🎃 halloween dog parades and costume contests:

► sat 10am-12pm (the line to participate opens at 9:30am): the annual washington square park dog halloween costume contest: washington square park’s garibaldi plaza (greenwich village). >>

► sat 10-4pm (pet check-in starts at 9am): 36th annual tompkins square halloween dog parade: ‘dog parade festival block’ is on 6th st between avenues b and c; parade starts at 11am and runs along avenue b; note: registration to march is full, but no ticket is required to watch. >>

► sat 3-5pm: howl-o-ween dog parade: smith st + union st (carroll gardens). note: this event is part of the smith street neighbors + makers fair listed below. >>

► sun 1-3pm: carl schurz park conservancy’s annual halloween howl + healthy hound fair: basketball/hockey court + john finley walk (yorkville). >>

cultural fests / food events / markets / shopping events (free admission, unless noted otherwise):

► fri thru mon: manhattan vintage clothing show: fall edition: metropolitan pavilion (chelsea). $25 general, $20 students. >>

► sat 10am-2pm (10am speakers, 12pm parade): fifth annual national indigenous peoples of the americas parade: madison ave + e 23rd st to broadway + 17th st (flatiron). >>

► sat 10am-2pm: hoboken’s second citywide gate sale: church square park and throughout hoboken, nj. >>

► sat 10am-2pm: brownstone boys stoop sale: 375 vanderbilt ave (clinton hill). >>

► sat 10am-5pm: the annual muddy paws rescue block party: w 54th street between 9th + 10th aves (hell’s kitchen). >>

► sat 10am-5pm (rescheduled from 9/26 due to weather): brooklyn pop-up x old stone house fall artisans bazaar + traditional makers fair: 4th street cul-de-sac at washington park (park slope). >>

► sat 10am-6pm: smith street neighbors + makers fair: smith street between bergen + union (carroll gardens). >>

► sat 10am-6:30pm: collected con: industry city, brooklyn. $15 adv, $20 door. >>

► sat 12pm until sold out: good neighbors bake sale – supporting one love community fridge: index space (greenpoint). >>

► 🎃 sat 12-6pm: a haunting in industry city, a horror art market: barrow’s intense ny tasting room (industry city, brooklyn). >>

► sat + sun (11am-6pm): the annual smorgasburg diwali: festival of bites: marsha p. johnson state park in williamsburg (sat), breeze hill in prospect park (sun). >>

► sat + sun (sat 12-6pm, sun 10:30am-5pm): the annual brooklyn synth + pedal expo: 100 sutton event space (greenpoint). $10-25 admission. >>

► sun 11am-3pm: the annual disability pride parade and block party: parade (11am): madison square park to union square park. block party (12-3pm): union square park. >>

► sun 11am-7pm: objects of times past pop-up market: 432 e 9th st (east village). >>

► sun 1-3pm: brooklyn mac and takedown: royal palms shuffleboard (gowanus), $30. >>

► sun 1-7pm: nyc plant market: culture lab lic. >>

► 🎃 sun 3-7:30pm brooklyn hearts club’s sinister sinner’s market: crystal lake brooklyn (williamsburg). >>

sponsored

NYC comedian Kendall Farrell tapes his first stand up special at Littlefield in Brooklyn on Sunday, October 18, executive produced by Ashley Gavin and Rachel Feinstein.

Farrell was named a “Comic to Watch” at the New York Comedy Festival and a “Breakout Artist” by Carolines on Broadway. He has opened for national headliners like Michelle Wolf, Beth Stelling, Drew Lynch and Matteo Lane. His work has been seen/heard on SiriusXM, Cracked and Adult Swim.

In this hour, Farrell discusses using Manosphere logic to explain that gender is a spectrum, the difference between gay and straight men’s nudes, and being a liberal black sheep in a conservative family — with some thoughts on whether you can actually bl*w your way to the top.

If you have never been to a comedy special taping before, this is your chance to be a part of a uniquely cool, fun and rare NYC experience!

