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Top 10 October family events in Brooklyn

October is packed with family-friendly fun as fall settles in and Halloween season begins! Highlights include Fall Fest at Atlantic Terminal Mall, Labubu Pumpkin Fest at City Point, Halloween Fest on 5th Avenue in Bay Ridge, and DUMBO Family Games on car-free Washington Street. You can also explore the Bed-Stuy Walls Mural Festival & Block Party, enjoy behind-the-scenes tours during Open House New York Weekend, celebrate Diwali with kid-friendly festivities, enjoy fall festivals and street fairs all month long, and get spooky at Halloween block parties and neighborhood parades across Brooklyn! Be sure to check our Halloween Guide for a full list of free events all October long.

1. Bed-Stuy Walls Mural Festival & Block Party

Saturday, October 11 | 10am-6pm | FREE | Bed-Stuy

Bring the family to the Bed-Stuy Walls Mural Festival & Block Party, with live painting, live music, DJ, performances, kids activities, and more. See a map of the festival here. The Block Party wil take place on Lexington Ave between Stuyvesant & Lewis.

2. Fall Fest at Atlantic Terminal Mall

Saturday, October 11 | 12-3pm | FREE | RSVP here | Downtown Brooklyn

Atlantic Terminal Mall and Brooklyn Bridge Parents are hosting a FREE family-friendly fall festival on Atlantic Terminal’s outdoor plaza and car-free Fort Greene Place. Kids can decorate pumpkins in an “urban pumpkin patch,” enjoy arts & crafts, block building, face painting, a haunted truck, a costume dance party (12:00-12:30pm), and more. The Brooklyn Museum Art Van will be on site, too! Plus, bring your Pokemon collection to the Pokemon Trading Station from 11am to 2pm! Rain date: Sunday, October 12 from 11am to 2pm.

3. DUMBO Family Games

Sundays, 11am-1pm | September & October | Ages 1-8 | FREE | RSVP here | DUMBO

Sunday Family Games on car-free Washington Street are a great way to play, meet neighbors and enjoy an epic view! There will be legos, arts and crafts, and a rotating roster of activities for kiddos aged 1 to 8. Save the date for October 26, when we will close out the season with Halloween crafts and a Pokemon trading station! Curated by the DUMBO Business Improvement District x Brooklyn Bridge Parents and supported by Leaf Medical & Leaf Dental in DUMBO.

4. Open House NY Weekend

Friday, October 17–Sunday, October 19 | Times vary | Tickets are $7 for most sites (select tours are free) | Various locations citywide

Open House New York Weekend is an annual festival that opens more than 300 sites across the five boroughs for behind-the-scenes tours and special events. Tickets were released October 3 at 12pm on a first-come, first-served basis, though many locations are open for drop-in visits with no ticket required. Tours with drop-in availability and family-friendly programming include:

5. Celebrate Diwali

Celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, with one of these family-friendly events!

  • Diwali Festival of Bites at Smorgasburg
    Williamsburg: Saturday, October 11 , 11am-6pm | Prospect Park, Sunday, October 12, 11am-6pm | FREE entry
    Come to Smorgasburg for a special celebration of South Asian cuisine and culture, featuring guest vendors, activities, dance performances, and more.
  • Sparkles and Steps: A Diwali Event at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum
    Saturday, October 18 | 2-5pm | $35 | FREE for ages 2 and under | Crown Heights
    Join for a Diwali celebration on the rooftop of the Brooklyn Children’s Museum! There will be a live DJ, dancing, delicious food and sweets from Imlee Kitchen, henna, and a marketplace featuring South Asian vendors.
  • Diwali Celebration at the Seaport Museum
    Monday, October 20 | 3-6pm | FREE | South Street Seaport
    Hop across the river for a Diwali Celebration at The Seaport Museum. Decorate your own diya lamp and float it in a special pool, attend a Diwali Puppet Storytime, jump into an interactive dance workshop, and more.
  • Fontainhas Diwali Party
    Friday, October 24 | Kids’ activities start at 6pm, followed by an evening celebration for all | RSVP here | FREE entry
    Join Fontainhas for a night of food, drinks, music, and kids’ activities to celebrate Diwali!

6. Labubu Pumpkin Fest at City Point

Sunday, October 19 | 11am-1pm | Ages 2-10 | FREE | RSVP here | Downtown Brooklyn

City Point and Brooklyn Bridge Parents kick off the spooky season with pumpkin decorating, fall crafts and Labubu meet and greet. Costumes encouraged! Best for ages 2 to 10. The free event will take place at City Point on the ground floor level next to Rumi. Highlights include: pumpkin decorating (take home a pumpkin while supplies last), selfies with Labubus, fall crafts, and balloon twisting.

7. NY Liberty’s Brooklyn Dribble in Brooklyn Bridge Park

Saturday, October 25 | 1-4pm | Register here for Dribble Parade from Pier 6 to Pier 2 at 1pm | Fan Fest at Pier 2 from 2-4pm is open to all | FREE | Brooklyn Bridge Park

Join for New York Liberty’s community celebration in Brooklyn Bridge Park! Registered participants will join for a one-mile dribble parade starting at Pier 6 and ending at Pier 2. The parade will end at Pier 2 with a Fan Fest open to all, with live DJs and music, fitness classes, food trucks, lawn games, basketball, face painting, and more!

8. Halloween Fest on 5th Ave. in Bay Ridge

Saturday, October 25 | 4-7pm | FREE | Bay Ridge

Brooklyn Bridge Parents is partnering with the 5th Avenue BID to bring you Halloween Fest, a spooktacular free block party taking over 10 car-free blocks of 5th Avenue from 72nd to 85th Street. Celebrate the season with free kids activities, including a bouncy house, pumpkin decorating, “Trunk-or-Treat,” a puppet show, haunted trucks, music, crafts, and so much more! Enjoy delicious bites from local restaurants representing flavors from around the world and stroll through the festively decorated side streets of Bay Ridge. Costumes encouraged!

