Get ready to crank up the chills because Halloween in NYC is about to get seriously spooky! October is packed with wickedly fun events — think epic costume parties, heart-pounding haunted houses, eerie corn mazes, legendary parades, and yes, even parades for your four-legged friends! We’re beyond excited, and you should be too.
Don’t stress about your costume—New York’s best Halloween stores have everything you need to transform into something truly terrifying. Plus, our lineup of NYC events this October is packed with more thrilling activities that’ll leave you in killer spirits all month long.
The Village Halloween Parade
Get ready for a parade like no other! The legendary Village Halloween Parade returns this October 31, transforming Greenwich Village into a spectacularly spooky playground. Picture more than 50,000 zombies, ghouls, witches, Jedis, and massive puppets creeping through the streets for the wildest, most creative Halloween bash NYC has ever seen. Whether you’re in the parade or cheering from the sidelines, this iconic event promises thrills you won’t want to miss.
Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail
Step into the twisted, whimsical world of Tim Burton at the New York Botanical Garden’s Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail! For the first time ever, experience an 8,300-square-foot wonderland filled with interactive video projections, LED lighting, and jaw-dropping 3D sculptures straight out of Burton’s mind. This surreal light trail brings Jack Skellington, Sally, and Oogie Boogie to life like never before. Running from September 27 to November 30, this immersive adventure will transport you to a world where fantasy and fright collide! Buy your tickets now!
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze
Forget everything you thought you knew about pumpkin carving because The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is back to blow your mind! Thousands of hand-carved, glowing pumpkins come together in mesmerizing displays across two magical locations: Van Cortlandt Manor and Old Bethpage Village. This year marks the 20th anniversary, and the show promises dazzling new surprises! Explore breathtaking sculptures, fiery pumpkin towers, and intricately designed jack-o’-lanterns in a spectacle like no other. Grab your tickets before they vanish!
Blaze: Hudson Valley runs at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson in Westchester County from September 13 through November 17. Blaze: Long Island runs at Old Bethpage Village Restoration in Old Bethpage, Long Island from October 4 through November 3.
Pumpkin Nights at the Bronx Zoo
Once the sun sets, Pumpkin Nights at the Bronx Zoo will take you on a glowing adventure through the wild! Picture over 5,000 intricately carved, animal-themed jack-o’-lanterns lighting up the night in captivating ecosystems like the Amazon rainforest and African savanna. This year’s expanded trail spans half a mile, offering a fully immersive experience with music, fog, bubbles, and costumed characters. From eerie bioluminescent seas to majestic elephants, Pumpkin Nights is your ticket to a magical, glowing safari! Held on select dates from September 26 through October 27.
Boo at the Zoo
Boo at the Zoo returns to the Bronx Zoo for another spine-tingling season! Dress up in your spookiest costume and dive into live pumpkin carving, animal encounters, fun outdoor games, and mouth-watering eats from local food trucks. Take part in the family-favorite costume parades and, if you’re brave enough, wander the incredible Pumpkin Nights trail. Running every weekend from September 28 to October 27, plus a special Monday event, this spooky extravaganza is fun for all ages! Book your ticket now.
Black Lagoon Pop-Up Bar
Summon your inner goth at the Black Lagoon Pop-Up Bar, where spooky meets stylish! This immersive cocktail bar kicks off October 1 at Someday Bar in Brooklyn, offering bone-chilling vibes with skeletons, life-sized coffins, and eerie neon skulls. Sip on craft cocktails as you soak in the macabre decor—this is no ordinary bar, it’s an experience. Don’t miss out on the haunted atmosphere and themed cocktails that will leave you feeling spooktacular all night long!
Blood Manor Haunted House
Steel your nerves and prepare for the scariest haunt in the city—Blood Manor is back! Sprawling over 10,000 square feet of nightmare-inducing corridors, Blood Manor is packed with terrifying actors, state-of-the-art effects, and mind-bending rooms designed to make you scream. From September 28 to November 3, step into a realm where fantasy and horror blend, leaving you questioning what’s real. Will you make it out unscathed? Only one way to find out…
Halloween Pumpkin Flotilla
Watch in awe as the Halloween Pumpkin Flotilla sets the Harlem Meer aglow with a parade of floating jack-o’-lanterns! On October 30, bring your own masterpiece and let it drift across the water in this enchanting twilight event. Complete with a magic show, spooky stories, and crafts for the kids, it’s a family-friendly evening of Halloween magic. The pumpkin flotilla kicks off at 6pm, but get there early to snag a spot for your jack-o’-lantern!
The Amazing Maize Maze
Get lost in an unforgettable adventure at the Amazing Maize Maze! This year’s maze at the Queens County Farm is shaped like a majestic butterfly, paying tribute to the incredible monarch migration. Navigate this intricate, life-sized puzzle with family or friends, as you solve clues and immerse yourself in the beauty of nature. The maze runs every weekend until October 26—so don’t miss your chance to explore this magical, life-sized labyrinth!
