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Mon 31
Village Halloween Parade Sixth Ave and Canal St; 7pm; free
Now in it's 43rd year, march with the ghouls during NYC's infamous Halloween Parade. This year's theme is Reverie, so feel free to recreate your walking dreams in costume. Sign up via halloween-nyc.com now to volunteer to be a puppeteer or a performer in the procession; to walk in the parade, just turn up in an amazing outfit. Line up at Sixth Avenue and Canal St. The parade goes down Sixth Ave from Spring St to 16th St.
Webster Hell Webster Hall; 8pm; $40 and up
The official NYC Halloween Parade afterparty returns to Webster Hall, and as always, it looks to be a pretty massive affair. The event consumes all four floors of the club and kicks off with—what else?—a virgin sacrifice. Of course, there is the requisite costume contest, but here, the lucky winner walks home with a whopping $5,000. Yes, you read that right. It's time to break out the sewing machine and paper-mache, because with stakes this high, Party City probably ain't going to cut it.
The Salon: Halloween The DL; 7pm; $25, at the door $30
The retro nouveau lovers of the Salon set up shop in a sprawling exhibition space and transform it into their own tantalizing Twilight Zone for this annual classy Halloween bash. View rooms and tableaux inspired by classic horror films, get swinging to big band, jazz and blues performances and feel your skin sizzle upon watching burlesque performances. Don't gentleman ghouls deserve a proper place to party?
Rocky Horror Picture Show Live Karaoke Union Hall; 8pm; $5, at the door $7
You'll have no shortage of Rocky Horror shows to hit up on Halloween, but this performance lets you take the mic and serve Frank-n-Furter realness while belting "Sweet Transvestite," "I'm Going Home" and other standouts from the seminal soundtrack. Like Karaoke pros the Occasionalists will perform the entire soundtrack, with fans taking the mic (and throwing toilet paper). Be sure to reserve your spot online before someone steals your moment to sing "Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me."
Scream 20th Anniversary Rough Trade NYC; 9:30pm; $5
Has it really been twenty years since Drew Barrymore died making Jiffy Pop and Courtney Cox dazzled the world with her neon yellow power suit? Relive the glory of the ’90s at this banging costume bash, where you can dance to Ce Ce Peniston, Deee Lite and Ace of Base while classic horror movie trailers project all around.
Back in The Day Fresh Prince Bel-Air 90s Halloween Party Cantina Rooftop; 9pm; $20–$35
Revert back to the glorious, neon-colored old days at this multifloor throwback rager at Cantina Rooftop. Bedeck yourself as the Fresh Prince, Ashley or DJ Jazzy Jeff, and bring some killer dance moves to really sell the character. Need to get in the spirit? The 10,000-square-foot watering hole slings out gratis vodka drinks between 10 and 11pm. So drink up and get down to DJ Fatfingaz’s set, enter the costume contest, and feel free to do the Carlton all night long.
David Bowie Halloween Party The Roxy Hotel; 8pm; $15
After the legend's recent passing, you can imagine there will be David Bowie-inspired costumes galore this Halloween. If you plan to honor Ziggy Stardust on all Hallows' Eve, do so while enjoying Bowie-themed drink specials, a free screening of The Hunger and live Bowie Performances inside the Roxy Cinema.
Tue 1
WhiskyFest New York Marriott Marquis Hotel; 6:30pm; $275
Take a trip around the world with more than 400 globally sourced whiskies, bourbons and scotches—including Welsh, Canadian and Taiwanese varieties—at this 19th annual brown-spirits blowout. Sip limitless samples of top-shelf booze including Pappy Van Winkle, Duncan Taylor and Wemyss Malts, then get schooled at workshops from whisky-making bigwigs like Whiskeys of Midleton ambassador Jessamine McLellan and Glenlivet Master of Scotch Dominic Venegas. Beyond the peaty stuff, find selections of gin, tequila and cognac.
New York Taste The Waterfront @ Pier 92; 7pm; $109, VIP $212
For its 18th annual edition of this well-curated culinary celebration, New York Magazine and food editor Gillian Duffy are assembling some of the city's finest chefs and mixologists to present their most inventive new works. Meet chefs like Audrey Saunders, Dan Barber, Dale Talde and more and even try specialty Moscow Mules in honor of the drink's 75th anniversary. A portion of proceeds benefit City Harvest, which battles hunger in NYC.
