If you have been waiting for the weekend when Halloween really takes over New York, this is it. The list shared by @nycfunevents for Friday, October 16 through Sunday, October 18, 2026 runs to 14 picks across three days – haunted walks, a film festival, a dog parade, a fall festival and a ceramics party where the clay is not the only thing getting a costume. Some events have set start times, three run all weekend, and the post did not publish ticket prices or ticket links for any of them, so check with each venue or organizer before you head out.
Friday, October 16: a haunted mission, a fright walk and late films
Friday opens at 3 PM with Haunted Mission in DUMBO, the earliest start on the whole list and a good pick for anyone who wants their spooky fix before dinner. An hour later, at 4 PM, the Hallowscream Fright Walk gets going in Washington Heights, putting the north end of Manhattan on the Halloween map for the weekend.
The night closes in the East Village, where the Halloween Film Festival screens at 7:45 PM. That gives Friday a simple shape – DUMBO in the afternoon, Washington Heights next if you are moving fast, and a seat in the dark by evening. It also overlaps neatly with the plans in our guide to NYC Friday plans for October 16, so a full day out is easy to build if you want one.
Saturday, October 17: the dog parade steals the morning
Saturday is the biggest day here, with five events. It starts at 11 AM in the East Village with the Halloween Dog Parade – costumed dogs, owners who have clearly planned outfits for weeks, and sidewalks full of people trying to get the photo before the dog spots a squirrel. Get there early if you want a clear view.
At 12 PM, A Haunting in Industry City takes over in Brooklyn, a midday haunted stop that leaves the rest of the afternoon open. At 1 PM, Boo on the Boardwalk brings the party to Coney Island, where a boardwalk, a breeze off the water and kids in costumes make for a very different kind of Halloween afternoon.
Saturday night splits two ways at 7 PM. In DUMBO, the DUMBO Ceramics Halloween Party mixes making things with dressing up. Over on the Lower East Side, HEX YEAH Comedy and Costumes pairs stand-up with a room full of people in full Halloween gear. Pick based on whether you would rather leave with a handmade piece or with a sore face from laughing. The dog parade also features in our weekend guide for October 16-18, which adds a harvest festival, a night market and free jazz to the same three days.
Sunday, October 18: gardens, a fall festival and a cult favorite on screen
Sunday starts at 12:30 PM with Halloween at Powers Street Garden in Brooklyn, a garden setting for a Halloween stop that feels calmer than a haunted house and still fully in season. At 1 PM, the Domino Park Fall Festival opens in Williamsburg, right on the waterfront – an easy anchor for a slow Sunday afternoon.
At 1:45 PM, the East Village hosts a screening of Trick ‘r Treat followed by a Q and A. A screening with a Q and A is a different promise from a regular showing – you get the film, then the stories behind it, and a room of people who showed up because they love this one in particular.
All weekend: three stops with no set hour
Three picks run all weekend, with no start time listed in the post. Blood Manor holds court in Tribeca for the haunted-house crowd. The Black Lagoon Spooky Cocktail Pop-Up pours in Brooklyn for anyone whose Halloween plans lean toward a glass in hand. And Bayville Scream Park is back on Long Island – the same park we covered in our Halloween guide for October 12-18, which rounds up the whole week’s haunted houses and costume parties.
Because those three run all weekend, they are the flexible pieces. Fit Blood Manor around a Tribeca dinner, slide the cocktail pop-up into a Brooklyn evening, or make Bayville the main event of a Long Island trip. Just confirm hours and tickets with each venue first, since the post did not list them.
How to pick your route
Families will likely land on Saturday – the dog parade at 11 AM, then Boo on the Boardwalk at 1 PM, with Sunday’s garden and fall festival as the gentler follow-up. Horror fans have the clearest run of all – Haunted Mission and the fright walk on Friday, Industry City on Saturday, and Blood Manor or Bayville whenever they fit. And if you only have one night, make it Saturday at 7 PM and choose between ceramics in DUMBO and comedy on the Lower East Side. Either way, you will be surrounded by people who took the costume part seriously, which is really the point of this weekend.
Be First to Comment