Spooky nights, festive lights, and plenty of reasons to indulge—NYC is buzzing with ways to have fun this season. From dazzling jack-o’-lantern displays and parties, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Image Courtesy of BloodManor

1. Experience the ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ Light Trail from September 25–November 30

Step into the magical worlds of Halloween Town and Christmas Town at a frightfully fun immersive experience coming to the New York Botanical Garden. After its debut last year, Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail returns to the Bronx with brand-new scenes, festive music, and video projections. Running on select evenings from September 25 through November 30, the all-ages trail brings the film’s iconic characters like Jack Skellington to life against the beauty of the gardens. Visitors can walk through more than 8,300 square feet of dazzling light installations featuring interactive projection, intelligent LED lighting, and 3D-printed sculptures. Tickets start at $33 for children and $45 for adults. 

2. Pick the Perfect Pumpkin at Greg’s Great Pumpkin Patch Beginning on 9/27

Greg's Great Pumpkin Patch will transform Greenwood Park Beer Garden (555 7th Ave.) into a festive fall destination from September 27th through October 31st with fun for the whole family. Pick from a massive selection of pumpkins, fancy gourds, and tons of Halloween decor. There will be a special child-friendly and adult pumpkin painting available, along with Instagrammable photo opportunities throughout, hay bales, corn stalks, painted pumpkins for sale, along with fall mums. Find more information by visiting Greg's Trees. 

3. Get Spooked at BloodManor Opening 10/3 Through 11/8

BloodManor (359 Broadway), New York City’s premier haunted attraction is thrilled to celebrate over two decades of spine-chilling scares and thrilling entertainment. As pioneers of the haunted house experience, BloodManor has become a Halloween season staple in NYC, delighting and terrifying millions of visitors over the years. This year promises an unprecedented level of horror and excitement, spanning three new rooms, all-new costumes from Abracadabra, NYC’s ultimate Halloween store, and a terrifyingly talented team of trained actors, set designers, make-up artists and more. For the first time Blood Manor is now offering a new ticketed experience where guests can sign a waiver, get suited up in makeup and costume, and join the cast to scare visitors for an hour complete with admission to the haunted attraction itself. Experience horrifying attractions, mind-bending theatrics and bone-chilling surprises, ensuring a night of terror unlike any other. BloodManor's infamous, hair-raising attractions will return, revamped and amplified to intensify the fear factor year after year. Visitors will confront their deepest fears as they journey through dark, sinister corridors filled with twisted characters and scares at every turn. Incorporating state-of-the-art special effects, BloodManor brings unparalleled realism to the haunting experience, immersing visitors in a nightmare that blurs the lines between fact and fiction. Each attraction within the house is based on carefully crafted, original storylines, transporting visitors into eerie and macabre worlds. From cursed mansions, to abandoned asylums, every theme promises to invoke terror and adrenaline. Timed-entry tickets can be purchased online at www.BloodManor.com or at the door. You can also follow @bloodmanornyc for real-time information, images, videos, and more.

4. Party at The Forbidden Palace at Slate on 10/31

Step inside the Forbidden Palace at Slate (54 W 21st St) on Friday, October 31st for a Halloween celebration that promises mystery, music, and mayhem. Doors open at 8 PM, kicking off with a one-hour vodka bar from 8–9 PM to set the tone for the night. A live DJ will keep the dance floor pulsing as guests revel in the eerie ambiance late into the night. Costumes are highly encouraged, tickets start at $85, available now here: https://slate.ticketsauce.com/e/halloween-slate-friday-10-31/tickets 

5. Marvel at the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze from September 12–November 16

Carving a jack-o’-lantern may be a time-honored American tradition for many, but nobody—and we mean nobody—does pumpkin carving quite like the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze. Every fall, pumpkins aplenty decorate this festive, family-friendly attraction in the Hudson Valley, with thousands of intricately carved jack-o’-lanterns in mesmerizing displays. Blaze: Hudson Valley runs at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson in Westchester County from September 12 through November 16. Tickets are on sale now, starting at $24

6. Head to Neo-Noir Nightclub The Red Pavilion on Halloween to Delight in the Frightful Sounds of The Black Lodge Ball: Halloween with Cinema Paradiso

This Halloween The Red Pavilion transforms into a portal both wonderful and strange for The Black Lodge Ball: Halloween with Cinema Paradiso. Step into a haunting masquerade of psychedelic soundscapes, cosmic horror, and smoky jazz noir on Friday, October 31st from 7 PM to 9:30 PM. The evening features house band Cinema Paradiso, conjuring live performances of music from the surreal worlds of David Lynch—including Twin Peaks, Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, and Lost Highway—alongside iconic scores from cult horror classics by Hitchcock, Argento, Tarantino, Carpenter, Burton, and more. The show begins at 7:30 PM and walk-ins are welcome. For more information or to RSVP visit, https://www.viewcy.com/checkout/the_black_lodge_ball?event=538fa90f-e40b-4bd3-8adc-8feb75850914&ticketType=in-person