By Amanda Giglio
The scariest week of the year is upon us, and the best way to celebrate is to dress up in absurd costumes and watch the most terrifying movies of all time. If you are not sure what to do for Halloween weekend, there are plenty of events taking place in New York City as well as right here at Fordham.
Fordham Events:
On Wednesday, Oct. 28, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. there is a raffle for tickets to see Wicked in the McGinley lobby. What better way to get into the Halloween spirit than watch a musical about witches? On Thursday, Oct. 29, at 2:30 p.m. in front of Eddie’s there will be Trick-or-Treat Street sponsored by Campus Activities Board (CAB). CAB is handing out candy and will have tabling to make masks and fun Halloween crafts. Also on Thursday, Jurassic World is being shown in Keating 1st at 9 p.m.
On Friday, Oct. 30, CAB is hosting the annual Trick-or-Treat Trot: A Hero Run. This charity 5K will have a pumpkin patch, fun raffles, fall foods and novelty personalized water bottles. Proceeds will be donated directly to the B+ foundation to raise money for pediatric cancer research. Fordham’s a cappella groups will take part in a Halloweek a Cappella Teaser Concert in Keating at 7 p.m. This is a sneak peek at the Fordham a cappella groups end-of-semester concerts, featuring B-Sides, Satin Dolls, The Hot Notes, The F#’s from Lincoln Center and The Ramblers.
Haunted Houses:
While Fordham has tons of events to enjoy this Halloween week, the party gets an upgrade in New York City. Besides the annual Village Halloween Parade, there are tons of scary activities to partake in leading up to Saturday. Blood Manor is deemed the scariest haunted house in the city, too scary for children under 14 years old. You pass through themed rooms sure to produce some screams. This is a very popular venue, so be sure to get there early. Times Scare is a year-round haunted house right off of Times Square. New to this year’s haunted events is the New York Haunted Hayride, located at Randalls Island Park, Manhattan.
Ghost Tours:
If bloody haunted houses are not your favorite, try going to a real-life haunted house, with ghost tours. The Merchants House Museum in downtown Manhattan is one of the most haunted houses on the island. This museum holds candlelight ghost tours from Oct. 28 through Halloween.
For a more intimate horror scene, magician/performer Jason Suran recreates the unexplainable experience of The Seance with you and 12 other strangers. If you want to stay closer to the Bronx, the New York Botanical Garden is having a wrap-up celebration for its Frida Kahlo exhibit, celebrating the traditional Mexican day of the dead holiday. Dia de Los Muertos will have stilt walkers, Latin music, Mexican films and artists carving giant pumpkins starting at 10 a.m. on Halloween day.
Horror Films:
Another way to get into the Halloween spirit is watching horror films. While you can go on Netflix and watch some of the top rated horror films, plenty of places in the city are hosting horror movie nights. Some movies that will be shown are: Scream at Throne Watched, Spooky Fest 3 at the Williamsburg theater, Night of the Living Dead at the Rubin Museum of Art, Nosferatu, including a live performance of the score at Videology. The IFC Center is showing The Hills Have Eyes on Oct. 30 and Oct. 31, A Nightmare on Elm Street will play at Landmark at Midnight on Oct. 30 and Oct. 31 and The Brood will play at the Museum of the Moving Image on Halloween day.
Village Halloween Parade:
The annual Village Halloween Parade is the most iconic New York Halloween thing to do. Starting at 7 p.m. and ending at 11 p.m. on Halloween, the parade runs up Sixth Avenue, from Spring Street to 16th Street. Anyone can march in the parade, but costumes are mandatory if you want to join. If not, still dress up and grab a spot along Sixth Avenue to watch the parade, which features dancers, floats and more. Watching the parade and seeing all the crazy costumes, then grabbing food before heading back to the Bronx to party is the most exciting way to spend Halloween in New York City.
