🎃 halloween dog parades and costume contests:

► sat 1-3pm: 34th annual tompkins square halloween dog parade (or maybe not?): avenue a from 13th st to 7th st. >>

► sat 1-3pm: third annual irving square park howl-o-ween party: irving square park (bushwick). >>

► sat 2-3pm: sixth annual meatpacking doggie costume contest: gansevoort street + ninth ave. note: this event is part of the ‘treats in the streets’ programming that takes place across the meatpacking district 11am-6pm. >>

► sun 1-3pm: carl shurz park conservancy’s annual halloween howl + healthy hound fair: basketnball/hockey court + john finley walk (yorkville). >>

cultural fests / street fairs / food events / markets / pop-ups / shopping events (free admission, unless noted otherwise):

► fri-sun (fri + sat 11am-6:30pm, + sun 11am-5pm): free hot dogs + vitaminwater: the new york hot dog king stand outside the met museum at 5th ave + 82nd st (while supplies last). >>

► fri-sun: manhattan vintage clothing show: metropolitan pavilion (chelsea). $15-20 admission. >>

► sat 9am ceremony, 12-3pm parade: third annual national indigenous peoples of the americas parade: madison square park (flatiron). >>

► sat 11am-8pm: diwali times square: broadway from 46th st to 48th st. >>

► sat 11am-4pm: dyckman farmhouse museum fall festival: inwood / washington heights. >>

► sat 12-6pm: halloween pop-up market + costume contest: caffeine underground (bushwick). >>

► sat 2-8pm (last of the season): jersey city night market: journal square – magnolia landing. >>

► sun 10am-5pm: nyc artisanal sweet treats bazaar: indoors and outdoors at 100 w 77th st at columbus ave (uws). >>

► sun 10am-5pm (sundays thru 10/27): bq flea market: under the bqe along meeker ave between union ave and lorimer st. (williamsburg/greenpoint). >>

► sun 10:45am: annual disability pride parade and festival: parade route: broadway from madison square park to union square park. the festival takes place in union square park 12-3pm. >>

see all the art! (free admission):

► fri + sat: the annual elizabeth foundation for the arts open studios: efa center (midtown west). >>

► fri thru sun: the annual art in odd places festival: 14th street from avenue a to the hudson river.. >>

► sat 12-8pm: moma ps1 open house: moma ps1 (lic). >>

► sat 5-9pm: fall 2024 hunter college mfa + bfa open studios: 205 hudson street (tribeca). >>

► sat + sun (12-6pm): 28th annual gowanus open studios: various locations. >>

film fests / series (various prices):

► 🎃 fri + sat: the annual shock-a-go-go film fest: film noir cinema (greenpoint). >>

► fri thru sun: pacific island film festival: various locations. >>

► fri thru 10/24: hitchquadtober: suspicion, dial m for murder, north by northwest, strangers on a train, and more. quad cinema (greenwich village). >>

► fri thru 10/25: 17th annual science new wave film festival: museum of the moving image, cinema village, dctv, caveat, and wythe hotel. >>

► sat + sun: 27th reel sisters of the diaspora film festival +lecture series: liu, the center for fiction, and maysled documentary center. >>

friday

thru spring 2026: new highline art: dinosaur: the highline unveils its latest plinth commission, iván argote’s dinosaur, a giant 21-foot-tall hyper-realistic sculpture of a pigeon. on the high line at the spur on 30th street and 10th avenue, free admission. >>

fri thru 10/24: ninth annual momenta quartet festival: momenta string quartet’s annual festival returns for a ninth season with four diverse chamber music programs that celebrate 150 years of composer charles ives. broadway presbyterian church (washington heights) and americas society (ues). free admission. >>

fri thru sun: 22nd annual open house new york weekend festival: 270+ locations across the five boroughs, including skyscrapers, power plants, artist studios, and much more will open to the public for talks, tours, and behind-the-scenes access. the majority of locations and events are free to attend and require no reservations, while tickets to those with limited access went on sale last week. >>

fri thru sun: the new york tattoo convention: the third new york tattoo convention returns for three days filled with tattoo artists (more than 300!), on-site tattoos, vendors, tattoo competitions, performances, and more at duggal greenhouse (brooklyn navy yard). $30 admission. >>

