The Cathedral of St. John the Divine’s annual Halloween Extravaganza returns to celebrate All Hallow’s Eve on Friday, October 27 at the uptown house of prayer.
The long-standing Upper West Side tradition was born decades ago under the direction of Artist in Residence Ralph Lee, founder of the Mettawee River Theatre Company. This year, the cathedral honors that legacy with an evening featuring frightening Mettawee performers who will haunt the audience with tricks and treats.
The evening will kick off with a screening of the classic 1921 silent film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, directed by Robert Wiene and screened with live organ accompaniment by Timothy Brumfield. Following the film will be the Procession of the Ghouls, where ghouls and goblins from the Mettawee River Theater Company will fill the cathedral to scare and delight audiences.
Two viewings will be offered at 7 and 10 pm for the Halloween Extravaganza, with $40 tickets available on the cathedral's website.
Also on October 27 and 28, the cathedral's famous Crypt Crawls will make their grand return from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm and from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm, guiding visitors down into the rarely-seen depths of the Gothic building. You will hear stories of the entombed and learn the origins of Halloween as a Celtic New Year celebration and later transformation into All Hallows Eve. Grab tickets for the guided tour here.