Village Halloween Parade 2026: Route, Start Time, Theme and How to March

New York's signature Halloween event, the Village Halloween Parade, marks its 53rd year on Saturday, October 31, starting at 7 p.m. Giant puppets, more than 50 bands, dancers and thousands of costumed New Yorkers march north on Sixth Avenue in one of the city's great participatory spectacles.

Route and time

The parade starts at Canal Street and Sixth Avenue and goes up Sixth Avenue to 15th Street. It steps off at 7 p.m., and Spectrum News NY1 carries it live from 8 p.m.

This year's theme: "Body & Soul"

The 2026 theme is "Body & Soul." Celebrating the Year of the Horse, the parade will be led by a new performance, Firehorse, a puppet commissioned from MacArthur "Genius" master puppeteer Basil Twist and choreographed by performance artist Julie Atlas Muz.

How to march

Only people in costume can march. Anyone in costume can join by heading to the lineup area at the corner of Canal Street and Sixth Avenue between 6:30 and 9 p.m. on October 31. You can enter the lineup only from the east and south, via Sullivan, East Broome and Canal Streets; if you're coming from the west, enter from Canal Street. Marchers step off in groups of 1,000 to 2,000. VIP tickets to skip the line are sold on the official site.

Good to know

The parade is a zero-tolerance event for alcohol. The sidewalks get very crowded, so give yourself time. Still need a costume? See our guide to where to buy a Halloween costume in NYC.