sponsored: fri + sat (fri 7pm + 9pm, sat 2pm + 7pm): bryan carter: celebrating bayard rustin at jazz at lincoln center: from the timeless sophistication of billy strayhorn to the lively energy of shania twain, 2024 grammy and tony award winner bryan carter leads the 35-piece jazz at pride orchestra in a spirited tribute to bayard rustin. featuring vocalists vuyo sotashe, j. hoard, shenel johns, and georgia heers, the evening offers a vibrant mix of genres, culminating in the world premiere of carter’s jazz oratorio, rustin in renaissance. as part of the 20th anniversary weekend of frederick p. rose hall, the event will also include special activations across the halls, making it an experience you won’t want to miss. use promo code ‘skint’ to save 10% on saturday’s 7pm performance and friday’s 7pm + 9pm performances; use promo code ‘skint25’ to save 25% on saturday’s 2pm performance. >>

🎃 fri + sat (various times): illuminated sculptures of woodlawn walking tour: experience the eerie glow of woodlawn cemetery’s mausoleums, sculptures, and monuments, which will be lit up for walking tours for two evenings. flashlights will be provided. $25 general, $20 seniors/students. >>

fri 7pm (monthly): kweendom: come out for the kweendom lgbtq+ comedy and storytelling show, featuring performances by gabe gonzalez, oscar aydin, ren q. dawes, jonnea herman, and amy cui. hosted by bobby hankinson. pete’s candy store (williamsburg), free admission (donations are welcome and will benefit immigration equality). >>

fri 7-10pm (fridays thru 10/25): dreamland roller disco: lola star’s themed skate parties continue at prospect park’s lefrak center for the fall season. tonight’s theme: bowie vs freddie. $25 admission includes skate rental. >>

fri 7:30pm: laugh it off – a comedy show in a dog cafe: bring your problems and your pups to the laugh it off variety show, where audience members submit their everyday problems and comedians try their best to ‘fix’ them. drinks and food will be available for purchase. boris and horton (east village), $15.53. >>

fri 7:30pm doors (monthly): best night ever comedy show and party: the best night ever comedy show partnered with cracked for a night of live set recordings, featuring stand-up by napoleon emill (comedy central), sydnee washington (comedy central), tina sieben (reductress), jared waters, akshay sampath, and audrey black. hosted by britt miggs. el santo taqueria (east williamsburg / bushwick), $12 adv, $16 day of. >>

fri 8pm: a paper orchestra with michael jamin: television writer and producer michael jamin (king of the hill, maron) presents his one-man show based on his collection of true stories, which poses the question: ‘what if the smallest, almost forgotten moments were the ones that shaped us most?’ cloud city (williamsburg), a select number of $15 tickets are available here (reg. $30). >>

fri 8:30pm: bitches brew comedy show: see what all the brew-ha-ha is about at this women-produced and-hosted comedy show, returning to the back room at halyards (gowanus) with stand-up by reggie conquest (comedy central), diya basrai (the onion), paul elia (conan), christiana jackson (bravo), rachel mccartney, and adam gilbert. free admission (a tip jar will be passed around at the end of the show). >>

🎃 fri 9pm (+ 10/25): the drunk texts: thou wilt scream: random access theatre celebrates spooky season with thou wilt scream (10/18) and all hallow’s eve or, the tragedy of michael myers (10/25), shakespearean adaptations of scream and halloween that combine drinking games, improvisation, and audience participation. the rat nyc (dumbo) $12. >>

🎃 fri 11:45pm: the midnight troll 2 riff show: at the stroke of midnight, a lineup of comedians will give running commentary while 1990 cult classic / best worst movie troll 2 screens in its entirety. hosted by christian miller. littlefield (gowanus), $8 adv, $12 door. >>

saturday

sat thru 3/16/2025: barbie: a cultural icon exhibition: think pink! museum of arts and design hosts barbie: a cultural icon, a traveling exhibition that charts the 65-year history of barbie and the doll’s impact on fashion and popular culture through a display of more than 250 vintage dolls, life-size fashion designs, advertisements and other ephemera, video interviews with the doll’s designers, and more. museum of arts and design (midtown west). $20 general, $16 seniors, $14 students, half-price on thursdays. >>

sat 2pm + sun 7pm: spooky + gay: a queer horror storytelling cabaret: touring theater artist bruce ryan costella presents a queer horror storytelling variety show, featuring original scary stories, stand-up, and songs performed entirely in the dark. the vino theater in east williamsburg (sat) and soho playhouse (sun). $15+. >>

