This is the one night a year when tens of thousands of New Yorkers in homemade costumes take over Sixth Avenue behind towering skeleton puppets, marching bands and floats, and the whole Village turns into one enormous costume contest. What makes it different from every other parade in the city is that there is no audition and no fee — if you are in costume, you can step into the line-up and become part of the spectacle. If you only do one Halloween thing in New York, make it this, and wear the c
What to expect
Sidewalks along Sixth Avenue fill hours before step-off, so a good spectator spot means arriving early and staying put. Expect giant articulated puppets, dozens of bands, and a river of individual costumed marchers that takes well over an hour to pass. If you march, you join at the designated line-up area south of the parade start rather than jumping in mid-route.
Good to know
- Take the A, C, E, B, D, F or M to West 4th Street-Washington Square, or the 1 to Houston Street
- Anyone in costume can march; spectators do not need a ticket or a wristband
- Sixth Avenue closes to traffic and the surrounding subway stations get extremely crowded on the way out
- Bring a costume you can walk and stand in for two hours; it gets cold once the sun is down
- The route is street-level and step-free, but sightlines are poor for kids unless you claim a spot early
- Good for adults and teens; small children do better watching the first hour than the late crush
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Common questions
Do I need a ticket to march in the parade?
No. The parade is free and open to anyone in costume. You join at the official line-up area rather than stepping in along the route, and there is no advance registration for individual marchers.
Where is the best place to watch?
Anywhere along Sixth Avenue works, but the blocks nearer the start of the route fill first and get the densest. Side-street corners a few blocks up give you a little more breathing room and an easier exit.
Can I bring children?
Yes, and plenty of families do, but the crowd gets dense and loud as the night goes on. Watching the early part of the parade and leaving before the end is the usual strategy with young kids.
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