A Guide to Everything Halloween in Park Slope
From the first event at Green-Wood Cemetery to the end of the Halloween Parade. The best dogs in costumes, all-time scary movies on the big screen, fall festivals, haunted tours, and costume contests!
Welcome to a special edition best Park Slope events newsletter. This is our very first seasonal Guide so please let us know what you think in the comments! As always, links to sources are in (parentheses) after each event. We will update this page as events move, and you can also follow our IG for more urgent updates about event changes.
Destination Halloween Displays
In collaboration with StoopDecor, we’ve we’ve identified six must-see home decorations:
The Great Pumpkin on 8th Ave & Union Street
Haunted Barbieland on President between 5th & 6th Avenues
The House of Dolls on 6th ave between 12th and 13th Streets
The Skeleton Party House on Carroll Street and 8th ave
Everything and a Bathtub on 3rd Street b/w 5th and 6th Ave
The Giant Skeletons on 14th street & 4th Ave
Follow StoopDecor and our account and let us know what we should add to our list!
Week Three
Thursday, October 19th
🔥🎃Flameworking: Halloween Treats and Tricks: “Make your own Witch's Hat, Candy Corn, Pumpkins and Friendly Glass Monsters glass beads!” (5:00 PM, Urban Glass, $195)
🍿😂🏺The Mummy Entirely From Memory: “Performers will attempt (and most likely fail) to recreate “The Mummy”, without the aid of scripts, rehearsals, or sobriety. All they will have will be their memory, a recent viewing of the film, and a lot of wigs.” (8:00 PM, Littlefield, $10)
Friday, October 20th
🍿😱’Candyman’ @ Central Library: “During the month of October, the Central Library will show films celebrating the scariest month of the year. This week's movie is ‘Candyman,’ Directed by Bernard Rose. (3:30 PM, Central Library)
🎃🎨🖌Sip & Paint with Private Picassos: “We'll get the Fall spirit and paint a pumpkin still life! Learn traditional watercolor painting techniques, including dry brush and wet into wet, to create your own unique painting.” (7:00 PM, Winemak’Her Bar)
🪦💃🌕Nightfall: Danse Macabre. “This year’s Nightfall—the crowning event of Green-Wood’s fall season—is inspired by the danse macabre or dance of death. Dating to the Middle Ages, it describes skeletons enticing kings, cardinals, and common folk to their graves with musical accompaniment (or for the more reluctant, by hook or by crook). It’s a poignant reminder that the same fate awaits us all. Till then, shake off any fears or anxieties and join us in a celebration of time we have left together.” (7:00 PM, Green-Wood Cemetery, $75-$100)
😂💀Underworld’s Biggest Mummy Port Of Skull: Halloween City: “Podcast About List (Patrick Doran, Cameron Fetter, Caleb Pitts), Home Planet (Alex Forrest, Joe Gleason) and Pierce Campion have put aside their cultural differences to form a scarefully skullstructed BOO!-style sketch comedy alliance in Halloween City.” (8:00 PM, Littlefield, $15-$20)
🍿😂🥃A Drinking Game NYC Presents ‘Hocus Pocus:’ “Take your favorite 80s or 90s flick, mix in a live staged reading, add a dash of your favorite beverage, and you've got one hell of a cocktail. Talented actors perform cult classics for a live audience.” (8:00 PM, The Bell House, $20)
Saturday, October 21st
🍂🏃NYCRUNS Falling Leaves Half Marathon & 5K: “Usher in the fall foliage with us in Prospect Park at one of our most popular races - the NYCRUNS Falling Leaves Half Marathon & 5K! Our half marathoners will enjoy about four loops of gorgeous autumnal views while 5K participants will take it all in with a little less than one loop around the park. But, don't worry, both halfletes and 5K runners alike will walk away with a snazzy medal and autumn vibes to last a lifetime.” (8:00 AM, Prospect Park)
