Halloween is this coming Thursday, and all of New York City will be dressing up and celebrating all week long. (We already saw plenty of costumes over the weekend, and more should be expected through next Sunday.)
Here are a few ways to celebrate the spookiest of holidays in the big Candy Apple...
4. The Halloween Parade. This annual event is back on after Hurricane Sandy canceled the celebrations in 2012. (According to CNN, more than 900 people donated to get the parade back up and going this year. There's hope for humanity after all!) The 40th annual parade will stretch a mile along Sixth Avenue from 16th St. down to Spring St. in the West Village to watch starting at 7 p.m. Fans should get there early!
3. There are several haunted houses throughout the city--most of them more silly than truly scary--but for a real knee-shaker, check out the Blackout Haunted House, which visitors must walk through alone...and in the dark...and without speaking. The House is at 115 W. 27th St. (between Sixth and Seventh Aves), and we're not sure even we have the nerves to handle it.
2. In Brooklyn, the Green-Wood cemetery hosts walking (and trolley) tours of the graves of famous residents. (If the tour isn't convenient, maps are available for a self-guided excursion.)The cemetery is quiet and peaceful, and a tour is a great way to get in the spirit of the holiday and learn about the notables buried there (including the legendary Boss Tweed of Tamany Hall, musician Leonard Bernstein, Horace Greeley and artist Jean-Michel Basquiat).
1. Several Broadway notables will gather at 54 Below, one of the city's top old-school supper clubs, to perform seasonally appropriate showtunes. Len Cariou (Sweeney Todd’s original Sweeney), Sarah Rice (Sweeney Todd’s original Johanna) and Pamela Winslow Kashani (Into the Woods’ original Rapunzel) will all be featured in Into Sweeney Todd’s Woods, and we can't think of a better way for theater fans to celebrate the holiday. Click on the link for tickets