6 Free Things to Do in NYC This Weekend: October 30 – November 1, 2026

Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, and New York is treating it like a holiday weekend. From Friday, October 30 through Sunday, November 1, 2026, you can catch the city's biggest costume parade, skate for free on the newly reopened Bryant Park rink, see the Whitney after dark, and stand curbside for the TCS New York City Marathon, all without paying a cent for admission.

Every pick below was checked against the organizer's or venue's official 2026 page. All six are free to attend. The Whitney needs a free advance ticket, and food, drinks and skate rentals cost extra. We've noted each one.

At a glance

ALL WEEKEND: FRIDAY–SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30–NOVEMBER 1

1. Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park

Time: The Rink 8:00 AM–10:00 PM daily; The Lodge 10:00 AM–10:00 PM; Holiday Shops Friday 11:00 AM–8:00 PM, Saturday–Sunday 10:00 AM–8:00 PM
Location: Bryant Park, between 40th and 42nd Streets and Fifth and Sixth Avenues, Midtown, Manhattan
Admission: FREE rink admission and free to browse. Skate rentals start at $18.72, and food, drinks and shopping are extra. Bring your own skates to keep it fully free.
Official link: Bank of America Winter Village

Winter Village opens Wednesday, October 28, so this is its first weekend of the season. The 17,000-square-foot rink has free admission and sits right under the Midtown skyline, and the Holiday Shops fill the park with dozens of small vendors selling gifts, art and snacks. The Lodge bar and food hall overlooks the ice if you'd rather watch. Weekend afternoons get busy, so go in the morning or late evening for shorter rental lines. Open weather permitting.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30

2. Whitney Museum Free Friday Night (Halloween Edition)

Time: 5:00–10:00 PM
Location: Whitney Museum of American Art, 99 Gansevoort Street, Meatpacking District, Manhattan
Admission: FREE, but a timed ticket is required and capacity is limited. Advance tickets are recommended.
Official link: Whitney Free Friday Nights

The Whitney opens every floor for free on Friday nights, and this week it leans into Halloween with DJ sets from TYLERFROMWHERE and Lord Fascinator in the lobby from 6 to 10 PM. Short 15-minute gallery tours run through the evening, including highlights of the exhibition "Untitled" (America) at 6 and 6:30 PM and The Lost World: The Art of Minnie Evans at 8 PM. Head up to the outdoor terraces for Hudson River views, then walk the High Line, which starts right outside. Drinks are sold separately.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31 (HALLOWEEN)

3. Dumboween

Time: Nicktober Hallo-Scream 10:00 AM–6:00 PM; Howl-o-Ween dog costume contest 2:00 PM; March to the Arch 3:00 PM; Archway Party 3:30–6:00 PM; trick-or-treating 3:00–7:00 PM
Location: Washington Street (between Front and Water Streets), Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Dumbo Archway, Dumbo, Brooklyn
Admission: FREE, no registration listed. Drinks at The Archway Bar are sold separately.
Official link: Dumboween

Dumbo's neighborhood Halloween starts earlier than usual this year because the holiday lands on a Saturday. Costumed dogs compete on car-free Washington Street at 2 PM, then everyone gathers at 3 PM for the March to the Arch, a brass-band-and-puppet parade through Brooklyn Bridge Park to the Dumbo Archway. The Archway Party follows with crafts, a free photobooth, live music and candy, and more than 60 local businesses hand out treats from 3 to 7 PM (look for the pumpkin sign). After dark, catch the Halloween projections on the Manhattan Bridge, running dusk to 11 PM through Halloween.

4. Queens Night Market: Closing Night

Time: 4:00 PM–Midnight
Location: Behind the New York Hall of Science, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens (7 train to 111 St, then walk about four blocks south)
Admission: FREE entry. Food and merchandise are sold by vendors.
Official link: Queens Night Market

This is the final night of the 2026 season, so it's your last chance until spring. Dozens of independent vendors serve food from around the world, from Burmese tea leaf salad and Cameroonian jollof to Japanese ramen and Taiwanese popcorn chicken. Live music runs all night, with DJ Mark, Emma Claye, Thirsty Bears, Make Move Bloom and No Regrets on the schedule. It's an easy, low-key alternative to a Halloween party, or a stop for food before heading back to Manhattan for the parade.

5. Village Halloween Parade

Time: 7:00 PM–about 11:00 PM (broadcast live on Spectrum News NY1 at 8 PM)
Location: Sixth Avenue from King Street to West 15th Street, Greenwich Village, Manhattan
Admission: FREE to watch along the route. Anyone in costume can march for free. Paid VIP viewing is optional.
Official link: NYC Village Halloween Parade

New York's most famous Halloween night tradition takes over Sixth Avenue with thousands of costumed marchers, giant puppets, bands and dancers. This year's theme celebrates the Year of the Horse, and the parade opens with "Firehorse," a new puppet performance by Basil Twist. Downtown icon Joey Arias is Grand Marshal. Watch from either side of Sixth Avenue; it's most crowded between Bleecker and 14th Streets, so arrive early or pick a spot farther north. Better yet, wear a costume and join the parade. Leave the car at home and take the subway. See our Village Halloween Parade event page for more.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1

6. TCS New York City Marathon

Time: Wheelchair divisions start at 8:00 AM, professional women at 8:35 AM, professional men at 9:05 AM, and waves from 9:10 AM to 11:30 AM
Location: A 26.2-mile course through all five boroughs, from Staten Island to the finish in Central Park
Admission: FREE to watch from anywhere on the course except the Staten Island start and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, where spectators aren't allowed. Grandstand and finish-line seating require tickets.
Official link: TCS New York City Marathon

Nearly 60,000 runners are expected for the marathon's 50th year on the five-borough course. The first crowds gather in Bay Ridge on Fourth Avenue; later highlights include Williamsburg and Long Island City, the wall of noise on First Avenue, the Bronx and the final stretch along Fifth Avenue into Central Park. Pick a spot near a subway stop, make a sign and bring a cowbell. Runners from the later waves keep passing well into the afternoon. Check our NYC Marathon event page for details.

More free things to do in NYC

Want more ideas? Browse upcoming NYC events, see last weekend's guide, or explore all of our Weekend Guides.

Cover photo: 2019 Village Halloween Parade, by Steven Pisano, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.