Guides · New York City
5 Best Things to Do in New York City During Halloween
CEO and co-founder
Halloween in NYC is a month-long run of events rather than a single night, and this guide narrows it to the 5 best things to do in New York City during Halloween 2026. The picks cover the headline Village Halloween Parade on Saturday 31 October, the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade on Saturday 17 October, a proper Tribeca haunted house, the city's most committed Halloween bars in the East Village, and one easy day trip up the Hudson for thousands of carved pumpkins. Together they cover the main Halloween events NYC visitors ask about, from free street spectacles to ticketed scares.
Each entry lists the exact address with ZIP code, the nearest subway or Metro-North station with walking time, the distance from Times Square, and a Pro Tip with concrete times, prices and street corners. Prices are in US dollars with an approximate euro figure in brackets. We have ordered the list by impact rather than date, so check the calendar notes before you plan.
For routing, group the picks by area. Spend Saturday 17 October in the East Village: the dog parade in the morning, then dinner and drinks at Beetle House on East 6th Street, a five-minute walk from Tompkins Square Park. Take any October evening for the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze in Croton-on-Hudson, about an hour north by train. Save 31 October for Lower Manhattan: watch or march in the Village Halloween Parade on Sixth Avenue from 7pm, then walk ten minutes east to Blood Manor on Broadway for its late Halloween night slot.
1Village Halloween Parade - The Biggest Halloween Event in NYC
The Village Halloween Parade is the reason most people plan Halloween in NYC around 31 October, and in 2026 it falls on a Saturday, which means bigger crowds than usual. The 53rd edition steps off at 7pm and marches north on Sixth Avenue from Canal Street to West 15th Street, finishing around 11pm. The Village Halloween Parade began in 1974 as a walk for neighbourhood children organised by puppeteer Ralph Lee in Greenwich Village, and it has since grown into the largest public Halloween celebration in the United States, with tens of thousands of costumed marchers and crowds that organisers put at around two million.
The 2026 theme is "Body & Soul", which artistic director Jeanne Fleming has framed around anatomy, the supernatural and dance. Expect skeletons, glowing spirits and Day of the Dead imagery from the Processional Arts Workshop puppet makers, plus more than 50 bands and dance groups. Performance artist and downtown icon Joey Arias is the 2026 Grand Marshal, and the parade will be led by Firehorse, a new performance puppet from MacArthur fellow Basil Twist, choreographed by Julie Atlas Muz.
Watching and marching are both free. Anyone in costume can join: marchers line up on Sixth Avenue at Canal Street between 6:30pm and 9pm and are released in groups, and street clothes are not allowed in the line. For Village Halloween Parade NYC crowds, the stretch between Bleecker Street and 14th Street gets packed first, while King Street and the blocks above 14th Street stay easier. The official after-party, the Vampire Ball, runs at Industry City in Brooklyn on 30 and 31 October from 9pm to 5am (21+).
Pro Tip: If you want to march, arrive at Sixth Avenue and Canal Street by 6:30pm, because the line grows fast on a Saturday and late groups can wait over an hour. Spectators should claim a spot on Sixth Avenue above West 14th Street by 6:30pm and use the 14th Street (F/M) station, since West 4th Street station often gets crowded or exit-restricted.
2Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade - The Original Halloween Dog Parade in NYC
The Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade is the best-known Halloween dog parade NYC has, and it is confirmed for its 36th year on Saturday 17 October 2026 in the East Village. Organiser New York Dog Parade, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, bills it as one of the largest dog costume parades in the world. It is the gentlest way to start Halloween in NYC. The parade began in the early 1990s around the Tompkins Square Park dog run, was nearly lost in 2023 when the previous organisers stepped back, and was rescued by volunteers; it is now run with rescue partners including the ASPCA and Animal Care Centers of NYC, which promote dog adoptions throughout October.
Expect elaborate group costumes, dogs dressed as subway cars and politicians, and owners in matching outfits. The event runs mid-morning, and organisers say the exact time, route and spectator viewing areas will be confirmed in October 2026, so the address below is the park's main Avenue A entrance rather than a fixed start line. New for 2026, the costume competition will be livestreamed, and a free public festival block will host photo spots, giveaways and adoption stands. Dogs that do not march can still join the festival block.
