The Blankman List Special Edition: Halloween Events for 2023 in NYC

My Halloween costumes have always been lame. Once in middle school I was a “middle school boy.” Last year I was a Blockbuster employee—a costume that just involved changing my shirt. It’s funny; the theater is one of my favorite places to be, but I guess I never liked to play pretend myself.

Two years ago, I was "three hole punch Jim.” Image from Season 2, Episode 5 of The Office.

However, there are aspects of the holiday that I do like. Frankenstein is one of my favorite novels, and the Exorcist film series was formative for me as a teenager. My costumes might be lame, but I sometimes like to indulge in the creepy and the ghoulish. It taps into something primal and helps me to feel connected to people and animals who are no longer around.

I understand that there are some cities, such as Salem, Massachusetts, where Halloween is bigger than Christmas. I’m not sure that New York City goes that far, but Halloween has a few things going for it:

• October weather isn’t awful here—it’s sometimes even pleasant. It’s a friendlier time to visit the city than December.

• The cultural and religious backgrounds of NYC’s inhabitants are so varied that Halloween thrives by being a relatively nondenominational holiday.

• This city is friendly to people who are LGBTQ+ or find themselves marginalized because of their appearance or expression. This gels with a holiday marked by wearing whatever you want and parading around in costume.

Whatever the case, NYC offers endless ways to celebrate the holiday, beyond the stereotypical parades and costume contests, though we have plenty of those, too. Concert series introduce Gothic themes, for example, and film and literature events feature the horror genre.

The specially-themed list below is dedicated to events throughout October that are related to Halloween in one way or another. Note that this is separate from the main October Blankman List, which includes a few of the same events, along with many others that have nothing to do with Halloween.

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Disclaimer: before going anywhere, please confirm the date, time, and location using the listed website. Any event is at risk of being rescheduled, relocated, sold out, at capacity, or canceled. Some events require advance registration. I try to vet quality, but I may misjudge, plus I recognize that all events are not for all people. If you are visiting NYC, please double-check how long it will take to get to the venue.

• Sunday, October 1: “Spirits of the Dead” Single Release at the Edgar Allan Poe Cottage (Bronx)

  • Edgar Allan Poe-inspired chamber harp trio concert; 1–2:30 pm

  • Free (reservation required)

  • Edgar Allan Poe Cottage

  • 2640 Grand Concourse (Kingsbridge Heights)

• Sunday, October 1–Monday, October 30: Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors (Manhattan)

  • Comedy play adaptation of Dracula; showtimes at 2 pm, 7 pm, and/or 8 pm depending on day (trailer)

  • $110–$154

  • New World Stages, Stage 5

  • 340 W 50th St (Hell’s Kitchen)

• Sunday, October 1–Tuesday, October 31: Beetle House (Manhattan)

  • Macabre-themed restaurant; open 4 pm–12 am; closed Mondays and Tuesdays except October 30 & 31

  • $55 per person prix fixe menu (full additional food and drink menu available)

  • Beetle House

  • 308 E 6th St (East Village)

• Sunday, October 1–Tuesday, October 31: A Haunting in Hollis (Queens)

  • Haunted house with optional laser gun add-on; various entry times between 4 pm and 9:30 pm

  • $22–$39, depending on day and time (+$7 for laser gun)

  • Hollis Haunted House

  • 211-17 Hollis Ave (Jamaica)

• Monday, October 2: Grady Hendrix Celebrates Paperbacks in Hell (Manhattan)

  • Book talk about early horror novels; 5:30 pm

  • $29 (includes signed book)

  • Barnes & Noble Union Square

  • 33 E 17th St (Union Square)

• Thursday, October 5–Wednesday, October 11: The Exorcist: Believer (Manhattan, Brooklyn & Staten Island)

  • Horror film screening; various times between 12 pm and 9:45 pm

  • $15–$19, depending on theater

  • Playing at Alamo Drafthouse Lower Manhattan, Downtown Brooklyn, and Staten Island

Green-Wood Cemetery gate; photo credit: Rhododendrites

• Friday, October 6–Tuesday, October 31: Green-Wood After Hours (Brooklyn)

  • Cemetery history walking tour; 5:30, 6, 6:30 & 7 pm; Fridays, Saturdays, and Halloween in October

  • $30

  • The Green-Wood Cemetery

  • 500 25th St (South Slope)

• Friday, October 6–Tuesday, October 31: Blood Manor (Manhattan)

  • Haunted house; various entry times between 6 pm and 1 am; assorted days throughout October

  • $50–$83, depending on day and time

  • Blood Manor

  • 359 Broadway (TriBeCa)