halloween is still a week away, but the spooky season is already in full swing! we’ve rounded up more than 40 halloween parties, shows, cover band concerts, screenings, pet parades, and more happening this weekend (10/23-26).

the roundup is broken out into four sections:
• parties + events
• tribute bands
• movie-related
• pets

note: events marked with a pumpkin 🎃 will have a costume contest.

parties + events

10/23-24 (8pm): the hidden jewel box presents: haunted: an immersive evening of burlesque, dance, and theater. the hidden jewel box theater (a tiny theater hidden inside port authority), $40 admission includes two refreshments. >>

10/23 7pm: tin can contingency and brainrot radio present: the third annual horror night: a live reading of the blob recorded live for the airwaves, followed by performances from bands trash rabbit and nej. purgatory (bushwick), $12 adv, $15 door. >>

10/23 7pm + 9:30pm: the drunk texts presents: a halloween drunk double feature: all hallow’s eve or, the tragedy of michael myers + thou wilt scream: shakespearean adaptations of halloween (7pm) and halloween (9:30pm) with drinking games, improvisation, and audience participation. the rat nyc (dumbo), $12. >>

10/23 10:30pm: hand to phone – the halloween party: ebm / house / dark dance with performances by the treasury, blood handsome, and heavy halo, plus an after-party with dj ivy oh. alphaville (bushwick), $15. >>

10/24-25 (10am-5pm): pumpkin point: governors island’s annual pumpkin patch and fall festival. free admission. >>

10/24 12-6pm: lavender scare: a halloween-themed lesbian market + halloween party: yume (flatbush), free admission. >>

10/24 2-7pm: beats for treats halloween block party: saint james joy (father-son duo dj chill and dj jo vill) hits the decks with a special halloween block party. costumes optional. saint james place between gates ave + greene ave (clinton hill). free admission. >>

10/24 3-6pm (market) + 6:30pm (movie): scream scene presents a halloween market and halloween movie screening: pine box rock shop (bushwick). free admission. >>

10/24 7pm-2am: halloween vinyl nights zombie skate night: with ‘thriller’ dancers and djs misbehaviour, rizzskates, and cindy kim. xanadu (bushwick), $26.78 + $8 skate rental (or byo). >>

10/24 8-10pm: switch n’ play presents: slash n’ spray: drag, burlesque, and queer performance. littlefield (gowanus), $20 adv, $25 day of. >>

10/24 10pm: final girl: a drag show homage to your fave horror films. 9 bob note @ 3 dollar bill (east williamsburg), $25. >>

10/24 11pm: music for the masses: an ‘80s new wave halloween party: tv eye (ridgewood), $20. >>

🎃 10/24 11pm: the black parade [halloween edition] emo + pop punk nite: the brooklyn monarch (east williamsburg), $15. >>

10/25 12-6pm: saint vitus halloween market: saint vitus (ridgewood), free admission. >>

10/25 2:15pm: talkdeath’s sixth annual halloween cemetery scavenger hunt: green-wood cemetery, free admission. >>

10/25 7pm: raising hell: a halloween comedy fundraiser: a standup fundraiser in partnership with callen-lorde, nyc’s lgbtq+ community health center since 1969. halloween costumes optional. brooklyn comedy collective (williamsburg), $15 (25% of ticket sales will benefit the center). >>

10/25 9-11pm: a very buffy halloween: a dragstravaganza of your favorite characters from buffy the vampire slayer. bar freda (ridgewood), $15.24. >>

10/26 7pm (+ 11/24): green-wood cemetery moonlight tour: green-wood (brooklyn), $30. >>

10/26 8pm-mindnight: scuff queer country dancing presents: goth nite featuring y’allternative rodeo: the brooklyn monarch (east williamsburg), $20+. >>

tribute bands

10/23 7pm-late: the cure halloween party: a cure music video dj set followed by tributes to bauhaus, siouxsie + the banshees, and the cure. bowery palace (east village), $15 (free dance party at 11pm). >>

10/23 8:15pm doors: ridgewood ghoul-o-rama ‘25: tributes to the fall, the ‘early’ beatles, and the singles soundtrack. costumes encouraged. footlight underground at the windjammer (ridgewood), $15 suggested donation. >>