Two shows: 7pm & 9:30pm
Littlefield, 635 Sackett St, Brooklyn

Use code FIVE for $5 tickets

Tickets available at kendallfarrell.com/special

friday

🎃 fri thru 11/1: frigid new york’s annual days of the dead festival: inspired by día de muertos, frigid new york presents two weeks of independent theatre and performances exploring themes of death, the afterlife, and halloween. under st. marks theatre (east village), $7-25 and sliding-scale admission. >>

fri thru sun: the 24th annual open house new york weekend festival: more than 300 locations across the five boroughs, including new buildings, historic landmarks, industrial spaces, private collections, and more will open their doors for behind-the-scenes tours and special activities. half are free and don’t require a reservation (just show up!), while limited-access sites that require tickets sold out earlier in the month. >>

sponsored: fri + sat (various times): flop house comedy club: nyc’s friendliest indie comedy club—with great comics and a cozy atmosphere—has some incredible lineups this weekend! save 50% with promo code ‘skint’ on tickets to these shows at 362 grand street in williamsburg: friday 8pm, 9:30pm, and 11pm; and the east village location is back at 201 allen st store 2 friday + saturday at 8:00pm. new: monthly member’s pass ($20) to see as many shows as you want + happy hour drinks + secret drop in announcements! >>

fri 6pm (weather permitting): free outdoor movie: wicked at hudson yards public square and gardens. >>

🎃 fri 6-9pm: trek or treat – a star trek costume party: beam up to mayday space (bushwick) for a halloween-themed star trek meetup and costume party featuring spooky space screenings, behind the scenes footage, and a latinum prize for best-dressed fan. free admission. >>

fri 6:30pm: funny pages: an evening of humorous readings: comedy writers, authors, essayists, cartoonists, and comics share new things to make you laugh. hosted by zach zimmerman (is it hot in here?) and blythe roberson (america the beautiful?), with readings by emmy blotnick, stephen lurie, and sarah thankam mathews. p+t knitwear bookstore (les), $10. >>

fri 7pm: tale storytelling show: harmon leon (this american life, the new yorker) hosts an evening of performances by some of the city’s best storytellers. tonight: annie tan, michael tedder, sean o’brien, and michele carlo, with music by pete mancini. the red room at kgb bar (east village), save $10 on tickets with promo code ‘discountskint’ or if you mention the skint at the door. two-drink minimum. >>

fri 7pm (monthly): kweendom: come out for the kweendom lgbtq+ comedy and storytelling show, featuring performances by jonah nigh, micaela fagan, justin covington, david perez, and sheri ciprane. hosted by bobby hankinson. pete’s candy store (williamsburg), free admission (donations are welcome and will benefit immigration equality). >>

fri 7pm: three-day champion: a comedic storytelling podcast wrapped inside a game show where comedian contestants are asked, ‘if you were a three-day champion on a game show, what three stories about yourself would you choose to tell?’ guests compete to tell their favorite, funniest, most revealing anecdotes for bragging rights and prizes. hosted by christine walters with brian stack, moujan zolfaghari, ally ann hall, and emily flake. caveat (les), $18.76 with promo code ‘3dchamp’ (reg. $24-25). >>

fri 7:30pm: (un)silent film: the general: the new school’s college of performing arts presents a screening of buster keaton’s 1926 silent classic the general, with an original score by carl davis performed live by students from the mannes school of music and the school of jazz and contemporary music. the new school’s tishman auditorium (greenwich village/union square), free admission. >>

🎃 fri 8pm: st. kilda: drama league award nominee jody christopherson’s one-woman ‘scottish horror excursion with supernatural foley looping,’ inspired by her nebraska roots, her scottish heritage, and the historic 1930 evacuation of scotland’s archipelago st. kilda, comes to cloud city (williamsburg). $25. >>

fri 8:30pm: bitches brew comedy show: this women-produced-and-hosted comedy show conjures up big laughs in the back room of halyards (gowanus). tonight’s lineup includes laura laham, jess levin, jessie murphy, eric schmidt, vik pandya, and sean peecook. free admission (a tip jar will be passed around at the end of the show). >>

