As Halloween approaches, organizations across Queens have a range of spooky events on the calendar. From exploring the largest corn maze in NYC to a popular dog costume contest, there’s something for everyone to get in the spirit.
Many of the scheduled events are free and offer activities for all ages. Below are ten events to consider ahead of Halloween.
Halloween Family Fun Day
The Bayside Business Improvement District is organizing an outdoor family fun day on 41st Avenue between Bell Boulevard and the LIRR Station in Bayside. The outdoor festival will feature pumpkin decorating, magic shows, live music, face painting and a bounce house. There will also be a costume contest.
The free event will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27.
Hocus Pocus Drag Shows
Midnight at 6, a queer theatre company, will be putting on a Hocus Pocus Drag Parody at Icon, a gay bar on 33rd Street in Astoria. This is the third year in a row that a live-action rendition of the beloved Halloween film is coming to the stage.
Organizers say, “With all new cast members, new roles, new gags, and plenty of potent cocktails even a circle of salt can’t protect you from!”
Tickets are on sale for Saturday, Oct. 19, at 2 p.m. or 6 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. Depending on seating, they range from $16 to $26.
Halloween on the Farm
The city’s largest farm is culminating its fall offerings with a spooktacular family-friendly celebration this year with many activities on the roster.
Halloween on the Farm, hosted by Queens Farm in Floral Park, will feature an interactive comedy show, access to the Amazing Maize, hayrides, a pumpkin patch, and much more.
Tickets are $20 for the Saturday Oct, 27 event running from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Halloween at the Garden
The grounds at Queens Botanical Garden in Flushing will be transformed to showcase a creepy compost demo area, an ominous orchard and a fearsome forest triangle.
There is a full schedule for kids from noon to 5 p.m. featuring trick or treating on the spooky trail and a magic show following a drag story hour on the spooky stage. For adults, there will be a cash bar serving beers, ciders, and seasonal cocktails, as well as non-alcoholic beverage options.
The Saturday, Oct. 27 festival culminates the pumpkin patch weekends currently underway from Oct. 12- 16. Tickets are $10 for non-member adults and $8 for children. Members and children under three can attend for free.
MoMI Halloween Party
The Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria is hosting a Halloween Party on Saturday, Oct 19, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. It’s part of the Open Worlds initiative, which seeks to connect the community together for free programming in its 15,500-square-foot space.
There will be a magic lantern show, a DJ spinning, raffle prizes and drinks.
Batty Over Halloween
The 9th Annual ‘’Batty Over Halloween’’ Celebration returns to Astoria Park on Sunday, Oct. 27th. The Central Astoria LDC organizes the free event and is supported by funding from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and City Council Member Tiffany Caban.
The outdoor event will feature stilt walkers, face painting, arts and crafts, and giveaways. Attendees are encouraged to wear costumes.
Local groups, such as Art House Astoria, Premiere Performing Arts and Lucky Duck Puppets, are scheduled to put on performances.
Ghostbusters Movie Night
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire will play at two parks in Queens this month as part of Movies Under the Stars, an initiative of NYC Parks.
On Friday, Oct.18, it will play near the entrance of Kissena Corridor Park on Colden Street and Elder Avenue in Fresh Meadows. The following week, it will screen at Crocheron Park in Bayside along the lawn on 35th Street on Friday, Oct. 25. Both events are scheduled for 6:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.
Attendees are encouraged to bring a friend or neighbor to the film together on a blanket.
Juniper Valley Park Trunk or Treat
City Council Member Robert Holden is organizing a Halloween Festival in partnership with NYC Parks on Saturday, Oct. 26, in Middle Village‘s Juniper Valley Park.
The event will kick off with a parade and trunk-or-treat at 11:30 a.m. Afterward, a festival will feature crafts, games, and pumpkin picking. The event is free, and costumes are encouraged.
Dog Costume Contest
A big part of the annual Halloween Harvest Festival at Socrates Sculpture Park is a dog costume contest co-presented with Chateau le Woof, also in Long Island City. The contest will kick off at 3 p.m. and award three dogs will take home prizes.
Before the contest, the festival will feature a farmstand, a pumpkin carving contest, a costume marking workshop with reusable materials, and a community resource fair. There will also be a Halloween makeup tutorial part of a drag story hour at 1 p.m., followed by a public vote for the crowd’s favorite pumpkin.
Fiber Arts Festival
For the first time, King Manor Museum in Jamaica will host a Fiber Arts Festival featuring a craft circle, a knitting machine demo, and an introduction to crochet workshop. The crafting events on Saturday, Oct. 26, will be part of the museum’s wider fall festival each year.
Attendees can also expect corn husk doll-making, dance performances, and a workshop exploring the Victorian fascination with the occult from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
King Manor also has a “creepy concert” scheduled the day before the festival. Musique Macabre will play the museum’s 19th-century piano to evoke a haunting mood on Friday night.
Halloween Run/Walk Skillman Avenue
The Sunnyside Post Mile Run/Walk is set to take place on Saturday, Oct. 26, along Skillman Avenue in Sunnyside. This family-friendly event, presented by the Woodside-Sunnyside Runners and Schneps Media, aims to benefit Sunnyside Community Services, a nonprofit dedicated to providing essential programs for youth, seniors, and families in the community.
Participants are invited to run or walk in their Halloween outfits on the mile-long course starting at 9 a.m., all while supporting a great cause. Registration starts at $15 and comes with a free T-shirt and goody bag.
