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Top Free Halloween Events in NYC in 2025

The Harlem Meer's Pumpkin Floatilla is packed with free fun for costumed kids. Photo courtesy of Central Park Conservancy
The Harlem Meer's Pumpkin Floatilla is packed with free fun for costumed kids. Photo courtesy of Central Park Conservancy
9/27/24 - By Drew Kristofik

What's the one way to make costume-and-candy-filled NYC Halloween events even sweeter? Make them free! In New York City, there are loads of no-cost Halloween celebrations in 2025, whether you're looking for preschooler Halloween events or you've got a teen who can't wait to be spooked.

There are no tricks here: We're giving parents the best treat of all with this roundup of free Halloween events in New York City for kids, including big annual favorites like downtown Brooklyn's BAMBoo!, the Pumpkin Pageant in Inwood, and much more. We'll even tell you how to score a free Halloween costume or two.

So, get dolled up and leave your wallets at home for these free Halloween events in New York City, and find everything from NYC's best trick-or-treating spots to splurge-worthy Halloween events in our New York City Kids' Guide to Halloween.

As always, if an event piques your interest, click through to our listing for all the details, including addresses, times, and recommended ages. And keep in mind: You may need to register in advance to take advantage of all the free Halloween events in NYC.

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Governors Island hosts its annual Pumpkin Point on Saturday, October 26 and Sunday, October 27, 2024. Photo courtesy of the Friends of Governors Island
Governors Island hosts its annual Pumpkin Point on Saturday, October 26 and Sunday, October 27, 2024. Photo courtesy of the Friends of Governors Island

Free Halloween Events in NYC for Kids

Clothing and Halloween Costume Swap at Artful Souls and Wellness

Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Friday, September 26, 2025
Swap gently used clothing and costumes at Arful Souls. This event provides a perfect way to refresh your wardrobe, get ready for spooky season, and connect with the community.   READ MORE

Ragamuffin Parade in Bay Ridge

Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
Saturday, September 27, 2025
Halloween costumes get an early airing at the 59th annual Ragamuffin Parade, which promenades through the streets of Bay Ridge. READ MORE

Pumpkin Palooza in St. James Park

Highbridge, the Bronx
Saturday, October 11, 2025
NYC Parks and Council Member Pierina Sanchez host an afternoon of family games, sports, fall crafts, and more. READ MORE

Fall Fest Atlantic Terminal Mall Plaza

Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
Saturday, October 11, 2025
Atlantic Terminal Mall and Brooklyn Bridge Parents host a free family-friendly fall festival on Atlantic Terminal’s outdoor plaza and car-free Fort Greene Place with an "urban pumpkin patch" with 1,000 pumpkins waiting to be decorated by the kiddos, along with arts & crafts, pumpkin painting, block building, haunted trucks to enter (if you dare), soccer, costume dance party, face painting and more!  READ MORE

Halloween Paper Crafts and Letterpress Printing at Bowne & Co.

South Street Seaport
Sunday, October 12, 2025
Bowne & Co. hosts a free hands-on experience in crafting Halloween paper decorations, paper chains, and folded-paper bats. For an extra thrill, skilled Bowne designers are on hand to guide you through crafting your own letterpress-printed broadside posters using a 19th century printing press from the Seaport Museum’s working collection. READ MORE

Carl Schurz Park's Annual Harvest Festival

Upper East Side
Sunday, October 12, 2025
Carl Schurz Park's annual harvest fest packs a punch with plenty of festive fall activities for the whole family. Visit the pumpkin patch on the Mayor's Lawn at East End Avenue and East 88th Street to pick your own pumpkin and decorate it. ​ READ MORE

Ghostscrapers at the Skyscraper Museum

Battery Park City
Saturday, October 18, 2025
Abandoned skyscrapers are all around, from those with cranes attached and those with no one to be found. Take a look and see what hides in the soaring nooks. READ MORE

