15 frightening, fun and festive things to do this Halloween weekend

By Ethan Jakob Craft

Whether it’s a treat you seek or a trick you deserve, we’ve got you covered.

Halloween is here, which means the next few days in Brooklyn will be chock full of parties, activities, events and costumed locals to mark the spookiest day of the year. And whether your scene is Día de los Muertos cultural festivals or boozy theme parties, family-friendly pumpkin patches or cutesy dog costume contests, there’s bound to be something going on that suits your taste — even if, yes, you can’t stand Halloween and want to do something else entirely.

Here’s what’s going on this Halloweekend:

Friday, October 28

Celebrate Día de los Muertos
Throughout the weekend
Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, doesn’t actually occur until a couple of days after Halloween. But there is no shortage of related activities, events and parties to mark the occasion going on in Brooklyn in the run-up to it this weekend: Time Out Market in Dumbo is hosting a number of Día de los Muertos events through Nov. 2, including a costume party on Friday; Oaxaca Week is bringing the traditions, products and drinks of southern Mexico to the Brooklyn waterfront over the course of six days; and a free, bilingual festival celebrating the cultures of the Americas can be found in Bushwick on Sunday. Check each event for individual times, locations and ticket prices.

Experience an experimental haunted house
2 p.m.
Brooklynites have until Halloween day to check out artist Ryan Bock’s two-story “Haunted Haus” that’s all about “subtly questioning bodily autonomy in the United States of America utilizing the ancient craft of puppetry,” organizers say. Taking over Unruly Collective’s Cooper Street space in Bushwick, the multi-media installation — which is advertised as being appropriate for all ages — will let attendees “see, hear, touch, and even taste Bock’s art as it takes you through the nightmares being faced by Americans today.” Running this Friday, Saturday and Monday, it’s open until 10 p.m.; adults’ general admission tickets are $15 each, while kids’ tickets are $9.

Take your kids to a street festival in Bay Ridge
6 to 9 p.m.
This Friday, head to Bay Ridge for a seven-block street festival to celebrate all things Halloween. Happening from 6 to 9 p.m. on one of the neighborhood’s stretches of 5th Avenue, one block over from the 77th Street R line subway stop, this street fair will be packed with family-friendly favorites including pumpkin decorating, live music, interactive games, a bouncy castle and more. It’s free for all, though attendees are welcome to reserve a spot online in advance.

Saturday, October 29

Take your munchkins to hear some Mozart
11 a.m.
Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra will be hosting its own Halloween concert at St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Church this weekend. Their “Mozart for Munchkins” is an informal environment for families to enjoy world class talent, and for children to be introduced to “the wonders of classical music with a hint of jazz and bluegrass.”  The orchestra invites children of all age to observe, explore, discover, crawl, sing and dance, while parents, grandparents, and caregivers sit back, relax and enjoy the concert.  $40 for adults, kids fly free.

Watch a doggie costume contest in Fort Greene Park
12 p.m.
On Saturday afternoon, the “Great Pupkin Dog Costume Contest” will return to Fort Greene Park for its 24th year. Billed as the borough’s largest dog costume contest, the showcase is happening on the steps of the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument from noon to 1:30 p.m., and is free for spectators to watch.

Learn the basics of flash film photography
1 p.m.
If you’re a shutterbug keen on the basics of old-school analog photography, then consider attending Flash Photography on Film, a hands-on class that will cover concepts like flash metering, lighting and equipment set-up with classic film cameras this Saturday at Photodom Studios on the border of Bushwick and Ocean Hill. Hosted by local photographer Franklin Yeep, participants will get the chance to practice what they’ve learned at the end of the class and will each head home with a 4×5 negative of their own. Tickets are $100 each.

Throw one back at Brooklyn Whiskey & Spirits Fest
1 or 6 p.m.
Over 100 whiskies, gins, vodkas and more will be on offer at this weekend’s Brooklyn Whiskey & Spirits Fest, which is bringing live music and all-you-can-drink booze samples to Building 77 in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The showcase is broken down into two blocks, an afternoon one that runs from 1 to 4 p.m. and an evening one from 6 to 9, though act fast if you’re interested: “last chance” general admission tickets priced at $75 each are all that remain for both time slots — unless of course you plan to attend as a designated driver, which is a fraction of the cost.

