Halloween

October 27, 2022

See NYC architects compete in annual pumpkin carving contest Pumpkitecture

The annual competition that pits New York City-based architectural firms against each other to carve the best pumpkin is returning on Friday, just in time for Halloween. Known as Pumpkitecture, the event will give onlookers the opportunity to see architects hone their skills in real-time and compete for the big prize, the Pritzkerpumpkin. Pumpkitecture will take place at the Center for Architecture at 536 LaGuardia Place in Greenwich Village on October 28 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Get ready to go gourd to gourd
October 24, 2022

Nearly 100 NYC streets will go car-free for safe trick-or-treating this Halloween

For the first time, dozens of New York City's "Open Streets" will expand operating hours on Halloween to make trick-or-treating safer for young New Yorkers. As part of the Department of Transportation's "Trick-or-Streets," nearly 100 streets, plazas, and other commercial corridors across the city will be closed to cars on October 31 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
See more here
October 14, 2022

The top spooky and spirited NYC bars to visit this Halloween

New York City's favorite holiday is back and better than ever, with Halloween traditions and events returning in full force after two years. In addition to the parades, pumpkins, costume contests, and fright fests, many of the city's bars and restaurants transform into spooky dens decked out in eerie decor and serving spirited drinks and ghostly bites. Make the most of Halloween by visiting one of these freakishly festive bars.
Where to sip on spooky spirits
September 26, 2022

The best ways to celebrate Halloween 2022 in NYC

It's time to figure out your costume because Halloween is almost upon us. In New York City there is no shortage of fun events celebrating the spooky holiday, with plenty of opportunities to dress up, get candy, dine, and enjoy the season. Ahead, we found some of the city's best Halloween offerings this year, from the legendary Village Halloween Parade to more low-key pumpkin picking at Historic Richmond Town's Decker Farm on Staten Island.
See the full list ahead
October 25, 2021

10 offbeat haunted spots in New York City

'Tis the season to voluntarily spook yourself! But if haunted houses and tourist-friendly ghost tours are not for you, New York's bustling burrows are home to a slew of the more naturally born spirits. You’ll find Dracula’s extended family on 23rd Street, a host of oracles on Orchard Street, and the site of the cruel crime that led to the nation’s first recorded murder trial on Spring Street. If you’re searching for a necropolis in the metropolis, here are ten of the best sites in New York to spot specters.
See all the haunted haunts here!
October 18, 2021

The best 2021 Halloween happenings and spooky spectacles in NYC

New York City really shows its creative side for Halloween, and after a year of laying low, everyone's ready for some trick-or-treat action. The epic Village Halloween Parade is back on, parks and pumpkin patches are putting their fall bounty on display, and our favorite gathering, shopping, and dining spots are stocking up on candy and planning fun events. For the best ideas, browse our list of Halloween haunts and happenings from family-friendly to wicked and wild.
See the full list, this way
October 5, 2021

The 2021 Village Halloween Parade is officially back on

The Village Halloween Parade is officially back this year thanks to a major donation. The beloved event was scheduled to return after a pandemic-related hiatus, but a lack of funds threatened to cancel the 2021 parade, according to organizers. The parade set a fundraising goal of $150,000 by October 5, and with the help of 183 donors who contributed over $11,000 and Jason Feldman and his wife Missy who made up the difference, the spooky show will go on.
Details here
October 28, 2020

Smash and smush your old pumpkins into compost at Hudson River Park

What better way to celebrate fall, relieve some 2020 related-stress, and benefit the environment than smashing old pumpkins into compost. Hudson River Park's third-annual "smash it, don't trash it" Pumpkin Smash event returns next month, which invites New Yorkers to take a bat to post-Halloween gourds to dispose of them in an eco-friendly way.
Get the details
October 20, 2020

Archtober’s annual gourd-carving Pumpkitecture event is virtual and open to everyone

Every year, New York City-based architecture firms face off in a spirited pumpkin carving competition in quest of the PritzkerPumpkin prize. This year, because of the coronavirus pandemic and restrictions on gatherings, Pumpkitecture will take place virtually. And the contest won't be limited to just architects and designers, but anyone with an "eerie eye for design" can enter.
Get the details
October 14, 2020