fri 9:30pm: nyc magic ensemble: expect the unexpected as the nyc magic ensemble presents a night of magicians and mentalists at caveat (les). $18.76 with promo code ‘theskint’ (reg $24-30). >>

saturday

sat + sun (12-6pm): 30th annual gowanus open studios: more than 400 artists, businesses, and venues in gowanus, brooklyn, open their doors across 90+ locations, including former factories and warehouses. free admission. >>

sponsored: sat 12-5pm: brooklyn navy yard annual open house: discover the brooklyn navy yard’s 300-acre innovative campus during their annual open house, part of open house new york weekend. step inside the studios of businesses in fashion, design, and technology for exclusive behind-the-scenes access, along with spirits tastings, campus tours, food trucks, live art demos, and more. free! >>

sat 2-6pm: free show brain concert: show brain returns to maria hernandez park (bushwick) with a free, all-ages concert featuring big girl, desert sharks, pop music fever dream, talon, and firstsex. >>

sat 7:30pm: fun gutter: a party, show, and general check-in hosted by sasha von didkovsky, featuring standup from olivia carter, vannessa jackson, sean peecook, and michael abbe, plus live prank calls conducted by david dobbins. karaoke follows the show. the cobra club (bushwick), free admission ($10 suggested donation at the door). >>

sat 7:30pm: peoples’ symphony concerts classical music series: quatuor danel: peoples’ symphony concerts kicks off its 126th season with french/belgian quartet quatuor danel, performing works by beethoven, shostakovich, and weinberg. the high school of fashion industries (chelsea), $20 general, $10 students. >>

sat 8pm (+ 12/5, 2/20, 4/3, 5/15): new york repertory orchestra 2026-27 season: the all-volunteer, community-based orchestra is back with a new season of concerts, beginning tonight with a program that includes works by serge rachmaninoff, einojuhani rautavaara, and bohuslav martinů featuring soprano kendra berentsen. the church of st. mary the virgin (theater district), free admission ($20 suggested donation). >>

🎃 sat 8pm: nü girl order presents: house of flies – a nu-metal + metalcore halloween party: dress as your fav horror baddie and hit the dance floor at this women-focused dance party dedicated to heavy music and horror nostalgia. secret pour (bushwick / bed-stuy), free admission. >>

sunday

sun thru 10/24: moving body – moving image biennial: featuring experimental, documentary, and narrative films, the festival’s latest edition explores the role of the immigrant body, both on camera and behind the scenes, with a full-day program at lincoln center’s david rubenstein atrium 10/18, followed by additional programming and an installation at barnard college’s movement lab 10/19-24. free admission. >>

sun 2-6pm (on view thru december): pigeons by the seashore art show: a flock of artists descends on coney island usa’s freak bar for a group art show celebrating nyc’s feathered icon. free admission. >>

🎃 sun 3pm doors: infinite good times movie club: ‘the house that carpenter built: part 3 of 3’ edition: infinite good times movie club returns with a screening of john carpenter’s in the mouth of madness at gowanus metal bar lucky 13 saloon. bonus: free popcorn and snacks. free admission with rsvp ($5 suggested donation) >>

sponsored: sun 7pm + 9:30pm: kendall farrell – live comedy special taping: nyc comedian kendall farrell tapes his first stand up special at littlefield (gowanus)! named a ‘comic to watch’ at the new york comedy festival and a ‘breakout artist’ by carolines on broadway, kendall has opened for national headliners like michelle wolf, beth stelling, drew lynch and matteo lane, and his work has been seen/heard on siriusxm, cracked and adult swim. in this hour, farrell discusses using manosphere logic to explain that gender is a spectrum, the difference between gay and straight men’s nudes, and being a liberal black sheep in a conservative family — with some thoughts on whether you can actually bl*w your way to the top. if you have never been to a comedy special taping before, this is your chance to be a part of a uniquely cool, fun and rare nyc experience! special offer: just $5 with promo code ‘five’ >>

