Participate

We invite you to be IN the NYC Village Halloween Parade!

The Parade starts at Canal St. and 6th Avenue and goes up 6th Avenue to 15th Street on 6th Avenue.

ONLY those in costume and MASKS are welcome to join with:

Hundreds of Giant Puppets
More than 50 bands representing music from around the world
Dancers of all styles
Artists with explosive imaginations
Thousands of New Yorkers in costumes of their own creation

Start Making your Costume NOW!

Then, JOIN US on October 31, 2023

6 Simple Steps For Joining the NYC Village Halloween Parade

Anyone and everyone in costume is welcome to JOIN the PARADE

Follow these 6 simple steps for successfully joining the Parade — the largest public participatory event in the greatest city in world!

1. Be Creative and Wear A Costume!

ONLY costumed marchers are allowed in the Parade.

2. Show Up at Sixth Ave at CANAL Street.

Lineup Location

You can only enter this area from the EAST and SOUTH. That is Sullivan, East Broome and Canal Streets. If you come from the West, enter ONLY from Canal Street. This can get confusing and frustrating so follow these directions carefully!

3. Arrive between 6:30pm and 9pm

Don’t might miss the Parade! The subway is the best way to get there, parking is always difficult and the Parade makes it even worse.

4. Meet your friends

If you are meeting your friends, it is best to meet a block or two from the Parade route and all come over together to the line-up. Even with cell phones, it is hard to hook up with people at the start.

5. Follow the crowd north on Sixth Avenue

In order to ensure the safety of all participants in the Parade. you will have to wait in the lineup area until you are let into the Parade route.

The Parade starts at 7 pm and participants are let into the Parade in groups of 1000-2000 people at timed intervals.

Once you are IN the Parade, keep heading north with the rest of the revelers.

Please do not go south on Sixth Avenue, the police will stop you!

6. Find good music or a group to march with

There is so much good music in the Parade you are bound to hook up with some fun vibes to dance with.

N.B. The Halloween Parade is a 0% tolerance for alcohol event.

Don’t like waiting in lines?

You can SKIP THE LINE (and help support our work) by buying a VIP ticket or joining our Special Theme Section.

See VIP and Special Options

Other Ways to Participate in NYC Village Halloween Parade

Don’t have a costume? …then VOLUNTEER to animate a puppet!
Are you in a BAND? Let us know who you are and if you would like to play in the Parade. Click here.

Tell us…

What will you be this year? Tell us what you are coming as to the parade!
Tell us your story! We want to hear about past parades you have come to, what you were, what happened! Go to our story telling page.

Costume Contest

It is next to impossible to select the “best costume”—there are just too many great ones, but choose we must… This year could be yours to win! Come out in style! Prizes include tickets to great shows and …MORE

Vehicles

Safety and Enjoyment First: A Note from our Field Marshall.

The tradition of the Village Halloween Parade is to invite everyone in costume to join the parade — and typically 50,000 to 60,000 people take advantage of that invitation every year!

Because of the number of costumed celebrants on foot, and the complications of people in costume, distracted, having a good time, sometimes with limited vision due to a costume, and stopping and entertaining the crowd on the sidewalks — we regret that only a limited number of motorized vehicles are allowed in the Village Halloween Parade.

Those limited spaces are usually given to the handful of sponsors who support the Parade as a thank-you for their support. And even those vehicles must meet strict rules about the size of vehicle, sound systems, capacity, insurance, licenses, spotters, and contents of the vehicle. They all require prior arrangements with the Parade to get official permits.

So, if you are thinking of bringing a vehicle at all, you MUST contact us.

Finally, because our first concern is for the safety and enjoyment of the general public, motorized vehicles that just ‘show-up’ at the Parade will be kindly requested not to join the celebration and be turned away.

Thanks for your understanding and, Happy Halloween!