Brooklyn Bridge Park's Harvest Festival

Dumbo, Brooklyn
Saturday, October 18, 2025
Celebrate the fall season at the 14th annual harvest festival in Brooklyn Bridge Park. A fun procession kicks off the event, which includes arts and crafts, storytelling, lawn games, and more—plus BBP's signature pumpkin patch. READ MORE

Riverside Park Pup Halloween Parade

Upper West Side
Saturday, October 18, 2025
Pups are encouraged to don their most creative costumes and parade through the park, spreading Halloween cheer and cuteness overload! All breeds, sizes, and spooky styles are welcome. The parade starts on the promenade by 116th Street and ends at Ellington in the Park with a Costume Contest, music, special giveaways and lots of Halloween merriment.   READ MORE

Reclaimed Wood Jack O’ Lanterns at Greenbelt Nature Center

High Rock Park, Staten Island
Sunday, October 19, 2025
Kids are invited to transform reclaimed wood into a fun and festive fall decoration. READ MORE

Labubu Pumpkin Fest at City Point

Downtown Brooklyn
Sunday, October 19, 2025
City Point and Brooklyn Bridge Parents kick off the spooky season with pumpkin decorating, fall crafts, and a Labubu meet-and-greet. Costumes encouraged!   READ MORE

Halloween Howl & Healthy Hound Fair in Carl Schurz Park

Upper East Side
Sunday, October 19, 2025
The Howl is Carl Schurz Park's annual dog costume event. More than 200 creatively costumed pups strut their stuff before a blue-chip fashion industry coven of judges. READ MORE

Asphalt Screams

Upper East Side
Friday, October 24, 2025
Get into the Halloween spirit at Asphalt Screams, where the community comes together for an afternoon of ghostly delights, family-friendly frights, and unforgettable memories. READ MORE

High Line Halloween: Little Park of Horrors

High Line
Saturday, October 25, 2025
This spooky Halloween event celebrates NYC’s fierce and resilient nature, showcasing plants and creatures—both real and imagined—that come alive on the High Line at night.  READ MORE

Halloween Boo Bash on Randall's Island

Randall's Island
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Visit Randall’s Island for a little pre-Halloween adventure. Do some crafts, play games, and enjoy some candy while supplies last. READ MORE

Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest in Fort Greene Park

Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Saturday, October 25, 2025
It's time to get your costume—and more importantly, your pup's—ready for Fort Greene Park's annual Halloween Festival and dog costume contest. READ MORE

40th Annual Bronx Halloween Parade

South Bronx
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Celebrating its 40th year, this beloved community-based event continues to serve as a safe space for children and adults alike to enjoy the spirit of Halloween.  READ MORE

Pumpkin Carving Contest in Washington Market Park

Tribeca
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Washington Market Park hosts this annual free community event with trophies awarded in five pumpkin-carving categories: cutest, scariest, funniest, most realistic, and most creative. Bring your own pumpkin to enter, or just stop by with your family to enjoy the festive display! READ MORE

NYSoM Halloween Havoc 2025 at East Harlem Tutorial

East Harlem
Saturday, October 25, 2025
NYSoM presents its 13th annual Halloween Havoc, a ghoultastic, spooktacular event featuring appearances from Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, and The Wolfman. Enjoy pumpkin painting, slime-making, and spooky storytelling. READ MORE

Bay Ridge Halloween Festival

Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Brooklyn Bridge Parents and the 5th Avenue BID team up to host a big fall festival on 10 blocks of car-free 5th Avenue from 72nd to 85th Streets. Check out the uniquely decorated houses on the side streets and enjoy a block party with bouncy houses, arts and crafts, pumpkin decorating, a trunk-or-treat, haunted trucks, music, and more. READ MORE

Teen Takeover at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library

Midtown East
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Teens take over the Library after hours for a night of "scary" karaoke, a costume contest, oversized games, arts and crafts, dancing on the rooftop premiere event center, DJs on multiple floors, and more. READ MORE

