HALLOWEENING AROUND THE CITY-Special Events and Treats!

The spooky season is arriving soon with offerings all around the city.  Parties, treats, special drinks and events abound. Check  out our roundup, get your costumes ready and have a Happy Halloween!

TEN11 Lounge at LIFE Hotel  (19 W 31st ) La Muerte  is on Friday, 10/31 from 9PM - 3AM. Beneath the LIFE Hotel in Nomad, the newly opened TEN11 Lounge sets the stage for one of the city’s most stylish Halloween celebrations. Known for its dramatic, wall-to-wall onyx interiors and over-the-top cocktail presentations that arrive with smoke, fire, and flair, TEN11 is pulling together a night of spectacle and indulgence. Guests can start the evening with dinner at the hotel’s Mediterranean restaurant, Zoi, before heading downstairs for the party. The theme 'La Muerte' (Life After Death) will include a sophisticated, multi-sensory experience starting with a welcome shot 'Dead Kiss' when doors open, followed by a DJ Set throughout the night and theatrical dancers and performances at 10p. Guests are asked to embrace an elegant Día de los Muertos–inspired dress code, channeling La Catrina and El Catrín with elaborate gowns, suits in vibrant hues, and sugar skull makeup. This is no traditional costume party—it’s a sophisticated nod to the season. Ticketing is now available.

Joanne Trattoria (70 West 68th Street)  The Dead Dance Costume Ball is on October 31. The intimate speakeasy dinner theater on the Upper West Side will host The Monster Ball. Hosted by Drag Me to Joanne's Creator and Producer Jupiter Genesis, the evening will feature pop-up shows from guest drag and cabaret artists, including a sing-along of throwback hits and pop classics by resident artist Grace Romanello, and music from DJ SamBryWil. Attendees of the Monster Ball are strongly encouraged to arrive to dinner dressed up as there will be a costume contest, where the grand prize will be an assortment of exclusive merchandise. Doors open at 5:45 PM, with show starting at 6:00 PM.

The Stand (116 E 16th St. ) A Frightfully Funny Night Oct 31: Halloween Open Bar, Comedy Show, & Party: Get ready to howl with laughter and maybe terror this Halloween at The Stand, NYC's premiere comedy club and restaurant! On October 31st, they're serving up a triple threat of Halloween hilarity with a comedy show and after party. The evening starts with a lineup with top performers at 7pm and 9pm including Sienna Hubert-Ross, Jon Rudnitsky (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Saturday Night Live), Derek Gaines (The Last O.G., Netflix), Matthew Broussard, Marito Lopez that'll have you dying of laughter. And the finale - a late-night Halloween party to hang with guy or ghoulfriends with costumes strongly encouraged for a frightfully funny night.

Desert 5 Spot (95 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn) The venue is transforming its honky tonk setting into a gritty Vampire Saloon, inspired by cult classics like From Dusk Till Dawn. On October 30th and 31st, guests can step into a world of undead cowboys and biker gangs, with live music nightly and a costume contest decided by crowd applause. The two-night affair features special guests on Thursday and a headlining performance by The Whiskey Biscuits on Halloween itself. Entry is ticketed. 

Sweet Graffiti (51 W 32nd St) Step aside fun-sized Snickers’ bars! Satisfy your Halloween cravings at Sweet Graffiti, the popular sweets shop in the Herald Square neighborhood that features handmade chocolates and delicious treats. They are elevating Halloween sweets with four limited-edition, artful chocolates in the Halloween Bonbon Quartet.  Luscious flavors include Peanut Butter Cup (Monster), Gingerbread (Ghost), Candy Apple, and Pumpkin Spice Latte. Each delicious bonbon is a little edible Halloween decoration in its own right. Treat yourself and get a Quartet for a special someone too!

