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The scariest thing you can do in the Village this Halloween might be getting behind the wheel. On Saturday, October 31, the Village Halloween Parade returns for its 53rd outing, bringing costumed New Yorkers and a substantial collection of traffic barricades to Lower Manhattan.
The procession starts at 7pm and runs until around 11pm. Watching is free and anyone in costume can join the march. But whether you’re wearing elaborate prosthetics or just trying to get home, the street closures deserve a spot in your evening plans. Here's everything to know before you take to the streets this Halloweekend.
NYC Village Halloween Parade street closures to know about:
According to NYC DOT’s preliminary weekend traffic advisory, the parade’s main route closure covers Sixth Avenue, also known as Avenue of the Americas, between Spring Street and West 18th Street. That’s a longer stretch than the spectator route organizers describe, so don’t assume traffic resumes immediately after the last good viewing spot.
South of the procession, the formation area will close Sixth Avenue between Canal and Spring Streets; Dominick Street between Varick Street and Sixth Avenue; Sullivan Street between Broome and Spring Streets; and Broome and Spring Streets between Sullivan and Varick Streets.
At the northern end, dispersal closures cover West 16th, West 17th and West 18th Streets between Fifth and Seventh Avenues. (Fifth Avenue and Seventh Avenue will also close between 14th and 19th Streets.)
The NYPD will determine how those closures operate that night. DOT hasn’t provided individual closing and reopening times for each block, so you shouldn't treat the parade’s 7pm start as your deadline for squeezing a car through.
For spectators, organizers identify Sixth Avenue between King Street and West 15th Street as the viewing stretch, with the heaviest crowds typically between Bleecker and 14th Street. Arrive early if you have a particular spot in mind and agree on a meeting point away from the lineup before your group disperses. Marchers can join the lineup at Canal Street and Sixth Avenue between 6:30pm and 9pm; costumes are required.
More car-free Halloween activity is nearby, too: DOT’s Trick-or-Streets schedule also lists closures on West 11th Street between Washington and Greenwich Streets from 3pm to 10pm, plus the Annual Village Halloween Costume Ball on East 10th Street between First and Second Avenues from 3pm to 7pm.