The Village Halloween Parade in 2026: the route, how to march, and how to get there

• When Sat, Oct 31, 7 p.m. (official)
• Route Sixth Ave, King St to W 15th St
• March Free, in costume, no registration
• Lineup Canal St and Sixth Ave, 6:30 to 9 p.m.
• Theme Body & Soul
• MTA, NYPD closures Not announced yet

What is confirmed, and what is not

The parade's own site, halloween-nyc.com, lists the 53rd annual Village Halloween Parade for Saturday, October 31, 2026 at 7 p.m., shown live on Spectrum News NY1 at 8 p.m. (checked September 2026). It says the 2026 theme is Body & Soul, led by fire horse puppets designed by MacArthur fellow Basil Twist and choreographed by Julie Atlas Muz, with Joey Arias as grand marshal. The parade runs from about 7 to 11 p.m., and the organizers have said typically 50,000 to 60,000 people march.

The route

The official route runs straight up Sixth Avenue from King Street to West 15th Street, per halloween-nyc.com. In 2025 the NYPD's closures covered Sixth Avenue between Spring and Canal Streets and nearby cross streets (Dominick, Sullivan, Broome and Spring), at the NYPD's discretion, per Fox 5. The 2026 list is not announced yet.

How to march

Join the lineup at Canal Street and Sixth Avenue on October 31 between 6:30 and 9 p.m., per the parade. Only people in costume may march, it is free, and no pre-registration is needed for the general line. You can enter the lineup area only from the east and south: Sullivan Street, East Broome Street and Canal Street, and if you are coming from the west, only from Canal Street. The parade says the Halloween Parade is a zero-tolerance event for alcohol. Its advice for groups is to meet a block or two away from the route and walk over together. VIP tickets skip the line, and the parade sells them from $250 standing and $450 seated, with a section by the live telecast, snacks and non-alcoholic drinks, and a dedicated portable restroom (checked September 2026). They are not required to march.

Where to watch

The parade says you can watch from either side of Sixth Avenue between King Street and West 15th Street, free, and that the streets are most crowded between Bleecker and 14th Streets. Our advice, not the operator's: if you want to see costumes and not just the back of heads, pick a spot south of Bleecker Street and arrive by 6 p.m., or go to the quieter northern end near 15th Street later, when the marchers have thinned. The parade says not to bring a car. If you are with a group, pick a meeting point away from the lineup.

Getting there

The parade's watch page says the L runs normal service every 5 to 8 minutes and lists these changes: Spring St (C, E) southbound trains bypass the station from 5 to 10 p.m. and northbound is exit-only; after 10 p.m. southbound A trains run local from 59 St to Canal St; the 16th Street side of 14 St/6 Av (L, F, M) is exit-only while the 14th Street side stays open, with police barricades; and entrances and exits at West 4 St alternate with crowd levels. Open stations it names are 23rd, 14th and West 4th on Sixth Avenue; 23rd, 18th, 14th, Sheridan Square and Houston on Seventh Avenue; and West 4th, Spring (closest to the lineup) and Canal on Eighth Avenue. From New Jersey, take the PATH 33rd Street train to 9th, 14th or 23rd Street. Buses reroute after 6 p.m. along Sixth Avenue. The MTA's 2025 weekend notice likewise had downtown trains skipping Spring St from 5 to 10 p.m. and some stairways exit- or entrance-only at 14 St/6 Av, West 4 St-Wash Sq and Spring St. The 2026 MTA notice is not posted yet.

• March in costume

  The parade is built around it: the free line, no registration, and tens of thousands of people in costume. You are the show.

  What to know: Lineup at Canal Street and Sixth Avenue, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Costume only, no alcohol, enter from the east or south.

  Parade: how to march

• Watch from Sixth Avenue south of Bleecker

  The parade calls Bleecker to 14th Street the most crowded stretch. South of Bleecker, the marchers are fresh and you have more room.

  What to know: Either side of Sixth Avenue between King Street and West 15th Street is open to watch; arrive early for a front spot.

  Parade: where to watch

• Watch on NY1

  Spectrum News NY1 shows the parade live, from 8 p.m., from the telecast position.

  What to know: Saturday, October 31, 2026, 8 p.m. (official).