🚎🧑⚖️🪦Tales Of Turmoil: Crime And Catastrophe Part 2: “With over 575,000 permanent residents resting at Green-Wood, there are many whose paths to the afterlife were far from peaceful. Building upon the riveting tales from Crime and Catastrophe Part 1, this trolley tour delves even further into the depths of darkness with more true crime and disaster stories told across the Cemetery grounds.” (10:00 AM, Green-Wood Cemetery, $30)
🛍🍂Pumpkin and Spice Vendors Delight Fall Market: “Shop unique vendors with handmade items and sweets. Arts and crafts for kids.” (11:00 AM, Industry City)
💀Giant Puppet Making Workshop: March of the Wiggling Bones: “A one day puppet workshop to build and parade a motley crew of skeleton puppets. This project, for ages 6 and up, will help you create a puppet 6 feet tall or taller and teach you how to make it dance around Washington Park before you take it home for your own Halloween celebrations. Led by professional puppeteer and long-time collaborator for local Halloween events, Theresa Linnihan returns to lead this workshop which includes printing, painting and assembling a set of bones that can only be described as lively and fun!” (11:00 AM, Old Stone House )
🐅👻Boo at the Zoo: See above. (11:00 AM, Prospect Park Zoo) - CANCELLED
🍿🪡’Coraline’ @Nitehawk: Stop-motion genius Henry Selick adapting Neil Gaiman’s fairy tale novel. Stellar voice acting by Dakota Fanning, Ian McShane and Keith David, but the most terrifying performance is Teri Hatcher’s performance as ‘Other Mother.’ (12:45 PM, Nitehawk Cinema)
🪦🚶Memento Mori: Cemetery Symbolism to Remember Death: “With winged hourglasses and flying souls, cemeteries have long reminded visitors of the fleetingness of time. In the Victorian age, this memento mori—or remember death—style of symbolism transformed with a rising emphasis on resurrection and salvation. Instead of skulls, there were angels and suggestions of meeting again in the next life, like clasped hands carved on headstones. This walk in Green-Wood Cemetery—founded in 1838 in the midst of this shift in memorialization—will focus on memento mori symbolism in the 19th century.” (1:00 PM, Green-Wood Cemetery, $25)
🖼😱bkONE Presents: Nightmares – A Group Art Show: “Over 20 artists will bring their deepest fears and haunting nightmares to life through captivating visual artworks, taking the audience on a chilling exploration of their darkest fears. Costumes are encouraged, adding an extra layer of frightful delight to this immersive art event. The art on display will be available for purchase, allowing attendees to take a piece of their own fears home, wrapped in the haunting beauty of artistry.” (2:00 PM, Industry City)
😂🐶💅💄👠Doggy Drag Party: “Dress your pup as a Drag Queen/ King, LGBTQIA+ Activist or Queer Icon. Prize pack for best dressed dog. All viewers and entrants get a free Dyke beer.” (6:00 PM, Sandy Jack's, $10 entrant fee, $5 cover)
🛍🧙🍸Gloss Brooklyn: The Witches - A Gathering: “Join Gloss Brooklyn for a spooky night of Tarot, tattoos, drinks, shopping, self care planning sessions, & community.” (6:00 PM, Industry City)
😂👻What's the Worst That Could Happen? A Ouija Comedy Show: “Everyone will be invited to drop a question into a hat which we will ask our Ouija board. While we await an answer, we invited some of our funniest friends to perform on stage. Come with your questions, and remember, it’s only a game!” (7:00 PM, Young Ethel)
Sunday, October 22nd
🛼🎃Halloween Fest: “Come Join Us For The Second Annual Lakeside Halloween Fest Featuring: Roller Skating, Bumper Cars, Game Zone, Arts & Crafts And Cookie Decorating. ” (11:00 AM, Prospect Park- Lefrak Center, $26)
Week Four
Monday, October 23rd
🍿👻🏚‘The Haunting’ (1963) @Nitehawk: “Noted as being one of the most frightening films in cinema, Wise’s usage of camera angles, soundscapes and special effects made you believe that the architecture is breathing, tracking, and alive.” (9:15 PM, Nitehawk Cinema)
Tuesday, October 24th
👏🎶Stomp, Clap and Sing with Esther: “Join award-winning NYC Kindie musician, Esther, her family, and her hand-made puppets - including Greta the Ghost - for a special SPOOKY Stomp Clap and Sing!” (10:30 AM, Central Library)
