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Your Guide to the Halloween Village Parade

by | Oct 30, 2017

This Halloween, get ready for one of New York City’s most anticipated events; the Annual Village Halloween Parade. In 2017, the parade celebrates its 44th year, and the turn-out is expected to be big with hundreds of puppets, 53 different bands, and thousands of New Yorkers decked out in their best costumes. But don’t get lost in the craziness! We’ve put together a helpful how-to guide to navigate your way through one of the city’s wildest nights.


If You’re Marching:

41st-annual-village-halloween-parade

PC: NY Daily News

Where to meet: The parade officially kicks off at 7pm, but those marching (costumes are mandatory) can start lining up from 6.30pm till 8.30pm on Sixth Avenue at Canal Street. It’s important to note that marchers can only join the parade at this location from the east and south, which is Sullivan, East Broome, and Canal Streets. If you arrive from the west side, enter only from Canal Street.

Theme: This year’s theme is ‘Cabinet of Curiosities: An Imaginary Menagerie.’ In other words, think of a creepy bestial hybrid you would see in Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Costumes should focus on strange creatures straight out of a nightmare. The official parade puppeteers will lead the march with unique hybrid animal puppets, and marchers are asked to arrive dressed in their best creations. If you’re still confused, check out this link.

Helpful Tips:

  • Find your friends before the parade! If you’re planning on joining people for the march, it’s best to have a meeting point a block or two away from all the festivities. Once everything gets started, it will become hard to meet up.
  • If you’re coming from far away, find a hotel in advance. You probably won’t be able to book anything that night around the parade route.
  • There is no tolerance for alcohol at this event.
  • For more information on joining the parade, click here.

If You’re Not Marching:

landscape-1500046332-new-york-city-halloween-parade

PC: bestproducts.com

Where to meet: Since the parade runs straight up Sixth Avenue, from Spring Street all the way to 16th Street, you’ll find that it’s most crowded between Bleecker Street and 14th Street. So, either get there early (remember, the parade starts at 7 pm) or find another spot along the way.

How to get there: The easiest way to get to the parade is by subway, and luckily, there are multiple options. The B, D, F, and M lines run down Sixth Avenue to 23rd Street, 14th Street, or West 4th Street, depending on the line. The 1, 2, and 3 runs down Seventh Avenue to 23rd Street, 18th Street, 14th Street and Houston Street, depending on the line. If you want to make it as close to the start of the parade as possible, take the C or E to Spring Street.

Other options: If you don’t want to stand out in a swarm of people, you can also watch the parade from the comfort of your own living room. Enjoy live coverage of the event on NY1 from 8:00-9:30pm.


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