Tag: Halloween

Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe: Best Things to Do in NYC This October: Halloween Parades, Food Festivals and Fall Fun

October might be the best month to be in New York City

Fall is in full swing, the streets are packed with festivals, and Halloween is right around the corner. Whether you’re into morning dance parties, Japanese street food, open-air art studios, or a good old-fashioned parade, there’s something happening nearly every weekend this month. Here’s what’s on the calendar.

Oct 10 — DAYBREAKER ALIVE at Brooklyn Bridge Park

The early-morning dance party returns to Brooklyn Bridge Park on October 10. Wake up, get outside, and dance it out as the sun comes up over the skyline. It’s the kind of morning that sets the tone for the whole weekend.

Oct 10 + 11 — JAPAN Fes

Japanese food, snacks, and street culture take over for two days on October 10 and 11. If you’ve been meaning to try something new from a vendor you’ve never heard of, this is your chance. And if food festivals are your thing, our roundup of 15 of the best pizza places in NYC will keep the theme going.

Oct 10, 17, 24 + 31 — Queens Night Market

The Queens Night Market keeps its Saturday run going through October 31. Four more Saturdays of food vendors from around the world, cheap eats, and a crowd that shows up hungry. Mark every one of those dates.

Oct 16–18 — Open House New York Weekend

One of the city’s best weekends for the curious: buildings, studios, and spaces that are usually closed to the public open their doors from October 16 to 18. Tours fill fast, so plan ahead.

Oct 17 — Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade

Dogs in costumes. That’s the whole pitch, and it’s perfect. The Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade returns October 17 in the East Village, and it’s one of the most purely joyful traditions in the city.

Oct 17–18 — Gowanus Open Studios

Brooklyn artists open their studios to the public on October 17 and 18. Wander Gowanus, meet the people making the work, and see the neighborhood’s creative scene up close.

Oct 23–25 — City of Gods Halloween Festival

Three days of Halloween programming from October 23 to 25. Details are still trickling out, but it’s one of the bigger Halloween events on the October calendar. Pair it with our guide to 20 haunted houses in and around NYC for the full spooky-season treatment.

Oct 24 — Bronx Halloween Parade

The 41st Annual Bronx Halloween Parade marches on October 24. Four decades in, this Bronx tradition is still going strong — costumes, music, and a whole borough celebrating.

Oct 31 — A triple-header of Halloween

October 31 is stacked. Three events land on Halloween day itself:

  • Halloween Harvest Festival at Socrates Sculpture Park — fall fun with a Halloween twist at the park in Astoria.
  • Village Halloween Parade — the famous march down Sixth Avenue, still the centerpiece of NYC Halloween.
  • House of Hallucinations at House of Yes — Bushwick’s House of Yes closes out the month with its signature Halloween night.

If you’re already planning ahead for what’s next, our list of 10 of the best Christmas events in NYC for the 2026 holidays is ready when you are.

Don’t sleep on October

This is the month when the city really shows off — food festivals, open studios, parades, and Halloween doing the heavy lifting at the end. Pick your weekends, grab your friends, and get out there. And for ideas this very week, check out what’s happening around NYC today too.

Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe: 20 Haunted Houses In and Around NYC to Brave This Halloween

Spooky season is officially here, and New York doesn’t do Halloween halfway. From massive professional scare attractions to elaborate home haunts tucked away in quiet neighborhoods, the five boroughs and beyond are stacked with places built to make you scream — the good kind.

Some of these are full walkthroughs with live actors, animatronics and jump scares. Others are residential home haunts that neighbors spend all year perfecting. Either way, here’s where to get your fix this October.

Manhattan: Blood Manor

Blood Manor is the name that comes up every year in conversations about NYC’s scariest walkthroughs, and this season is no different. This Manhattan haunt is one of the city’s best-known professional scare attractions, packed with live actors and detailed sets. If you only brave one haunted house this year, plenty of locals would point you here.

Brooklyn: Ridgewood Asylum

Over in Brooklyn, Ridgewood Asylum delivers the full asylum-horror experience — dark corridors, live performers and the kind of jump scares that stick with you on the subway ride home. It has a loyal following among Brooklyn horror fans who go back year after year.

Queens: A Haunting in Hollis

Queens gets its frights from A Haunting in Hollis, a homegrown haunt that has become a neighborhood staple. It’s the kind of place that reminds you the scariest experiences sometimes live on a regular residential block.

The Bronx: Fright on Flint

The Bronx brings Fright on Flint to the lineup. Home haunts like this one are the heart of NYC Halloween — built by hand, run with love (and a love of scaring people), and every bit as intense as the big-ticket attractions.

Staten Island: Twisted Trails

Staten Island’s Twisted Trails takes the scares outdoors, where the darkness does half the work. Add in the borough’s legendary home haunts — Staten Island has some of the most over-the-top residential displays in the city — and you’ve got a full night of frights on one island.

Long Island: Bayville Scream Park

Just past the city line, Bayville Scream Park goes big: a full scream park experience with multiple attractions, live actors and the works. It’s worth the trip if you want a whole evening built around getting scared.

New Jersey: Brighton Asylum

Across the Hudson, Brighton Asylum rounds out the list for anyone willing to cross state lines for their frights. New Jersey’s haunt scene punches well above its weight, and this one is a favorite.

Don’t Sleep on the Home Haunts

Beyond the big names, there are wild home haunts scattered across Staten Island, Queens and Long Island — elaborate residential setups that rival professional productions. Part of the fun is discovering them: follow local haunt maps and community pages, and plan a drive-by night to see how far your neighbors are willing to go.

Whether you’re into professional scare mazes or grassroots garage haunts, this is the month to get out there. Bring a friend — you’ll want someone to grab onto. And if you’re planning a full fall itinerary, save the dates for NYC’s 2026 holiday tree and lights celebrations coming right after spooky season, or check what else is happening around the city this week.