The best ways to celebrate Halloween 2020 in NYC

Although it's already been a scary year, there are still ways to have some old-school spooky fun in New York City this Halloween. Sadly, popular events like the Village Halloween Parade and the Tompkins Square Dog Halloween Parade have been canceled and traditional trick-or-treating has been deemed a high-risk activity because of the coronavirus pandemic. But there are a number of fall-friendly, socially distanced events still taking place across the city, like a Día de Los Muertos celebration at Green-Wood Cemetery, virtual ghost story readings from the Merchant's House Museum (considered Manhattan's most haunted house), and eerie hayrides and pumpkin picking at the Queens County Farm Museum.
Get the spooky scoop
September 10, 2020

Village Halloween Parade cancelled for only the second time in 47 years

Though the Village Halloween Parade was just a small neighborhood gathering in 1973, it has taken place and grown every year since then except after Hurricane Sandy in 2012. This year, however, the beloved event is being cancelled for the second time ever due to COVID-19. Jeanne Fleming, who has been the director of the parade since 1985, broke the news yesterday to the Post, but promised New Yorkers a special "trick" in its place, though she's remaining mum on those details for now.
READ MORE
October 25, 2019

PHOTOS: See the best costumes from this year’s Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade

Some were spooky, others political, all were adorable. The 29th annual Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade took place last Sunday, bringing together hundreds of New Yorkers and their furry friends from all over. While the parade is no longer really a parade nor held at Tompkins Square Park, the event remains one of the year's best. Photographers James and Karla Murray witnessed first hand the canine costumes and shared with 6sqft photos of the cutest and most creative choices, including the ultimate winners: two Yorkshire terries as Snoopy and the Red Baron.
More dressed-up pups this way
October 23, 2019

This year’s best NYC neighborhoods for Halloween trick-or-treating

October 31 brings New Yorkers of all sizes out of their crypts and crannies in search of treats and fun. This year, long-running favorite neighborhoods rise to the occasion once again, with a few recent additions. Trick-or-treating in the big city has its advantages: Apartment buildings can be like hitting the jackpot and friendly neighbors, stores, businesses and neighborhood events keep the little tricksters busy. Technology helps keep things safe and fun: Local-social site Nextdoor's annual trick-or-treat map is back; neighbors can add themselves to if they're handing out candy. Like so many other topics, New Yorkers love to argue over which neighborhoods offer the best bounty. Below are a few picks for the best treats.
Score more treats this Halloween
October 21, 2019

Stay at the creepy and kooky ‘Addams Family Mansion’ in Clinton Hill this Halloween

A 19th-century townhouse in Brooklyn has undergone a creepy and kooky makeover just in time for Halloween. Travel company Booking.com transformed the Clinton Hill home at 272 Lafayette Avenue into a real-life replica of The Addams Family Mansion from the hit 1960s comedy sitcom. For just over $100 per night, guests can spend Halloween playing with Wednesday's beheaded dolls, calling Lurch on his "you rang" bell, and getting scared by Thing.
It's creepy and it's kooky
October 9, 2019

All the cool and spooky Halloween happenings in NYC this year

Some say Halloween is New York City’s favorite holiday. And while those who indulge in its fright-fraught fun may celebrate in different ways, there’s a scare out there for everyone. We’re all under the spell of the fabulous Village Halloween Parade, from its history to its most avid participants; if that doesn’t satisfy your craving for fright-week fun, peruse our list of Halloween happenings from family-friendly to extra freaky.
Find something to BOO
October 31, 2018

Take a walk down West 69th Street, the most over-the-top Halloween block in NYC

There are plenty of neighborhoods throughout the city that get in on the Halloween spirit and make for the best trick-or-treating, but arguably the biggest spectacle exists on the Upper West Side--probably not your first guess for spooky, kooky, and downright insane holiday decor. But thanks to the West 69th Street Block Association, the stretch of the street between Broadway and Central Park West turns into a wonderland of skulls, zombies, bloody scenes, and even a table setting complete with brains and rats. 6sqft took a walk down 69th Street and captured all its Halloween mayhem in the photos ahead.
See all the over-the-top decorations
October 25, 2018

Enjoy frightful films and a costume parade judged by Tim Gunn at the NYPL’s Halloween bash

