Upper West Side Brimming with Halloween Events

by Avi - October 20, 2009 at 9:29 pm -

Starting on Friday, Oct. 23, every single day through November 1 will be packed with pumpkins, ghosts and gargoyles on the Upper West Side. And with Halloween coming on a Saturday, there are lots of day and night events on the 30^th and 31^st. (Many of these events were initially highlighted in a post on Food and Things)

Oct. 23
Pumpkin Carving in Central Park 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. At the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (Located inside the Park at 110th Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenues). Create a jack-o’-lantern with the Central Park Conservancy staff. If you want, it can be displayed at the annual Halloween Parade and Pumpkin Sail on Sunday, October 25 and you can watch it float on the Harlem Meer in the event’s culminating pumpkin sail at 5:30 pm. A limited number of pumpkins are available on a first-come, first-served basis per family (children must be six years or older with an accompanying adult); bring your own if you have one. Carving tools provided. For more information, click here.

Oct. 24
Pumpkin Carving in Riverside Park 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Bring your own pumpkins; The Riverside Park Fund will provide tools, tables and tarps for carvers. Parental guidance is a must. In case of rain, this event will take place in the playground parkhouse. At the Hippo Playground on 91st Street in the park.

Brownstone School’s Halloween Fun Fair 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Activities include a bouncy castle and slide, train ride, life-size Candyland course, pumpkin and cupcake decorating, and sand art at Amsterdam and 77th. For more information, click here.

Oct. 25
Dana Discovery Center Pumpkin Sail 3 – 7 p.m. Bring a jack-o-lantern. On 110th Street & Lenox Avenue. For info 212-860-1370. For more information, click here.

Big Green Halloween at P.S. 166 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. A parent-run festival and fundraiser that will feature live music and entertainment, carnival games, raffles and prizes, a costume contest and haunted house, celebrity chefs and more on West 89^th Street. For details, click here. (Via NY Metro Parents)

Oct. 26
Bloomingdale Library Halloween Tales Starts at 4 p.m. With Bob “Bob-a-loo” Basey, ages 5 & up; 150 W. 100 Street. For info call 212-222-8030.

Oct. 27
Halloween Ball 2009 at the Central Park Conservancy Cocktails at 7 p.m. Dinner and dancing starts at 8 p.m. A non-traditional black-tie gala—over-the-top costumes are the rule—to celebrate Halloween. Tickets cost at least $1,000. For more information, click here.

Oct. 28
Kids’ Halloween Arts & Crafts at El Taller Latino 4 – 6 p.m. Broadway & W. 104 Street. For info 212-665-9460. RSVP: littlemastersart@gmail.com . ages 2-12. For more information, click here.

Oct. 29
Halloween Crafts at the Chess & Checkers House in Central Park 2 – 4 p.m. Get in the Halloween spirit at the Chess & Checkers House (Located inside the Park at 64th Street). Color Halloween scenes, make decorations, and create a greeting card. All ages. Limited space; no groups or strollers inside the building. For more details, click here.

Oct. 30
Spooks at Belvedere Castle 4 – 6 p.m. and 6:30 – 8 p.m. It doesn’t take much to make a 19th Century gothic castle look creepy at dusk – even if it is a beloved visitor center. The Central Park Conservancy has Belvedere Castle outfitted with some spooky tricks this Halloween, so bring your whole family for a frightfully fun time! Treats provided for those brave enough to make it through. For more details, click here.

Halloween Extravaganza and Procession of the Ghouls at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine On 112^th and Amsterdam Avenue. Shows start at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. An Upper West Side classic, the evening begins with the screening of the classic horror film Nosferatu. $20. Visit here for more details. (Via About.com)

Annual Halloween Bash at El Taller Latino 9 p.m. – 2 a.m. Broadway & W. 104 Street. For info call 212-665-9460. $10. For more details, click here.

Oct. 31
Morning of the Gargoyles A children’s Halloween workshop at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Morning activities include a reading of Eve Bunting’s Night of the Gargoyles and the opportunity to make grimacing gargoyles and scary skeletons. Details here.

Crypt Crawls at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m.; $12. Check out the cathedral’s crypt – if you dare! For more details, click here. (via Yahoo)

Museum of Natural History Halloween Party 2 – 5 p.m. More than 30 of the Museum’s popular halls will be open for trick-or-treating, arts and crafts, and other Halloween fun. Live performances by David Grover and the Big Bear Band. $10. For more information, click here.

Riverside Park Halloween Parade 3:45 – 5 p.m. Gather at the Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Monument (89th Street & Riverside Drive) in your costume and follow the bagpipers to the Hippo Playground. Enjoy free cider & donuts afterward. For more information, click here.

Morningside Park Costume Parade 1:30 – 3 p.m. West 121 Street & Morningside Avenue. For info call 212-937-3883.

West 90th Halloween Block Party 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. (on the street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West.) The West 90th Street Park Block Association sponsors decorations and lights, neighbors are on the street with trick or treat candy. Some lobbies on the street welcome children as well. For more details, click here. (Via Gotham Girl)