Forget sweater weather — it’s Halloween. And that means it’s costume season. And there’s no better place in the country than New York City to celebrate. Seriously, a recent survey found NYC was the capital of All Hallow’s Eve revelry. People gather here from around the world to dress up and drink until the wee hours of the morning with all of the parties, events, and excursions to be had in the Big Apple (or as many call it, the “Big Pumpkin.”)
So get that costume you’ve been working on for the last few months, and head out into the crisp air to experience everything the city has to offer on this, the spookiest, of all holidays.
Here are the top 5 things to do New York City for Halloween:
The Halloween Parade
NYC is a city of imagination and dreamers, and on Thursday, October 31st, you can see all that creativity come to life during the 2019 New York’s Village Halloween Parade. Along 6th Avenue, catch merrymakers adorned in elaborate costumes from monsters to ghouls to celebrities. It’s one of the most significant Halloween events in the country and worth a visit — or march in it yourself from SoHo to Chelsea.
Killing an Evening with Edgar Allan Poe
No singular writer has added more to the horror genre than Edgar Allan Poe. His moody, psychological tales involve macabre characters in even more macabre situations. At what the New York Times calls the “best-preserved” New York City home from the 1800s called the Merchant House Museum, hear an actor read from some of Poe’s most recognizable and scariest works.
Tour with Ghosts
The Merchant House Museum also offers a ghost tour of what some say is the most haunted house in New York. Free Tours by Foot visits many places around the city that are believed to be haunted. Walk around Washington Square Park or see the location of Mark Twain’s “House of Horror.”
Drink with Spirits
If you’re more into imbibing spirits than going on a tour about them, One If By Land Two If By Sea is one fine dining establishment that just might be haunted. While you enjoy a cocktail or indulge in their classic beef wellington (perfect for a fall evening), you very possibly could be surrounded by ghosts, including at least one famous one. This is Aaron Burr’s old carriage house, and sightings of him have been reported in addition to over 24 alleged specters.
Do the Time Warp… Again
Seeing a midnight showing of the cult classic “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is almost a right of passage for any New Yorker. And there’s no time more appropriate to dress up as characters from the movie, sing along with the famous tunes — “Time Warp,” anyone? — and yell at the screen in this totally interactive experience than on October 31st. On Halloween night, you’ll find many showtimes in various locations.
Walk in the Footsteps of the Headless Horseman
OK, so the Headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane are figments of author Washington Irving’s mind, it’s just a quick trip upstate to Sleepy Hollow, NY to see the namesake location of this American masterpiece. While no real ghostly headless people are seen walking about the town, everyone who lives there goes all out for Halloween with displays, activities, and decorations. It’s truly a quintessential example of the holiday.
