October Family Events!

© Brooklyn Botanic Garden.  Photo by Julie Markes.

Time to embrace all things pumpkin, surround ourselves with colorful gourds and squashes, and of course see our kids returning from play in Prospect Park with bright red, yellow and orange leaves stuck in their hair! Searching for activities to enjoy this beautiful season? Here are events both local to Brooklyn and a bit further out if you’re looking to explore (scroll down for Halloween-specific events).


October 1st, 11am-6pm - Chile Pepper Festival 2017 (Brooklyn Botanical Gardens): Enjoy a day filled with live performances by mariachi bands and music from all around the world including India, Columbia and Cuba. There will be fire breathing, sword swallowing, and other fiery feats. Check out the many food artisans, including more hot sauces than you can imagine, chili chocolates and of course ice cream! Kids can pot up a pepper plant to take home. https://www.bbg.org/visit/event/chile_pepper_festival_2017


Now through October 31st, 10am-6pm - Scarecrows and Pumpkins (NY Botanical Gardens, Bronx): Enjoy this bountiful time of year with eye-popping pumpkins, spooky scarecrows, and plenty of fun. Explore more than 100 friendly scarecrows set among rare and unusual pumpkins and gourds in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. Throughout this fall celebration of frights and fun, take part in special activities and demonstrations featuring creepy creatures, hands-on crafts, and more. https://www.nybg.org/event/scarecrows-pumpkins/


Saturdays and Sundays through October 29th - The Amazing Maize Maze (Queens County Farm Museum, Queens): Kids and adults alike will have fun finding their way out of this 3-acre corn labyrinth! The adventure begins with a "Stalk Talk" to prepare you for the challenge of finding clues, solving puzzles, and making your way out of the maze. $10/adult and $5/child (ages 0-3 are free). You can hop on an F train (and then bus), or it’s a short drive away. http://www.queensfarm.org/events.html


October 7th, 12-4pm - Annual Pumpkin Festival (Willowbrook Park, Staten Island): Bright orange pumpkins are reasonably priced, and the pumpkin patch is a great backdrop for photos! Kick off the day with "Music with Patrick," and all are invited to sing and dance along! Quiver Farms Petting Zoo will visit for a portion of the day. Lots of other nature-based activities are in store. And we can’t forget - carousel rides for just $2.00 per spin. https://www.nycgovparks.org/events/2017/10/07/annual-pumpkin-festival-at-the-carousel-for-all-children


October 7th-9th, 1:30pm-5:30pm - Dig! Plant! Grow! Scarecrow Weekend (NY Botanical Gardens, Bronx): It’s time to make scarecrows! Help dress up one scarecrow per family to fill the garden with friendly faces. Plant and prepare for fall, explore the garden, and make marigold jewelry. https://www.nybg.org/event/dig-plant-grow-scarecrow-weekend/


October 28th, 12pm-5:30pm - Ghouls and Gourds 2017 (Brooklyn Botanical Gardens): A full day of fun to be had - including stilt dancing, live music, a marching band, dance performances. The kids can build a spider web, hang out with worms and bugs and play games with a “veggie” theme! Brussel sprout bowling, anyone? https://www.bbg.org/visit/event/ghouls_gourds_2017


October 28th, 3pm -  Laurie Berkner’s Band Monster Boogie Halloween Concert (The Concert Hall at NY Society for Ethical Culture, Manhattan):   What small child is not obsessed with The Laurie Berkner Band? She’ll be playing classics like “Pig on her Head” as well as some fun Halloween jams!  Come in costume, and attendees are encouraged to bring stuffed animals (to put on their heads of course).  $39/ticket (1YO and under are free). http://www.ticketfly.com/event/1531698-laurie-berkner-bands-monster-new-york/


October 29th, 11am-4pm - Children’s Fall Festival (Queens County Farm Museum, Queens): Dress in costume for this fall celebration! Kids will love the bounce houses, traditional games, pie-eating contests, and cartoon character look-alikes. Boogie down to live country western music, take an autumn hayride, visit the Haunted House, and enjoy a pony ride and farm animals. Stop by the Con Edison Ecology booth for free kids' crafts and recycling tips. There will be food vendors on the farm all day. $20/children & adults. http://www.queensfarm.org/events.html


And let us not forget - HALLOWEEN!!! You picked out your costumes, you’re ready to go. BUT WHAT WILL YOU DO??? Here are some ideas for how we can get into the spooky spirit with our kids.
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October 28th, 11am-3pm - Haunted High Line Halloween (Manhattan, NY): Travel back in time and learn the history of the High Line. Get into character with artistic face painting, capture memories with our old-time photo booth, dance, go on a scavenger hunt with candy, and watch live performances. On the High Line between 14th St. to 16th St. | Enter at 14th St. and 10th Ave. Please note this program takes place at two locations between 14th St. and 16th St., but only requires one RSVP. For detailed listing of all events and to RSVP, go to: http://www.thehighline.org/activities/haunted-high-line-halloween-family-event


Through October 29th - Halloween Harvest (Luna Park, Coney Island): An amazing pumpkin patch, face painting, pony rides, music, games, arts and crafts, and magic shows! And dog lovers - don’t forget about the Harvest Dog Parade & Costume Contest on October 14th. http://lunaparknyc.com/events/halloween-harvest/


October 28th, 12pm-3pm - Halloween in Prospect Park (Lookout Hill & Nethermead, Prospect Park): Encounter zombies, werewolves, witches, and other Halloween characters on a haunted walk through the woodland Lookout Hill, ideal for families with children ages 7-12. All ages can enjoy a festive Halloween Fair on the Nethermead, featuring family-friendly activities, as well as sweet and savory treats from some of the city’s top food trucks.https://www.prospectpark.org/news-events/events/2017/10/28#halloween-prospect-park-2017


October 28th, 1pm-4pm - Creepy, Crawly Halloween (Prospect Park): Take a second look at the creatures that give you the creeps, you may find you like them! Participate in fun activities and experiments that will make your spine tingle - like discovery boxes, owl pellet dissection, a creepy crawly walk and an animal encounter. https://www.prospectpark.org/news-events/events/2017/10/28#creepy-crawly-halloween-2017


October 28th and 29th - Boo at the Zoo (Prospect Park Zoo): Don’t miss this annual Halloween event. This year they’ve got a costumed character scavenger hunt, face painting, spooky barn, and of course plenty of animals. $8/adult, $5/child. 2YO & under: free. https://prospectparkzoo.com/events

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October 31st, 6:30pm - The Park Slope Halloween Parade!!! This parade kicks off at 14th St and 7th Ave and will end at the Old Stone House. Always a fun time to be had! http://parkslopeciviccouncil.org/event/annual-halloween-parade-2017/