👻🔥Sasha Graham’s Ghost Stories By The Fire: “Sasha Graham’s Ghost Stories By The Fire returns with the NYC launch of A Shadow of Your Former Self by Amy Grech. Grab a cocktail and cozy up around the fire pit to enjoy a Q&A with the author, plus spooky stories from featured storytellers Olena Jennings, M. M. De Voe, James Chambers, and Christopher Ryan. You’ll also have the opportunity to join them on stage and tell a ghost story of your own.” (7:30 PM, Industry City)
🍿😵‘Final Destination 2’ @ Nitehawk: Death is a tenacious bastard. (9:15 PM, Nitehawk Cinema)
Wednesday, October 25th
😂🗣Halloween Punderdome®: Pun And Pun-Costume Compuntitions! “NYC’s hilarious cult-favorite pun competition … both an endearingly homemade and impressively high-caliber show during which astute wordsmiths spin clever and very funny puns to a packed crowd. Hosted by Fred Firestone w/Champs Lingo Star, Daft Pun, Lexi Kahn, Words Nightmare, Toby Continued, Boogie Momster, Insta Grammar & more!" (8:00 PM, Littlefield, $12-$15)
😱📹Museum Of Home Video Presents Ring, Ring: A Doorbell Cam Fantasia: “Museum of Home Video is a weekly found footage livestream for stoners, seekers, archivists and drinkers. For this special IRL show, MOHV premieres a new feature-length edit that’s chilling and all too-real! Plus, the program’s rounded out with a found footage trove of horror movie ephemera.” (9:15 PM, Nitehawk Cinema)
Thursday, October 26th
😂🥀😵Live After Death: Ben Wasserman: “Within the span of three years, comedian Ben Wasserman lost his dad, granddad, uncle, and four friends. In his new show Live After Death, Wasserman blends comedy, clowning, and crowd work as he leads the audience on a hilarious yet moving journey through grief, honoring and celebrating the ones we’ve lost along the way. Expect vulnerable conversation, juggling, some dancing—it’s part catharsis, part circus…total chaos!” (7:00 PM, Green-Wood Cemetery, $50)
🖼Wunderkammer: A Taxidermy Showcase and Competition: “Join us as the nation's most innovative taxidermy artists fill you with awe and wonder as they showcase their most creative creatures in a showcase that awards the beautiful and bizarre. A cabinet of curiosities comes to life!” (8:00 PM, The Bell House, $20)
🎭👻🧙bkONE Presents: A Brooklyn Arcanum, Strange Chalices of Vision: “A Brooklyn Arcanum: Strange Chalices of Vision includes a night of Halloween plays about hoaxes, ghosts, the alchemical properties of alcohol, and deals with the devil that “encourage women to practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism, master the seven arts, and become lesbians.” (8:00 PM, Industry City, $15)
🍿🎃Shouting At The Screen Halloween Edition: “Each show, Donwill, Wyatt and a guest will present a classic film from the wonderful world of 70’s era Blaxploitation and Black cult cinema. The hosts will be mic’ed up providing commentary, lovingly poking fun at some of these films’ more absurd and problematic moments while also celebrating an important bygone era of Black independent cinema, whether that’s sharing obscure trivia or creating drinking games to highlight a film’s surprisingly large number of wide brimmed hats.” (9:15 PM, Nitehawk Cinema)
Friday, October 27th
🎃🎈Frying Pan Brooklyn Halloween Party: “Get down and get spooky at Frying Pan Brooklyn’s annual Halloween Party on Friday, October 27th, featuring scary-good decorations, an all day Happy Hour with discounted drinks, food specials & random raffles. Shake it til ya break it with DJ Max at 8pm. This year’s theme is Y2K, so think early 2000’s fashions, movies and pop culture. Prizes for the best costumes.” (12:00 PM, Industry City)
👻🪴Spooky Plant Swap Party: “Join The Sill for a Spooky Plant Swap Party in Park Slope! Bring a healthy plant or plant cutting to swap with other guests in costume.” (5:00 PM, The Sill)
