Halloween is one of our favourite holidays in New York City. Well, if truth were told, we love them all, but Halloween is a special time here in NYC. From the biggest Halloween celebration in the world, to parades for people and their pooches, pumpkin carving, pumpkin flotillas and pumpkin planetariums – there’s something for everyone here at this time of year. Here’s a round up of some of the best spooktacular Halloween events in New York City:
We do love a parade here in New York City and Halloween is no exception. Look out your best costume and join in on the Village Halloween Parade. It takes place on Halloween itself – Tuesday 31st October 2017, beginning 7pm and running until around 10.30pm. The route starts at Spring Street, and then continues up through Sixth Avenue to 16th Street in Manhattan. If you’re watching and not marching, then the best spot to watch the show is Sixth Avenue – but get there early as it will be busy! It’s been a New York Halloween tradition since 1973, and it’s now the largest Halloween celebration in the world!
Everyone gets into the spirit of Halloween here in New York City – including the city’s canine friends. There’s a Halloween Dog Parade that takes place each year at Tompkins Square. Apparently, and perhaps unsurprisingly it’s one of the largest costumed dog parades in the world. It takes place ahead of Halloween on Saturday October 21st, beginning at noon. Similarly, over at Socrates Sculpture Park, there’s another opportunity for our four legged friends to get dressed up, whilst their owners create their own costumes at the park’s Halloween Harvest festival. It runs on Saturday October 28th, 2017 at 11am. It’s a great place to see the quirky side of NYC.
Fall is a beautiful time of year in Central Park, thanks to all those golden trees and falling leaves. This Halloween you can time your trip to the park with its parade and pumpkin flotilla – where 50 pumpkins will float across the Harlem Meer, one of the park’s bodies of water, at twilight. There will be ghost stories, a costume parade, and of course, pumpkin carving. It takes place on Sunday October 29th at 4pm.
If you are visiting New York during Halloween then it’s a great time to check out the Jack O’Latern Blaze event. It runs at various points throughout fall, including during Halloween. It’s based at Westchester’s Van Cortlandt Manor in the Tri-state area – an hour’s travel from Manhattan. When you get there you’ll see 7,000 glowing, and intricately carved pumpkins lining the riverside. There are even flying ghosts and a pumpkin planetarium for stargazing whilst you’re upstate and away from the bright lights of the city.
New York City’s pubs, bars and clubs really do take the Halloween holiday seriously too. You’ll be spoiled for choice on where to party. It’s the best time of year to perhaps check out the city’s reportedly haunted bars – from the Ear Inn in Soho, to the White Horse Tavern in Manhattan where the long since passed Dylan Thomas is said to appear around the table he used to favor. Hell’s Kitchen’s Stage 48 club will host a Monsters Ball and Costume Party, and over in East Williamsburg, there will be a Halloween Warehouse of Horrors dance party where FatBoy Slim will be headlining. So, it seems you may need another vacation to recover from spending Halloween in NYC.
Halloween really is an incredible time of year to visit New York City. We know how to throw a spooky party – so much so, the city is famous for it the world over! Come and enjoy everything this city has to offer this time of year – the team here at GrayLine New York would be delighted to help you explore the city this Fall. Check out our website and contact us for more details on how we can help you tour New York City.
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