The Standard High Line (848 Washington Street) Halloween at The Standard Biergarten  is being celebrated on October 26th and October 31st. That means tricks for the kids, treats for the grown-ups. From 12PM, shop for pumpkins (get one free with purchase of a Pumpkin Ale) and join our pumpkin carving contest from at 7PM! Carving goes from 4-6PM. Winner gets 5x Biergarten tickets, redeemable for food & drink. And finally, spooky season wouldn’t be complete without a Halloween Bash: come through with your best costume and win a Ski Shot + 10x Biergarten tickets, redeemable for food & drink. The party starts at 6PM and  the costume contest kicks off at 8PM!

So & So’s Neighborhood Piano Bar and Restaurant (851 8th Avenue) The venue will  present Tansy’s Polite Society: A Haunting On Thursday, October 30 from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm, So & So’s Neighborhood Piano Bar and Restaurant presents a one-night-only Halloween event: Tansy’s Polite Society: A Haunting Affair. The candlelit venue becomes the backdrop for internationally acclaimed burlesque artists delivering spellbinding stories, wicked laughter, and glittering surprises. With devilishly crafted cocktails, decadent fare, and an intimate velvet-draped setting, So & So’s offers an unforgettable Halloween celebration where no two performances are ever the same.

The Mark Hotel (25 East 77th Street) The Hotel presents The Mark x BonBon Sweet Halloween Cart. On Thursday, October 30, The Mark Hotel continues its annual tradition in collaboration with Swedish candy shop Bon Bon to open the day’s buzziest candy pop-up on the Upper East side - guests, passersby, and trick-or-treating kids can enjoy an array of fine themed sweets from a festive trick-or-treat cart in front of The Mark Hotel lobby. For adults, The Mark Bar will feature a limited-edition mezcal and red wine-based seasonal cocktail - the Devil’s Blood Margarita - making this Halloween celebration a treat for all ages. 

Starchild Rooftop (305 West 48th Street) The rooftop bar and late-night lounge with panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline, and Rosevale Cocktail Room, its sister cocktail lounge, in the heart of the Theater District. Both concepts will have a cocktail duo dubbed the “Wicked Pair”, inspired by the award-winning musical and upcoming movie, which will launch on October 28th in both Starchild Rooftop and Rosevale Cocktail Room and run until December 1st. It’s perfect for the upcoming Halloween season.  The cocktails include Glinda - A vodka-based cocktail with Aperol, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, cane sugar, Peychaud’s bitters, strawberries, club soda, and a splash of sparkling rosé and their Elphaba -  A gin-based cocktail with Green Chartreuse, Luxardo Maraschino, lime juice, absinthe, and egg white, garnished with a dehydrated lime wheel.  Be sure to visit Blood Moon Ascent - Starchild’s very own Halloween party with curated DJ sets, and more.

Hudson VU (653 11th Avenue) Enjoy a no-cover sky-high Halloween evening out with killer views of the Manhattan skyline. creative cocktails, like the Midnight Texts with Verde Amarás mezcal, Lambrusco, wild blackberry, ginger bitters and vanilla bean; Kiss & Tell with Belvedere vodka, Amaro Montenegro, rose Calpico and fresh lemon; and Figgy With It of Figenza fig vodka, yuzu liqueur, cranberry-pomegranate cordial and lime; and delicious food from Executive Chef Samuel-Drake Jones available a la carte, including Steak & Kimchi Skewers; Honey Roasted Carrots with stracciatella, salsa macha and oranges; and The Birdcage tower of honey-glazed fried chicken with housemade cornbread. Admission is free but reservations are required.

Limusina (441 9th Avenue) This popular spot has a drink that is inspired by the beloved street drink of Jalisco, Limusina’s frozen “Vampiro” is a bold blend of tequila with grapefruit and pomegranate sangrita, delivering a tangy, slightly spicy punch. Served icy and bright red, it’s the cocktail equivalent of a vampire bite. Raise a glass and toast the Halloween season at Lumusina.

Photo Credit: Marina P. Kennedy