Visit the Amazing Maize Maze at the Queens County Farm Museum every Friday through Sunday until October 26. Tickets are $14 for adults and $10 for children ages 4-11. Entry is free for children under 3 years old.
Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest
Prepare for cuteness overload at the Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest! On October 26, over a hundred dogs will strut their stuff in hilarious and adorable costumes, from hot dogs to superheroes, at Fort Greene Park. Whether you’re entering your pup or just watching, it’s a furry fashion show like no other! Free to attend, but make sure to register your pup by October 20 to be part of the fun!
Rooftop Cinema Club’s Halloween Lineup
Get ready for chills, thrills, and a rooftop under the stars at Rooftop Cinema Club’s Halloween screenings! This October, they’re serving up a spellbinding mix of cult classics and horror favorites like Hocus Pocus, The Shining, American Psycho, and more. Whether you’re looking for laughs with Mean Girls or jump scares with Halloween, this lineup promises spine-tingling fun for every film fan!
Madame Morbid’s Trolley Tours
Step aboard the creepiest ride in Brooklyn—Madame Morbid’s Trolley Tour—and uncover the borough’s spookiest secrets! Ride through historic, haunted sites in a trolley designed like a Victorian funeral parlor, complete with velvet curtains and chandeliers. Hear chilling tales of mobster hideouts, alien abductions, and infamous crime scenes. This eerie tour combines history with mystery, making it a must for thrill-seekers and ghost hunters alike! Buy your tickets now.
Jimmy Fallon’s Tonightmares
Ever wonder what haunts Jimmy Fallon’s dreams? Find out at Jimmy Fallon’s Tonightmares—a brand-new Halloween maze at Rockefeller Center! Journey through 10 terrifying rooms filled with scarecrows, subway monsters, and even a zombie boy band. It’s a scream-inducing, immersive experience where Fallon’s worst nightmares come to life. Are you brave enough to face the madness?
Tickets are on sale now for about $37/person.
Catbaret Presents: Meowloween
Calling all feline fanatics! Meowloween, the cat-themed cabaret, is the purr-fect way to celebrate Halloween. Hosted by Gemma Smith, this night of comedy, burlesque, and music will have you feline good! Dress in your most pawsome costume for a chance to win the contest, or just enjoy the show while adorable adoptable kitties from Rescue NYC steal your heart. Get your claws into this one-night-only event on October 31 at Caveat!
Washington Square Park Dog Halloween
Don’t miss the cutest Halloween event in NYC—Washington Square Park Dog Halloween! On October 26, pups of all shapes and sizes will be donning creative costumes and parading through the park. From decked-out doodles to stylish Shih Tzus, it’s a paw-sitively adorable spectacle. With free entry and prizes for best costumes, it’s a day of doggone fun you won’t forget!
Cityside Pumpkin Patch at The Summer Club Rooftop
Pick the perfect pumpkin at Cityside Pumpkin Patch—NYC’s biggest rooftop pumpkin patch! With over 10,000 pumpkins spread across 25,000 square feet of space, there’s no shortage of fall fun. Take aim at the archery range, get your fortune told by a tarot reader, or smash a pumpkin for stress relief! Running through Halloween, this urban patch promises more than just pumpkins—it’s a full-on fall festival in the sky. Tickets are on sale here.
Candlelight Ghost Tours of Manhattan’s Most Haunted House
Step into the eerie past with Candlelight Ghost Tours at the Merchant’s House Museum, Manhattan’s most haunted home. Hear spine-tingling tales of restless spirits, unexplained noises, and ghostly apparitions as you explore the creaky corridors of this 19th-century house. Do the spirits of the Tredwell family still linger? Join the tour and find out—if you dare.
Haunted Broadway: The Ghostlight Tour
Take a journey through the paranormal side of showbiz with Haunted Broadway: The Ghostlight Tour! For two hours, you’ll walk the ghostly footsteps of Broadway legends, hearing eerie tales of haunted theaters, cursed performances, and the spirits who never left the stage. Sing along to Phantom of the Opera and do the Time Warp in this spooky, show-stopping experience!
Dark Matter at Mercer Labs
Prepare to be mesmerized—and possibly terrified—by Dark Matter at Mercer Labs. This immersive art exhibition, designed by visionary Roy Nachum, delves into the dark corners of the human mind. With mind-bending visuals, interactive robots, and haunting audio installations, this show explores fear, darkness, and the paranormal in ways you’ve never seen. Running select nights in October, this is one exhibit that will leave you questioning reality. Get tickets here for $52/adult.
Before venturing out for your next Halloween scare, stop in at QUBE NYC for your favorite cannabis products and set the mood for a night of fun. Conveniently located in the heart of Times Square.