytellers, fire performers and a Headless Horseman sound-and-light show at a colonial farm. Irving's Legend is a 55-minute outdoor performance of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow at Irving's own house, recommended for ages 10 and up.

When
Fridays–Sundays through Sat Oct 31, 2026
Hours
Twilight Village 6–9pm on Oct 23–25 and 30–31; Irving's Legend shows at 6, 7:30 and 9pm on Oct 30–31
Cost
Twilight Village: adults $35, children $25. Irving's Legend: from $40. Advance tickets only
Where
Philipsburg Manor, 381 N Broadway, Sleepy Hollow; Irving's Legend at Washington Irving's Sunnyside, Irvington
Subway
Metro-North Hudson Line to Philipse Manor or Tarrytown, then a short taxi or rideshare

Irving's Legend sells out every year, so book it first. Pair either one with a daytime walk through Sleepy Hollow's old burying ground.

Source: Official site ↗

Floral Park, QueensConfirmed for 2026

Halloween on the Farm, Queens County Farm Museum

Trick-or-treating at nine candy stations around a working farm, plus the corn maze, hayrides and a pumpkin patch. The best Halloween daytime for small children in the city.

When
Sat Oct 31, 2026
Hours
10am–5pm
Cost
$15–$25; buy tickets online
Where
73-50 Little Neck Pkwy, Floral Park

Source: Official site ↗

BronxConfirmed for 2026

Boo at the Zoo, Bronx Zoo

Weekend Halloween activities and a costume parade for kids, on top of the zoo itself. Activities wrap up around 4pm.

When
Saturdays and Sundays, Sep 26 – Nov 1, 2026, plus Mon Oct 12
Cost
Included with zoo admission
Where
Bronx Zoo, 2300 Southern Blvd
Subway
2/5 to West Farms Sq–E Tremont Av, then a short walk to the Asia Gate

Source: Official site ↗

Prospect Heights, BrooklynConfirmed for 2026

Fall Harvest Festival, Brooklyn Botanic Garden

The garden's autumn festival, with a costume parade at 3pm led by the Batalá New York drummers.

When
Sat Oct 24, 2026
Hours
11am–5pm (last entry 4:30pm)
Cost
Adults $38, seniors $30, youth $17, under 12 free
Where
Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 990 Washington Ave
Subway
2/3 to Eastern Pkwy–Brooklyn Museum; B/Q to Prospect Park

Source: Official site ↗

BronxConfirmed for 2026

Día de los Muertos, New York Botanical Garden

Calaveras, alebrijes and a towering La Catrina among the season's pumpkins, ending with a parade on November 1. NYBG is not running its Halloween pumpkin show this year; this is its fall celebration instead.

When
Oct 3 – Nov 2, 2026; parade Sun Nov 1 at 2pm
Cost
Included with an All-Garden Pass
Where
Everett Children's Adventure Garden, NYBG
Subway
Metro-North Harlem Line to Botanical Garden; B/D/4 to Bedford Park Blvd

Source: Official site ↗

Sunset Park, BrooklynConfirmed for 2026

Día de los Muertos Celebration, Brooklyn Army Terminal

A community Day of the Dead celebration under the terminal's arches, with a shared ofrenda, crafts, face painting and live music, organized with ArtBuilt and Casa Cultural.

When
Sat Oct 31, 2026
Hours
Times differ by source: the Brooklyn Army Terminal lists 11am–4pm, NYC Tourism lists 2–7pm. Check with the host before you go.
Cost
Free
Where
BAT Arches, Brooklyn Army Terminal, 140 58th St
Subway
R to 59 St, or the NYC Ferry to Brooklyn Army Terminal

Confirm the time on the Brooklyn Army Terminal's events page (brooklynarmyterminal.com/events) on the day.

Source: Official site ↗

Greenwood Heights, BrooklynConfirmed for 2026

Día de los Muertos at Green-Wood Cemetery

An altar by artist Laura Anderson Barbata in Green-Wood's Gothic chapel, and a free evening celebration on the Main Entrance Meadow on November 2. Come early to walk the hills of the 1838 cemetery in autumn light.

When
Altar Oct 9 – Nov 15, 2026; family celebration Mon Nov 2, 4–7pm
Hours
Altar in the Historic Chapel daily 10am–5pm
Cost
Free
Where
Green-Wood Cemetery, 500 25th St (main entrance at Fifth Ave)
Subway
R to 25 St

Source: Official site ↗

Notes on the dates

  • Central Park's Pumpkin Flotilla on the Harlem Meer is cancelled for 2026; the Central Park Conservancy said it had grown too popular to run safely.
  • The MTA posts its parade-night service changes the week of Halloween. Check mta.info before heading downtown on October 31.
  • The Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade took place on October 17 this year.

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