sun 7pm: i blame television: a pop culture reading series: elizabeth teets (la times, reductress) hosts a night of pop confessionals, messy essays, horny think-pieces, and nostalgia breakdowns about trash tv and iconic moments. sisters (clinton hill), free admission. >>

sun 7:30pm (monthly): good god comedy show: audience members can anonymously share their craziest, cringiest, most scandalous secrets for the hosts to read aloud at this stand-up comedy variety show. tonight’s lineup: alex english, grace lobo, charlie flynn, and devon walker. hosted by brittany carney and naomi karavani. union hall (park slope), $10 adv, $15 door. >>

sun 8pm (monthly): beanie babe comedy: punchlines and plush toys collide at this comedy show where a donation will get you a vintage beanie baby to take home. featuring esther chen, michael agunbiade, alysia hush, and wayne pezzella. hosted by rebecca kaplan. young ethel’s (south slope), free admission (donations optional). >>

monday

mon 7pm (monthly): and scene: anything could happen when actors and improvisors share the stage at ‘and scene,’ where the actors know their lines ahead of time and the improvisers make up their parts with no prior knowledge of the scenes. featuring kim director (she’s gotta have it), chris redd (snl), neal bledsoe (othello, broadway), connor ratliff (dead eyes, nina bloomgarden (maximum pleasure guaranteed), and more. caveat (les), $15.67 with promo code ‘skintspecial’ (reg. $24-25). >>

🎃 mon 7pm doors: hoff’s horrorfest presents: dementia 13: comedian hoff matthews hosts a screening of francis ford coppola’s dementia 13 (1963), interspersed with comedy segments, special ‘guests,’ and more. bonus: free pizza from two boots (including a vegan option). the brick theater (williamsburg), $15 admission. >>

ongoing

our roundup of 40+ ongoing events: 2-for-1 off-broadway tickets, hitchcocktober, the amazing maize maze, and more. >>

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

Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist and guest editor of The Best American Short Stories 2026, Viet Thanh Nguyen (The Sympathizer), hosts our annual collaboration with one of the premier anthologies of contemporary American fiction. Come along on this spectacular journey of literature in performance 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).

Take great stories by well-known and emerging writers, add captivating actors of stage and screen, and you have Selected Shorts—unforgettable nights of literature in performance.

Skint readers can get a $16 ticket on Tier 2 seats using code: Viet

MORE INFO

sponsored post

tuesday

tues 6pm (monthly thru 12/1): miller theater’s pop-up concert series: sit onstage with virtuoso musicians during columbia university school of the arts’s hour-long early-evening concerts, with a free drink in hand and the opportunity to mingle with the performers afterward. the 15th season continues tonight with pianist conrad tao, performing the premiere of david fulmer’s i have loved a stream and a shadow, a solo piano work inspired by the poetry of ezra pound. miller theatre at columbia university (morningside heights), free admission. >>

🎃 tues 6pm doors (weather permitting): free outdoor movie: jennifer’s body at gansevoort plaza (meatpacking district). >>

tues 7pm doors: scientific controversies: octopus umwelt: for the latest installment of pioneer works’ scientific controversies series, comparative psychologist and marine biologist dr. alex schnell (national geographic: secrets of the octopus) and dr. caroline albertin investigate what the octopus can reveal about the nature of consciousness, perception, the origins of the mind, and what it means to be intelligent. hosted by barnard physics and astronomy professor and pioneer works director of sciences janna levin. food will be available for purchase, and stargazing with the amateur astronomers association will precede and follow the event. pioneer works (red hook), free admission (donations welcome). >>

tues 7pm (monthly): astronomy live: exploring cosmic building blocks: join astrophysicist emily calamari at the american museum of natural history for a journey from the chemical building blocks found in meteorites to the swirling disks of gas and dust surrounding young stars, exploring how planets take shape and discovering what new observations are revealing about the origins of worlds throughout the universe. hayden planetarium space theater (uws), $20. >>

tues 7pm: creative showcase vol. 7: a curated lineup of designers, artists, technologists, and researchers get just 20 slides and 20 seconds per slide to present what they’re working on at this pecha kucha-style forum. hosted by katie ehrlich. index chinatown, $10. >>