🎃🎧🎤️The Creep Out: A ’90s BK Halloween Joint: “Don your baddest, Brooklyn-est ’90s wear for an after-hours Halloween celebration hosted by The Lay Out, a community platform honoring Black joy, rest, and reunion. Paying homage to our new exhibition Spike Lee: Creative Sources, join us for a spirited night of “beats and boos.” The evening features costume contests and prizes, a Black-owned-brands marketplace with Brooklyn Pop-Up and The Lay Out’s Buy BLK.” (7:00 PM, Brooklyn Museum $30)
🍸🪩Electric Lit’s Masquerade Of The Red Death: “This year we’re celebrating haunted houses in literature, and paying homage to Edgar Allan Poe’s story, ‘The Fall of the House of Usher.’ Join us for an evening of drinks and dancing in support of Electric Literature!” (8:00 PM, Littlefield, $50-$75)
🍸🪩City of Gods Halloween 2023: “City of Gods comes alive every Halloween to bring you an extravagant music & arts festival spanning two breathtaking nights. Our grand convergence of pantheistic powers, a gathering of immense opulence. This is your invitation to express your extravagance. We welcome all deities, demigods and demons, goddexxes, creatures of creation and those devoted to hedonism beyond the human realm.” (9:00 PM, Industry City)
Saturday, October 28th
👻🚶Spirited Stroll: “A perennial favorite returns! Get into the autumnal mood and enjoy a cool, crisp day exploring Green-Wood’s beautiful fall foliage. Historian Jeff Richman will lead this popular tour filled with tales of murder, mayhem, spirits, and the utterly bizarre. Visit the graves of The Wizard of Oz (actor Frank Morgan), George Washington’s favorite dentist, the somewhat shady originator of Spiritualism, and many others.” (11:00 AM, Green-Wood Cemetery, $30)
🐅👻Boo at the Zoo: See above. (11:00 AM, Prospect Park Zoo)- CANCELLED
🍿🐲’Destroy All Monster’ @ Nitehawk: “At the turn of the century, Earth’s monsters have been safely rounded up and studied on Monsterland. Chaos erupts when a race of she-aliens known as the Kilaaks unleash Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra and more monsters across the world.” (11:00 AM, Nitehawk Cinema)
🍿‘The Witches’ @ Nitehawk Cinema: “Based on the Roald Dahl book about a nine-year-old and his grandmother who turn the tables on a witch’s plot to turn all the children of Britain into mice.” (12:00 PM, Nitehawk Cinema)
🎃🍬Rock and Roll Playhouse: Parade + Trick-or-Treat: “ Rock and Roll Playhouse will be hosting an extra special Fright City Halloween party. Ticket holders can pick up a trick-or-treat IC basket from the show and follow the trail through the campus to find all the treats. Costumes are encouraged with an Instagram giveaway for best dressed.” (12:00 PM, Industry City)
🪓Axe Throwing: “Trick Or Treat Yoself! Enjoy Halloween Vibes, Spooky Axe Throwing & Zombie Axe, Costumes, Delish Drinks & Food, Fun Games & more!” (12:00 PM, Kick Axe Brooklyn)
🪄🎩Events for Youth & Families: Abracadabra! “Magic, laughter and fun will fill the air with Plaza’s highly-acclaimed interactive magic show! With a theatrical flair, audience members will laugh, stare with wonder, but above all – be fantastically entertained! Maybe the audience will even learn a few of the magician’s secrets!” (1:00 PM, Central Library)
🎃🎸🍭Rock and Roll Playhouse: Parade + Trick-or-Treat: “Rock and Roll Playhouse will be hosting an extra special Fright City Halloween party. Ticket holders can pick up a trick-or-treat IC basket from the show and follow the trail through the campus to find all the treats. Costumes are encouraged with an Instagram giveaway for best dressed.”(1:00 PM, Industry City, $5)
🎃💄💅👠👑Switch N Play: Cursesd: “Beloved Brooklyn drag and burlesque collective Switch n’ Play returns to Littlefield featuring: Miss Mailice, Vigor Mortis, Divina Gransparkle and more. ” (8:00 PM, Littlefield, $15-$25)
🎧🎤️Freddy’s World Famous Halloween Costume Contest & Dance Party: “Hot DJ’’s, Prizes, No Assholes!” (8:00 PM, Freddy's Bar)
