15+ Best Halloween Festivals in NYC (Blaze, Bronx Zoo)
Halloween season in New York has a way of turning every weekend into a full-blown celebration. Instead of just sticking to haunted houses or movie marathons, people are heading out to festivals packed with lights, costumes, and nonstop energy. And this guide to 15+ best Halloween festivals in NYC rounds up the top spots where you can join the fun. I’ve also listed a few great options just outside NYC.
Important: Check the official event pages for the absolute latest information, as details can change. Also, free entry might still require an RSVP or have extra charges for food, drinks, or specific activities.
Best Halloween Festivals in NYC
Halloween Harvest at Luna Park
Coney Island’s Luna Park is going full spooky mode this year. You’ve got pumpkin decorating, trick-or-treating, and carnival-style snacks.
- When: Until November 2, 2025
- Where: 1000 Surf Ave, Brooklyn
- Tickets: Get wristbands here.
- Website: https://lunaparknyc.com
- Best For: Families and date nights.
FRIGID New York’s Days of the Dead Festival
This East Village fest brings together Halloween, Día de los Muertos, and performance art in the most New York way possible. Expect theatre, poetry, and a whole lot of emotion.
- When: Until November 2, 2025
- Where: UNDER St Marks Theater (94 St. Marks Place, New York)
- Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://frigid.nyc
- Best For: Art lovers and deep thinkers.
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze
Over 7,000 hand-carved pumpkins light up the night — some shaped like carousels, wagons, and even iconic statues. If you’re after those Halloween Instagram shots, it’s just a few minutes’ drive from the city.
- Best For: Families and couples.
- When: Until November 16, 2025
- Where: Van Cortlandt Manor (525 S Riverside, Croton-on-Hudson)
- Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://pumpkinblaze.org
The Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail
If “This Is Halloween” is permanently stuck in your head, the New York Botanical Garden turns into Jack Skellington’s playground. It’s complete with glowing lights, iconic scenes, and even some merch.
- When: Until November 30, 2025
- Where: 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx
- Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://thenightmarebeforechristmaslighttrail.com
- Best For: Movie buffs and families.
The Vampire Ball : Halloween Festival
This one’s like a prom night for the undead. The official Village Halloween Parade afterparty brings together vampires, demons, and everyone who’s ever worn black on purpose.
- When: October 31, 2025
- Where: Industry City, Brooklyn
- Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://www.houseofyes.org
- Best For: Night owls.
City of Gods Halloween Festival
If Halloween had a rave, this would be it. Industry City transforms into a massive fantasy world filled with light, art, and wild costumes.
- When: October 24-26, 2025
- Where: Industry City, Brooklyn
- Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://www.houseofyes.org
- Best For: Ravers and party people.
Bronx Zoo Harvest Glow
Thousands of glowing animal lanterns, live pumpkin carving, and the Dinosaur Safari after dark — what’s not to love? It’s family-friendly yet still packs a major wow factor.
- When: Until October 31, 2025
- Where: 2300 Southern Blvd, Bronx
- Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://bronxzoo.com
- Best For: Families and kids.
Fall Harvest Fest at Radio Park
How often do you get to celebrate Halloween on top of Radio City Music Hall? Exactly. Paint pumpkins, sip cider, and take in those skyline views that make you forget tourists technically surround you.
- When: October 24, 2025
- Where: 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York
- Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://www.rockefellercenter.com
- Best For: Couples and families.
Cityside Pumpkin Patch
Long Island City’s The Summer Club swaps out pool floats for pumpkins. You’ll find tarot readings, games, food, pumpkin smashing, and more.
- When: Until November 2, 2025
- Where: The Summer Club (8-08 Queens Plaza S, Long Island City)
- Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://citysidepumpkinpatch.com
- Best For: Date ideas and group hangs.
Halloween on the Farm
If you’ve ever wished you could go full “country fall” alongside the Halloween atmosphere without leaving NYC, this is your chance. Queens County Farm has hayrides, a corn maze, and even a Monster Mash dance.
- When: October 25-26, 2025
- Where: Queens County Farm Museum (73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park)
- Tickets: $24
- Website: https://www.queensfarm.org
- Best For: Families and kids.
Cathedral of St. John the Divine’s Halloween Extravaganza
This isn’t your average movie night. Watch Mettawee performers and The Phantom of the Opera inside a gothic cathedral, with live organ music echoing through the halls.
- When: October 24-25, 2025
- Where: 1047 Amsterdam Ave, New York
- Tickets: $50 General Admission
- Website: https://www.stjohndivine.org
- Best For: Old souls and film buffs.
Halloween at Queens Botanical Garden
Bring the kids, grab a cider, and enjoy the chill side of Halloween. There’s trick-or-treating, crafts, and live performances, plus a beer garden for the adults.
- When: October 26, 2025
- Where: 43-50 Main Street, Flushing
- Tickets: Free – members. Non-member adults – $10 / non-member child – $8
- Website: https://queensbotanical.org
- Best For: Families.
Brooklyn Horror Film Festival
For this one, grab your popcorn and your courage. This indie horror fest offers indie scares, psychological thrillers, and that one movie that’ll have you checking under your bed for a week.
- When: Until October 25, 2025
- Where: Nitehawk Cinema – Williamsburg (136 Metropolitan Ave.
Brooklyn) and Nitehawk Cinema – Prospect Park (188 Prospect Park West
Brooklyn) - Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://brooklynhorrorfest.com
- Best For: Film lovers.
Halloween X Kawaii Creature Festival
At the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, you’ll find trick-or-treating, anime screenings, and cosplay galore. If your aesthetic is “cute but creepy,” this is your happy place.
- When: October 26, 2025
- Where: Brooklyn Children’s Museum (145 Brooklyn Ave, Brooklyn)
- Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://www.brooklynkids.org
- Best For: Families and anime lovers.
Halloween on the Harlem Meer
This one lets you witness pumpkins floating across the water at sunset. Add in live music, crafts, and a costume parade, and it’s a perfectly wholesome way to say goodbye to the spooky season.
- When: October 30, 2025
- Where: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (Central Pk N, New York)
- Tickets: Free admission
- Website: https://www.centralparknyc.org
- Best For: Families and couples.
Tricks and Treats at Bryant Park Winter Village
Before the Christmas crowds roll in, Bryant Park gets one last Halloween hurrah with free crafts, face painting, puppet shows, and even candies.
- When: October 30, 2025
- Where: 42nd Street & Sixth Avenue, New York
- Tickets: Free for kids of all ages
- Website: https://bryantpark.org
- Best For: Families and little ones.
Want Even More Scares?
NYC has the best festivals, but what about the ultimate jump scares? If you need to know where the true terror lies this year, check out our full breakdown of the most frightening attractions: Where to Find Scariest Haunted Houses in NYC and Beyond.
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