Halloween is creeping up, and Brooklyn is bursting with ways to celebrate. From pumpkin patches and neighborhood block parties to trick-or-treating, spooky science and parades featuring everyone from pint-sized ghouls to four-legged fashionistas, there’s a little something for every ghost and goblin.
Whether you’re looking for a free afternoon outing, a chance to show off the family’s best costumes or a slightly spooky adventure, these borough-wide festivities offer plenty of ways to make the most of Halloween season.
Fall festivals and pumpkin patches
Harvest Festival at Lakeside in Prospect Park
Thursdays and Fridays, 3-6 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. (through Nov. 1)
LeFrak Center at Lakeside, 171 East Drive in Prospect Park
Prospect Park’s first Harvest Festival is bringing a full slate of autumn activities to the LeFrak Center at Lakeside. Families can wander through a pumpkin patch, navigate a kid-friendly corn maze, play giant checkers and Connect 4, try cornhole and other yard games, and decorate pumpkins.
The festival also features seasonal food and drinks, select-weekend face painting and Craftopia workshops. Upcoming craft sessions include making a trick-or-treat tote on Oct. 31, following earlier workshops on keychains and junk journaling.
Admission to the pumpkin patch is free, though pumpkins cost $10. The corn maze and yard games cost $5 each, while an all-access festival pass is $20 and includes corn maze entry, games, a small pumpkin, pumpkin painting and access to the festival grounds.
Families looking for a less frightening Halloween outing can stick to the festival’s daytime activities and leave the scares next door.
Fall Harvest Festival at Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Saturday, Oct. 24, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 150 Eastern Parkway in Prospect Heights
Families can celebrate the season with autumn activities and fall-themed fun at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Fall Harvest Festival on Oct. 24, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.File photo courtesy of Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s annual Fall Harvest Festival will fill the garden with live music, lawn games, pumpkin decorating, family activities and a costume parade.
Kids and adults can play giant Jenga, cornhole and Connect 4 on Cherry Esplanade, while musical chairs and freeze dance will offer chances to get moving throughout the afternoon. The costume parade, led by percussion ensemble Batalá New York, is scheduled for 3 p.m.
Music will range from blues, soul and funk to Zydeco and Cajun dance tunes. The festival will also feature a beer and cider garden with local producers and food offerings.
Admission is $38 for adults, $17 for visitors ages 12-17 and free for children under 12. Discounted tickets are available for garden members. A separate VIP ticket option is available for guests 21 and older.
Get Spooky at Fort Greene Park
Saturday, Oct. 24, noon-4 p.m.
Fort Greene Park, entrances along Myrtle Avenue, between North Portland and St. Edwards streets in Fort Greene
Fort Greene Park will transform into a Halloween playground with scary stories, face painting, haunting music, family-friendly games and a pumpkin patch for seasonal photos.
Kids can show off their costumes, enjoy the festivities and pick out a pumpkin to take home toward the end of the event. The celebration is free and open to all ages, with no registration required. A rain date is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 25.
Before the festival, families can catch a special performance by Hopalong Andrew on the park’s Central Lawn from 11 a.m. to noon.
Halloween Harvest at Luna Park
Through Nov. 1
Luna Park, 1000 Surf Ave. in Coney Island
Hours vary by date; Oct. 24-25, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Oct. 30, 4-10 p.m.; Oct. 31, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Nov. 1, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Luna Park is giving its seaside amusement park a seasonal makeover for Halloween Harvest, with pumpkins, hay bales and festive decorations alongside its signature rides.
The family-oriented celebration includes a pumpkin patch, a tractor race, trick-or-treating, balloon artists, airbrush art, live entertainment and seasonal food and drinks. A Phantom Grounds walkthrough adds a spooky attraction for visitors seeking a little more Halloween atmosphere.
Spooktober at Prospect Park Zoo
Weekends through Oct. 31, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Prospect Park Zoo, 450 Flatbush Ave. in Prospect Park
Prospect Park Zoo is inviting families to explore the spooky side of the natural world with Spooktober, a Halloween celebration combining wildlife education and seasonal fun.
Visitors can follow a Spooky Trail, learn about nocturnal animals and take part in science activities and live entertainment. At Sea Lion Court, tombstones honoring extinct animals offer an opportunity to learn about extinction and conservation. Costumes are encouraged, and harvest-themed photo spots provide a festive backdrop.
