Family Fall Activity Guide | Fall Event for Kids in Brooklyn

Written by Katie Johnson

Halloween Day: Saturday, October 31

Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, so the parades and the trick-or-treating are the same day. Everything below is on October 31 itself.

  • Brooklyn Heights Halloween ParadeFreeSubway-able Sat Oct 31, 10:30am Lines up at the north end of the Promenade and marches south, finishing with a bake sale. The earliest parade of the day, so it pairs well with an afternoon nap.
  • Brooklyn Children's Museum: Celebrate HalloweenSubway-able Sat Oct 31, 10am to 6:30pm Halloween meets anime this year: trick-or-treating, a costume runway and cosplayer storytimes. Included with museum admission ($15, members free).
  • Creepy Crawly Halloween, Prospect ParkFreeSubway-able Sat Oct 31, 10am to 4pm At the Boathouse. The low-key option if you have little kids and want to be home before dark.
  • Ascarium, New York AquariumSubway-able Weekends Oct 10 to 31, plus Mon Oct 12, 11am to 4pm Free with aquarium admission. Halloween is the final day.
  • BAMboo! at BAMNewFreeSubway-able Sat Oct 31, 2 to 5pm BAM's annual Halloween party on Lafayette Avenue, indoors and out, with carnival games, crafts and candy.
  • Dumboween: March to the ArchNewFreeSubway-able Sat Oct 31, parade at 3pm A brass band and giant puppets lead kids from Washington Street under the Manhattan Bridge. Party at the Archway 3:30 to 6pm, shop trick-or-treating 3 to 6pm, and a pet costume contest at 4pm.
  • Boo!KCM, Brooklyn Conservatory of MusicFreeSubway-able Sat Oct 31, 4 to 6pm Live music and trick-or-treating in the BKCM Garden at 58 7th Avenue. They are also running a Halloween movie night on Friday Oct 30, 6 to 9pm.
  • Cobble Hill Halloween ParadeNewFreeSubway-able Sat Oct 31, 4pm Starts at Cobble Hill Park (Clinton Street at Verandah Place). A brass band leads costumed families around the neighborhood, then everyone scatters to trick-or-treat.
  • Park Slope Halloween ParadeFreeSubway-able Sat Oct 31, lineup 6pm, steps off 6:30pm Up 7th Avenue from 14th Street to 3rd Street, then down 3rd Street to the Old Stone House. This year's theme is "The Haunted Forest of Brooklyn."
  • NYC DOT Trick or StreetsFree Sat Oct 31, times vary by block 160 car-free streets citywide this year. The Brooklyn blocks near you are listed in the trick-or-treating section below, and the full map is on the DOT site.
  • Village Halloween Parade, ManhattanNewFreeSubway-able Sat Oct 31, 7 to 11pm 6th Avenue from Canal to 15th Street, theme "Body & Soul." Anyone in costume can march by lining up at Canal and 6th between 6:30 and 9pm. It runs late and gets very crowded, so it is best for older kids.
  • Seaport Halloween + Kids Food Festival, ManhattanNewFreeSubway-able Sat Oct 31, 11am to 4pm Pier 16. Trick-or-treating, a costume parade and contest, crafts and free museum entry. An easy daytime option by ferry.

Where to Trick-or-Treat in Brooklyn

High housing density means a lot of candy in a short walk. Any block with brownstones and decorations is a safe bet, and most commercial strips hand out candy too. One warning from experience: Brooklyn sidewalks get crowded and are not stroller-friendly on Halloween. If you have a toddler, plan a shorter loop you can walk or carry. New this year: DOT has posted its Trick or Streets list, so I have added the car-free blocks for each neighborhood.

