There's a lot of stuff going on in New York City this Halloween. We're essentially a big pile of weirdos in this city, or at least many of us are. So naturally, we love any excuse to get schwifty in public, especially on a pagan holiday.

Sure, when it comes to dressing up and partying in the streets, there's Chinese New Year, The Mermaid Parade, and who can forget the NYC Pride Parade? But Halloween is, well, Halloween.

And this is NYC, so of course we do things right with the annual Village Halloween Parade, which is now in its 42nd year! 

ONLY IF YOU ARE IN COSTUME are you allowed to line up for the parade on October 31st. It's getting freaky on Sixth Avenue at Canal Street between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. 

Again, provided you're not in plainclothes, you're welcome to go kick it in the parade. 

This year's theme is "Shine a Light!" That's appropriate for a few reasons. 

[anad]

On the site, the Parade invokes Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's famous quote, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." 

So the vibe is something of a loving and accepting one, but there's a double meaning here, too.

Halloween grew out of an old Druid celebration called Samhain, which involved sparking giant bonfires that lit up the night. The idea was to fend off the ghosts and ghouls that walked the earth while the veil between the shadow realm and Earth was minimal. 

jessmilewski Probably the best shot I got from the parade on Halloween. #nyc #villagehalloweenparade #avenueoftheamericas #giantpuppets #pumpkinheads #dayofthedead #nycparade

So this year's theme is well stated. It bridges the gap between promoting social solidarity and harkening back to Halloween's origins through a contemporary celebration.

As for the parade itself, there's bound to be countless wild costumes, especially with NYC's vivid fancy dress community, Kostume Kult, bringing their signature brand of weird and beautiful. Aside from that, there will be hundreds of giant puppets, more than 50 bands, and dancers of all styles.

Not to mention, the after party at Webster Hall should be bonkers.

Check out 11 Halloween Flicks You Can Netflix & Chill to This Month. 

[via Village Halloween Parade]

[Feature Image Courtesy of NYU Local]