22 things to do in Brooklyn this Halloween weekend

By Joshua Encinias

Spooky season peaks on Tuesday, but first, Brooklyn is pulling out all the stops with festivities for kids, families and adults all weekend long.

House of Yes and ZERO bring City of Gods to Industry City on Friday night for an adults-only night of pagan delights, and the Bushwick Film Festival kicks off its “Sweet Sixteen” with screenings all weekend at Williamsburg Cinemas.

Saturday is packed with family-friendly Halloween events across the borough from Red Hook to Coney Island to Bay Ridge, and many are free to attend. You won’t want to miss pups dressed for Halloween at the 25th Annual Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest that afternoon in Fort Greene Park. On Sunday, BAM hosts a screening of Pixar’s “Coco.”

Tuesday brings with it a Halloween block party, also at BAM, and the NY Night Train 18th Annual Haunted Hop Halloween Spooktacular comes to the Knockdown Center for an evening of live music, costume contests and a sprawling haunted house. If scares aren’t your thing, head over to Evalyns Tap House for a “Hocus Pocus” trivia party.

And whatever you do … don’t fall asleep.

Friday, October 27

‘Corps Extrêmes’ U.S. premiere
Various times Friday through Sunday
World-renowned choreographer Rachid Ouramdane comes to BAM Howard Gilman Opera for the first time with “Corps Extrêmes,” his new gravity-defying multimedia piece of aerial dance, as part of the citywide Dance Reflections Festival by Van Cleef & Arpels. As Jean-Baptiste Julien’s score unfolds, this sweeping, meditative work invites audiences to find calmness in the space between earth and sky. 30 Lafayette Avenue. Tickets start at $35.

16th annual Bushwick Film Festival
Various times Friday through Sunday
Bushwick’s big film festival returns for a week of screenings, featuring more than 125 independent films stemming from Brooklyn and around the world. Inspired by the notion of the “Sweet Sixteen,” this year’s festival revolves around exploring and embracing our passage through life’s chapters. Audiences will delve into the themes of coming-of-age, self-realization and the quest for personal freedom, all captured through the camera lens. 217 Grand Street. Individual tickets and packages are on sale.

City of Gods 2023
Friday through Sunday
City of Gods comes alive every Halloween to bring you an extravagant music and art festival spanning two nights. The party is an invitation to express your extravagance: come dressed as a deity, demigod, demon, goddexx, creature of creation, or those devoted to hedonism beyond the human realm. As such, this pagan bacchanal is not really for kids. City of Gods is a creation of House of Yes and ZERO and is hosted at Industry City. 599 2nd Avenue. One-day tickets begin at $135.

‘American Century: American Blues’
Various times from Friday to November 26
Brooklyn’s Irondale celebrates 40 years of artistically innovative theater, and beginning this weekend, they present the second installment of their ambitious American Century Project, titled “American Century: American Blues,” running now through November 26. This immersive theatrical experience weaves together five one-act plays written by Tennessee Williams and creates a raw and unfiltered glimpse into the tumultuous post-World War II America. 85 S Oxford Street. Free.

Joji’s ‘Pandemonium North American Tour’ at Barclays Center
7:30 p.m.
Japanese singer-songwriter Joji brings his “Pandemonium North American Tour” to Brooklyn on October 27 with tour mates Kenny Beats, Lil Toe (AMMO) and Savage Realm. Previously known for making comedic rap under the moniker Pink Guy, Joji switched gears in 2017 to create a mix of R&B, lo-fi and trip-hop. Joji is big with Gen Z, and his Barclays Show proves he’s breaking out to an even bigger audience. 620 Atlantic Avenue. Tickets start at $40.

The Brooklyn Chainsaw Massacre
8 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Live out your darkest horror movie fantasies at The Brooklyn Chainsaw Massacre on Friday night. Complete with a giant fresh off-the-farm corn maze inhabited by clowns, queens and something called pain performers. The Massacre is hosted by immersive world designer and event producer Zoe Nightingale, CEO of 1 of 1 and producer of Heidi Klum’s infamous Halloween party. 86 N. 11th Street. Tickets start at $61.

Sharon Needles Presents: Night of 1000 Pee-Wees
11:30 p.m.
Join the devilish diva of drag Sharon Needles this Halloween weekend for the Night of 1000 Pee-Wees. Get ready to relive the magic of everyone’s favorite whimsical clown, Pee-wee Herman, in an unforgettable event. Grab your red bowtie, put on your white shoes and head over to Sleepwalk for a night of Playhouse character look-alike contests, hilarious performances and full immersion in the world of Pee-wee Herman. 251 Bushwick Avenue. Tickets are $45.