CucTalk This n’That; 8pm; free
Droll drag queen and cabaret musician Hamm Samwich brings her dry humor to TNT every first and third Tuesday of the month. She welcomes comedians, queens and entertainment buddies to speak on politics, pop culture and other issues of the moment and takes to the piano whenever it suits her.
MoshFit Otto’s Shruken Head; 6:30pm; $10 suggested donation
We're not unaccustomed to sweating in bars, but it's usually because the DJ just played our jam and we fell face-first into a twerk hole. Work out your whole body at this bi-monthly class that goes down in the back room of a tiki bar, features all your fave punk tunes and is followed by—what else?—a happy hour.
The Poetry Cabaret House of Yes; 8pm; $30–$75
The House of Yes transforms into a literary bordello at this sultry event featuring live jazz, burlesque, vaudeville, aerial performances, fortune-tellers and more. Poets offer up their verses throughout the evening, and for a small fee you can sneak away for a private reading with any of the night's bards.
Politics, Race and Rage Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture; 6:30pm; free
White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of our Racial Divide author Dr. Carol Anderson joins Colorlines Editorial Director Akiba Solomon and The Race Whisperer author Melanye Price to speak about our current social and political climate.
Wed 2
Women of Letters Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater; 7pm; $20; two drink or $12 minimum
The Australian literary salon returns stateside, inviting notable women writers and performers to air their dirty laundry in the form of personal letters crafted just for the occasion. The October edition features Amber Tamblyn, Orange Is the New Black's Laura Gomez, Clinton media advisor Zerlina Maxwell, and other notable writers.
Harry Potter Trivia Stay Classy New York; 8pm; free
The Dark Mark will be out over Brooklyn this Halloween; as die-hard fans of the Harry Potter books gather for several rounds of complex trivia. Study up on your Quidditch rules, Order of the Phoenix membership rosters and charms if you want to be ready to duel with the city's fiercest Potterheads and be sure to serve up your best Lestrange realness at the costume contest.
Gilmore Girls Trivia Stone Creek Bar and Lounge; 8pm; free
Need an excuse to rewatch Gilmore Girls before its return later this month? Study up on culs de sac, fried Thanksgiving turkeys and the middling men of Rory Gilmore, because you need every bit of minutia you know to win. Gather a team of fast-talking buddies, register in advance at eventbrite.com and show off your smarts like you’re trying to impress Richard and Emily at Friday-night dinner.
Hallowang: Wang Newton’s #1 Variety Show House of Yes; 7pm; $15–$30
Drag king and host of webseries Wang TV Wang Newton helms this sexy, funny variety show featuring drag and aerial performances, fire dancing, burlesque and circus acts. The lineup includes both local and international talent, like Spikey Van Dykey, Salvadora Dalí, Miss Petite Coquette, Vigor Mortis and more. Sit back and take in the mahyem, then unleash your own at the dance party following the show.
Thu 3
MoshFit Otto’s Shrunken Head; 6:30pm; $10 suggested donation
We're not unaccustomed to sweating in bars, but it's usually because the DJ just played our jam and we fell face-first into a twerk hole. Work out your whole body at this bi-monthly class that goes down in the back room of a tiki bar, features all your fave punk tunes and is followed by—what else?—a happy hour.
New York City Night of Fashion Flesh Factory; 7pm; $125, fashion show ticket $150, VIP $195
Head to Flash Factory for a swinging night of fashion, cocktails and networking for a good cause. Enjoy drinks and vittles, bid in a stacked silent auction, and enjoy presentations by the MOMS founder Denise Albert and celebrity beauty guru Ramy Gafni. Then, enjoy a fashion show designed by Project Runway winner and couture designer Irina Shabayeva. All proceeds support Lolly's Locks, a non-profit that provides high-quality wigs to women undergoing chemotherapy.
Taste of T Architects & Designers Building; 6pm; $100–$110
It’s a homemaker’s dream at this annual food-meets-design affair hosted by T Magazine. For two-plus hours, feast your way through all-you-can-eat bites turned out by the city’s leading chefs—including EL Atoradero's Denisse Lina Chavez, Emily’s Matthew Hyland and Brooklyn Bread Lab’s Adam Leonti—all while browsing showrooms bedecked with designer home appliances and furnishings. Trust us, there’ll be no shortage of picturesque inspiration to blow your Pinterest board out of the water. Your apartment—and your stomach—will thank you.