A Guide to Halloween in Long Island City (October 2026)

Updated Oct 2026

Costume parades, pumpkin carving, trunk or treat and a car-free Vernon Boulevard: Halloween 2026 in Long Island City, all in one place.

Here's our Halloween in LIC guide graphic: three pumpkins under a starry night sky. Illustration: LongIslandCity.info

Halloween in Long Island City is a lot of fun, and in 2026 it starts two weekends early. Here are the costume parades, pumpkin carving and trick or treat spots we know about, with times and links so you can plan. Times can change, so take a quick look at the organizer's page before you head out.

Saturday, October 17: Halloween Family Day at MoMA PS1

MoMA PS1 kicks things off with a free, all ages Halloween Family Day from 10 AM to 3 PM at 22-25 Jackson Avenue. Carve a pumpkin, make your own costume, catch a spooky short film and then wander the galleries.

Pumpkin carving (ages 10 and up), 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM with artist Danielle De Jesus. Online spots are full, and drop-in spots are available while supplies last.
Build Your Own Creature (all ages), 10 AM to 2 PM: turn a mini pumpkin into a creature with paint, stickers and pipe cleaners.
Make Your Own Costume (all ages), 10:30 AM to 3 PM.

Saturday, October 24: MoMI Halloween Party in Astoria (21+)

Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, just north of LIC, hosts its annual MoMI Halloween Party at 36-01 35th Avenue starting at 7:30 PM, with a DJ, raffle prizes and Magic Lantern performances, plus refreshments for purchase from Mon Amour, the museum's culinary partner. This one is for grownups: it's 21+ (bring ID) and free with RSVP. Members get early entry at 7:00 PM. The museum hasn't posted an end time.

Handcrafted Horrors at MoMI, October 23 to 25

The same weekend, Museum of the Moving Image's Handcrafted Horrors film series has three creature features on the big screen. These are ticketed screenings, separate from the free party; tickets and prices are on each film's page.

Bram Stoker's Dracula: Friday, October 23, 8:15 PM, on 35mm. Francis Ford Coppola's lush, over the top take on the Dracula story.
An American Werewolf in London: Saturday, October 24, 5:30 PM. John Landis's funny, scary werewolf film with its Oscar winning makeup effects, a good warm up before the party.
The Wolf Man: Sunday, October 25, 1 PM. The Universal monster classic starring Lon Chaney Jr.

Saturday, October 31: Trunk-or-Treat & Halloween Festival at Culture Lab LIC

The Learning Center LIC hosts Trunk-or-Treat & Halloween Festival at Culture Lab LIC, 5-25 46th Avenue, from 2 to 5 PM. Admission is $25 per family, benefiting Make-A-Wish. Culture Lab also lists Live in The Lot music in the same lot (The Fresh Cuts from 3:30 to 4:30 PM and The Maniacs in the Mailbox from 5 to 7 PM on dates on their schedule). Culture Lab notes that the schedule is subject to change.

Saturday, October 31: Halloween day in LIC

Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, and LIC has something going from lunch until after dark.

Trick-or-Streets on Vernon Boulevard

Vernon Boulevard goes car free between 50th and 46th Avenues for NYC DOT's Trick-or-Streets, with the Long Island City Partnership as the local partner. NYC DOT lists it from 3 to 5 PM.

Halloween Harvest Festival at Socrates Sculpture Park

Socrates Sculpture Park (32-01 Vernon Boulevard) closes its season with the free 2026 Halloween Harvest Festival, starting at noon (free with RSVP). There is drop-in pumpkin decorating from 12 to 3 PM (pumpkins provided while they last), costume making with reused materials, a community resource fair, the Planted Culture Vegan Food Market and what the park calls New York's second largest dog costume contest, co-presented with Chateau le Woof.

Halloween on the Waterfront at Hunters Point South Park

The Hunters Point Parks Conservancy throws Halloween on the Waterfront in Hunters Point South Park from 2 to 8:30 PM. The Halloween Fest at the Oval runs from 5:30 to 6:30 PM with a costume parade and contest, then The Nightmare Before Christmas plays on a screen at sunset, around 6:30 PM. The Conservancy says more details are coming.

AUNTS: The hAUNTing at The Chocolate Factory Theater

In the evening, the AUNTS collective takes over The Chocolate Factory Theater (38-33 24th St) for The hAUNTing, a haunted house and performance party, from 7 to 9 PM. Free with RSVP.

More family Halloween events in LIC

The Long Island City Partnership rounded up more Halloween events at LIC businesses for the last week of October. Times and prices are from each event's listing on the Partnership's Halloween in LIC page; check with the host before you go.

Friday, October 23

Mimloo Monster Mash at Mimloo, 21-46 44th Drive celebrates Halloween with three small events for young families: a spooky sing along at 10 AM, a Halloween yoga pop up at 11 AM and a costume party from 4 to 6 PM. Prices and sign ups are on mimloo.com.
Kids Night Out: Haunted Houses at Art Strong NYC, 10-34 49th Avenue, 6 to 9 PM (also Friday, October 30 at 6 PM). Each young artist paints and decorates a haunted house to take home, with pizza, art activities and a showing of Hotel Transylvania. The price is not listed; register on artstrongnyc.com.

Sunday, October 25

Crafts & Drafts: Falloween at The Greats of Craft LIC Warehouse, 10-15 43rd Avenue, 11 AM to 1:30 PM. $35 for one child or $50 for two (siblings or friends).
Halloween Pumpkin Painting Party at Art Strong NYC, 10-34 49th Avenue, 2:30 to 5 PM. The pumpkin and all the paint are provided, and you take your pumpkin home. The price is not listed; check artstrongnyc.com.