Learn Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ dance in Albee Square
1:30 p.m.
No matter your age, or your dancing abilities, you’re invited to Albee Square on Saturday for a public dance class where Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet will lead a half-hour course on how to replicate a Halloween staple: Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” dance. It’s all part of this year’s Bklyn Boo! event, which will see the downtown square transformed into an all-ages “Halloween wonderland” from 1 to 4 p.m., replete with live music performances, pumpkin decorating stations and hay bales in an attempt to bring a slice of an upstate pumpkin patch to the heart of the borough.

Get ‘Smart, Funny and Black’ with Amanda Seales
8 p.m.
Speaking of Kings Theatre, Amanda Seales will be in town this weekend as part of her “Black Outside Again” tour, her first since her groundbreaking 2019 HBO special “I Be Known’.” The “Insecure” star was this week’s guest on “Brooklyn Magazine: The Podcast” to discuss what to expect from her “Smart, Funny and Black” comedy game show, which uses humor to discuss issues including cultural appropriation, the representation of Black people in the media, and Black history. Wu Tang’s Method Man will be a special guest, and attendees are encouraged to come in (respectful) costume.

Sunday, October 30

Don’t miss this year’s Halloween Harvest at Luna Park
All weekend
This Friday, Saturday and Sunday marks your last chances to experience Luna Park’s annual Halloween Harvest in Coney Island — at least, until it starts back up in 11 months. In addition to Luna Park’s stalwarts, Halloween Harvest pass holders can also expect tractor racing, competitive pumpkin carving, face painting, classic autumn eats and more family-friendly fall activities sprinkled throughout the complex. The shindig starts one hour after Luna Park opens and wraps up one hour before it closes, though check out the park’s website for complete details, hours and ticket prices.

Visit Green-Wood Cemetery
Throughout the day
There are few activities that’ll put a person in the Halloween mood like setting foot in a centuries-old cemetery, though luckily for Brooklynites of all ages, our borough’s very own Green-Wood is hosting a number of tours this weekend that can be tailored to everyone’s own interests, schedules and desired fright factors. These include Green-Wood’s Greatest Hits, spotlighting the cemetery’s most famous residents; Secrets in Stone, centered on decoding the symbols hidden in gravestones’ masonry; and Green-Wood After Hours, a nighttime tour that includes a visit to the usually off-limits catacombs. Please check each individual event for start times and ticket options.

Paint a pumpkin
3 p.m.
There’s a pumpkin painting party going on down Bed-Stuy this Sunday, but unlike almost every other Halloween event in Brooklyn scheduled during daylight hours, this one is geared towards adults. Happening at 785 DeKalb Avenue, music will be played and drinks and desserts will be served throughout the event, which runs until 7 p.m. Tickets to participate at $25 each and include all necessary art materials which also means, ostensibly, a pumpkin to decorate.

Monday, October 31

Attend Park Slope’s legendary Halloween parade
3 p.m.
The Children’s Halloween Parade is returning to Park Slope for another year on Monday. With a route that winds from the intersection of Seventh Avenue and 14th Street to Old Stone House, the march is one of the largest of its kind in the U.S., and also offers participants the opportunity to do some on-site trick-or-treating as early as 3 p.m. before the parade officially takes shape around 5:30. It’s expected to conclude at Washington Park by 7:30, which leaves plenty of time for post-parade trick-or-treating too.

Check out the BAMboo! Block Party
4 p.m.
The Brooklyn Academy of Music will bring Brooklynites Halloween excitement at its annual block party with carnival games, a candy giveaway and trick-or-treat popcorn. Families are encouraged to come in costume for an afternoon of community fun. Plus, new this year, spooky kid-friendly movies in BAM’s cinemas. 30 Lafayette Ave between Ashland Pl and St. Felix St.

Celebrate music venue Elsewhere’s 5th birthday
8 p.m.
Elsewhere, the massive Johnson Avenue music venue in East Williamsburg, is celebrating its fifth anniversary this Halloween with an appropriately massive party featuring the likes of Mura Masa, Riobamba and more. As expected, tickets for this 21-and-over show, which retail on the venue’s website for $75 each before service fees, have already sold out; however, a number of waitlist spots remain open for sign-ups. If you do manage to secure a place inside, the party runs from 8 p.m. until weekday curfew kicks in at 1 a.m.