🎃 tues 7:30pm: sixth annual queer spooky shorts: the other side of silence, nyc’s oldest and longest-producing lgbtq+ theater company, presents an evening of short halloween-themed one-act plays. a.r.t./new york theatres (midtown), $5 admission. >>

tues 8pm: the moth storyslam: the popular community-based open mic storytelling competition, where anyone can share a five-minute tale based on the evening’s theme to an attentive audience, returns to the bell house (gowanus). tonight’s theme: ‘teenage nightmares.’ $22.05. >>

sponsored

NYC comedian Kendall Farrell tapes his first stand up special at Littlefield in Brooklyn on Sunday, October 18, executive produced by Ashley Gavin and Rachel Feinstein.

Farrell was named a “Comic to Watch” at the New York Comedy Festival and a “Breakout Artist” by Carolines on Broadway. He has opened for national headliners like Michelle Wolf, Beth Stelling, Drew Lynch and Matteo Lane. His work has been seen/heard on SiriusXM, Cracked and Adult Swim.

In this hour, Farrell discusses using Manosphere logic to explain that gender is a spectrum, the difference between gay and straight men’s nudes, and being a liberal black sheep in a conservative family — with some thoughts on whether you can actually bl*w your way to the top.

If you have never been to a comedy special taping before, this is your chance to be a part of a uniquely cool, fun and rare NYC experience!

Two shows: 7pm & 9:30pm
Littlefield, 635 Sackett St, Brooklyn

Use code FIVE for $5 tickets

Tickets available at kendallfarrell.com/special

wednesday

film fests/series (various prices):
► weds-sun: 14th chelsea film festival: regal battery park and online. >>
► weds-sun: 30th urbanworld film festival: regal union square. >>
► 🎃 thurs thru 10/22: 11th annual brooklyn horror film festival: nitehawk cinema (williamsburg + prospect park). >>
► thurs thru 10/25: 38th annual new york lgbtq+ film festival (newfest): various locations in manhattan and brooklyn, as well as online. >>

weds 6:30pm: jonathan ames: a past without pictures: author and bored to death creator jonathan ames discusses his latest book, a past without pictures, with yaddo’s elaina richardson at brooklyn public library for arts + culture (fort greene). free admission. >>

weds 7pm (monthly): fantastic fiction at kgb: this monthly speculative-fiction reading series, hosted by editor ellen datlow and writer matthew kressel, welcomes writers john langan (lost in the dark and other excursions and carrie-edmund laben (smoke season) for a night of readings and discussion at kgb bar (east village). free admission. >>

weds 7pm (monthly): peer revue: ted talks with a twist. real experts give real talks on big ideas—like quarks or the fall of rome—then comedians wing it while trying to make sense of slides they’ve never seen before. hosted by ben lillie, with talks by lizbanks campagna, mick szal, lina zikas, and hampton humber, and comedy by brielle demirjian, kristina gustovich, kenny park-yi, and shyaporn theerakulstit. caveat (les), $13.61 with promo code ‘revueskint’ (reg. $18.76-20). >>

weds 7pm (wednesdays): baby shoes comedy: clare donaher and alex murdoch’s baby shoes comedy show delivers grown-up laughs with a fresh lineup of comedians each week. tonight’s show features gabby jordan brown, shelby latterman, kieron harrell, allison o’conor, and annabeth mann. black cat les, free admission. >>

🎃 weds 7pm (weather permitting): free outdoor movie: practical magic at prospect park (brooklyn). >>

🎃 weds 7pm doors (+ 10/18): infinite good times movie club: ‘the house that carpenter built: part 2 of 3’ edition: infinite good times movie club returns with a double-feature screening of john carpenter’s the fog and body bags at gowanus metal bar lucky 13 saloon. bonus: free popcorn and candy. free admission with rsvp ($5 suggested donation) >>

