Halloween falls on a Saturday this year. The Village parade is the night out, and Boo at the Zoo is the daytime plan with young kids. 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. | Anyone can watch; people in costume can march |
| Boo at the Zoo | Weekends Sept 26–Nov 1, plus Mon Oct 12 | Included with zoo admission; some activities depend 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. Confirm on the organizer's page before you go.
A night out: the Village Halloween Parade
Watching the Village Halloween Parade is free, and anyone in costume can join the march. The route and marcher lineup are on the organizer's site. The bar fests that afternoon are separate 21+ events with their own tickets, and you don't need one to watch the parade. Halloween nights out in NYC covers those bar fests and the Brooklyn Horror film festival.
A family day: Boo at the Zoo
Boo at the Zoo is included with Bronx Zoo admission or membership. The zoo aims it mainly at toddlers, preschoolers and elementary-age kids. Some activities depend on the weather, so check that day's schedule. If your child scares easily, read the activity list before you go.
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 compares Boo with MCNY's Spooky City afternoon on October 31 and with the Blaze, an evening pumpkin walk in Croton-on-Hudson, outside the city.
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.
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.
Creators and sources
- Boo at the Zoo and the Blaze: @littlekidbigcity_newyork's September NYC ideas
- Suncatchers: @abcdeelearning on Instagram, full tutorial at ABCDee Learning
- Pumpkin cheese ball: @ainttooproudtomeg on Instagram, full recipe at Ain't Too Proud to Meg
- Current dates: the organizer pages linked above.
Related Stasht guides
- Stasht's Guide to Fall: Days Out and Halloween
- Halloween With Kids in NYC: Two Daytime Plans and a Pumpkin Night Nearby
- 3 Halloween Crafts for Kids With Paper and Cardboard
- New Jersey pumpkin farms: Happy Day and Terhune compared
- Stasht's Guide to Fall Days Out
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