sat + mon (7pm): back to the future day screenings: celebrate the day marty mcfly and doc brown landed in the future, october 21, 2015, at special screenings of back to the future part ii. various locations and prices. >>

sat 9am-1pm: carpark exhibition: gaze upon a 1950 jaguar xk 120, a 2016 mclaren 675 lt, and many other sports and collector cars at the annual carpark exhibition. outdoors at fosun plaza (28 liberty street). free admission. >>

sat 10:30am, 12pm: tree identification for beginners: take a walk in the park with local expert lisa nett and learn to identify trees by the details: bark, buds, leaves and tree form. prospect park (brooklyn), $16. >>

sat 4pm: marketplace live!: inspired by facebook marketplace, craigslist, and buy nothing groups, this game show pits comedians in a series of marketplace-themed games to win the title of ‘king of sh*t.’ featuring lukas arnold (wild ‘n out), sydney duncan (wild ‘n out), max gross (reductress), meredith dietz (the onion), anne hogan (comedy central), shenuque tissera (hbo max), and josh nasser (ars nova). hosted by amanda melhuish and virginia dickens. caveat (les), save $5 with promo code ‘skint’. >>

🎃 sat 5-10pm: this party is killing you! the robyn party 2024: robyn-o-ween: the longest-running and original robyn-themed party returns with djs spinning all of the swedish pop sensation’s greatest hits, b-sides, deep cuts, and remixes, along with faves by charli, gaga, carly, and others. costumes encouraged, but not required. 9 bob note @ 3 dollar bill (east williamsburg), $20. >>

sat 6pm: the astigmatism comedy show: no prescription required. bespectacled ‘black girls with poor vision but an eye for funny’ alexis bradby and kristal adams host a night that’s one part comedy show, one part book club at p+t knitwear bookstore (les). featuring comedians nonye brown-west, nore davis, and courtney maginnis, with author wendy chin-tanner (king of the armadillos). $15 admission includes $5 that can be applied towards any purchase in the bookstore or café. >>

sat 8pm (+ 12/7, 2/15, 4/5, 5/17): new york repertory orchestra 2024-25 season: the all-volunteer, community-based orchestra is back with a new season of concerts, beginning tonight with a program that includes works by mozart, stravinsky, and shaw. the church of st. mary the virgin (theater district), free ($15 suggested donation). >>

🎃 sat 8pm + 11pm: scream ii tribute show + judy jump scare: c’mon everybody (bed-stu) scares up a drag double feature: scream ii tribute show (8pm) and judy jump scare: a night of performances inspired by slasher flicks (11pm). $15-18.54.

🎃 sat 8:45pm (+ 10/25 at cloud city): aesop’s sound fables presents: the cabinet of dr. caligari: aesop’s sound fables, a chamber music ensemble that writes soundtracks to silent films, theater, and nature, performs an original, semi-improvised live score to robert wiene’s 1920 classic, the cabinet of dr. caligari, at pine box rock shop (bushwick). $10adv, $15 day of. >>

sat 9pm doors: the fantasy tavern: the monster manual mash edition: partake in potion-packed revelry at the fantasy tavern, an interactive show and party featuring a cast of colorful characters performing drinking songs celebrating all things pop culture, fantasy, and d+d. costumes and nerdy t-shirts encouraged. caveat (les), $21.73 with promo code ‘skint’ (reg. $35). >>

sat 10pm: sandwich comedy: comedians serve up slices of freshly assembled material at gastor almonte and jess salomon’s sandwich comedy show. featuring sheria mattis, jilberto soto, mika stein, nore davis, and deanne smith. union hall (park slope), $10 adv, $15 day-of. >>

sunday

sun 12-3pm: free bike helmets: the department of transportation continues its bike helmet distribution program this weekend, with an opportunity to get a personally fitted one at the montague street open streets event in brooklyn heights. while supplies last. >>

