Something wicked this way comes up Sixth Avenue at nightfall on Halloween: Tens of thousands of dancing skeletons, puppet masterpieces, and masked New Yorkers, marching with a collective hunger for tricks and treats.
This year marks the 45th anniversary of the Village Halloween Parade. The city’s only night parade is one of the New York’s most storied traditions, drawing 50,000-60,000 marchers each year. Every iteration has reflected the zeitgeist. It was a major point of uplifting in 2001, when people gathered to heal less than a couple of months after September 11. And, alongside the Pride parade, which predates the Halloween Parade by a few years, it has always been a major celebration for the Village’s LGBTQ community to come together and express themselves.
This year promises to be as spooky, colorful, and elaborate as ever.