Monday, October 26 to Saturday, October 31

Pumpkin Decoration at Nana's Wonderland LIC, 2-20 Malt Drive, 9 AM to 7 PM daily from October 26 (through November 1, per the Long Island City Partnership calendar). Decorate a pumpkin with stickers. Cost not listed.
Spooky Strong Week at KidStrong Long Island City, 2-33 50th Avenue, October 26 to 31: costumes, themed activities, prizes and giveaways, and you can bring a friend to a free class.

Wednesday, October 28

Halloween & Día de los Muertos Celebration at LaGuardia Community College, 45-50 Van Dam Street, 4 to 6 PM, a block party style celebration of both holidays. Cost not listed.
Fall Festival 2026 at Renew Queens, 10-15 46th Road, 4:30 to 7 PM, the church's annual fall festival for families. Register on Church Center.

Friday, October 30

Tiger J Halloween Party at Tiger J Taekwondo, 4-20 49th Avenue, from 4 PM. The school's annual party is open to students, siblings, friends and families; RSVP through the sign up form.
Halloween Block Party at CityPickle LIC, 9-03 44th Road, 4 to 7 PM: "Dink or Treat," a costumed pickleball bash and block party. Tickets on CityPickle's booking page.
Bubble Magic Party at Nana's Wonderland LIC, 2-20 Malt Drive, 5 to 7 PM, with a special character guest and free pizza and drinks.

Saturday, October 31

Halloween Clay Class at BrickHouse Ceramic Art Center, 10-34 44th Drive, 10 to 11:30 AM, $55. Instructor Jacob Reinstein teaches a group class on making spooky clay pieces. Book on brickhouseny.com.
Kids Halloween at Partake NYC, 10-29 44th Road, 12 to 6 PM, with a bouncy house, costumed characters, painting, Halloween movies and goodie bags. Cost not listed.
Kids Night Out! at Gantry Kids & Teens, 10-19 46th Road, from 5:30 PM. The gym's regular Kids Night Out runs 5:30 to 9 PM with coach led games, pizza, popcorn and a movie, $70 per child with 50% off each additional sibling (gantrykids.com); confirm the Halloween night details with the gym.

Getting around

The 7 train stops at Vernon Blvd/Jackson Av, a short walk from Vernon Boulevard and the waterfront parks. NYC Ferry stops at Hunters Point South (54th Avenue at 2nd Street, East River route) and at Long Island City (46th Avenue and Center Boulevard, Astoria route). Check ferry.nyc for the weekend schedule.

Allergy friendly Halloween in LIC

Lots of kids can't have everything in the candy bowl, because of a food allergy or another condition. A few small things make trick-or-treating easier for them. The tips below come from FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education).

Look for a teal pumpkin

A teal pumpkin or a teal pumpkin bucket on a stoop, in a lobby or on a door (or one of FARE's free printable teal pumpkin signs) means non-food treats are offered there. That's the Teal Pumpkin Project, which FARE took national in 2014. You can still hand out candy too. FARE just asks that you keep the candy and the non-food treats in separate bowls. FARE also keeps a Teal Pumpkin Project map, where homes and events can sign up so families can plan their route.

Non-food treat ideas

FARE's list of non-food treats is full of cheap things you can find at a dollar store, a party store or online:

Glow sticks, glow bracelets or necklaces
Stickers, stencils and bookmarks
Pencils, pens, crayons or markers, plus Halloween erasers and pencil toppers
Bubbles
Bouncy balls and mini Slinkies
Spider rings, vampire fangs, finger puppets and other small toys
Mini notepads and playing cards
Whistles, kazoos and noisemakers

Two things to watch, per FARE: some non-food items still contain food allergens (some brands of moldable clay contain wheat), and it helps to pick latex-free items, since some kids have latex allergies.

Tips for parents

Check every label, every time. A candy your child had before may have different ingredients now, so skip anything without an ingredient label.
Swap candy at home for safe treats. Stock up on safe treats or small toys and trade them for any candy your child can't have. A "no eating while trick-or-treating" rule gives you time to read the labels first.
Carry epinephrine if it's prescribed, and keep it within reach the whole time you're out.
Watch out for fun size. Mini, fun size and bite size versions of a candy may have different ingredients than the full size, so make no assumptions. Ingredients and the factory where a treat is made can change, too.

More in FARE's tips for trick-or-treating with food allergy.

LIC buildings, lobbies and businesses

If your building hands out treats in the lobby, or your shop or restaurant welcomes trick-or-treaters, put out a teal pumpkin or a teal bucket with some non-food treats next to the candy. It's an easy way to make sure every kid walks away with something. You can add your spot to FARE's Teal Pumpkin Project map too.

Allergy info at the events in this guide

If an event doesn't list allergy info, ask the organizer before you go. If it's easier, bring your own safe treats along.

Is your LIC business handing out non-food or allergy friendly treats this Halloween? Tell us at contact@longislandcity.info so we can add you.

More in October

All of these are also on our LIC events calendar, along with everything else happening in the neighborhood this fall.

Did we miss a Halloween event in LIC? Tell us at contact@longislandcity.info and we will add it. Happy Halloween, LIC!

Sources

Every fact in this guide comes from the sources above, checked Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 16, Oct 19 and Oct 21, 2026. Spot something out of date? Write to contact@longislandcity.info.

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