NYC Is Closing 160 Streets for Its Largest-Ever Halloween Celebration

Halloween in New York is an exercise in dodging traffic while wearing masks that ruin your peripheral vision. You want to wander the neighborhood and soak up the atmosphere. Instead, you spend half the night waiting at crosswalks and making sure no one trips into an intersection.

That is why the city's Trick-or-Streets initiative is one of the smartest urban planning moves of the fall season. It takes cars entirely out of the equation. This simple idea lets pedestrians actually enjoy the holiday, and it is easily one of our favorite things on The Fall 2026 New York Bucket List.

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn announced that the 2026 Trick-or-Streets program will be the largest in the city's history. Throughout October, 160 streets and plazas across all five boroughs will go completely car-free.

The expansion makes complete sense. New York streets are already our primary gathering spaces. If you are going to fill them with vampires and superheroes, you might as well give everybody some room to walk.

What to expect this year

The DOT is not just closing streets and putting up barricades. The agency is bringing 75,000 pieces of candy to distribute at locations hosting trick-or-treating, live music, and games.

"New York City does Halloween like nowhere else, and this year we're giving New Yorkers a better, spookier time than ever before," Mayor Mamdani said during the announcement. "And the only cars you should see at Trick-or-Streets are the ones made of cardboard, powered by two legs and fueled by a lot of sugar."

Commissioner Flynn echoed the sentiment. "The best treat for children this Halloween is 160 car-free locations to enjoy fun, safe celebrations, but the 75,000 pieces of candy NYC DOT is giving out this year are a close second," Flynn said. "These events carry on the great work we do to use public space to bring entire neighborhoods together to share in the holiday spirit."

The programming goes beyond standard candy grabs. For 2026, the city partnered with the Municipal Art Society of New York to run free guided walking tours through participating neighborhoods. The tours focus on local history, architecture, and the importance of public spaces. You get to learn about the history of your block while standing right in the middle of the road.

Meanwhile, the nonprofit Street Lab is organizing special pop-up events at select public schools across the boroughs. They are bringing activities directly to locations like PS 28 Mount Hope Centennial School in the Bronx and PS 18 Edward Bush in Brooklyn. Street Lab sets up obstacle courses, chalk drawing stations, and soccer drills. It is a brilliant use of asphalt that usually belongs to delivery trucks.

The Trick-or-Streets program grew out of the city's broader Open Streets initiative, which fundamentally changed how New Yorkers use their neighborhoods. What started as a temporary measure has evolved into a permanent rethinking of public space. Closing 160 locations is a massive logistical undertaking, requiring coordination between the DOT, local business improvement districts, and community volunteers who set up barricades and manage the crowds.

Where to find your local car-free street

With 160 locations, there is a good chance a street near you is participating. The events roll out over the course of October, meaning you do not have to wait until October 31 to start celebrating. You can view the interactive map and the full schedule of participating locations at nyc.gov/trickorstreets.

If you are mapping out your entire month, this program pairs perfectly with our wider look at Things to Do in New York in October 2026. Here are some of the most notable closures verified for the 2026 season.

Pell Street

Chinatown · Pell Street from Bowery to Mott Street · Free Website

Pell Street is one of the most recognizable curves in Manhattan, and it is even better when you can walk straight down the middle of it. This block regularly participates in open street programs, and its Halloween iteration brings out the entire community for food and music. You can grab a pork bun, admire the elaborate costumes, and enjoy the neon signs glowing against the night sky without checking over your shoulder for cabs. It is a fantastic starting point before checking out the rest of The Chinatown Guide: Chinatown, Two Bridges and Dimes Square in 2026.

Go for: A chaotic, joyful neighborhood party with great cheap food. Know before you go: The street is narrow, so it feels crowded even without cars.

34th Avenue

Jackson Heights · 34th Avenue from 69th Street to Junction Boulevard · Free Map

This stretch of 34th Avenue is the gold standard for car-free spaces in New York. The community here has turned 1.3 miles of asphalt into a massive public plaza that connects multiple schools and parks. For Halloween, this corridor goes all out with parades, student performances, and organized trick-or-treating. It is basically a mile-long festival. If you live in Queens, this is the center of the action. Read more about the area in The Jackson Heights Guide.

Go for: The sheer scale of a mile-long neighborhood block party. Know before you go: Check the DOT map for the exact timing of the children's parade.