Annual Pumpkin Party at Williamsbridge Oval

Norwood, the Bronx
Saturday, October 25, 2025
The Williamsbridge Oval Pumpkin Party gets families in the Halloween spirit with games, arts & crafts, interactive activities, and more! READ MORE

Upcycling Halloween Crafts for Kids in Fort Greene Park

Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Saturday, October 25, 2025
The Urban Park Rangers show kids how to make a Boo-Bag for trick or treating. Bring your own reusable tote bag to decorate for Halloween.  READ MORE

Queer Halloween Costume Party at Sugar Mouse

East Village
Saturday, October 25, 2025
The Queer Family Podcast & Gaytriarchs are teaming up to throw the ultimate Halloween Costume Party, where LGBTQ+ families, friends, and allies can come together for candy, catwalks, and community. READ MORE

Halloween Harvest Festival 2025 in Socrates Sculpture Park

Long Island City, Queens
Saturday, October 25, 2025
The Halloween Harvest Festival returns to Socrates Sculpture Park, bringing with it family-friendly workshops, a community resource fair, and New York’s second-largest dog costume contest, co-presented with Chateau le Woof. Celebrate the autumn season with pumpkin decorating and creative workshops.  READ MORE

Pumpkin Sing-Along in Sakura Park

West Harlem
Sunday, October 26, 2025
Every Voice Choirs hosts a pumpkin sing-along community concert in Sakura Park. READ MORE

Children's Halloween Festival at Bleecker Playground

Greenwich Village
Sunday, October 26, 2025
This annual celebration begins with a toddler-friendly costume parade around the nabe to the Bleecker Street Playground, and includes face painting, craft tables, and trick-or-treating. READ MORE

Halloween: Wags to Witches in Van Cortlandt Park

Riverdale, the Bronx
Sunday, October 26, 2025
Van Cortlandt Park Alliance, Van Cortlandt House Museum, and the Urban Park Rangers host a FREE fang-tastic afternoon of family and doggy fun. Get ready for creepy crafts, face painting, spine-chilling stories and more!  READ MORE

Creepy Crawly Halloween at the Audubon Center

Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Sunday, October 26, 2025
The Prospect Park Alliance hosts a special Halloween celebration where kids can take a look at some creepy creatures. Interactive activities and experiments may just let kids learn these critters aren't so creepy after all.  READ MORE

Washington Market Park's Annual Halloween Costume Parade and Party

Tribeca
Sunday, October 26, 2025
Washington Market Park gathers the neighborhood ghouls and goblins together for a Halloween party and costume parade, led by the Queer Big Apple Corps Marching Band. Follow the band down Greenwich Street in your Halloween finest. READ MORE

Legend of Sleepy Hollow in Prospect Park

Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Sunday, October 26, 2025
Join Prospect Park Alliance for a community reading of Washington Irving’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow on the porch of Lefferts Historic House. READ MORE

Halloween on the Harlem Meer: Pumpkin Flotilla

Harlem
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
The Harlem Meer comes alive as the sun sets in this annual Halloween favorite. Hand-carved jack-o'-lanterns both spooky and sweet set sail at dusk in New York City's largest pumpkin flotilla. READ MORE

Wave Hill-O-Ween

Riverdale, the Bronx
Thursday, October 30, 2025
Venture through Wave Hill's iron gates (if you dare!) for an evening adventure with treats, tricks, and good old spooky fun. Grab a map to guide you on an eerie treasure trail through the gardens with “gourdgeous” photo-ops along the way. Personalize a treat bag and decorate a mini-gourd favor, then dance away the eve with family-friendly tunes in spooktacular Armor Hall. READ MORE

The Great Pumpkin Patch Talent Show at the Bronx Library

Kingsbridge Heights, the Bronx
Friday, October 31, 2025
An afternoon of amazing performances awaits, as kids showcase their unique talents in the Auditorium at the Bronx Library Center.  READ MORE