Watching is free and no dog is needed. Registration to march opened on 25 September 2026 at noon on NYDogParade.org and is first-come, first-served with limited spots. Costumes must be comfortable and not block a dog's sight, hearing, movement or ears; carts, wagons and strollers are allowed, but golf carts are not. Among the free Halloween activities NYC families can do before the 31 October rush, this one is hard to beat.
Pro Tip: Check nydogparade.org in the week before 17 October for the confirmed route, then arrive at least 45 minutes before start time, because the barriers along Avenue A fill quickly. Stand near the judging area for the best view of group costumes, and bring a coffee from one of the cafes on Avenue A, as the morning wait can be chilly.
3Blood Manor - Tribeca's Big Haunted House
For an actual scare, Blood Manor in Tribeca is the city's longest-running professional haunted house and one of the most talked-about NYC Halloween events each autumn. It fills roughly 10,000 square feet of a building at 359 Broadway with themed rooms, animatronics and live scare actors, and a walk-through takes about 30 minutes at a normal pace (closer to 20 if you run). It is not recommended for anyone under 14, and under-14s must be accompanied by an adult. The attraction is ADA accessible.
The 2026 season runs on select nights through October and into early November, generally from 7pm to 10:30pm with timed entry every half hour. General admission is listed at $50 (about €43) plus a booking fee, the R.I.P. Express ticket that skips the queue costs $75 (about €65), and the Scare Actor Experience, where you spend the night working as a monster, costs $350 (about €301). Students can get $10 off on selected dates with valid ID, sold at the door only.
The two dates worth circling for Halloween in NYC are Halloween night and the "Lights Out" nights. On 31 October 2026 the ticketing calendar shows a special one-hour slot starting at 11:59pm, which slots neatly after the parade. The Lights Out nights on 1, 6 and 7 November (7pm to 11pm) send you through with reduced lighting. Tickets are timed and weekend slots sell out, so book online rather than turning up at the door.
Pro Tip: Book the R.I.P. Express ticket for any Friday or Saturday in late October, because the general queue on Broadway can run past an hour after 8pm. From the parade, walk east on Canal Street and south on Broadway to 359 Broadway, about 10 minutes from Sixth Avenue, and allow extra time as the sidewalks will be packed with costumed crowds.
4Beetle House and the East Village - Where to Find the Best Halloween Bars in NYC
Most bars hang a few cobwebs for Halloween in NYC, but the Halloween bars NYC regulars return to are the ones that stay spooky all year. Beetle House at 308 East 6th Street is the obvious anchor: a Tim Burton-inspired restaurant and cocktail bar that describes itself as Halloween every day, with dark, gothic rooms, costumed characters and cocktails named after Burton films. It opens Thursday to Sunday from 4pm, and the bar and patio are free to enter for adults 21 and over.
Dinner in the dining room is a set three-course meal with a live character show for $65 (about €56) per person aged 12 and over, or $20 (about €17) for children under 12. Reservations are recommended in October, when walk-ins are first-come, first-served and the room fills early on weekends. Because it sits a five-minute walk from Tompkins Square Park, it pairs well with the dog parade on 17 October.
If you want a second stop, Lillie's Victorian Establishment at 13 East 17th Street near Union Square goes all in on Halloween decorations each October, and its Victorian bar is already dressed for the part. For a guided night out, the New York City Halloween Bar Crawl runs on 24, 30 and 31 October 2026 across Greenwich Village, the East Village and the Lower East Side, with a wristband, a few included drinks and specials at participating bars (21+, prices rise closer to Halloween). Among things to do in NYC for Halloween as an adult, a Friday night bar hop on 30 October gives you the costumes without the parade-night crush.
Pro Tip: Book Beetle House for a 5pm or 5:30pm Thursday or Friday table in late October, when the dining room is calmer and you can still get into the bar afterwards. If you only want a drink, head straight for the bar area on the East 6th Street side, which does not need a reservation.
5Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze - 7,000 Pumpkins in the Hudson Valley
The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze is the best day trip for Halloween in NYC, and one of the Halloween events NYC families rate highest. Run by the nonprofit Historic Hudson Valley at Van Cortlandt Manor, an 18th-century estate in Croton-on-Hudson, it lights up more than 7,000 hand-carved jack o'lanterns along a half-mile trail. The 2026 season runs from 18 September to 8 November and opens every night in October. Details and the calendar are on the Historic Hudson Valley Blaze page.
The displays are the draw: towering movie monsters, storybook scenes, life-sized pumpkin dinosaurs, a pumpkin planetarium and a working carousel, all set to synchronised lighting and an original soundtrack. The standard walk takes about 45 minutes and is wheelchair accessible, though the ground is grass, gravel and woodchips. It runs rain or shine.
Tickets are timed and sold online only, with none available on site. Standard entry starts at $24 (about €21), Blaze plus the Headless Horseman's Hideaway lounge starts at $39 (about €34), Blaze plus the Gourd & Goblet Tavern with table service starts at $64 (about €55), and FLEX tickets that let you come any open evening without a reservation start at $129 (about €111). Children under 2 go free. Prices climb on October weekends and around 31 October, so midweek visits are the cheapest.
Getting there without a car is simple. Metro-North Hudson Line trains from Grand Central Terminal reach Croton-Harmon station in roughly an hour, and the manor is a 20-minute walk or 5-minute taxi ride from the station. Parking is free but only opens 30 minutes before your entry slot.
Pro Tip: Book the first entry slot of a Tuesday or Wednesday evening in early October, when prices sit near the $24 base and the trail is quieter. Take a Hudson Line train from Grand Central Terminal around 5pm, and check the last southbound train from Croton-Harmon before you go, as late-evening service is less frequent.
Get hotel deals for New York City
Price drops, new stays and local tips for New York City, straight to your inbox.
No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
CEO and co-founder
Tomas is the co-founder and director of trip1, an European company specializing in reservation services. He launched the company in 2025 with a focus on building scalable, efficient operations.
5 Best Things to Do in New York City During Halloween - FAQ
No, not in one day. The Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade is on Saturday 17 October 2026 and the Village Halloween Parade is on Saturday 31 October, so Halloween in NYC at this pace takes at least two days. The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze also needs its own evening because of the one-hour train ride. A realistic plan is two to three days: East Village on 17 October, the Blaze midweek, and parade plus Blood Manor on 31 October.
Start with the dog parade and Beetle House on 17 October, then fit in the Blaze on a weekday evening. Keep Halloween night for the Village Halloween Parade on Sixth Avenue from 7pm, followed by Blood Manor at 359 Broadway, whose special 31 October slot starts at 11:59pm. If you prefer a less crowded haunted house, visit Blood Manor on a weeknight in late October instead.
Blood Manor and the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze need advance tickets. The Blaze sells timed tickets online only, with nothing sold on site, and Blood Manor weekend slots sell out. Beetle House dinners are best reserved in October. Both parades are free to watch, although dogs marching in the Tompkins Square parade must be registered in advance on NYDogParade.org.
Budget roughly $175 (about €150) per adult. That covers standard Blaze entry from $24, a Metro-North return ticket to Croton-Harmon, Blood Manor general admission at $50 plus fees, and the $65 Beetle House dinner. Both parades are free. Add drinks, subway fares and any upgrades such as the $75 R.I.P. Express ticket or Gourd & Goblet Tavern package.
Yes, the 53rd Village Halloween Parade takes place on Saturday 31 October 2026 at 7pm. The theme is "Body & Soul", Joey Arias is Grand Marshal, and the route runs north on Sixth Avenue from Canal Street to West 15th Street. Anyone in costume can march by lining up at Sixth Avenue and Canal Street between 6:30pm and 9pm, and the parade airs live on NY1 from 8pm.
Plenty of Halloween in NYC did not make our top 5. Sleepy Hollow, next door to the Blaze, runs Headless Horseman events and cemetery tours. Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn hosts autumn night tours, the Bronx Zoo runs Boo at the Zoo on October weekends, and Central Park's Harlem Meer holds a pumpkin flotilla. The Edge at Hudson Yards also plans a Halloween night party.