🎃 sun 12pm: popography: michael jackson’s ‘thriller’: learn the moves from the iconic ‘thriller’ music video at this mj-inspired dance fitness class held at arlo williamsburg’s mirror bar. all skill levels welcome. $20. >>

sun 5pm: vocal minorities comedy show: james mwaura and rahul pandya host the vocal minorities comedy show, featuring a poc lineup (and possibly one token white). tonight’s lineup: ali sultan, kc shornima, kenice mobley, and cab washington. union hall (park slope), $10 adv, $15 door. >>

sun 5-8pm: sun 5-8pm: silent book club of death + death cafe: join lauren seeley—death care worker and death literacy advocate—and your morbid friends’s cassandra biron and robyn silver at the morbid anatomy library in industry city for a night dedicated to reading silently about death/grief/mortality, followed by an open, respectful, and confidential space for people to gather, salon-style, to talk about death. bring your own book to read, or choose one from the library’s selections (borrow and purchase options are available). free admission (rsvp required). >>

sun 7pm (monthly): new tricks: good tales don’t age at this storytelling show where all of the performers are over 40. hosted by adrianne frost (the moth storyslam champion) with stories by rory scholl, michelle carlo, henry suarez, ronna levy, and sandi marx. q.e.d. (astoria), $12. >>

sun 7:30pm (monthly): good god comedy show: audience members can anonymously share their craziest, cringiest secrets for the hosts to read aloud at this stand-up comedy variety show hosted by caitlin cook, brittany carney, naomi karavani, and shane torres. tonight’s lineup: jenny zigrino, brandon wardell, jeffrey baldinger, chanel ali, and petey deabreu. union hall (park slope), $10 adv, $15 door. >>

sun 8pm (monthly): beanie babe comedy: the standups and the stuffed animals are full of beans at this comedy show, where a donation will get you a vintage beanie baby to take home. featuring linette palladino (hbo), april boddie (adult swim), harshil shukla, tayler yarish, and rebecca kaplan. hosted by brett singer. young ethel’s (park slope), free admission (donations optional). >>

sun 8pm (monthly) disasterpiece movie night: pass thru: from the weird to the wondrous, disasterpiece unearths bad movies for a watch party complete with drinking games, trivia, pizza, and more. tonight’s flick: neil breen’s pass thru (2016). wonderville (bushwick), free admission. >>

sun 9pm: and every one a witch: stop by for a spell (and a song) at ‘and every one a witch,’ an evening of piano karaoke, open mic performances, and musical rituals hosted by good witch lauren maul at club cumming (east village). free admission (one drink min). >>

monday

mon thru 10/27: breaking the binary theatre festival: coinciding with lgbtq+ history month, the annual breaking the binary theatre festival showcases new work created entirely by and for transgender, non-binary, and two-spirit+ artists. littlefield (gowanus) and playwright horizon’s peter jay sharp theater (hell’s kitchen), free admission. >>

mon 4pm, 7pm (monthly thru december): classics in black + white: invasion of the body snatchers: cinema 123 by angelika hosts a series of black + white classics, continuing tonight with don siegel’s invasion of the body snatchers (1956), starring kevin mccarthy and dana wynter. $22. >>

🎃 mon 6:30pm: mourning and adorning: woven hair jewelry and victorian mourning traditions: join a panel of experts for a discussion on victorian mourning customs, jewelry culture, and a demonstration of ornamental hair weaving. select pieces from the center for brooklyn history, including items made of woven hair, will be on display. center for brooklyn history (brooklyn heights), free admission. >>

mon 7pm: louise edrich: the mighty red with emma straub: pulitzer prize and national book award-winning author louise erdrich presents her latest novel, the mighty red, at a launch event hosted by author and books are magic owner emma straub at st. ann and the holy trinity church (brooklyn heights). co-presented by the center for fiction. $10 admission, $37 ticket includes a copy of the book. >>

🎃 mon 9pm (monthly): live dubbed sitcoms: halloween special: comedians improvise new dialogue and plotlines over muted episodes of classic tv sitcoms at the live dubbed sitcoms show. tonight: sabrina the teenage witch and home improvement. caveat (les), $16.70 with promo code ‘sitcom’ (reg. $22+). >>

mon 7:30pm: dirty little secrets improv show: see your secrets turned into comedy gold at the dirty little secrets show, where your anonymously-submitted confessions serve as inspiration for improv performers. batsu! (east village), $15 with promo code ‘dirtydirtydirty’ (reg. $20). >>

🎃 mon 7:30pm: not a boy, not a girl comedy presents: a queer af halloween competition: eight trans comedians go head-to-head at a special costume and joke edition of will morrison’s not a boy, not a girl comedy show. crystal lake brooklyn (williamsburg), $5 adv, $10 door. >>

ongoing

our roundup of 50+ ongoing events and attractions: fall foliage report for new york state, oktoberfest celebrations, the amazing maize maze, and more. >>

stay safe and healthy
– the skint