Central Park Pumpkin Flotilla, p/c: roundtripnuevayork.com

Halloween is obviously a holiday that a lot of people associate with ghouls, goblins, and things that go bump in the night. But not everyone really likes to celebrate by being terrified on the reg (I don’t agree with you but I will defend to the death your right to feel this way). The good news is that there are plenty of NYC activities that are less intense but still…

…plenty spirited.

• The Village Halloween Parade: Talking about Halloween in NYC and not mentioning the parade is pretty much tantamount to heresy or treason or something else appropriately hyperbolic. Everyone should experience this at least once in their lives, if only for the fact that we as a people need to see more choreographed dances to Thriller. Caveat spectator: the parade gets cuckoo-bananas crowded, so get there plenty early and I dunno, do, like, a root chakra grounding meditation to make sure you can handle all the craziness.



Grim Reaper on Halloween in NYC, p/c JonneyETV

• People watching around the Village: If you’re not feeling the parade but you still want to participate in some festivities, you can honestly just walk around Greenwich Village for a few hours. Revelers are coming to or going from the parade, or looking for bars where they can celebrate, so this is a great way to people watch and enjoy things on your own terms. In my experience, everyone goes all out and is really excited to show off their costumes, and it makes for a really fun, communal atmosphere.

• Watch the November 1 walk of shame: This one is slightly evil, but I can’t resist. If you’re not too partied out yourself, think about hopping on the subway and seeing if you can spot folks still in costume making their way home after an eventful night.

• Pumpkin Flotilla in Central Park: Moving on to more family-friendly things!! This one sounds way too adorable: carve a pumpkin and bring it to the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center on October 25, then set that gourd off for a twilight sail on the Harlem Meer.

• New York Botanical Garden’s Haunted Pumpkin Garden: This one is pretty much marketed for kids, but if you’re a freewheelin’ grownup who just digs looking at some pumpkins, I say check it out. They’ve got some of the most talented master carvers around pitching in, including Ray Villafane, the “Picasso of Pumpkin Carving.” This runs every day from now through Halloween.

• Bronx Zoo’s Boo at the Zoo: Ok, this is how much of a devoted journalist I am for you guys: I actually called the zoo to confirm this was happening because the info wasn’t on their site as I wrote this. And Boo at the Zoo is really not to be missed! If you’ve ever wanted to see big cats playing with pumpkins or elephants smashing gourds, this is an achievable goal! Kids are encouraged to dress up and there’s also a not-too-scary haunted house. This kicks off the first weekend in October and runs every weekend throughout the month.



Wayne and Garth at the dog parade, I die. P/c Lauren Spinelli

• Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade: Eee, this just sounds so cute I can’t stand it. Head to the dog run at Tompkins Square at noon on October 24th, and get ready for more adorableness than you can shake a fetching stick at. For a taste of what to expect, you can see photos from last year, but seriously, if you have to wonder about whether or not a dog parade is a good use of your time, you should probably reconsider your life choices.

As of now, this is probably all the Halloween coverage I’ll do, but if there are any cities y’all want me to cover, my arms are pretty flexible. As in, twist them. This is the best holiday ever, after all, and what better way to bid adieu to FOMO than by planning a rockin’ All Hallows’ Eve?

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