Admission is listed at $7.95 to $10.95, depending on the ticket.
Ascarium at the New York Aquarium
Oct. 24-25 and Oct. 31, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
New York Aquarium, 602 Surf Ave. in Coney Island
Families can dive into Halloween fun at the New York Aquarium’s annual Ascarium, featuring spooky sea life, seasonal activities and underwater adventures on Oct. 24, 25 and 31.File photo by Terria Clay/WCS
The New York Aquarium’s Ascarium festival brings Halloween fun under the sea, with activities included with admission.
Families can check out the Sea of Illusions and Bubble Play, two newer attractions, along with returning favorites such as marine-themed magic shows, face painting, Wildlife Theater performances and games. Of course, visitors can also spend time meeting the aquarium’s aquatic residents.
The festival is scheduled for Oct. 24-25 and Halloween, Oct. 31, with activities running from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Free neighborhood Halloween celebrations
Oct. 22-31
Various locations and times
NYC DOT’s annual Trick-or-Streets initiative brings Halloween celebrations to car-free streets across Brooklyn, with family-friendly activities, block parties and seasonal entertainment.
Events include a Halloween Spooktacular on 11th Avenue in Dyker Heights on Oct. 24, a celebration on Fort Hamilton Parkway on Oct. 30, and dozens of Halloween events on Oct. 31 in neighborhoods including Dumbo, Park Slope, Bed-Stuy, Bushwick and Prospect Heights.
Saturday, Oct. 24, noon-7 p.m.; DJs Chill and Jo Vill perform from 2-7 p.m.
Saint James Place, between Gates and Greene avenues in Bed-Stuy
Bed-Stuy’s Saint James Place will make room for music, dancing and Halloween festivities during Beats for Treats. The street opening begins at noon, with music from DJs Chill and Jo Vill from 2-7 p.m.
Families and neighbors can enjoy the block party while helping stock up on treats for local children. Attendees are encouraged to bring candy or other treat donations to help make Halloween special for neighborhood kids. Organizers also ask visitors to respect the block, its residents and the community’s shared space.
Halloween Party at Kings Plaza
Thursday, Oct. 29, 4-6 p.m.
Kings Plaza, Level 1 Center Court, 5100 Kings Plaza in Mill Basin
Kings Plaza and Brooklyn Bridge Parents are teaming up for a free Halloween party aimed especially at younger children. The event will include pumpkin decorating, a seasonal photo opportunity, LEGO play, arts and crafts and games. Costumes are encouraged, and the celebration is best suited for children ages 2-10, although all ages are welcome. The party will take place on Level 1 in Center Court, next to The Children’s Place.
Friday, Oct. 30, 4-6 p.m.
Abolitionist Place, Willoughby Street and Albee Square West
Downtown Brooklyn is getting ready to boo-gie with the annual BK Boo Halloween party, a free afternoon of activities organized by Downtown Brooklyn Partnership and City Point BKLYN.
The party will feature music with DJ Mike, face painting, balloon art, pumpkin decorating, games and fortune telling. Stilt walker Brianna Kalisch will also perform and demonstrate her craft, while All Ears Vet will host a pet costume contest.
Families can enjoy the festivities in Abolitionist Place, making it an easy stop for anyone looking to celebrate Halloween in the heart of Downtown Brooklyn.
Parades and Halloween adventures
Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest
Saturday, Oct. 24, noon-1 p.m.
Fort Greene Park stairs, near the Myrtle Avenue entrance in Fort Greene
In 2024, Beast, a pug whose owner won $1 billion in the Powerball, took third place in Fort Greene Park’s annual Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest. The canine competition returns Oct. 24.File photo by Gabriele Holtermann.
Brooklyn’s canine companions will have their moment in the spotlight when Fort Greene PUPS hosts the 28th annual Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest. The longtime neighborhood tradition celebrates dogs dressed in creative, homemade and over-the-top Halloween costumes. Judges will help narrow down the favorites, but the audience gets the final say on the winner.
The event is free to watch, and registration is required only for dogs competing in the contest. Contestants must check in at the registration table by the Myrtle Avenue entrance by 11:45 a.m., with judging beginning promptly at noon. Entry fees for competing dogs support Fort Greene PUPS.