  • Brooklyn Heights Garden Place, from around 4pm Montague Street shops participate, down to the dry cleaners and the liquor store. Car-free: Joralemon Street (Furman to Hicks), 4 to 8pm.
  • Cobble Hill Warren, Wyckoff, Henry and Clinton Hard to go wrong anywhere in the neighborhood. Car-free: Columbia Place (State to Joralemon), 12 to 8pm, and Hoyt Street (State to Atlantic), 2 to 5pm.
  • Fort Greene The blocks south of Fort Greene Park Car-free: Waverly Avenue (DeKalb to Willoughby), 5 to 9pm.
  • Prospect Heights Park Place and Underhill Prospect Place and Sterling are always busy. Look for the Space Car on Park Place, the owner puts an inflatable dragon on the roof every Halloween. Car-free, all 4 to 8pm: Park Place (Underhill to Vanderbilt), Sterling Place (Washington to Underhill) and Underhill Avenue (St Johns to Prospect Place).
  • Park Slope 3rd Street, 5th Avenue to Prospect Park West Busiest around the parade route, and shops along 5th and 7th hand out candy. Car-free: Polhemus Place (Garfield to Carroll), 10:30am to 9pm; Montgomery Place (PPW to 8th Ave), 11am to 8pm; 8th Street and 11th Street (PPW to 8th Ave), 1 to 8pm; Garfield Place (8th Ave to 7th Ave), 3 to 10pm; 14th Street (8th Ave to 7th Ave), 6:30 to 9pm; 17th Street (8th Ave to 7th Ave), 12 to 9pm.
  • Crown HeightsNew Prospect Place and Washington Avenue Car-free: Prospect Place (Grand to Classon), 8am to 9pm, and Washington Avenue (Sterling to Empire), 12 to 8:30pm.
  • Clinton Hill Grand Avenue Halloween Block Party, Sat Oct 31, 5 to 8pm The Myrtle Avenue Monster Mash has not been announced for 2026. Downtown Brooklyn is also running BKLYN BOO! on Friday Oct 30, 4 to 6pm at Abolitionist Place.
  • Prospect Park SouthNew The Victorian blocks south of Church Avenue The big Victorian houses go all out. Car-free, all 4 to 8pm: Albemarle, Argyle, Buckingham, Marlborough, Rugby, Stratford and Westminster Roads.
  • DUMBONew Washington Street and Pearl Street Car-free: Washington Street (Front to Water), 10am to 9pm, and Pearl Street (Anchorage to Water), 3 to 10pm. Pairs with Dumboween.

Fall at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside

New this year: Lakeside is running a full fall festival in Prospect Park. B/Q to Prospect Park or the Q to Parkside Avenue.

  • Fall Festival at LakesideNewSubway-able Thu Oct 8 to Sun Nov 1. Weekdays 4 to 10pm, weekends 11am to 10pm Open 11am to 11pm on Mon Oct 12, and closed Tue and Wed Oct 13 to 14 and Oct 20 to 21. The pumpkin patch is free to walk into, and small pumpkins are $10 with free painting. Corn maze $5, carnival games $3 a play, kid-safe axe throwing and skills games $5, face painting free on weekends. The $35 All-Access Pass covers the maze, one play of each game, a small pumpkin with painting and photo ops. Walk-ups welcome, but buy ahead for weekends.
  • Haunted Hotel at LakesideNewBook aheadSubway-able Oct 8 to Nov 1, timed entry every 30 minutes A 25-minute walk-through with live actors. $35, or $20 on Mondays, sold separately from the festival pass. Recommended for 13 and up, so this is one for the big kids (or a parents' date night).
  • First Ice Skating WeekendNewConfirm dateSubway-able Sat Oct 31 and Sun Nov 1 Lakeside plans to open the ice on Halloween weekend. The rink has not posted the 2026-27 schedule or pricing yet, so check before you go.

Halloween Festivals and Fall Weekends

Saturday October 24 is the other big day this year. Six of these stack on it, so pick one.