🎃 10/24 6pm: hllwn shw: tributes to fleetwood mac, nirvana, my chemical romance, green day, the beatles, and the scott pilgrim vs. the world soundtrack, plus djs spinning emo, punk, and ska. bar freda (ridgewood), $13.18. >>

🎃 10/24 7pm: werewolf bar mitzvah iv: spookier, scarier: tributes to bikini kill, yeah yeah yeahs, the cranberries, weezer, cibo matto, and rudimentary peni. hosted by dj tk. purgatory (bushwick), $15-18. >>

movie-related

10/23-11/8: terence fisher: hammer’s master smith: the brides of dracula, the curse of frankenstein, the gorgon, horror of dracula, the hound of the baskervilles. metrograph (les), $18. >>

10/23-11/4: screen slate presents: psycho-fiction, the surreal nightmares of special effects artist screaming mad george: freaked, a nightmare on elm street 4: the dream master, bride of re-animator, big trouble in little china, and more. roxy cinema (tribeca), $19. >>

10/23-11/1: troma-geddon: the toxic avenger, class of nuke ’em high, cannibal! the musical, and more. anthology film archives (east village), $14 general, $10 seniors/students. >>

10/23-11/1: halloween events at film noir cinema (greenpoint): smootaphilia: erotic horror sinema, the 14th annual secrets of the dead short horror film festival, nosferatu with live music by olsen, a halloween party + secret horror screening, the day after halloween, and more. various prices. >>

10/23-31: halloween, suspiria, the texas chainsaw massacre, nosferatu + live score, vampyr + live score: roxy cinema (tribeca), $19-25. >>

10/23 6pm: paddle-in movies with gowanus dredgers: creature from the black lagoon (1954). meets at the gowanus dredgers boathouse; the screening takes place on the gowanus canal. free-$25. >>

🎃 10/23 7:30pm: cemetery cinema presents: horror of dracula (1958): plus live music by in flesh and spirit. hosted by baron misuraca. bonus: free popcorn. coney island usa, $14. >>

10/24-31: magic, the exorcist, the wolf man, vampire’s kiss, nosferatu (with live piano accompaniment): museum of the moving image (astoria). $17.50 general, $12 seniors/students. >>

10/24-31: zero vision cinema + astoria horror club’s halloweek: a week of free spooky events in astoria + lic, including screenings, live music, scaryoke, comedy, a halloween party, and more. >>

10/24 5pm: bad movie night brooklyn presents: ernest scared stupid (1991): food and drinks will be available for purchase. freddy’s bar (south slope), free admission. >>

10/24 8pm (7pm pre-show): the rocky horror picture show shadowcast + tim curry tribute: brooklynone productions (industry city). free admission (donations welcome), $15 after-party. >>

10/25 2:30pm: the silent clowns film series presents: the cat and the canary (1927) with live musical accompaniment by makia matsumura: leonard nimoy thalia theater at symphony space (uws), $12 general, $9 seniors. >>

10/26-31: a dark castle entertainment horror film retrospective: gothika, orphan, house on haunted hill, thirteen ghosts, and more. low cinema (ridgewood), $15. >>

10/26 7pm: night of the living dead (1968) with a live score by morricone youth: nitehawk (prospect park). $24. >>

pets

10/24 12pm (rain date 10/25): 24th annual battery park city dog association halloween puppy parade: wagner park, free admission. >>

10/24 12pm: fort greene pups’ 28th annual great pupkin dog costume contest: fort greene park monument stairs. note: registration to compete is full. free to attend. >>

10/24 12-3pm (rain date 10/25): the annual riverside park pup halloween parade and costume contest: starts at dinosaur playground on 96th st and ends at ellington’s cafe at 105th st. free admission. >>

10/24 1-3pm: fifth annual irving square park howl-o-ween costume contest: irving square park (bushwick), $10 to register in the contest, free to attend. >>

10/25 1-3:30pm: the annual stuyvesant square park halloween dog parade and costume contest: stuyvesant square park – east park dog run. free admission (donations welcome). >>

10/25 1-4pm: the annual domino park woof-o-ween + costume contest: the fountain + seating steps (river st between s 3rd + s 2nd sts, williamsburg). free admission. >>

support us

if you enjoy this newsletter and would like to help keep it going, please consider supporting us here

Photo: Roy Cox

Get $10 General Admission tickets and bring the kids FREE to hear one of the “greatest quartets of the last 100 years” (BBC) – Dover Quartet – on Halloween night at the historic Washington Irving campus near Union Square! Doors open at 6:45 and the concert begins at 7:30 PM.