Tarot-inspired Halloween art crawl
Oct. 24-25 and Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 1-5 p.m.
Starting point at The Little Bookshop, 239 Bushwick Ave. in Williamsburg
Halloween gets a creative twist with a tarot-inspired art crawl organized by The Little Bookshop. Visitors can follow a neighborhood map through participating galleries, studios, shops and other creative spaces, collecting stamps along the way and entering a raffle after completing the route.
The free event gives families and art lovers a chance to explore local businesses while discovering the neighborhood’s creative community. For those who want an extra challenge, the accompanying Oracle’s Quest features custom tarot cards created by local artists and riddles at participating locations. Solve the riddles to unlock a treasure chest and claim a prize
Custom cards are available to the first 75 visitors at each participating location, while supplies last. Different locations participate each weekend, so visitors who want to collect the full tarot deck will need to attend all three weekends of the crawl.
Haunted Carousel at Prospect Park
Oct. 29-Nov. 1, noon-5 p.m.
Prospect Park Carousel, 95 Prospect Park West
A beloved family attraction is getting a Halloween makeover when Prospect Park’s carousel hosts a seasonal celebration with Halloween-themed music and spooky fun for children and families. The event offers a festive way to enjoy a classic carousel ride without the jump scares of a traditional haunted house.
Halloween at Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Saturday, Oct. 31, 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 145 Brooklyn Ave. in Crown Heights
Halloween and anime will collide at Brooklyn Children’s Museum for a celebration of costumes, candy and Japanese culture, presented with AniTOMO Con.
Families can trick-or-treat around the museum, show off their looks on a costume runway, meet creepy-crawly animals and enjoy storytimes led by professional cosplayers. The event offers a full day of activities for kids who want to celebrate Halloween while exploring Japanese pop culture.
Saturday, Oct. 31, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
260 Clinton St. in Cobble Hill
Costumed kids and families can gather in Cobble Hill for a neighborhood Halloween parade featuring live brass music. Participants should enter at the Congress Street entrance near Clinton and Congress streets. The parade steps off at 4 p.m., and families can stick around afterward for neighborhood trick-or-treating.
For the more brave of fright
Through Nov. 1
LeFrak Center at Lakeside, 171 East Drive in Prospect Park
Haunted Hotel hours are generally 4-10 p.m. on Mondays, 6-10 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, 4-11 p.m. on Saturdays and 4-10 p.m. on Sundays. Special hours apply on Halloween.
Families with older teens and a taste for fright can check into the Haunted Hotel, the scarier centerpiece of Lakeside’s Harvest Festival. Built by New York haunted-house specialists Abracadabra NYC, the 7,680-square-foot walkthrough features dark corridors, live scare actors and themed spaces including a guest-room corridor, restaurant, blackout hall, boiler room and honeymoon suite.
The attraction is recommended for visitors ages 13 and older, though younger guests may enter at a guardian’s discretion. Families with young children or visitors who prefer a gentler Halloween experience can enjoy the rest of the Harvest Festival instead. Tickets cost $35 Tuesday through Sunday and $20 on Mondays. Entry is reserved in 30-minute arrival windows, with groups capped at eight people. Advance reservations are recommended, particularly on weekends.
Cemetery Scavenger Hunt at Green-Wood Cemetery
Sunday, Oct. 25, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Green-Wood Cemetery, near the main entrance at Fifth Avenue and 25th Street in Sunset Park
Halloween takes a historic turn at Green-Wood Cemetery’s Cemetery Scavenger Hunt on Oct. 25, inviting participants to explore the landmark’s storied grounds while solving clues.File photo
For families and history buffs who prefer their Halloween adventures with a little education, Green-Wood Cemetery will take part in TalkDeath’s sixth annual Halloween Cemetery Scavenger Hunt. Participants will search for monuments, headstones and historic symbols that match clues shared by TalkDeath
The event encourages visitors to explore cemetery history, notable figures and the art and architecture found among its memorials. The first three parties to solve all the clues will win prizes donated by artists and other makers. The event is free. Organizers recommend arriving by 2:15 p.m. so participants are ready when the clues are announced.