11th Annual Halloween in East Midtown

Midtown East
Friday, October 31, 2025
The East Midtown Partnership welcomes kids ages 12 and under to the free, 11th annual Halloween in East Midtown spooktacular, including pumpkin painting at Sunrise at East 56th, 139 East 56th Street; a Maniac Pumpkin jack-o-lantern display at 919 3rd Avenue, and of course trick-or-treating at the participating businesses. READ MORE

Hippo Playground Halloween Parade

Upper West Side
Friday, October 31, 2025
The annual Hippo Playground Halloween Parade invites costumed kids to gather at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument at 89th Street and Riverside Drive and parade to Hippo Playground. READ MORE

Dumboween: Halloween March to the Arch

Dumbo, Brooklyn
Friday, October 31, 2025
Put on your most creative costume, and head to Dumbo for a Halloween March to the Arch. Beginning at Washington Street, between Front and Water Streets, costumed participants parade to the Dumbo Archway, led by live music and puppets. READ MORE

Jackson Heights Halloween Parade

Jackson Heights, Queens
Friday, October 31, 2025
The Jackson Heights Halloween Parade—NYC’s largest children’s Halloween parade—lines up once again at 89th Street and 37th Avenue and marches down 37th Avenue to PS 69. READ MORE

BAMboo!

Downtown Brooklyn
Friday, October 31, 2025
BAM’s annual free community Halloween celebration happily haunts the neighborhood with family-friendly music, carnival games, arts and crafts, candy giveaways, trick-or-treat popcorn, and more. Costumes are encouraged. READ MORE

Park Slope Halloween Parade

Park Slope, Brooklyn
Friday, October 31, 2025
The Park Slope Civic Council hosts the spookiest parade in Park Slope. Marchers line up at 7th Avenue and 14th Street and wind their way to the Old Stone House. Come early to trick-or-treat. READ MORE

Halloween with Boo!KCM

Park Slope, Brooklyn
Friday, October 31, 2025
The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music hosts an outdoor Halloween Party. Talented musical spirits give a spine-chilling performance in a haunted musical garden, and the candy is frightfully delicious. READ MORE

Bklyn Boo! at Albee Square

Downtown Brooklyn
Friday, October 31, 2025
Don your Halloween best and pop by Albee Square for an afternoon of music, puppets, giveaways, and a special Dance-off featuring Labubu! READ MORE

52nd Annual Village Halloween Parade

Greenwich Village
Friday, October 31, 2025
The world's most famous Halloween parade weaves through the streets of Greenwich Village once again. Hundreds of puppets, musicians, dancers, and artists, and thousands of other New Yorkers in creative costumes march in the nation’s most wildly creative public participatory event in the greatest city in the world. READ MORE

Inwood Pumpkin Pageant in Isham Park

Inwood
Saturday, November 1, 2025
The Inwood Pumpkin Pageant returns to Isham Park for another spooky display of Halloween artistry. Local residents bring their carved jack-o'-lanterns to the park the evening after Halloween for a grand community event. READ MORE

Hudson River Park's Pumpkin Smash

Midtown West
Saturday, November 1, 2025
Bring your jack-o'-lantern or uncarved pumpkin to Hudson River Park's Pier 84 to squash, smash, and smush it into compost to help keep the park beautiful, green, and growing. The fun-packed afternoon includes free face painting from Silly Cheeks and circus entertainment by Bindlestiff performers. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL)
Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center
BAM Peter Jay Sharp Lobby and Lepercq Space

About the Author

Drew Kristofik
Drew Kristofik’s career took a twist from editing teen magazines to a seven-year stint at MacNeil/Lehrer, followed by a long run at Nickelodeon/Viacom as Director of Content for Nick Online and Editor-in-Chief of ParentsConnect.com. A founding member of the Webby Award-winning GoCityKids, she’s written for Family Fun, Vanity Fair, and New York. Her middle school novel, The Time Boat, is available on Amazon Kindle. Drew keeps the MommyPoppins New York Events calendar spot-on and can be reached at events@mommypoppins.com.
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