  • Fall Fest at Atlantic TerminalNewFreeSubway-able Sat Oct 10, 11am to 2pm Free fall activities on the outdoor plaza at 139 Flatbush.
  • Alta Calidad Fall FestivalNewFreeSubway-able Sat Oct 10, 1 to 7pm The Prospect Heights restaurant throws a block party at 552 Vanderbilt.
  • Hoedown on MontagueNewFreeSubway-able Sun Oct 11, street closed 10am to 7pm Kids' country music at noon, then a street square dance with a live fiddle band from 1 to 4pm. Prize for the best western outfit.
  • Spooktober at Prospect Park ZooNewSubway-able Weekends Oct 10 to 25, 10am to 5:30pm A spooky trail of nocturnal animals, extinct-animal "tombstones," live shows and hands-on science. Included with zoo admission. Costumes encouraged.
  • Brooklyn Bridge Park Harvest FestivalFreeSubway-able Sat Oct 17, 11am to 3pm Pier 6. Pumpkin patch, crafts, lawn games and face painting, no tickets needed. The easiest one on this whole list if you live in brownstone Brooklyn.
  • Tompkins Square Halloween Dog ParadeBook ahead Sat Oct 17 Owners go all out. Watching is free, but entering a dog now requires advance registration (and it is waitlisted). If you would rather stay in Brooklyn, the Howl-O-Ween Dog Parade at Smith and Union is the same day, 3 to 4:30pm.
  • Boo on the Boardwalk, Coney IslandNewFreeSubway-able Sat Oct 17, 1 to 4pm A free Halloween afternoon on the boardwalk from W 10th Street to Stillwell.
  • Fort Greene Park Halloween FestFreeSubway-able Sat Oct 24, 12 to 4pm Rain date Oct 25. Dance party, face painting, and the Great PUPkin dog costume contest at noon.
  • The Great PUPkin Dog Costume ContestBook aheadSubway-able Sat Oct 24, 12 to 1pm Dogs entering the contest need to register on Eventbrite in advance and check in by 11:45am. Watching is still free.
  • Governors Island Pumpkin PointFreeSubway-able Sat Oct 24 and Sun Oct 25, 10am to 5pm Free pumpkins on the Nolan Park lawn, one per person per household, and bring your own bag. Costumes encouraged, with trick-or-treating at the historic houses both days. Rain or shine. The Yard playground is worth the trip on its own.
  • Fall Harvest Festival, Brooklyn Botanic GardenBook aheadSubway-able Sat Oct 24, 11am to 5pm Last entry 4:30. Ticketed separately this year: $38 adults, $17 ages 12 to 17, kids under 12 free, with member pricing. Costume parade in the afternoon.
  • Children's Halloween Celebration, Carroll ParkNewFreeSubway-able Sat Oct 24, 11:30am to 1pm A small neighborhood party for the under-6 crowd.
  • Bay Ridge Halloween FestNewFreeSubway-able Sat Oct 24, 4 to 7pm 5th Avenue from 72nd to 85th. Pumpkin decorating, a puppet show at 4pm, a bounce house and trunk-or-treat. One free pumpkin per child.
  • Pumpkin & Spiderman Fest at City PointNewFreeSubway-able Sun Oct 25, 11am to 1pm Free pumpkin decorating, a Spiderman visit, a costume contest and LEGO play. Ages 2 and up, pumpkins while supplies last.
  • Boo at the Zoo, Bronx Zoo Weekends through Nov 1, plus Mon Oct 12 Activities wrap at 4pm. Free with zoo admission or membership.
  • Halloween Harvest, Luna ParkSubway-able Through Nov 1 Coney Island, weekends plus select weekdays. Rides, pumpkin picking and a great deal of pumpkin spice. Hours vary by date, sold as an all-day wristband.
  • The Great Jack O'Lantern BlazeBook ahead Through Nov 8, every night in October Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson. Thousands of carved pumpkins. Advance tickets are required and none are sold at the gate, so do not drive up hoping. From $24.

Pumpkin Patches Near the City

You do not have to leave the five boroughs for a pumpkin. These are ordered roughly by how easy they are to reach from brownstone Brooklyn.