🎃🎶🎤️Cosplay Karaoke Halloween Party: “You may have noticed that Halloween falls on a Tuesday this year, but that's not going to stop That Bar from celebrating in style! Picture this: You, decked out in your finest cosplay, singing your heart out on a Saturday night. It's going to be epic! The night promises to be a blast, filled with fantastic costumes, killer karaoke, and an unforgettable atmosphere.” (9:00 PM, That Bar, $10)
👻🎪🤡🥃Sandy Jack’s Haunted Circus Masquerade: “Break out your best masked Halloween costumes, and come party with Undertaker Preethi in This Haunted Circus of Cursed Clowns! There will be signature drinks and a costume contest. Party until 4:00 AM.” (10:00 PM, Sandy Jack’s)
🏳🌈🎃🎉Global Warming Presents: Pumpkin Spiked: A QTBIPOC Halloween Party: “lobal Warming wants to heat up the room with music, vibes and energy at every party. Halloween Costume with cash prizes for 1st and 2nd place winners.” (11:00 PM, Littlefield, $10-$20)
Sunday, October 29th
🐅👻Boo at the Zoo: See above. (11:00 AM, Prospect Park Zoo)
🕷🦇🌳Creepy Crawly Halloween: “Join Prospect Park Alliance at the Audubon Center for a special Halloween celebration. Take a second look at the creatures that give you the creeps, you may find you like them! Participate in fun activities and experiments that will make your spine tingle!” (12:00 PM, Prospect Park - Audubon Center)
🎃🐕🦺🐾Badass Animal Rescue Halloween Walk: “Step into the Halloween spirit by supporting Badass Animal Rescues! Every underdog has a spark, a hope of a forever home. Paw-to-Paw Fundraiser culminating in a festive event on Oct 29 at Prospect Park. Think dog costume contests and delightful activities!” (12:00 PM , Prospect Park)
👻🎠Haunted Carousel: “Don’t be scared when you see the haunted carousel! Take a spin on the spooky ride to your favorite Halloween jams at the beloved Prospect Park Carousel.” (12:00 PM, Prospect Park, $3)
🔱😱🚶Doomed Voyages Walking Tour: “Traveling opens the door to new possibilities, where every step can lead to new adventures and discoveries or—for those less fortunate—tragedy and woe. Join us as we delve into the ill-fated voyages memorialized at Green-Wood, spanning from the seas to the streets to the skies. You’ll learn about the devastating 1960 plane crash that changed Park Slope forever; the heart-wrenching tale of Robert ‘Little Dougie’ Spedden who survived the sinking of the Titanic, only to have his life cut short soon after, and many more stories that serve as poignant reminders of the perils often faced by those who dare venture afar.” (12:00 PM, Green-Wood Cemetery, $25)
🎃🎉🥁Halloween Costume Contest 2023: “Get your most spooktacular outfit ready for our Halloween Costume Contest & Mini Parade! Join us in the Park from 12-2 pm for creepy arts and crafts projects with Private Picassos. The costume contest will begin at 2 pm. We’ll award the best costumes and then have a mini parade around the Park. We especially encourage homemade costumes with lots of imagination and recycled materials.” (1:00 PM, Old Stone House)
😱🚶🌳Creepy Crawly Walk: “Participants will search for Prospect Park’s creepy residents and explore hidden areas of the park.” (3:00 PM, Prospect Park)
😱🚶Haunted Walk @6/15 Green: “All are welcome..if you dare.” (5:00 PM, 15th Street and 6th Avenue Garden)
🍿🎶🎤️💋The 10th ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ Live Band Karaoke Halloween Extravaganza : “Happy Rocky Halloween! The Occasionalists, Brooklyn’s premier live karaoke band, are back in their collective garters and glossy red lipstick to bring you The 10th Annual Rocky Horror Picture Show Live Band Karaoke Halloween Extravaganza. Like past years, the band (with some special guests) will be playing the complete RHPS soundtrack and you, the audience, can sign up to sing the songs with the band. Karaoke is followed by a special screening of the film.” (7:30 PM, Littlefield, $12-$17)
Week Five
Monday, October 30th
