It is said that one night a year, the spirits of Brooklyn’s past come back to roam again. As the light fades, ghosts and ghouls wander the streets of our borough, scaring the willies out of anyone who crosses their path.

This year goblins of all shapes and sizes (even doggie goblins) will be haunting parades, parties,streets and alleys. What follows is a list of where they may be found — for those who dare

October 18 – 24

Haunted SeaFari Perils of the Deep at the Aquarium: A safe and not (too) scary way to spend October weekends with the family. Join WCS’s New York Aquarium at the Haunted SeaFari Perils of the Deep haunted adventure and a pumpkin-patch-filled arts and crafts center, DJ, storytelling, and more. Free with general admission; noon to 4 p.m. each day. Children in animal-themed costumes 3-12 years of age get in free when accompanied by each paying adult. Oct. 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, 31 and Nov. 1. Visit www.wcs.org.

Pumpkin Patch in the Park: Saturday, Oct. 24, 1 – 5 p.m. at Lief Ericson Park, 66th Street and Ft. Hamilton Parkway. Pumpkin picking, hay rides, costume characters, face painting, games and rides. Prizes for best costume. Proceeds go to “Bridge to Youth� helping children with developmental disabilities. (347) 219-2153.

Halloween Crafts at the Library: Friday, Oct. 23, 2 p.m., Gerritsen Beach Library, 2808 Gerritsen Ave., (718) 368-1435; Thursday, Oct. 29, 4 p.m.; Homecrest Library, 2525 Coney Island Ave., (718) 382-5924 ; Friday, Oct. 30, 4 p.m., Windsor Terrace Library, 160 East Fifth St., (718) 686-9707

“Hungry Ghosts� Haunt Park Slope: Mixed-media Artist Andrea Burgay and Urban Alchemist Design Collective present “Hungry Ghosts� at the “G-Train Salon� on Saturday, Oct. 24, 7 p.m. Cocktails 8 p.m. 343 Fifth St. (off Fifth Ave.), Brooklyn. Burgay ushers in the Halloween season with a ghoulish display of cobwebs, skeletons, mutated limbs and recreated childhood mementos. Discussion and Q & A with the artist. www.gtrainsalon.blogspot.com

October 25 – 30

Packer Pumpkin Patch Festival: Sunday October 25, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Awesome games, rides, spooky fun, BBQ, and much more! Joralemon Street will be packed with rides; garden activities will include fun games for all ages including a dunk tank (ball pit) and a prize booth. Arts & Crafts, two haunted houses, dodge ball, rides and more. 170 Joralemon St., Brooklyn Heights.

Ghouls and Gourds at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden: Sunday, Oct. 25, Noon – 6 p.m. Kids under 12 are free. Show off your costume, carouse with colossal puppets, and enter Brooklyn’s wackiest costume parade! Mysterious music, weird workshops, a pretend petting zoo, a batty book barn and other eerie oddities abound. Maracatu NY, Billy Jonas & the Band, Elizabeth Mitchell & You Are My Flower, children’s book authors and illustrators, stilt walkers, carnivorous plants, and more. (718) 623-7200 www.bbg.org

Halloween at BAX: Sunday, Oct. 25 at 11 a.m. The Jumpin’ Juniper Show — A not-so-spooky Halloween Party featuring Erin Lee & Marci. Sweet harmonies and silly ghost stories that preschoolers go bananas for. A well-equipped play room is available if your child needs a retreat from the activity. Admission: $15 per adult (includes one child), $8 for each additional child or adult.

Invisible Dog Halloween Workshop and Parade: Sunday, Oct. 25, 1 - 4 p.m. Create your own Halloween look with professional image-makers. For school children age 8 and older. Trimmings available. And be a part of the Invisible Dog Halloween Parade. One child $20; Two children $30; Three or more $40. Refreshments available. Reservation recommended: theinvisibledog.ny @gmail.com. The Invisible Dog, 51 Bergen St. between Smith and Court, www.theinvisibledog.org

7th Annual Brooklyn Howl-o-Ween Doggie Costume Parade/Contest: This year’s Charity Howl-o-Ween Parade will be held Sunday, Oct. 25from 1 - 3 p.m. on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. Participants will gather by the Promenade’s Remsen Street entrance at 1 p.m. and parade towards the north end, cross Columbia Heights, to the costume judging table at Middagh Street. Pre-register for the parade at Perfect Paws, 102 Hicks St. at Pineapple St., by Saturday, Oct 24. This event is a charity fundraiser, organized by Perfect Paws and Friends of Hillside Dog Park (www.hillsidedogs.org). For more information contact Matthew Parker mparker@hillside dogs.org, or at (718) 834-2054.