  • Fall Festival at Lakeside, Prospect ParkNewSubway-able Oct 8 to Nov 1 Free to walk into the patch, small pumpkins $10 with free painting. The closest patch on this list for Park Slope, Prospect Heights and Lefferts.
  • Brooklyn Bridge Park Harvest FestivalFreeSubway-able Sat Oct 17, 11am to 3pm Pier 6, and walkable for a lot of you.
  • Governors Island Pumpkin PointFreeSubway-able Sat Oct 24 and Sun Oct 25, 10am to 5pm Free pumpkins, one per person. Ferry is about $4 round trip, free for kids 12 and under, and free for everyone before noon on weekends.
  • Green Meadows FarmBook aheadSubway-able Weekends through Nov 8, plus Mon Oct 12, 11am to 5pm At Floyd Bennett Field. $14 a person and everyone gets a pumpkin. About 25 minutes down Flatbush by car, or the 2/5 to Brooklyn College then the Q35. A bit gimmicky, but mine loved it at that age. Note the site changed operators this summer and is now the Floyd Bennett Sports Complex.
  • Cityside Pumpkin PatchConfirm dateBook aheadSubway-able Thursdays to Sundays into early November A rooftop patch in Long Island City, about eight minutes from the F at 21st Street-Queensbridge. Timed tickets required, from about $17 a person, and slots sell out. This is a photo-op event, not a farm. Check their site for the exact closing date.
  • Queens County Farm MuseumFree Daily through Oct 31. Weekdays 1 to 5pm, weekends 10am to 5pm A real working farm, and the patch is free with pumpkins priced by size. Two catches: it is ticket-holders-only on Oct 31, and there is no good transit, so plan to drive about an hour.
  • Decker Farm, Historic Richmond Town Weekends through Oct 25, plus Mon Oct 12, 12 to 5pm Staten Island, about 40 minutes over the Verrazzano. Rain or shine, pumpkins priced by weight. The last weekend is Oct 24 and 25, not Halloween.

Farm Days Outside the City

All of these are a car day, and all of them are busy on October weekends and Columbus Day. Leave early and reserve where you can. One tip: most U-Pick places make you bring your own bag, so grab a couple of the big grocery totes on the way out the door.

  • F&W Schmitt's Farm, Melville Through Oct 31 About 70 minutes without traffic, longer on a Saturday. Playground, U-Pick pumpkins, sunflowers and an evening haunt. $24 on weekends, $18 on weekdays. Door sales only, no reservations, so get there early.
  • White Post Animal Farm, Melville Weekends through Oct 25, plus Mon Oct 12 Five minutes from Schmitt's, so you can pair them. Known for the animals, including a giraffe. Hayrides and a pumpkin patch in fall. $39.95 a head paying cash at the door, $43.95 online, with pumpkins extra by the pound. Note the season ends Oct 25, not Halloween.
  • Harbes Family Farm, North Fork Open for the season Two hours and change without traffic, closer to three on an October Saturday, so treat it as a full day. The Mattituck and Jamesport pumpkin patches need no admission, pumpkins are by the pound. The Riverhead orchard patch requires an apple-picking package, and the Barnyard Adventure is separate and does not include pumpkins.
  • Woodside Orchards, North Fork U-Pick open now Apples only, no pumpkins, and much calmer than Harbes. Smaller operation with cider and donuts. You buy at least one peck bag per group, now $23, and no outside bags. The Jamesport orchard is weekends only and cash only. Minutes from Harbes if you want both.
  • Brightwaters Farms, Bay ShoreSubway-able Through Oct 30 About 75 minutes, and the only one out here that half works by train, LIRR to Bay Shore plus a short ride. Harvest festival with a pumpkin patch, bounce houses and beer and wine. Weekend and Columbus Day admission is $29.95, up sharply from last year. Weekdays are free but stripped down, with hayrides $10.
  • Outhouse Orchards, North SalemBook ahead Through Nov 1 About an hour upstate. Apple picking, pumpkins and craft beer, plus Fall Friday Nights on Oct 9, 16, 23 and 30, 6 to 9pm. Big change this year: you now need a timed ticket just to get in, and the apples are a paid add-on on top.
  • Apple Ridge Orchards, Warwick Apples and pumpkins open now About 90 minutes. U-Pick apples and pumpkins plus an animal farm. Open Thursday through Sunday only, so do not plan a Monday trip.
  • Boehm Farm, Climax Wednesday to Monday, 10am to 5pm, closed Tuesdays Two hours up into the Catskills. Apple picking and a pumpkin patch with none of the crowds. They have not posted an end date or pricing, and crop availability moves week to week, so call first: (518) 731-6196.
  • Demarest Farms, Hillsdale NJBook ahead PYO open now. Light show Oct 8 to 12 and 15 to 31 The closest of the New Jersey options at about an hour, though you drive through Manhattan to get there. Pick-your-own pumpkins and apples. Go in the evening for the Halloween drive-through light show, which needs a reservation.
  • Eastmont Orchards, Colts Neck NJ Fridays to Sundays through Oct 25, plus Mon Oct 12 Just over an hour. Open Fridays 9am to 4:30pm and weekends 9am to 5:30pm. Pumpkins, apples and a new corn maze this year. No admission charge, you pay for what you pick, which is a nice perk. Call ahead at (732) 542-5404.
  • Secor Farms, Mahwah NJBook ahead Through Nov 1, daily 9am to 5:30pm A bit more than an hour. Hayrides, a pumpkin patch and a lot of fall treats. New this year: you have to buy tickets online in advance for everything, including weekdays. Pumpkins are 75 cents a pound on top.