🎃 weds 8pm (wednesdays thru 10/28): sunnyside horror society: sunnyside horror society’s spooky season screening series continues with the exorcist. sanger hall (sunnyside), free admission. >>

thursday

thurs thru 1/11/2027: new exhibitions at international center of photography (les): i’m so happy you are here: japanese women photographers from the 1950s to now, laia abril: on rape and institutional failure, and the gfx challenge grant: five years, five projects (thru 10/19). international center of photography (les), $18 general, $14 seniors, $12 students, $5 thursdays 5-8pm. >>

thurs thru sun: honk nyc! festival: 20th annual street band blowout: the annual honk nyc! festival brings four days of global brass and percussion music from local, national, and international street bands to indoor and outdoor venues and parks across manhattan, brooklyn, and queens. fmost events are free. >>

thurs 2-7pm: brooklyn botanic garden’s fall plant sale: shop a curated selection of indoor and outdoor plants for your apartment or garden. free tickets include admission to the grounds. >>

thurs 6pm (+ sat 7:30pm) new york classical players: the new york classical players opens its beethoven 200 chamber series with a pair of free concerts at bruno walter auditorium at new york public library for the performing arts (thurs) and church of st. luke + st. matthew in clinton hill (sat). >>

sponsored: thurs 6:30pm: leila sales presents encore performance: an 831 stories romance: p+t knitwear is pleased to welcome leila sales to celebrate and discuss the release of her book from 831 stories, encore performance; the story of emmy gold—the frontwoman of an indie-sleaze breakout band who’s since gone solo—going back on tour with her former collaborator and first love, bishop ward. she’s always trusted she can write a hit song, and now she’s finding out if she can rewrite her past. leila will be in conversation with melissa giannini, and will sign books after the talk! p+t knitwear bookstore (les), $10 admission, $17.83 ticket option includes a copy of the book. >>

thurs 7pm (monthly): facts machine: science, comedy + trivia: scientists and comedians share the stories behind their favorite facts, ‘conduct experiments’ (i.e. play drinking games), and test their knowledge with a trivia challenge loosely inspired by this month’s theme: spooky science. hosted by scientists, comedians, and pub trivia hosts em costa, noah guiberson, and rob frawley. caveat (les), $13.61 with promo code ‘theskint’ (reg. $24-25). >>

🎃 thurs 7pm: kevin geeks out about creepy kids: comedian kevin maher and a lineup of pop-culture aficionados return to nitehawk cinema (prospect park) with a video variety show about the telekinetic tykes, zombie babies, killer kids, and ghost girls of tv and movies. $18. >>

🎃 thurs 7pm (weather permitting): free outdoor movie: scooby-doo at sunset park (brooklyn). >>

thurs 7:30pm (monthly): pete’s reading series: hear from literary icons and newcomers alike at this long-running reading series, hosted by temim fruchter and brian gresko. tonight’s edition features jami attenberg (the amnesiac), bindu bansinath (men like ours), alexa brahme (good news), and ed park (three tenses). pete’s candy store (williamsburg), free admission. >>

thurs 7:30pm: top shelf stories: julia whitehouse serves up an evening of carefully crafted storytelling at ucb (east village). tonight’s lineup: john trowbridge, henry suarez, chris james, and david lawson, plus one open mic slot reserved for an audience member. hosted by julia whitehouse. $10 adv, $15 day of. >>

🎃 thurs 8pm (monthly): it entirely from memory: watch as blindly-cast ten bones theatre company performers attempt/fail to recreate stephen king’s it on stage, without the aid of scripts, rehearsals, or sobriety. as chaos ensues, drinks are drunk while the players are challenged to incorporate lines written by the audience and create ‘deleted’ scenes. littlefield (gowanus), $12 adv, $14 day of. >>

🎃 thurs 8pm doors: footlight’s annual undead prom: dig your old prom outfit out of the grave for footlight’s 90s/00s undead prom, featuring live music from the don’t look nows, prom portraits (prints are $1.50), prizes, and a court coronation at 9:45pm. themed costumes very much encouraged. footlight underground at the windjammer (ridgewood), $15 suggested admission (notaflof). >>

ongoing

our roundup of 40+ ongoing events: 2-for-1 off-broadway tickets, gaia, oktoberfest events, 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