9. Catch a fall festival or street fair

The fall festival season is in full swing across Brooklyn! Catch one before the outdoor fun winds down. And check out our full list of Outdoor Festivals & Street Fairs through Halloween.

  • Brooklyn Bridge Park Harvest Festival
    Saturday, October 18 | 11am-3pm | FREE | Brooklyn Bridge Park
    The family-friendly festival will feature arts and crafts, live music, lawn games, a pumpkin patch, and more!
  • Marsha P. Johnson State Park Fall Festival
    Sunday, October 19 | 12-4pm | FREE | Williamsburg
    Join for a day of pumpkin painting, puppet shows, face painting, games, and more at Marsha P. Johnson State Park on the Williamsburg waterfront.
  • Greenway Stomp Fall Festival at Naval Cemetery Landscape
    Saturday October 25 | 11am-3pm | Register here | FREE | Williamsburg
    Greenway Stomp is a new fall festival at the Naval Cemetery Landscape, featuring live bluegrass music, food, and a children’s costume parade at 1:00pm.
  • Brooklyn FAM 2025: Festival of Arts & Music
    Sunday, October 26 | 10am-3pm | FREE | Prospect Park
    This family-friendly festival celebrates African and Asian diasporic voices with puppet theatre, music, dance, community music-making, mixed media crafting, Malian & Japanese indigo dyeing, aromatherapy, and lots of giveaways.
  • Court Street Spectacular Street Fair
    Sunday, October 26 | 11am-6pm | FREE | Brooklyn Heights
    Located between Atlantic Avenue and Joralemon Street, Court Street Spectacular is Brooklyn’s last big street fair of the year! Visit merchants and vendors, grab a bite, and enjoy kiddie rides on Court Street! 

10. Celebrate Halloween—Brooklyn-style

October 31 in Brooklyn means neighborhood parades, block parties, and some of the best trick-or-treating around. Here are the can’t-miss events on Halloween night—see our full Halloween Guide for haunted happenings all month long.

  • BKLYN BOO! at Abolitionist Place
    2-5pm | FREE | Downtown Brooklyn
    Join for a Halloween Party with tunes by DJ Mike Doelo, a parade, a puppetry show by Nate Puppets, and a special dance-off featuring Labubu!
  • McGhoulrick Halloween
    2:30pm-6:30pm | FREE | Greenpoint
    Join McGolrick Park for their annual Halloween celebration in Greenpoint. There will be games, dancing, candy, and a children’s parade!
  • Cobble Hill Halloween Parade
    3:30pm Music begins | 4:00-4:30pm Parade | FREE | Cobble Hill
    The Cobble Hill Halloween Parade will be led by the Brass Queens. Music starts in Cobble Hill Park at 3:30pm, and the parade leaves from the Congress Street entrance exactly at 4pm. After the parade, stick trick-or-treating in Cobble Hill!
  • Bed-Stuy Gateway BID Trick or Streets
    3-7pm | FREE | Bed-Stuy
    Pick up your Trick or Streets bag & bingo card at Marcy Plaza, trick or treat at 40+ local businesses and collect stamps, then return to Marcy Plaza to enter a raffle for exciting prizes. There will also be free books, photo giveaways, live DJ music, and more!
  • DUMBOWEEN
    4pm March to the Arch | 4:30-7:00pm Dumbo Archway Party | 6pm Howl-o-Ween | FREE | DUMBO
    DUMBOWEEN features the annual March to the Arch with brass bands and puppets, followed by an Archway Party with crafts, a photo booth, candy, and trick-or-treating at 50+ local businesses! Plus, a doggy costume contest for local pups!
  • BAMboo!
    4-7pm | FREE | Fort Greene
    Join for BAM’s annual Halloween block party, with candy giveaways, carnival games, arts and crafts, and more. Come and costume and meet outside the Peter Jay Sharp Building.
  • Park Slope Halloween Parade
    6:00-8:30pm | FREE | Park Slope
    Dress up in your best costume and join one of Brooklyn’s biggest Halloween parades! The march begins 14th Street and 7th Avenue, then heads north on 7th Avenue, turning left on 3rd Street and ending in J.J. Byrne Playground at the Old Stone House.

Plus, a Halloween party for the grown-ups:

The Scenario 90’s Dance Party x Thriller Mode

Saturday, October 25 | 8pm-12am | 21+ | $30 tickets | Gowanus

The Scenario 90s Dance Party x Halloween Edition will take place on Saturday, October 25 from 8pm to midnight in Gowanus! Dress up in your favorite 90s gear or persona. Costumes encouraged! We start dancing at 8pm: Pop, Hip Hop and all the REST – 90s bangers and monster hits through the decades. Food and Drinks for sale!

Bonus Halloween event in The Bronx:

Harvest Głow at the Bronx Zoo

September 25–October 31 | Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights | 7:15-10:00pm | $34.95/adult, $24.95/child (3-12), free for children 2 and under | The Bronx

This fall, the Bronx Zoo is hosting Harvest Glow, a family-friendly Halloween event. Highlights include an animal-themed Jack O’ Lantern Trail with more than 5,000 illuminated pumpkins and nighttime access to the Dinosaur Safari, featuring over 60 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs, including 11 new additions. Visitors can also see live pumpkin carving, take part in games, join a Halloween dance party, and enjoy treat from on-site food trucks.

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Updated: October 16, 2025. Main Image: Fall Fest at Atlantic Terminal Mall.

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