“ I can’t believe I’m really going to Witch University. I wonder how I’ll be transported there. Maybe they’ll send a train of black carriages driven by headless horsemen. Or, ooh, maybe they’ll send a flotilla of Spanish galleons to carry us across a misty lake.”
-Marnie Piper
OK, so maybe we don’t go to Witch University (I applied there – they said my double, double toil and trouble wasn’t impressive enough, though). And maybe we take buses and subways and eat Downstein food instead of flying on brooms and eating candy corn year round (because that’s what witches do, right?).
On the plus side, New York’s not a bad second choice. In the next two weeks, see how many of these Halloween fall-festive events you can fit in your schedule.
Central Park Pumpkin Fest
Sunday, October 27th, 4:00-6:30 pm
Grab a pumpkin at the nearest grocery store to you (the Whole Foods in Union Square has a lot; same with the Space Market on University Place) and carve it this weekend with a few friends. Drop it off at the Harlem Meer in Central Park before 5:30 and watch it light up the water in New York’s largest pumpkin flotilla. Space is limited though – so make sure you bring it early! The rules to participate can be found here.
Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade
Saturday, October 26th at 12 pm
Not everything on Halloween has to be scary. Head over to Tompkins Square Park in the East Village to see all of our local furry friends dressed up in hilarious costumes. Instead of watching The Conjuring or Saw III, you’ll be able to see those ghoulish characters – except they’ll extra, extra cute and won’t make you run away in horror.
Financial District Ghost Tours
Happening every Friday and Saturday in October, including Halloween night.
If you’re feeling a bit braver, venture downtown to get an eerie look at the haunted, historic buildings in the city. The tour makes stops at old churches, cemeteries, The Haunted Frances Tavern, and other various locations. It’s something to get you and your friends out of the dorms for the night, and hey – you may even learn a thing or two about the antiquity of NYC while still getting the Halloween thrill that you may be seeking.
Coney Island Halloween Shows
Bundle up in your warm sweater and head to the shore for a guaranteed interesting (and creepy) show at Coney Island. They have two different Halloween events: Creepshow at the Freakshow and the Haunted Sideshow. The Creepshow is a gory recreation of Al Capone’s early years spent at Coney Island with fellow gangsters and criminals. Be warned – if you sit in the front row, you may be sprayed with some (fake) blood.
The Haunted Sideshow is the typical Coney Island sideshow. It’s just scarier….and includes murder.
For a schedule of the shows, see the link.
Black Out Haunted House
If the Creepshow seems like a children’s bedtime story to you, you may prefer this attraction. Deemed “one of the most traumatizing ways to spend your Halloween” by the Wall Street Journal, this haunted house has no limits – literally. You sign a waiver before entry acknowledging that the performers will be allowed to touch you (breaking the conventional Halloween attraction tradition of avoiding law suits). No one under the age of 18 is allowed to enter.
What makes it so scary, you ask?
It is pitch black…..and you have to walk through it alone.
You may go as a group, but you face the unknown darkness on your own. It’s definitely not for the faint-hearted.
And of course, The Village Parade.
Last year it was cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy, but it’s up and at it again this Halloween on October 31 at 7 pm. It is a night of entertainment, cool costumes, music, dancers, and more as they make their way along 6 Avenue. If you can’t attend any of the other events, this one is right down the street!
Note: If you’re an upperclassman (sorry freshmen, entry is 21+), word on the street is that Webster Hell (aka Webster Hall) is an unforgettable after-party to the parade. Buy your tickets for it ASAP online.