Halloween Activities in New York City

Follow these tips for the best Halloween-themed events happening this season.

The Village Halloween Parade

Featuring hundreds of puppets, 53 live bands and thousands of participants, the 41st Annual Village Halloween Parade is the biggest and most outrageous celebration in New York City. The parade takes place Oct. 31, starting at 7 p.m. It runs along Sixth Avenue from Spring Street to 16th Street.

Nightmare Haunted House: New York

Nightmare, currently in its 11th season, is a theatrical and terrifying haunted house on the Lower East Side. This year’s theme explores New York City mythology, as well as its dark history. The house features a dicey, graffiti-ed subway car from the 1980s, a massive rat colony and reconstructions of historical crime scenes.

Procession of the Ghouls

This spooky event is held each year at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The evening starts with a screening of a silent horror film, accompanied by organ music. This year, the featured film is The Phantom of the Opera (1925). Following the film, actors dressed in elaborate masks and costumes make their way down the aisle of the church.

The Amazing Maize Maze

At the Queens County Farm Museum, children and adults can get lost in a three-acre corn maze. There is also a pumpkin patch and a haunted house on the grounds. On Oct. 26, the museum is hosting a Children’s Fall Festival, featuring Halloween characters, pony rides, games, live music and food. Children are encouraged to wear their costumes to the festival.

The Haunted Pumpkin Garden

From Sept. 20 through Oct. 31, more than 500 hand-carved pumpkin sculptures are on exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. On Oct.25–26, the largest pumpkins in North America will be on display.