First of all, if you have planned to spend Halloween in New York City, do not let yourself be taken aback: think of your costume in time. You can opt for a do-it-yourself style mask, or go to one of the many Halloween shops (some even open year-round).
Anyone can participate in the Halloween parade (strictly in a costume) which takes place every year in the Village and it runs from Sixth Avenue to Spring Street.
It is a very famous parade as it involves thousands of New Yorkers who, for the occasion, give the green light to creativity disguising in the most unusual, strange, funny, provocative, macabre, alternative and sexy way.
Zombies, skeletons, Draculas, vampires, witches and mummies always go well. In reality it is enough to add any detail (colored lenses, scars or fake blood ...) and be sexy and provocative to turn any dress into Halloween costume.
Participating in the NYC Halloween Parade also appeared among the 100 things to do before you die bucket list book.
But there are other things to do on Halloween in New York City.
The Merchant's House Museum is a spooky place to pay a visit to.
Eight people from the Merchant family died in that house which today is a museum open to the public; a museum that aims to introduce visitors to the domestic life of a rich nineteenth-century family of merchants and their servants. Family members died in the house more than a century and a half ago, but it is possible, on the occasion of the October Festival, through the Ghost Tour, to get in touch with their ghosts, listen to their stories, voices and experiences.
Green-Wood is the historic cemetery of New Yorkers. Green-Wood is an immense cemetery, where more than 500,000 New Yorkers, either by birth or by adoption, have been buried. Created in the 1800, it hosts hundreds of soldiers killed during the Revolutionary War, as well as politicians and artists. Green-Wood is a huge green space that has inspired parks like Central Park and Prospect Park, and where you can see tombs and mausoleums from the 19th and 20th centuries in different and eccentric architectural styles.
Halloween is synonymous with terror and if you are fond of horror movies, you can not miss the Brooklyn Horror Movies festival that celebrates the art of horror filmmaking. Besides the screening of classic and independent films and short films, there are other events, meetings and parties that are part of the festival.
Another annual celebration is the procession of ghouls, ghosts and demons in the cathedral of Harlem (Morning Side), the largest in New York, which is an unmissable experience. St. John the Divine is called by most St. John the Unfinished, because for lack of funds this cathedral, whose work began in the second half of the nineteenth century, has never been completed. The Romanesque and gothic style of this cathedral with dizzying arches is a perfect set for the procession of demons and witches that, accompanied by the macabre tones of the great organ, spread among pillars and naves in a breathtaking scenography.
At the Dogs in Costume Parade, hundreds of dogs of all breeds parade each year in the largest masked dog parade in the world, right in the heart of the Big Apple, at Tompkins Square. The event is free, even if at the entrance they recommend a donation of $5 to help local dog shelters.
Moreover, the winning dog gets to earn thousands of dollars!
Therefore…Happy Halloween everyone!
