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    4 Halloween Ideas: Parade Night, Zoo Day, Paper Craft, Party Dish

    Updated November 4, 2026 · Andrew · Published September 25, 2026 · 5 min read

    In this guide
    1. The Village Halloween Parade: October 31 date passed
    2. Boo at the Zoo: 2026 dates passed
    3. A craft at home: tissue-paper suncatchers
    4. Hosting: a make-ahead pumpkin cheese ball
    5. Halloween costume ideas
    6. Creators and sources
    7. Related Stasht guides
    8. About Stasht

    Halloween fell on a Saturday this year. The Village parade (October 31) and Boo at the Zoo (weekends through November 1) have passed, and their details below are kept for reference. At home, there's a paper craft with no glue and a cheese ball you can make ahead for a party.

    Plan When What to know first
    Village Parade Sat Oct 31, 7 p.m. (date passed) Anyone could watch; people in costume could march
    Boo at the Zoo Weekends Sept 26–Nov 1, plus Mon Oct 12 (dates passed) Was included with zoo admission; some activities depended on weather
    Paper suncatchers Any afternoon at home An adult cuts the cardstock outline
    Pumpkin cheese ball 4+ hours ahead, or the day before Keep cold while serving

    Dates checked September 25, 2026.

    The Village Halloween Parade: October 31 date passed

    The 2026 Village Halloween Parade was scheduled for Saturday, October 31, at 7 p.m. Watching was free, and anyone in costume could join the march. The route and marcher lineup are on the organizer's site. The linked bar-fest listings described separate 21+ events with their own tickets; those tickets were not required for parade viewing. Halloween nights out in NYC keeps those bar fests and the Brooklyn Horror film festival for reference.

    Boo at the Zoo: 2026 dates passed

    Boo at the Zoo was scheduled for weekends from September 26 to November 1, plus Monday, October 12, included with Bronx Zoo admission or membership. The zoo aimed it mainly at toddlers, preschoolers and elementary-age kids, and some activities depended on the weather.

    Boo at the Zoo and the Blaze were picked for Stasht's guides from @littlekidbigcity_newyork's September list. The list's other ideas were September plans, so check with the organizer before going to any of them.

    Halloween with kids in NYC keeps Boo and MCNY's October 31 Spooky City afternoon for reference, and covers the Blaze, an evening pumpkin walk in Croton-on-Hudson, outside the city, which lists selected evenings through November 8.

    For the Bay Area, our guide to Bay Area Halloween after dark with kids compares the 2026 schedules for Nightfall at Filoli in Woodside and the Great Big BOO! at Gilroy Gardens, both listed through November 1.

    A craft at home: tissue-paper suncatchers

    ABCDee Learning's Halloween suncatchers are made from black cardstock, contact paper and tissue paper. The sticky contact paper holds everything in place, so you don't need glue. An adult cuts the cardstock outline and kids press on the tissue. The creator says cardstock faces work too. The templates and full steps are on ABCDee's page.

    3 Halloween crafts for kids with paper and cardboard compares it with a paper-roll mummy and a paper witch. It also covers supervision, labels and cleanup.

    For decorations an adult makes, 3 DIY Halloween decorations describes a painted bat vase, stacked black pumpkins for the front step and framed book-page art, with a link to each creator's video.

    Hosting: a make-ahead pumpkin cheese ball

    Meg Quinn's pumpkin cheese ball is cream cheese and cheddar shaped into a pumpkin, with a pepper stem. It needs at least four hours in the fridge, and overnight works too, so make it that morning or the day before. Remove everything you used to shape it before it goes on the board.

    The FDA's buffet guidance says to keep cold food at 40°F or colder. Throw out perishable food that has been without temperature control for more than two hours, or one hour when it's above 90°F. Put the cheese ball out when guests arrive. The ingredient list doesn't tell you whether it's safe for guests with allergies, so check the labels. Halloween party food compares it with crescent mummy dogs and marshmallow cheesecake cookies.

    Halloween costume ideas

    Halloween costume ideas from creators include an Aladdin family theme, an Elle Woods bunny hairstyle from Legally Blonde, a cheetah look and a lava lamp costume. The lava lamp costume was posted in October 2021; the other three were posted in October 2023.

    Mason Smith's family Aladdin costumes have his wife as Jasmine, his oldest daughter as the Genie and his youngest in a monkey costume the family bought. He doesn't write out materials or steps.

    Meredith Welborn's Elle Woods bunny hairstyle tutorial is for the bunny costume from Legally Blonde. The 31-second video covers the hair only.

    Sienna Sky's cheetah costume is animal-print clothing with spots drawn on her face. The seven-second clip shows the finished look.

    Reddit user Tragopandemonium posted a lava lamp costume and calls it DIY in the title.

    For the October 31, 2026 parade, the Village Halloween Parade organizer welcomed anyone in costume to march. Halloween nights out in NYC keeps that year's marcher lineup details.

    Creators and sources

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