Peoples’ Symphony’s former Resident Ensemble returns to the series’ longtime home with a soulful program of quartets by Dvořák and Brahms and a special orchestration of Rattle Songs (Pura FE) by indigenous composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate. (Fun fact: in the 1890s, Dvořák himself taught at the National Conservatory of Music that was located at 17th Street and Irving Place, where the Washington Irving campus now stands.)

Dover Quartet is a two-time Grammy-nominated string quartet based in Philadelphia at the Curtis Institute of Music. “Few young ensembles are as exciting and accomplished as the Dover”, says the New Yorker. Learn more at doverquartet.com/about.

Founded in 1900, Peoples’ Symphony Concerts is New York City’s oldest chamber music series, offering affordable top-quality concerts for less than $10 each. Learn more about our 127th Season and get tickets to 16 more great concerts through May 2027 at PSCNY.ORG.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31
Dover Quartet
Doors: 6:45 PM
Concert: 7:30 PM
40 Irving Place, between 16th & 17th Sts, Manhattan

GET TICKETS

sponsored post

tuesday

tues 7pm (monthly): astronomy on tap: ‘the dark night’ edition: things are looking up at astronomy on tap, a night where astronomy enthusiasts gather at a local bar for talks by professional scientists and educators—plus themed games and other cosmic fun. somethin’ else in dekalb market hall (downtown brooklyn), free admission. >>

tues 7pm (monthly): brooklyn books + booze: hear established and up-and-coming authors of different genres read from their current works every third tuesday of the month at barrow’s intense tasting room (industry city). tonight’s lineup includes david heska wanbli weiden, isaac fitzsimmons, mary g. thompson, and angel luis colón. free admission. >>

🎃 tues 7-11pm: sugar, we’re hoein down: halloween edition line dancing x emo night: two worlds collide at this line-dancing party set to emo, alt, and pop-punk bangers (zero country). total beginner? they’ll teach you the steps. 3 dollar bill (bushwick), $15. >>

tues 8pm: contemporaneous ensemble / recap percussion / mantra percussion present: ‘seeing in the dark’: join contemporaneous for their 2026-2027 season opener, ‘seeing in the dark,’ an evening of new music that offers different ways to light our path through the darkness. co-presented with mantra percussion and recap percussion. roulette intermedium (boerum hill), free admission. >>

sponsored

Join Jill Weiner on Thursday 10/22 as she records her debut comedy special!

TWO SHOWS! 7pm & 9:30pm at the Parkside Lounge (317 E Houston, Lower East Side)

Jill Weiner’s Debut Comedy Special (tentatively titled SOUP FREAK) is a darkly funny, silly, smart, and sharp hour of stand-up comedy. With topics ranging from Peloton to drug doing, dating a guy in a van to suicide by sea, Jill shares her deeply relatable perspective on the human condition while revealing her insecurities, memories, and, of course, her favorite soups, stews and stocks. From top to bottom (or, better yet, soup to nuts), Jill’s show maintains a high-energy level akin to a slumber party at 2am.

A fixture in the New York City comedy scene for over 11 years, Jill has performed at the city’s top clubs and independent shows. She also performs nationally, often featuring for Caitlin Peluffo and Michael Kosta.

Hosted by Connor Creagan (Comedy Central), featuring Courtney Maginnis (HBO, Fan Therapy), with special performances by Mark Benjamin (Taxi TV) and Jeffrey Emerson (HULU).