Oktoberfest, For the Grown-Ups

A good excuse for a daytime babysitter and a few parent friends.

  • Oktoberfest NYC, Financial DistrictFreeSubway-able Through Oct 31 Pier 15 on the East River. Free to get in, all ages welcome, and the longest run on this list. RSVP is free and worth doing on a Saturday.
  • Black Forest BrooklynBook aheadSubway-able Saturdays through Oct 24 Three-hour sessions with live music and stein-holding contests, from $35 a person including a reserved seat, a one-liter stein and gratuity. Remaining: Oct 10 (Smith Street 4 to 7pm, Fort Greene 7 to 10pm), Oct 17 (Fort Greene 4 to 7pm, Smith Street 7 to 10pm) and closing day Oct 24 (Fort Greene 1 to 4pm, Smith Street 4 to 7pm).
  • Nightfall at Green-WoodNewBook aheadSubway-able Thu Oct 22 and Fri Oct 23, 7 to 10:30pm New this year, and 21 and up. An after-dark evening in the cemetery. $70, or $56 for members. Rain date Oct 24.

Fall Hikes

Leaves usually peak in and around the city in late October and early November.

  • Van Cortlandt Park TrailsFreeSubway-able Open year round The 1 train takes you there. Several trails, lots of easy options and varied terrain.
  • Fort Tryon ParkFreeSubway-able Open year round The A train. A three-mile easy loop, good for kids who can actually walk it.
  • Bear Mountain State Park Open year round About an hour north. Trails from family-friendly to genuinely challenging. Coach USA runs buses to the Bear Mountain Inn if you would rather not drive.
  • Casino Trail, Mount BeaconSubway-able Open year round Challenging but reachable without a car, Metro-North to Beacon.
  • Mountain Creek Trails, NJ Open year round A good loop on the ski hill, and because it is a resort the parking is easy.

Spooky Evenings

For slightly older kids, and for adults who like this sort of thing.

  • Haunted Hotel at LakesideNewBook aheadSubway-able Oct 8 to Nov 1 A 25-minute live-actor walk-through in Prospect Park. $35, $20 on Mondays. Recommended 13 and up.
  • Haunted Carousel, Prospect ParkSubway-able Thu Oct 29 to Sun Nov 1, 12 to 5pm $3 a ride or $13 for five, and free with a Prospect Park Alliance family membership.
  • Legend of Sleepy Hollow Reading, Lefferts Historic HouseFreeSubway-able Sun Oct 25, 2 to 4pm In Prospect Park. Good for the age where they want to be scared but not really scared.
  • Candlelight Ghost Tours, Merchant's House MuseumBook aheadSubway-able Oct 16, 17, 23, 24, 29 and 30, every half hour 6:30 to 9pm Fifty minutes by candlelight in an 1832 house. $45, or $35 for members. There is also a 90-minute "Super Spooky" tour at 9:30pm for $70. My eight-year-old would love this one.
  • Green-Wood After Hours and Hereafter HoursBook aheadSubway-able After Hours Oct 9, 10, 16 and 25. Hereafter Hours Fri Oct 30, 6 to 10:30pm After Hours includes the Catacombs and runs $30, or $24 for members. Hereafter Hours is the Halloween-eve version, $45 or $36 for members, and not recommended under 10. No costumes at either. There is also a Moonlight Tour on Mon Oct 26, 7 to 9pm, and the Magicians and Mediums trolley tour on Halloween morning. The Poe tour has not been scheduled for 2026.
  • Village Ghost Tours, Historic Richmond TownBook ahead Through Oct 31, 7pm Costumed storytellers lead you through the historic houses by candlelight, ages 8 and up. Check their calendar for which nights are running.

