The parades, costume parties, haunted houses and Día de los Muertos celebrations worth getting dressed up for — with dates and how to beat the lines. A few of our favorites here; all 15 are in the Whosly app.
Updated
Free, outdoors and the best costume-watching of the year. Get there 30–45 minutes early for a spot at the curb, take transit — streets close along the route — and bring a layer: it gets cold fast after dark.
Staten Island's dog costume contest on Snug Harbor's South Meadow: prizes for the cutest, funniest and spookiest pups, then everyone parades.
Giant puppets, bands and tens of thousands of costumed New Yorkers march up Sixth Avenue. Watch from the sidewalk, or show up in costume and march. This year's theme: Body & Soul.
Costumed kids march down Seventh Avenue on Halloween night, this year as The Haunted Forest of Brooklyn, ending with spooky music at the Old Stone House.
The ticketed nights sell out in the last week, and prices tend to climb as the 31st gets closer — so buy early, and check the age limit before you go.
Put on the costume and let one wristband get you into 100-plus bars across the Village and the Lower East Side on Halloween night, with drink specials and a route map.
Haunted houses sell timed entry, and the weekend nights right before Halloween are the busiest — a weeknight or an early slot means a much shorter line. Pumpkin patches and zoo nights are the easy pick with kids.
Costumed dogs parade up the steps of Fort Greene Park the Saturday before Halloween, and the crowd's cheering decides the winners. Entry fees go to the park's dog group.
An evening for Edgar Allan Poe beside the Bronx cottage where he wrote "Annabel Lee": after-hours tours, a night market with gothic sweets and cocktails, readings and a live set.
Día de los Muertos (November 1–2) remembers loved ones who have died, with ofrendas, marigolds, music and processions. Go to learn and to celebrate — and ask before photographing an altar or a family.
The Botanical Garden marks Day of the Dead with marigolds, a community ofrenda and a giant flower-covered skeleton, plus weekend music, crafts and a procession on November 1.
Every parade, party, haunted house and Día de los Muertos celebration in the NYC Festivals & Events list — star the ones you're into and see which friends are going.
Every date on this page. Tap a marker to see which it is.
This page is a few of the 15 Halloween dates in Whosly's NYC Festivals & Events list. The app keeps every one — and tells you when it matters.
Or search “Whosly: Plans, Places & RSVPs” on the App Store
“Whosly: Plans, Places & RSVPs”.
Festivals & Events is included with Planner Pro. Starting a plan and RSVPing are free, always.
