Brooklyn is a wonderful place to celebrate Halloween, and the festivities are in full swing. Pumpkins are on stoops, decorations are in the windows, and people in costumes are parading the street. With large community events, parties, and families and friends coming together to share the festivities, Brooklyn knows how to have a good time.
The Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest
Halloween might typically be seen as a kid’s holiday, but dogs are taking part in the revelry in equal measure, if not at times more so than humans. On Saturday, October 26th, Fort Greene Park hosted its 26th Annual Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest, where the winning pet was dressed as a Babybell cheese, peel-able and all. A massive crowd chanted “Baby-Bell, Baby-Bell!” for the overwhelmingly popular choice for the best-dressed pup. One border collie named Ruffeford B. Hayes and his parents, Nora and Mike, showed up as “The Twilight Bone” for their second year entering the competition, complete with a cardboard float, umbrella, and even a dog wig, and Dato the dog dressed as Curious George with accompanying man in the yellow hat and banana parents.
In the Neighborhoods
On Halloween itself, you’ll see trick-or-treaters walking from stoop to stoop, many of which have already been decorated with cobwebs, pumpkins, spiders, and, in one yard on St. James Place, a massive 20-foot-tall skeleton named the St. James Skeleton. Usually, specific blocks get more decked out than others, and kids will gather in those hubs. “Often there’s one block that’s a heavy Halloween block [in each neighborhood]. There’s usually music and so many designers and people who are really into building out sets, which is exciting,” said Daley, who volunteers for the Fort Greene Park Conservancy.
Grown-ups Love Halloween Too
Adults have activities, too — a performance of LIPS: Rocky Horror Live will be showing at House of Yes on Halloween night at 7:00 pm, for one, where costumes are encouraged. And the No Filter Halloween Bash at the Bell House has a stacked lineup of DJs spinning pop, R&B, and hip-hop. Many bars spotlight the spooky holiday with costume contests, decorations, and specials, providing several options for Brooklyners hitting the town. Those seeking live outdoor music may be heading to Pier 3 Plaza at Brooklyn Bridge Park, where The Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy is throwing a Big Halloween Get Down, with sounds from Herbert Holler and hosted by Savior Elmundo.
So, however you are getting in the Halloween spirit this year, you are doing it with your borough, and there’s no better community than that. Happy Halloween, Brooklyn!