St. Nicholas Avenue

Harlem · St. Nicholas Avenue from West 116th Street to West 118th Street · Free WebsiteMap

The A. Philip Randolph Square Neighborhood Alliance takes over this section of Harlem for a signature Trick-or-Streets event. This wide avenue provides plenty of room for live music, dancing, and large group costumes. The organizers focus heavily on neighborhood history and community connection, making it feel like a true local gathering rather than a city-mandated initiative. It is a beautiful way to spend an October evening uptown.

Go for: Live music and community-led programming. Know before you go: The main events here usually happen right on Halloween afternoon.

Broome Street

Lower East Side · Broome Street from Essex Street to Norfolk Street · Free

The Lower East Side District Management Association transforms this busy block into a pedestrian haven. It is a smaller footprint than Jackson Heights, but it packs a dense lineup of participating businesses handing out treats. You get a mix of families from the nearby housing complexes and downtown locals showing off their outfits. Afterward, you can easily walk to other nightlife spots or check out something from First Shout: New York acts to see before everyone else does, fall 2026.

Go for: High costume effort and excellent people-watching. Know before you go: Arrive early if you want to grab candy from the local storefronts before they run out.

Myrtle Avenue Plaza

Clinton Hill · Myrtle Avenue between Grand Avenue and Emerson Place · Free Website

Brooklyn always delivers on Halloween, and Myrtle Avenue Plaza hosts a monster mash that rivals any club night. The plaza itself is already a great pedestrian space, but the holiday brings out DJs, dance battles, and games. It has a slightly older, cooler energy as the night goes on, bridging the gap between a kids event and an adult block party.

Go for: The DJ sets and the thriller dance-offs. Know before you go: The plaza offers plenty of seating if you need a break from walking.

Hillel Plaza

Flatbush · Hillel Place from Nostrand Avenue to Flatbush Avenue · Free

This plaza near Brooklyn College is a hub for student life and local transit. For Trick-or-Streets, it transforms into a major signature event location. Expect a stage for live entertainment, multiple interactive workshops, and a massive candy distribution setup. The mix of college students in elaborate outfits and local families makes for a highly entertaining crowd. This is one of the best ways to experience Brooklyn's Halloween spirit for zero dollars, fitting right into our list of 50 Free Things to Do in New York.

Go for: Large-scale entertainment and a wildly diverse crowd. Know before you go: It is located right by the Flatbush Avenue subway station, making it incredibly easy to reach.

Doyers Street

Chinatown · Doyers Street from Pell Street to Bowery · Free

Connecting directly to the Pell Street closure, Doyers Street is famous for its sharp curve and historic storefronts. Turning this block over to pedestrians is always a brilliant move, given how narrow the sidewalks are. During Trick-or-Streets, Doyers becomes a natural extension of the Chinatown festivities. The historic architecture provides a cinematic backdrop for photos, and the lack of cars lets you actually stand back and appreciate the buildings.

Go for: Incredible photo opportunities against a historic backdrop. Know before you go: The street curves sharply, so you cannot see the end of the block from the start.

Quisqueya Plaza

Inwood · Dyckman Street from Broadway to Seaman Avenue · Free Website

Uptown goes massive for Halloween, and Quisqueya Plaza is the anchor for Inwood's celebrations. The Dyckman Gardens organizers run a marathon event here, stretching from noon until the evening. You get live music, incredible food vendors from the neighborhood, and an endless stream of creative costumes. It is less about walking from door to door and more about hanging out, eating well, and enjoying the neighborhood energy.

Go for: All-day celebrations and fantastic local food options. Know before you go: The event runs much longer than the standard three-hour trick-or-treat windows.

Castleton Avenue

Staten Island · Castleton Avenue from Taylor Street to Roe Street · Free

Staten Island brings serious energy to the Trick-or-Streets roster. The Castleton Avenue closure acts as a central hub for the North Shore communities. Local businesses bring out folding tables stacked with candy, and community groups set up small games and craft stations right on the asphalt. It has a deeply local, small-town feel right in the middle of the city.

Go for: A neighborhood party that feels totally distinct from the Manhattan crowds. Know before you go: Parking on the surrounding blocks fills up fast, so walking or taking the bus is your best bet.

The Shout NY take

We love a block party. Turning neighborhood streets into temporary pedestrian plazas is exactly how the city should function. It is a smart way to let communities gather without fighting for limited sidewalk space. Hit up a local Trick-or-Streets closure early in the evening, grab some free DOT candy, and then head downtown for The Village Halloween Parade: How to March, Where to Watch if you want the full, chaotic New York Halloween experience. The best way to see this city is on foot, and in October, that means keeping the cars out of the way.