The New York Public Library is hosting the ultimate costume contest this Halloween, forcing participants to really "make it work." Not only must costumes be inspired by a book or author, but they will also be judged by Project Runway star and fashion consultant Tim Gunn. The Halloween Masquerade event takes place on Friday from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building.
Get more details here
October 19, 2018

To kick off Halloween weekend, watch NYC architects face off in a pumpkin-carving contest

Don't expect to see typical Jack-o'-lanterns at the Center for Architecture's pumpkin-carving event this Halloween. On Oct. 26, 20 New York City-based architecture firms will face off at Pumpkitecture!, the center's third annual competition, which tests the ability of architects to create amazing designs across any medium (ie: a round, orange gourd). Attendees can watch the architects live-carve inventive structures and vote for the People's Pumpkin.
More on the gourds
October 19, 2018

L train shutdown haunted house and nightclub brings transit terror to Bushwick

The impending 15-month L train hiatus has lots of people wanting to stand on a chair and go "eek!" to begin with, but some clever hosts have found a way to turn transit terror into a Halloween happening. The L Train Shutdown & Club Transit haunted house and nightclub, which opened yesterday and will run through November 3rd, serves up a chilling six-months post-shutdown Brooklyn where "things did not go as planned" in a 40,000-square-foot Bushwick warehouse.
The full horror, this way
October 15, 2018

Reserve tickets to celebrate Halloween with de Blasio at Gracie Mansion

Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray on Friday opened the free ticket giveaway for festivities at Gracie Mansion this Halloween. From Friday, October 26 to Sunday, October 28, guests will be able to tour the historic home decked out in a haunted theme and enjoy activities like face painting, story-telling, a magic show, and arts and crafts. Expect both tricks and treats from the couple at this annual spooky celebration.
Here's how to get tickets
October 8, 2018

All of the spooktacular events coming to the Merchant’s House Museum this Halloween

What better way to celebrate Halloween this year than a history lesson in 19th-century death and mourning? The Merchant's House Museum released its list of "events to die for" happening in October, all of which promise to be a ghostly good time. Spooky events include a walking tour following Edgar Allan Poe's life in Greenwich Village, a reenactment of an 1865 funeral, candlelight ghost tours of the most haunted house in Manhattan, and much more.
More on the eerie events
October 8, 2018

2018’s best NYC neighborhoods for Halloween trick-or-treating

Once again this year, in addition to the annual Village Halloween Parade, October 31st promises to bring out a veritable parade of pint-sized, adorably costumed youngsters hell-bent on scoring treats and scaring parents and each other. While urban trick-or-treating is nothing like the suburban version, it has its perks (apartment buildings can be like hitting the jackpot)–and its fair share of friendly neighbors, stores, businesses and neighborhood events. Technology–local-social site Nextdoor has a trick-or-treat map that neighbors can add themselves to if they're handing out candy–makes things easier and safer. Like so many other topics, New Yorkers love to argue over which neighborhoods offer the best bounty. Below are a few picks among the least tricky with the best treats.
Where the treats are this Halloween
October 1, 2018

Go pumpkin picking and trick-or-treating on Governors Island

It's officially October, which means it's time to start planning your fall agenda. And while there are plenty of great places for pumpkin picking and foliage peeking outside the city, there are still some ways to enjoy autumnal activities without leaving NYC. On Governors Island, you'll find one of New York City’s only pumpkin patches, complete with a backdrop of fall foliage, live music, a beer garden, and pumpkin painting with the Children’s Museum of the Arts. And on Saturday the 27th, the Island will host free trick-or-treating.
Get the details
October 23, 2017

NYC trick-or-treat: The best neighborhoods for sweets and scares

Halloween is a lot like real estate; both the holiday and the industry place a premium on size and neighborhood, it's not unheard of to hear phrases like "tons of it" and "prime location" used to describe trick-or-treating or a new listing, and when it comes down to it, apartment hunters and trick-or-treaters want the same things: the best block, thoughtful exteriors, attention to details, and most importantly, value. Ahead, 6sqft has put together a list of some of the best blocks across the five boroughs to score sweets and scares. Just remember to bring along your broker parent and to count the square feet pieces of candy.
Where to spend Halloween this year