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Things to do in New York in October
Highlights
October brings a slate of exciting events including ice-skating-rink openings, Halloween happenings, architectural revelations and all kinds of sports action. Read on for more details about some of the favorites.
October brings a slate of exciting events including ice-skating-rink openings, Halloween happenings, architectural revelations and all kinds of sports action. Read on for more details about some of the favorites.
Archtober October 1–31
Among New York City's architects and building buffs, October is Archtober (pronounced "ark-tober"), or Architecture and Design Month. For 31 days, the City's design community opens its doors for more than 100 tours, lectures, films and celebrations, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the buildings that give this metropolis its distinct character (including a "building of the day" each and every day—this year, the New York Hall of Science, World Trade Center Transportation Hub and Flatiron Building are among the honorees).
This year's participants include big-name institutions like the Museum of Modern Art, the Cooper Hewitt, the Guggenheim and the AIANY Center for Architecture. Also helping usher in the celebration: the Architecture and Design Film Festival, nearly a week of screenings and discussions in the middle of the month.
New Yorker Festival October 2–4
This annual festival gathers together the biggest and most exciting names in fiction, journalism, poetry, graphic novels, screenwriting, directing and all-around culture-making for a weekend of panel discussions, readings, film screenings, musical performances, walking tours, food tastings and other events celebrating contemporary arts and entertainment.
A sampling of interviewees in this year's lineup: Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), Billy Joel, Larry Wilmore and Sleater-Kinney. Look too for a food walk by Calvin Trillin, a panel discussion on the African-American experience in the US (featuring Ta-Nehisi Coates, among others) and a reading of Cleo, a new play based on the making of the movie Cleopatra.
New York Comic Con October 8–11
With geek culture having established an undeniable influence over mainstream entertainment, Comic Con has become a major annual event, drawing more than 100,000 aficionados of comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies and television from around the world.
Big names show up for signings, screenings and panels—this year, Todd McFarlane will be on hand every day of the festival. With a multitude of cosplayers (costumed participants dressed like fictional characters) roaming the Javits Center, you'll find yourself gawking at Judge Dredd, Wonder Woman, Boba Fett and who knows who else making small talk in the aisles.
Superheroes in Gotham October 9–February 21
Superheroes aren't confined to the big screen and comic books. They live on stage, in games, on lunch boxes and on clothing—an ever-present part of our daily lives. These mythic figures trace their roots to 1930s NYC, and this exhibit ion explores the last 80-plus years of superheroes' growth—along with how they've inspired contemporary artists and the birth of Comic Con.
Rock 'n' Roll Brooklyn Half Marathon October 10
For those about to jog, we salute you. Up to 17,000 competitors are expected to take to Brooklyn's streets as the popular Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series comes to the borough of Kings.
In addition to the race itself, the weekend's events will include a health and fitness fair and, naturally, musical performers along the course. Nate Ruess of the band Fun headlines the concert at the finish line—enticement enough to carry on for all 13.1 miles.
CMJ Music Marathon October 13–17
More than 1,000 bands will take over scores of New York City's rock clubs during this massive annual celebration of indie music. Also on tap: the usual assortment of seminars, parties, meet-and-greets and panels.
The event is famously cutting-edge, having showcased Arcade Fire, Lady Gaga and R.E.M. before they were stars. The 2014 edition featured Cold War Kids and up-and-coming artists like Young Buffalo, Odessa and Saint Pepsi.
New York City Wine & Food Festival October 15–18
The New York City Wine & Food Festival returns with Food Network personalities like Rachael Ray and Bobby Flay along with a deep squad of local all-star chefs, restaurateurs and purveyors like Cronut king Dominique Ansel and Four Seasons chef Pecko Zantilaveevan. The festival, now in its eighth year, will offer more than a hundred events at venues all around the City, with home base once again at Piers 92 and 94. Expect seminars, tastings, culinary demonstrations and kids' events. Proceeds from the festival benefit the Food Bank for New York City and No Kid Hungry.
Open House New York October 17–18
Get a glimpse of NYC's rarely seen spaces—from boardrooms to bedrooms, crypts to clubs, factories to firehouses, lighthouses to lookouts, monuments to mansions, skyscrapers to substations—with Open House New York, an event that will satisfy anyone's inner snoop.
Past tour spots have included the Four Seasons (the Phillip Johnson–designed restaurant, not the hotel), the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail, the New York Academy of Medicine and even the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. New additions to this year's weekend include City Hall, which recently underwent a complete renovation; the New York City headquarters of Google, in Chelsea; and Staten Island's National Lighthouse Museum. Don't forget to check out the talks, workshops and OHNY Kids tours.
American Ballet Theatre 75th Anniversary Celebration
October 21–November 1
The American Ballet Theatre continues its 75th anniversary celebration with its annual two-week fall engagement at the David H. Koch Theater. The residency features company premieres of Aftereffect and Valse-Fantaisie as well as performances of Le Spectre de la Rose and The Brahms-Haydn Variations. Choreography comes from the likes of Alexei Ratmansky, Frederick Ashton and Twyla Tharp, with music by Tchaikovsky, Brahms and the Andrews Sisters.
NewFest October 22–27
New York City's LGBT film festival returns for its 27th year, highlighting movies from the US and beyond. More than 70 films, including narratives, shorts and documentaries, will be screened; parties and events, including post-film Q&A sessions with cast and crew, complement the cinematic lineup.
Among the highlights this edition look to be the teen gender bender Girls Lost, as well as a pair of documentaries: one, The Glamour and the Squalor, covers Seattle disc jockey Marco Collins, an early champion of grunge; The Year We Thought About Love, meanwhile, offers a backstage glance at LGBT youth theater group True Colors. Screenings and events take place at Bow Tie Chelsea Cinemas and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center.
Village Halloween Parade
October 31
Every year, some 50,000 folks parade up Sixth Avenue—decked out in some of the City's scariest, most inventive and most hilarious costumes—while numerous live bands complement the ghoulish revelry. Come up with a creative getup of your own and join the parade (a costume is a must to march!), or stick to your civvies and take in the spectacle in from the sidelines. Marchers line up on Sixth Avenue between Canal and Spring Streets. The parade gets rolling at 7pm and heads north up Sixth Avenue to 16th Street.
Halloween Events
The City's zoos get in on the spooky act every Halloween, hosting Boo at the Zoo events that are family friendly and tons of fun—and the creepy critters who live at the zoos year-round make them a natural fit for this time of year. Look for celebrations at the Bronx Zoo (weekends October 3–November 1), Prospect Park Zoo (October 31–November 1) and Queens Zoo (October 31–November 1); costumes are encouraged. Another favorite fall family pastime is pumpkin picking.
For the largest and best selection, don't miss the gourds at Historic Richmond Town's Decker Farm (weekends October 3–November 1; closed October 10) and the Queens County Farm Museum (weekends October 3–25). A host of related activities vie for your attention on October 24: Socrates Sculpture Park's Halloween Harvest Festival; the Halloween Festival in Fort Totten Park; the Halloween Haunted Walk in Prospect Park; and Creepy Crawly Halloween at Prospect Park's Audubon Center.
Ice-Skating Rinks Open
Ice-skating is synonymous with winter in New York City. Luckily, you don't have to wait until the holidays roll around to enjoy this time-honored tradition. Many of the City's rinks open early in the fall—including Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park, The Rink at Rockefeller Center and Trump Rink, all of which begin their season in October—and others are open year-round, like the Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers, City Ice Pavilion in Queens and Aviator Sports and Events Center in Brooklyn. Taking advantage of the early openings may be wise; the rinks grow more crowded as the holidays approach.
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