Jill Weiner Comedy Special Taping
Thursday 10/22 7pm & 9:30pm
The Parkside Lounge
317 E Houston, New York, NY 10002

SPECIAL OFFER: USE CODE “SPECIALWEINER” FOR 50% OFF TICKETS!
GET TICKETS

wednesday

🎃 weds thru 11/1: kitchen sink theatre company presents the rocky horror picture show: a fully-staged 360 production + shadow cast, plus post-show dj sets + dance parties following the 10/23, 10/24, 10/30, and 10/31 shows. brooklyn art haus (williamsburg), $20.60+. >>

sponsored: weds 7pm: the best american short stories 2026: selected shorts with viet thanh nguyen: pulitzer prize–winning novelist and guest editor of the best american short stories 2026, viet thanh nguyen (the sympathizer), hosts selected shorts’ annual collaboration with one of the premier anthologies of contemporary american fiction. come along on this spectacular journey of literature in performance at symphony space (uws) and celebrate the achievements of established and emerging writers. with stories by nathan blum, sigrid nunez, and akhil sharma to be performed by sanjit de silva (war horse, inventing anna), jessica hecht (breaking bad, eureka day), and denis o’hare (american horror story, here we are). skint readers can get a $16 ticket on tier 2 seats using code: ‘viet’ >>

sponsored: weds 7pm: taylor swift, ‘love story,’ and the ancient roman art of writing about love – with nyu’s david levene: join renowned classicist david levene for a spirited trip from ancient rome to the eras tour — a lecture based on his wildly popular nyu course, ‘it’s a love story’: reading roman elegy through taylor swift. after the lecture, stay for a drink: your ticket includes access to a one-hour open bar. wristbands will be provided for those 21+. warburg lounge at 92ny (ues), use promo code ‘elegy13’ for a 13% discount. >>

weds 7pm (monthly): adam wade: live in new york: 20-time moth story slam winner adam wade returns to under st. marks theater with a storytelling show featuring three to four different stories from his extensive catalog (no two shows will be the same) and a different special guest who’ll kick things off. under st. marks theater (east village), $7+ sliding scale admission. >>

weds 7pm: econlol: an economics-themed comedy show: luke strathmann brings together comedians and sometimes real-life economists to make fun of anything economics/finance/business-related, with powerpoints. featuring gastor almonte, brittany carney, kevin mcnulty, annie rauwerda, and charu sinha. caveat (les), $15.67 with promo code ‘skint’ (reg. $24-25). >>

weds 7pm (filmmaker mixer at 6pm, screenings at 7pm): artists + beers: pair cinema with cervezas at ‘artists + beers,’ a semi-monthly screening series highlighting short films, docs, and music videos by local filmmakers. hosted by nancy pop, curran banach, chip parham, and junie. all night skate (bed-stuy), free admission. >>

🎃 weds 7pm: aesop’s sound fables presents: the phantom of the opera (1925) with an original guitar and church organ live score. stone circle theater (ridgewood), $20 adv, $25 day of. >>

weds 7:30pm: taste of science presents: ‘under pressure: decoding the weather machine’: science gets out of the lab and into the bar at this night about weather science, spanning today’s forecast to how ai is impacting future predictions. ryan’s daughter pub (ues), free admission (donations welcome). >>

weds 7:30pm: love, sex, + magic: comedy variety show: comedian jenny gorelick and magician mark clearview team up to host a variety show to make your worries disappear. club cumming (east village), use code ‘magicwand’ for 2-for-1 tickets (reg. $15 each). >>

🎃 weds 8pm: our wicked lady presents: ’90s cover band night: tributes to rage against the machine, alice in chains, smashing pumpkins, and more. brooklyn bowl (williamsburg), $20. >>

🎃 weds 9pm: what’s the worst that could happen? a comedy show: ouija board edition: will purpura and ilana rubin swap punchlines for the paranormal at this comedy show where audience members’ questions are answered by a ouija board in-between stand-up sets. halyards (gowanus), free admission. >>