🙋📝826NYC's Trivia Night for Cheaters: “Your favorite game of chicanery, 826NYC's Trivia Night for Cheaters, is back for 2023! Join Host Janeane Garofalo at The Bell House on October 30th at 7:30 PM for a night of trivia that will test your knowledge and sense of ethics! This year's tournament is on Halloween Eve (is that a thing?), so costumes are strongly encouraged. Proceeds from this event directly support the 4,000+ young authors who come to 826NYC each year to write their own paths forward.” (7:30 PM, The Bell House)
🍿📹😱‘Book Of Shadows: Blair Witch 2’ @ Nitehawk Cinema: Studio executives effed up the original intentions of the movie, but for this one night only event, Director, Joe Berlinger joins us in person following a screening on 35mm film to discuss the fraught history of the making of the movie, and how it reads decades later. (8:00 PM, Nitehawk Cinema)
Tuesday, October 31st
😱🎶🍬Boo!KCM: “The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music hosts our annual Halloween event for the whole family! Join us outside of our Park Slope building for spine-chilling musical performances, a haunted instrument garden and, of course, candy! This event is free for all to attend – as long as you’re in costume!” (4:00 PM, Brooklyn Conservatory of Music)
🪦🌌Green-Wood After Hours: “Long after Green-Wood’s gates close to the public, explore its historic grounds under the cover of night. You’ll weave through the Cemetery’s stunning landscape and visit the graves of fascinating figures in New York and American history. This not-to-be-missed walking tour ends with a visit to the Catacombs, which are normally closed to the public.” (Multiple times, Green-Wood Cemetery, $30)
🎃👻🧟🥁Park Slope Annual Halloween Parade: The big finale, the best family-friendly Halloween Parade in the city, travels down 7th Avenue from 14th Street north to 3rd street and ends at the Old Stone House. (6:30, 7th Avenue at 14th Street)
💅💄👠📖🎃🥂Drag Story Hour NYC: Halloween Benefit: “DSHNYC’s Halloween Benefit will be a fun and fabulous evening where we can celebrate all we’ve accomplished together, with speakers, performances along with our storytellers, board members, and supporters in a celebration of gender diversity, drag equity, and forward momentum! There will be raffles, awards, and of course, dancing. Costumes and/or attending as the best version of yourself is highly encouraged!” (7:00 PM, Gemini and Scorpio Loft)
Union Halloween: Come party at Brooklyn's spookiest comedy venue on Halloween Night. You're gonna die laughing. Dress in costume for the chance to win prizes and respect*!” (7:30PM, Union Hall)
🍿🧛‘NOSFERATU’ @ Nitehawk: Live Sound Cinema score by Order of the Illusive (7:30 PM, Nitehawk Cinema)
🕺🪩Habbaween: “It’s time for the annual hABBAween celebration y’all and this year it’s spookier and groovier than ever. On Halloween Proper the legendary ABBA tribute band returns to Littlefield and they’re playing nothing but hits. Calling all Dancing Queens in the tri-state area for an unforgettable night of disco. PS did we mention there’s a costume contest…?” (8:00 PM, Littlefield, $15-$20)
😂🎃Dan Joe Halloween Show: “Dan Licata and Joe Pera present a special DVD show for Halloween.” (8:00 PM, The Bell House, $15)
‘Marley & Esther Are Psychic’ @ Union Hall: ‘This Halloween season, Esther and Marley take you on a spiritual journey— a séance, if you will. They will be talking to the dead (like your childhood dog Skipper), helping the audience connect and move through loss and grief live on stage. So join Esther, Marley, and four other comedians their the journey to cast away demons, read people’s future, commune to the spirits, and help everyone leave one step closer to reaching their full potential.’ (10PM, Union Hall)
Wednesday, November 1st
💀🏵🌹🎵Day Of The Dead Family Celebration: “Discover the rich history and traditions associated with the holiday Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) through family-friendly crafts, performances, music, activities, and food.” (4:00 PM, Green-Wood Cemetery)
Let us know what you’re doing/dressing as/building in the comments!
this is an amazing list, thanks for sharing!!