Día de los Muertos for Families

  • En Familia, Día de Muertos at El Museo del BarrioFreeSubway-able Sat Oct 17, 10am to 2pm Free. Art-making, live music and community altars. Note it has moved well ahead of the holiday this year.
  • Día de los Muertos at the New York Botanical Garden Through Nov 2, main celebration Sun Nov 1, 1 to 5pm New at NYBG this year. Marigold plantings, a community ofrenda, and weekend crafts and performances in the children's garden. The parade on Nov 1 starts at 2pm. Included with the All-Garden Pass.
  • Green-Wood Cemetery Day of the DeadFreeSubway-able Mon Nov 2, 4 to 7pm Free with a $10 suggested donation. Crafts, music and dance at the main entrance meadow. Registration is recommended but walk-ins are welcome.
  • Day of the Dead at St. Mark's Church in-the-BoweryConfirm dateFree Early November A large community ofrenda, folk music, craft workshops and a Mexican marketplace, outdoors and rain or shine. You can bring an unframed photo for the altar. The 2026 date has not been posted yet.
  • Fall into Art, Brooklyn MuseumConfirm dateSubway-able Usually a late-October Saturday A family day combining Halloween and Día de los Muertos. No 2026 date posted yet.

Fall in Brooklyn: Common Questions

When is Halloween 2026?

Halloween 2026 falls on Saturday, October 31. Because it lands on a weekend, most Brooklyn parades and festivals are on Halloween itself rather than the weekend before, and the other big cluster of fall events is Saturday, October 24.

Where is the best trick-or-treating in Brooklyn?

Park Slope around 3rd Street, Prospect Heights on Park Place and Underhill, the blocks south of Fort Greene Park, Garden Place in Brooklyn Heights, the streets around Warren and Wyckoff in Cobble Hill, and the big Victorians in Prospect Park South. DOT is closing 160 streets to cars on Halloween this year, including blocks in all of those neighborhoods.

Is there a pumpkin patch in Brooklyn?

Yes, a few. The new Fall Festival at Lakeside in Prospect Park has a pumpkin patch every day from October 8 to November 1. Brooklyn Bridge Park runs a free harvest festival with a pumpkin patch at Pier 6 on Saturday, October 17, and Green Meadows Farm runs pumpkin picking at Floyd Bennett Field on weekends through November 8. Governors Island gives away free pumpkins at Pumpkin Point on October 24 and 25.

What fall activities near NYC can you get to without a car?

The Lakeside Fall Festival and Spooktober at the Prospect Park Zoo, Brooklyn Bridge Park's harvest festival, Governors Island Pumpkin Point by ferry, Green Meadows Farm on the Q35 bus, Cityside Pumpkin Patch on the F train, Luna Park at Coney Island, the Bronx Zoo and the New York Aquarium. Every other farm on this list is realistically a driving day.

How much do pumpkin patches near New York City cost in 2026?

It ranges widely. Governors Island and Brooklyn Bridge Park are free, Lakeside and Queens County Farm charge only for the pumpkin, Green Meadows is $14 a person with a pumpkin included, Cityside starts around $17 with a timed ticket, and the Long Island farms run from $24 to about $44 a person with pumpkins priced separately by weight.

If you want more weekly activity ideas, I post them on Instagram all season.

And if a move around Brooklyn is on your mind this fall, I am a Brooklyn agent and a Prospect Heights parent, and I think about how a family actually lives in a place before I think about the square footage. Email me and let us grab coffee.

Dates confirmed with each venue as of October 6, 2026. Anything marked Confirm date had not posted 2026 details when this went up, so check the link before you go. Anything marked New was added in the October update. I update this guide through the season.

Exploring a move this Fall? See what’s currently on the market.

Are you looking to make a move around Brooklyn soon? If you're looking for a real estate agent who understands how your family lives, please send me an email, and let's grab coffee.

-Katie

Katie Johnson
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