Saturday, October 28

Brooklyn Halloween events for kids and families
Various times and locations on Saturday
There’s no shortage of Halloween festivities for the entire family on Saturday. We’ve picked some of the best from around the borough:

• Red Hook Harvest Fest happens on Saturday morning at Columbia Farms. This free festival features a photo booth, pumpkin patch, games, food, animals and a Hot Pepper Challenge where eight contestants will try their hand at fiery glory
• Halloween at Brooklyn Children’s Museum is a day of costumed fun and trick-or-treating around the Museum’s exhibits. Meet some spooky animal and insect friends, enjoy monstrous performances and catch a free screening of “Muppets Haunted Mansion”
• Not So Spooky Boo Party at One World PlaySpace offers a family-friendly morning filled with stuffed animal building, open play, pizza for lunch, a ducky scavenger hunt, sensory toy goodie bags and a mini-pumpkin painting take-home kit
• The first 1,200 children to join Coney Island’s 13th Annual Children’s Halloween Festival and Parade will receive a goodie bag and wristband to Luna Park in Coney Island to enjoy the rides after the parade
• BKLYN BOO! has Frankenstein slime-making, puppet shows and a costume contest for your and the kids at Albee Square
• The Halloween Festival in Bay Ridge is a 10-block fest with houses decorated for Halloween, bouncy houses, arts & crafts, pumpkin decorating, music and much more

25th Annual Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest
12 to 1:30 p.m.
The Great PUPkin is Brooklyn’s largest and most delightful dog costume contest every Halloween. Neighborhood dogs are invited to Fort Greene Park to compete for the coveted Great PUPkin rosettes with lewks to keep us happy until the next spooky season. Washington Park Street. Register if you want your dog to compete.

Halloween Skate at LeFrak
6:30 to 10 p.m.
Put on your best spooky outfit and head over to the LeFrak Center at Lakeside Prospect Park on Saturday night for a Halloween skate. Hosted by Oosogifted Khalil with music from DJs Mister Butler Jammin, spend the evening on eight wheels and boogie to “Thriller.” Skate rental and a free drink come with your ticket. 171 East Drive. Tickets are $23.

The Trilogy Tour with Pitbull, Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin
7 p.m.
In the mood for a little “International Love”? Pitbull, Enrique and Ricky will make you dance, shake, sweat and live la vida loca all night at Barclays on Saturday. 620 Atlantic Avenue. Tickets start at $119.

Sunday, October 29

‘Coco’ Screening at BAM
12 p.m.
Spend your Sunday morning with “Coco,” Pixar’s magical Día de los Muertos fantasy. BAM’s Parent Circle invites families to arrive early at 10:30 a.m. for prescreening activities celebrating Día de los Muertos including mask making, coloring Alebrije, commemorating the ancestors and more. Guests are encouraged to come dressed in their favorite costumes for a chance to win tickets to the upcoming BAMkids Film Festival. 30 Lafayette Avenue. Tickets are $10 for children (13 and under), $14 for adults and $9 for BAM members.

Tuesday, October 31 (Halloween)

BAMboo!
4 to 7 p.m.
BAM’s festive Halloween block party returns outdoors. The action-packed afternoon of revelry features family-friendly music, carnival games, arts and crafts, candy giveaways, trick-or-treat popcorn and family-friendly Halloween short films in the BAM Rose Cinemas. Costumes are encouraged. 30 Lafayette Avenue in front of the Peter Jay Sharp Building. Free.

Park Slope Halloween Parade 2023
6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Dress up in your best costume and bring the kids to the annual Park Slope Civic Council Halloween Parade, always a blast for the whole family. The parade begins at 14th Street and 7th Avenue, then heads north on 7th Avenue, turning left on 3rd Street and ending in J.J. Byrne Playground at the Old Stone House. Line up begins at 5:30, with step-off at 6:30 pm. Free.

NY Night Train 18th Annual Haunted Hop Halloween Spooktacular!
6:30 p.m.
Brooklyn’s biggest underground Halloween party New York Night Train Haunted Hop returns on October 31 at the Knockdown Center for its 18th year. This multiroom indoor/outdoor music festival/dance party features 36 bands, seven DJs, horror cinema (projected from 16-millimeter reels) non-stop on Halloween. Wear your best costume for a contest with a grand prize of $500 (so get creative). You don’t want to miss the sprawling haunted house either. Plus, there are free shuttles back and forth from the Jefferson L Train stop all night long. 52-19 Flushing Ave. Tickets are $19.

Reneé Rapp at Kings Theatre
7:30 p.m.
“Pretty Girls” singer Reneé Rapp performs at Kings Theatre on Halloween. Rapp got her start on Broadway in “Mean Girls,” which got the attention of Mindy Kaling, who cast her in HBO’s “The Sex Lives of College Girls.” In August, Rapp dropped her debut album “Snow Angel.” You can see the singer for yourself in Flatbush. Alexander 23 and Towa Bird will open. 1027 Flatbush Avenue. Tickets are $196.

“Hocus Pocus” Trivia Party
8 to 9:30 p.m.
Oh look, another glorious trivia. Makes me SICK! Sisters! All Hallow’s Eve is drawing close, and Evalyns Tap House invites you to run amok for Hocus Pocus Trivia. They’ll be lighting the black flame candle for trivia about “Hocus Pocus” and “Hocus Pocus 2.” 236 Butler Street. Free.