Spooktacular Halloween Events in the City

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GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY NYCKOLE LOPEZ

By KRISTEN SKINNER

The number of Halloween parties, haunted mansions, parades and shows might be enough to spook you this holiday. It is easy to find events online that are a short walk or subway ride away, but for college students, many aren’t financially feasible or worth the time, considering the busy schedules students at Fordham have at this point in the semester. Have no fear, Rams — the city is full of free or affordable things to do this Halloween that allow you to complete your Friday assignments and have a spooktacular time.

If you are looking to get into the Halloween spirit, grab some friends and head down to Greenwich Village for the 46th Annual Village Halloween Parade on Halloween night. The parade will last from 7 to 10:30 p.m., though you should plan on arriving at least one hour early to watch it. This year’s theme is Wild Thing, embracing life over death and the wild parts of the world.  If you are feeling ambitious, you can even join the march. All you have to do is wear a costume and show up on Sixth Avenue and Canal Street between 6:30 and 9 p.m.

If your Thursday afternoon is open, and you are in the mood for nostalgic festive fall activities, you can begin your Halloween celebrations a bit earlier at Harlem Grown’s Halloween Festival. Located at 118 W. 134th St., this free festival is for all ages and will include arts and crafts, candied apples and a haunted house. If you feel too old to participate, you can still volunteer at the event and enjoy seeing all the cute little kids dressed up in costumes. The festival is from 3 to 6 p.m., leaving you plenty of time to take part in other Halloween celebrations or catch up on work the rest of the night.

If you do not have the time or energy to celebrate on Thursday, there are many Halloween-related events that continue after the night itself. Those looking for a fun, spooky-themed outing might consider a day trip to the Bronx Zoo, as this is the last weekend for “Boo at the Zoo.” At this event, you can watch magic shows, visit the extinct animal graveyard, watch a costume parade, walk through a corn maze and watch pumpkin carving demos, in addition to seeing all the animals. The Bronx Zoo offers complimentary general admission for all college students.

If you bought a pumpkin this year and are ready to dispose of it, or if you want to watch other people do the same, a Pumpkin Smash will take place on Sunday, Nov. 3 at Corlears Hook Park, located along the shoreline of Manhattan. The purpose of the event is to provide pumpkins for the NYC Compost Project, which will turn them into compost for city parks and green spaces. In addition to pumpkin smashing, there will be refreshments, arts and crafts, and giveaways at the event, making it a smashing good time.

There are many fun, inexpensive and safe Halloween activities taking place in the city this year. That said, your Halloween only has to be as involved as you want it to be. If you do not feel like attending a specific event, perhaps you could simply take a walk around the Upper West Side to look at all the decked-out houses and adorable trick-or-treaters. Or, maybe you want your Halloween at Fordham to be just that. If so, make or buy yourself a Halloween treat, put on a movie like “Halloweentown” or “Hocus Pocus” and enjoy your night in your dorm.