🎃 weds 10:30pm: the monster high mash: a monster high drag party. cheetah quila hosts an all-monster high-themed drag party at c’mon everybody (bed-stuy). $13.39. >>

thursday

thurs 6:30pm: wnyc’s in conversation: the affordability series: join wnyc’s nyc now for a live podcast taping and community conversation with residents, business owners, and mta officials to discuss the long-promised expansion of the second avenue subway, along with the tension between new transit investment and displacement it has raised. light fare and trivia will follow. cccadi ilé oyin (east harlem), free admission. >>

thurs 6:30pm: the mingle games: meet new people through fast-paced games that send you from table to table, playing a quick round with a new group of strangers each time. a comedian host keeps the competition moving, while an app lets you tap to connect with anyone you hit it off with. station winners enter a prize drawing, and cocktails, beer, and dumplings from keep the games going. jaywalker at new york distilling co. (east williamsburg), early bird and 2-for-1 admission options are available for a limited time. >>

🎃 thurs 6:30pm doors: halloween cover show + art market: tributes to tom petty, the b-52s, and more. rubulad (bushwick), $15 adv, $20 door. >>

sponsored: thurs 7pm + 9:30pm: jill weiner debut comedy special taping!: jill weiner’s debut comedy special (tentatively titled soup freak) is a darkly funny, silly, smart, and sharp hour of stand-up comedy. with topics ranging from peloton to drug doing, dating a guy in a van to suicide by sea, jill shares her deeply relatable perspective on the human condition while revealing her insecurities, memories, and, of course, her favorite soups, stews and stocks. from top to bottom (or, better yet, soup to nuts), jill’s show maintains a high-energy level akin to a slumber party at 2am. hosted by connor creagan (comedy central), featuring courtney maginnis (hbo, fan therapy), with special performances by mark benjamin (taxi tv) and jeffrey emerson (hulu). parkside lounge (les). special offer: use code ‘specialweiner’ for 50% off tickets! >>

thurs 7pm (monthly): not in my backyard! a political comedy roundtable: a panel of opinionated nyc comedians, journalists, and politicians debate the local issues causing drama in your neighborhood’s facebook group. hosted by cody lindquist (colbert) and charlie todd (improv everywhere), with panelists dave colon (streetsblog, new york groove), risa harms (mcsweeney’s, ucb), and chloe radcliffe (fallon). tonight’s show will also include an audience pop quiz on nyc knowledge. ucb (east village), $12.94 with promo code ‘nimbyoct’ (reg. $17.94 adv, $20+ day of). >>

thurs 7pm: nyc magic ensemble: expect the unexpected as the nyc magic ensemble presents a night of magicians and mentalists at young ethel’s (south slope), $10 (a limited number of 2-for-$15 tickets are also available). >>

🎃 thurs 7pm (weather permitting): free outdoor movie: sinners at mccarren park (williamsburg). >>

thurs 7-11pm: moma ps1 school nite: moma ps1’s new after-hours music series brings rising digital, internet-based, and underground acts to its former schoolhouse, with open gallery access (until 9pm). up first: isabella lovestory, b0yg1rl, and ali rq (dj). moma ps1 (lic), $15 adv, $20 day of. >>

🎃 thurs 8pm: goth sk8 halloween: featuring gargoyle, llora, and nightwitch. xanadu (bushwick), $26.78 + $8 skate rental (or byo). >>

thurs 8:30pm: copacabana comedy: catherine lindsay and dorian debose host a night of comedy inspired by the glamorous golden age of variety shows. tonight’s lineup includes grace johnson, keegan tindall, sammy anzer, noah snyder, and more. telephone room (bushwick), $8-10. >>

thurs 8:30pm: landline comedy at wild east brewing co.: landline comedy serves up pints of hoppy humor straight from the barrel cellar at wild east brewing co. (gowanus). tonight’s lineup includes mary houlihan (adult swim), mac o’hara (hulu), trent mabry (sirius xm), bridget mcguire, bria hiebert, and sam kochman. hosted by andre medrano. bonus: rsvp for a chance to win a free drink. free admission. >>

🎃 thurs 9pm doors: guillermo del homo: pan’s labyrinth 20th anniversary drag tribute: c’mon everybody (bed-stuy), $13.39. >>

ongoing

our roundup of 40+ ongoing events: hitchcocktober, the amazing maize maze, and more. >>

support us

if you enjoy this newsletter and would like to help keep it going, please consider supporting us here