People dressed up as Ghostbusters in the Halloween parade.
Photograph: By Iri Greco & Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media
Photograph: By Iri Greco & Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media

The best Halloween events for 2024 in NYC

Check out the creepiest and coolest Halloween events NYC has ever seen including parties, parades, and haunted houses.

Rossilynne Skena Culgan
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We're throwing the spookiness into high gear with events for Halloween in NYC. October is filled with costumed parties, jump scares at haunted houses, corn mazes, parades and even dog parades — and we're so ready! Don't bother breaking out your sewing kit, New York's greatest Halloween stores have plenty of options to make you look really spooky. Make sure to check out our NYC events in October too for even more activities to finish off the month in killer spirits. 

Bookmark this link because we'll be updating this guide all autumn long.

RECOMMENDED: Full guide to Halloween in NYC

NYC Halloween events 2024

  • Things to do
  • Festivals

The Village Halloween Parade—NYC’s creative and spooky procession—is one of the best Halloween events in Greenwich Village and it's coming back this year on Halloween, Thursday, October 31. Each year, more than 50,000 zombies, ghouls, witches, monsters, robots, Jedis, giant puppets and more things that go bump in the night take to the streets for a night of costumed revelry that you won't want to miss. 

Whether you march or watch from the sidelines, don't miss this iconic Halloween event.

  • Things to do
  • Events & Festivals

This fall, you'll get a chance to feel like you're inside the mind of the one and only Tim Burton. The New York Botanical Garden is hosting the worldwide debut of a new light trail entirely inspired by the 1993 classic Disney film Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas.

The trail is comprised of over 8,300 square feet of light installations with interactive video projections, intelligent LED lighting and 3D printed sculptures of the film's iconic characters. 

The outdoor adventure runs from September 27 through November 30; get tickets here

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  • Things to do
  • Events & Festivals

Carving a jack-o'-lantern may be a time-honored American tradition for many, but nobody—and we mean nobody—does pumpkin carving quite like Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze.

Every fall, pumpkins aplenty decorate two locations of this festive, family-friendly attraction. This year promises thousands of intricately carved jack-o'-lanterns in mesmerizing displays, plus dazzling new experiences in honor of the event's founding 20 years ago. 

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. Tickets are on sale now.

  • Things to do
  • Events & Festivals

After the sun goes down, the Bronx Zoo will light up this fall with more than 5,000 animal-themed jack-o’-lanterns in incredible displays. Officially called Pumpkin Nights, this festivity is back for its second year after a popular debut in 2023. 

Expect to see intricately carved jack-o'-lanterns set up in different animal ecosystem scenes, such as the Amazon rainforest, Himalayas, Congo, bioluminescent deep-sea, an African Savanna waterhole and many more. Pumpkin Nights will be held on select dates from September 26 through October 27 with tickets on sale here

This year's festivities include an expanded and enhanced jack-o'-lantern trail that stretches for half a mile. As you walk through the experience, you'll be met with atmospheric sounds, music, costumed characters, fog, bubbles and colored lights. Last year's carved creations included a furry bear, a wrinkly elephant and a dramatically decorated leopard.

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  • Things to do

Lions, tigers and bears—oh my! The Bronx Zoo goes all out every Halloween season, and this year is no exception, with a month of spooky festivities. Come dressed in your All Hallows Eve best to enjoy live pumpkin carving demos, animal encounters, family-favorite outdoor games, costume parades, local food trucks and plenty of treats. 

Activities run on Saturdays and Sundays from September 28 through October 27 (and on Monday, October 14). 

For an extra special treat, book a ticket for the zoo's Pumpkin Nights where you can wander through a trail of animal-themed jack-o'-lanterns.

  • Things to do

Autumn is the time to pick two of the season’s most emblematic fruits: apples and pumpkins. Fortunately there are some fantastic farms where you can go apple and pumpkin picking near NYC. These farms and orchards will get you into that fuzzy fall feeling in no time.

There’s nothing quite like taking a bite out of a crisp apple straight from the tree (even better, taking home a basketful for making pie), and your Halloween pumpkin will be that much more special when you pick it right off the vine. You’ll find a wide variety of apples and pumpkins at these farms, plus fun activities like hayrides, corn mazes and petting zoos. Don’t miss hot apple cider and other fresh-made treats at the farmstand. 

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Other things to do for Halloween

  • Things to do

It’s the freakiest time of year, and we couldn’t be more excited to scream our guts out at the scariest haunted houses NYC has to offer. Haunted houses may bring plenty of frights, but if you’re looking to get shaken to your core this season, check out these immersive experiences that will bring out your darkest, deepest fears from killer clowns to claustrophobic.

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Don’t miss the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze!

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