Greenwich Village, NYC: The 53rd Village Halloween Parade Marched Up Sixth Avenue Led by Firehorse Puppets

The 53rd Village Halloween Parade stepped off on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at 7 pm, running up Sixth Avenue in Manhattan from Canal Street to West 15th Street. It is produced by Village Halloween Parade, Inc., a nonprofit arts organization, and bills itself as the nation's most wildly creative public participatory event. It runs rain or shine.

This year's theme was "Body & Soul." Marking the Year of the Horse, the procession was led by a new performance called Firehorse. The puppet was commissioned from Basil Twist, the MacArthur "Genius" puppeteer, with choreography by performance artist Julie Atlas Muz and production by Barbara Busackino of Tandem Otter Productions. The dancing Firehorses cleared a path for the thousands of costumed marchers behind them.

Joey Arias served as Grand Marshal. The cabaret singer, jazz vocalist, drag performer and downtown fixture has toured internationally and appeared in Cirque du Soleil's Zu-manity. He is currently starring in Arias with a Twist at HERE Theater. The backdrop on his float was a banner painted by artist Richard M. Prouse.

Watching along Sixth Avenue was free, and anyone in costume was welcome to join. Marchers entered at Canal Street and Sixth Avenue between 6:30 and 9 pm. Tickets for special access, including skip-the-line options, were also sold. Spectrum News NY1 broadcast the parade live starting at 8 pm.

The official parties, billed as The Vampire Ball, ran on Friday, October 30, and Saturday, October 31, at Industry City in Brooklyn. Doors opened at 9 pm, with music continuing until 5 am both nights, for guests 21 and older. The parade is supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.