BY SCOTT STIFFLER | With its witches’ brew of decorations, destination events and pricey costume purchases, Halloween has become a multi-billion-dollar Frankenstein’s monster whose out-of-control spending rivals that of the ho-ho-ho holidays set to take center stage come November 1. If you’re bedeviled by the current state of affairs, make a pact to celebrate this season of frights by clearing the cobwebs of consumerism and getting a death grip on its true spirit: kids in costumes roaming the land, harvesting candy, and having a good time. Here are some local events sure to send the little devils home dead tired and possessed by scary good memories.
HAUNTED HIGH LINE | Want to really scare the kids? Tell them your weekend plans include subjecting them to an afternoon-long history lesson — then watch their screams of terror turn into sighs of relief, as they realize that boring tales of old are nowhere to be found at this annual costume-encouraged tribute to High Line neighborhood’s industrial past.
In the immersive, walk-through “Ghost Tunnel” experience, help an old-time cowboy find his horse, Cyclone (from 1850-1941, the West Side Cowboys protected pedestrians from the freight trains that ran down the middle of “Death Avenue,” aka 10th Ave.). At the Chelsea Market Passage section, make your own protest sign for a cause worth caring about, after a 1930s mother and her child talk about the civic actions that helped inspire the High Line’s creation. Then, find out what it was like to work at the Nabisco factory (where millions of Oreos and biscuits were once made), and experiment with ice while hearing a frozen-in-time, firsthand account of what life was like at a really cool nearby refrigerator building (where produce and diary products were kept). There will also be free face painting, a scavenger hunt, story time with DJ Natalie, a “Whoop Dee Doo” Variety Show, and a dance adventure with the movers and shakers from PS 3!
Free. Sat., Oct. 29, 11am–3pm on the High Line (enter at W. 14th St. & 10th Ave.). This rain or shine event for children and their caregivers (who are highly encouraged to show up in costume!) has limited capacity. To ensure a faster check-in process, RSVP via thehighline.org.
BROOKFIELD PLACE HALLOWEEN PARTY | There’s no trick to enjoying this family-focused, “fang-tastic” afternoon of fun, where every kid is treated like a star — as they take their turn strutting down a Costume Catwalk, after which they’ll be interviewed on the red carpet. Surrounded by a soaring Winter Garden filled with spooktacular decorations, puppets, and stilt walkers, MC and DJ duo Mr. Marc and Mikey Palms will spin tunes for a dance party where you’re free to freak out. Rockin’ retro Maker Movement teacher Mario Marchese introduces kids to the art of using creativity, imagination, and inventiveness to come up with unbelievable feats of magic. A slimy experiment led by Carmello the Science Fellow lets you get your hands dirty (or at least really icky), and a ghoulish GIF booth highlights the horrifically fun possibilities of being tech-savvy.
Free. Sat., Oct. 29, 12–3pm at Battery Park City’s Brookfield Place (bordered by West St., the Hudson River, Vesey & Liberty Sts.). Visit artsbrookfield.com/Halloween.
IT’S MY “SPOOKY” PARK DAY | Kids will really dig this chance to get their hands dirty, when Chelsea’s Clement Clarke Moore Park (the place with those cool, water-spouting seal fountains) hosts this Saturday morning event grounded in fun straight from the good earth.
Decorate pumpkins that you can take home, and plant bulbs that you’ll see flower in the spring.
Free. Sun., Oct. 23, 10am–12:30pm, at W. 22nd St. & 10th Ave.; magic show starts at noon. To volunteer, or for more info, email FriendsOfSealPark@gmail.com.
PUMPKIN PARTY IN HUDSON PARK | Kids ages 4-10 can sip cider, dip into a complementary treat bag, and give their pumpkins a ghoulish expression without goring it (there’s no carving involved at this tyke-safe decorating event).
Free. Thurs., Oct. 27, 4–6pm, at the concession kiosk in Hudson Park (near the 35th St. playground, mid-block btw. 10th & 11th Aves.). Visit hudsonyardshellskitchenalliance.org.
HUDSON RIVER PARK’S HALLOWEEN KIDZ KARNIVAL | Pier 26 is transformed into “Halloween Central,” for this special afternoon designed for ages 2-8. There will be rides, treats, face painting, magic shows, and a tall tale or two from the Story Pirates, in which the audience becomes an important part of the fast-paced narrative.
Many of the activities are free, some are $2. Sun., Oct. 30, 12–5pm at Hudson River Park’s Pier 26 (at N. Moore St.). Visit hudsonriverpark.org.
THE TOMPKINS SQUARE HALLOWEEN DOG PARADE | Be it devil, superhero, or mustard-dripping, bun-dwelling hot dog, there’s no such thing as a canine companion whose cuteness factor doesn’t increase tenfold when they’re dressed up in costume and paraded around — and there’s no better showcase for that sort of thing than this iconic annual event, which has been strutting its stuff in Tompkins Square Park for 187 dog years (that’s 26 for us humans). Every preening pooch is a winner, of course, but the competition is fierce among their bipedal owners/costume designers, who will play the role of pageant parent to the hilt, when a noontime runway competition crowns Best In Show (thousands in prizes will be awarded to also-rans and raffle winners).
Sat., Oct. 22, 12–3pm in the Tompkins Square Park (500 E. Ninth St. btw. Aves. A & B). Suggested donation: $5. Visit tompkinssquaredogrun.com.
SPOOKY SCAVENGER HUNTS & FAMILY FUN AT HALLOWEEN AT THE INTREPID MUSEUM | Just the name itself inspires a world of possible costume choices — but the fact that the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum’s “Star Trek: The Starfleet Academy Experience” closes its doors for good on Halloween opens up an entire universe of alter ego options. From Oct. 29–31, costume-clad visitors to the Intrepid will receive $10 off their full-price admission ticket — including tickets to the “Trek” pavilion exhibit, whose interactive elements include a phaser firing range, a transporter room beam-up, and the chance to sit in the captain’s chair, on the bridge of the “Next Generation” Enterprise. Inside the museum, kids in costume get to go on a free trick-or-treat scavenger hunt (Sun., Oct. 30, 10am–2pm). That same day, at 1pm, museum members can decorate fall-themed cookies on the mess deck, then screen 1984’s “Ghostbusters” in the Museum’s Lutnick Theater (2:30pm; registration required by Oct. 23).
At the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum (Pier 86, at W. 46th St. & 12th Ave.). Admission to the museum is $24 ($19 for ages 7-17,$12 for ages 3-6, free for children under 3; $20 for seniors & college students; separate admission for “Trek” exhibit;). Visit intrepidmuseum.org/Startrek.aspx.
