NEW YORK– New York City’s annual Village Halloween Parade will return in 2024, with spooky costumes and street closures.
Get into the Halloween spirit during the parade or the official afterparty with this year’s theme: ‘Meow’.
“On Halloween night, New York’s Halloween Parade calls on Cat Ladies of every spider to put on your best tails and whiskers and join in the ball,” the parade website says.
Here’s everything you need to know about where to watch, when it starts and how to get around the area.
Map shows the NYC Halloween Parade route
The 51st annual parade marches through Manhattan’s West Village. It starts at Canal Street and Sixth Avenue and then runs along Sixth Avenue to West 15th Street.
Spectators can watch from both sides of Sixth Avenue between King Street and West 15th Street. Organizers say the area from Bleecker to West 14th Street is usually the busiest, so arrive early.
The parade is free and open to the public to watch or participate in costume. VIP tickets are also available to secure prime viewing spots.
What time does the NYC Halloween Parade start?
The parade departs on Thursday, October 31 at 7:00 PM and ends around 11:00 PM
Sunset is shortly before 6:00 PM, about an hour before the start time. It’s one unusually warm Halloween this yearand temperatures are expected to be in the low 70s as the night progresses.
Organizers say there will also be an afterparty at Webster Hall. It starts at 9 p.m., with a costume contest at midnight.
Mass Transit to the NYC Halloween Parade
Parade organizers are asking people to leave their vehicles at home and take the train. That said, the following service and station changes are in effect:
- Southbound trains will run past the Spring Street C/E station between 5:00 PM and 10:00 PM
- The north side of the Spring Street C/E station is accessible for exit only
- After 10:00 PM, southbound A trains run locally from 59th Street to Canal Street
- After midnight, the A trains run north via the Rutgers Tube
- After midnight, the F trains run southbound via the Cranberry Tube
- 14 Street-6 Avenue L/F/M Station: 16th Street side is exit only, 14th Street side is open
- West 4th Street A/B/C/D/E/F/M station: Street entrances become exit or entrance only at various times
- Buses along Sixth Avenue will be rerouted from just after 6 p.m. until the parade is over
NYC Halloween Parade Street Closures
For those driving, the NYPD says the following streets will also be closed Thursday evening:
Formation:
- 6th Avenue between Spring Street and Canal Street
- Dominick Street between Varick Street and 6th Avenue
- Sullivan Street between Broome Street and Spring Street
- Broome Street between Sullivan Street and Varick Street
- Spring Street between Sullivan Street and Varick Street
Route:
- 6th Avenue between Spring Street and West 18th Street
Distribution:
- West 16th Street between 5th Avenue and 7th Avenue
- West 17th Street between 5th Avenue and 7th Avenue
- West 18th Street between 5th Avenue and 7th Avenue
- 5th Avenue between 14th Street and 19th Street
- 7th Avenue between 14th Street and 19th Street
Mixed:
- West 10th Street between 6th Avenue and Greenwich Avenue
- Van Damstraat between Varick Street and 5th Avenue
The city also celebrates Halloween with 147 open streets spread across the five districts and more than 100 car-free events. For more Halloween spirit in the area, view our Snapshot New York special.