Once a year, New York City comes together to celebrate one of the city’s most beloved holidays: Halloween. There’s no shortage of impressive window decorations, pumpkins on stoops, parades, parties, and candy spread throughout the city in October. This year will be no exception! NYC celebrates Halloween for several weeks leading up to the 31, so there are plenty of events to pick and choose from. Bring the whole family to see the Pumpkin Flotilla, or bring some friends for one of the many costumed pub crawls around the city!
Whatever you decide to do in New York City for Halloween, make sure you ride with C&J Bus Lines to get there. Our bus to NYC is fast, affordable, and safe! Ride from Dover, Portsmouth, or Tewksbury to our terminal at Port Authority in total comfort. Feel free to enjoy our free Wi-Fi, reclining seats, and complimentary snacks while we worry about navigating traffic.
This year, make lasting Halloween memories in Central Park at the Pumpkin Flotilla. This free event is perfect for little ones: carve pumpkins, listen to spooky stories, and take cute pictures in the pumpkin patch. Don’t forget to wear costumes for the parade! At the end of the night, watch as the massive pumpkin flotilla is launched into the lake—the glow of hundreds of carved pumpkins on the water is amazing to see! Check out more details about the event and learn how to submit your own carved pumpkins to the flotilla on the event website.
Another great way to celebrate Halloween as a family in NYC is to check out the Toddler Halloween event at the Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center. Activities include sing-alongs, arts and crafts, and games for toddlers under five years old. You’re sure to get plenty of great pictures and your toddler will have a great time!
Strut your stuff through the streets of Greenwich Village in your wildest, spookiest, funniest, or most creative costume! Or simply stand back and watch all the other parade-goers dance their way down Sixth Ave in the annual NYC Village Halloween Parade. This is one of the city’s most popular Halloween events and draws thousands to watch puppeteers, live bands, dancers, artists, and of course, the incredible costumed participants make their way through the village. If you’re serious about dressing up, you can either participate in the parade or enter into the costume contest! We recommend leaving young children at home for this community event, as it runs late and the crowds can be large and noisy.
The Grand Bazaar, NYC’s biggest weekly market, will transform into the Scary Bazaar for the final weekend of October. The market will be decked out in spooky decorations and the vendors will supply you and your family with plenty of delicious holiday treats. Discover everything from rare antiques to homemade food and drinks! All proceeds from donations to the Grand Bazaar help support local public schools, so go support this worthy cause and enjoy Halloween festivities at the same time!
Get a group of friends together for this exceptionally fun Halloween bar crawl in the city! Trick or Drink will bring you and your friends to some of the best bars in New York, and you’ll even enjoy discounts and drink specials for the entire night! We definitely recommend dressing up in costume, but make sure to wear comfortable shoes for walking! There are two dates for this event: October 26 and October 31. Get your tickets ahead of time before they sell out!
C&J can get you to the city and back safely and quickly, so all you have to worry about is putting together the perfect costume. If you plan on celebrating Halloween in New York City, make sure you check our bus schedules and buy tickets to reserve your seats! We can’t wait to help you have a spook-tacular time in NYC.
