Photo courtesy of Hunters Point Parks Conservancy.
Oct. 11, 2024 By Shane O’Brien
Hunters Point Parks Conservancy (HPPC) will host a Halloween Festival the weekend before the actual holiday, featuring a Halloween March and a special outdoor screening of “The Addams Family.”
HPPC has teamed up with Long Island City Partnership, PS/IS 78Q PTA and a number of local businesses to host the Halloween Festival, which will run from 2-8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26.
The festival will begin with a Halloween March down Vernon Boulevard from 2-4 p.m., with the march terminating at Hunters Point South Park for a range of seasonal activities at Frank Ottomanelli’s by the Water.
The event marks the return of Long Island City’s Halloween March along Vernon Boulevard after a hiatus last year, with previous events drawing hundreds of children in costumes along with their families.
This year’s march – the 21st Halloween March to take place in Long Island City – will begin at 46th Avenue and proceed along Vernon Boulevard toward 50th Avenue, with a number of local businesses and restaurants on the parade route set to take part by offering specials and candy to the parade’s participants.
The seasonal activities, which will run from 4-6 p.m., include face-painting, fall activities provided by local businesses, board-breaking demos from Tiger J Taekwondo and PS/IS 78 PTA’s mini pumpkin decorating station. Meanwhile, a costume contest will also take place at 5:30 p.m.
Frank Ottomanelli’s by the Water will also have a special menu available with seasonal Halloween-themed cocktails.
The Halloween Festival will conclude at sunset at around 6:30 p.m. with a screening of the 1991 movie “The Addams Family” on the oval in Hunters Point South Park.
Photo: Hunters Point Parks Conservancy.
Last year, around 2,000 people attended HPPC’s annual Halloween Festival for a special screening of “Hocus Pocus” at Hunters Point South Park.
Kelly Craig, HPPC board member and President of the PS/IS 78Q PTA, said the 2024 Halloween Festival promised to be an epic day of seasonal fun for the local community.
“It’s so exciting to see so many businesses and organizations come together to create a fun day highlighting everything that makes LIC the best place to live/work in NYC,” Craig said in a statement.
Gianna Cerbone-Teoli, founder and co-organizer of the Halloween March and owner of Manducatis Rustica, said the event was the official kick-off of the holiday season in Long Island City.
“It’s the one time of the year when all of the businesses and community come together. There is no agenda other than enjoying Long Island City and spending time with your family,” Cerbone-Teoli said.
Laura Rothrock, president of Long Island City Partnership, said the event promised to be a “fantastic day” that celebrated the spirit of the neighborhood.
“This event not only brings families together for a day of fun and festivities but also strengthens the connections within our community,” Rothrock said in a statement.
The 2024 Halloween March is supported by Manducati’s Rustica, Plaxall, Modern Spaces and a number of local businesses. The screening of the Addams Family is sponsored by Nest Seekers.