Town Square Parade & Party in Greenpoint: Sunday, Oct. 25, 4 p.m. Meet at 176 Java Street (Manhattan/ McGuinness) at 4 p.m. Parade down Manhattan Avenue led by the NYPD Jazz Band. Party to follow at 176 Java Street to 7 p.m. (ages up to 12 yrs) Arts & crafts, food and drinks, games, music. Party admission $5 for 1 kid/1 adult. (An adult must accompany kids.)

Halloween Crafts at the Library: Friday, Oct. 23, 2 p.m., Gerritsen Beach Library, 2808 Gerritsen Avenue, (718) 368-1435; Thursday, Oct. 29, 4 p.m.; Homecrest Library, 2525 Coney Island Ave., (718) 382-5924 ; Friday, Oct. 30, 4 p.m., Windsor Terrace Library, 160 East Fifth St., (718) 686-9707 Halloween at BAX: Friday, Oct. 30, Special Playspace Halloween Edition. Playspace will be open from 9 - 11:30 a.m. BAX Parent and fabulous singer/songwriter Ted Stafford will perform from 9:30 –10 a.m. Costume parade at 11 a.m. Admission: $10 per family.

One World Symphony Nightmare On Montague Street: On Halloween, Friday, Oct 30 at 8 p.m. at St. Ann and the Holy Trinity in Brooklyn Heights. Performing frightful favorites: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice; from Nightmare Before Christmas (1993); Toccata and Fugue in D minor; from Songs and Dances of Death; Erlkönig; The Headless Horseman (2009 world premiere).

Tarot-A-Palooza: A pre-Halloween tarot reading marathon for adults on Friday, Oct. 30, from 6 to 11 p.m., at Kris Waldherr Art and Words gallery in Ditmas Park. Readers include urban shaman Mama Donna Henes and acclaimed tarotist Rene Collins. Prices for a 15-minute reading vary by reader. Costumes are optional and there will be spooky surprises and door prizes. 1501 Newkirk Avenue, one block from the Q and B subway station. Visit ArtandWords.com/events.html or call 347-406-5811.

The Legend of Ichabod Crane: Brooklyn Lyceum, Based on the “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow� by Washington Irving. Humorous, ages 5 and up. Freely adapted and performed by Dan Kitrosser with Ilan Isakov on piano and Directed by Edward Elefterion. Two shows: Saturday, Oct. 24 and Sunday, Oct. 25 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Also: Saturday, Oct. 31 (Halloween) at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Location: 227 Fourth Ave. in Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY 11215 R train at Union St. (718) 857-4816 or www.brooklynlyceum.com

Park Slope Haunted House Tour: Wednesday, Oct. 27 - 31. See the best decorated houses in Park Slope. Visit the Civic Council web site for a map of the houses on tour (parkslopeciviccouncil.org)

Halloween October 31 and Nov. 1

The Annual Brooklyn Heights Halloween Parade: Saturday Oct. 31, 10 a.m. Bring your little ghouls and goblins to join in the fun and show off their best costumes! A bake sale will be held to benefit the Brooklyn Heights Playground Committee. Sponsored by the Brooklyn Heights Playground Committee. Pierrepont Playground. Check www.bhplaygrounds.org for rain updates. Volunteers needed; email info@bhplaygrounds.org

Cobble Hill Halloween Parade: Cobble Hill Park. A hugely popular parade for the little ones, around the block with a merry band. (Led by Jah Pan Steel Drum Band) Then the older kids go off for trick or treating around the neighborhood. 4 p.m. organized by the Friends of Cobble Hill Park, at Congress and Clinton Streets. October 31

Puppetry Arts Theatre Haunted Halloween Carnival: Saturday Oct. 31, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. in Park Slope, Brooklyn at the First Street Recreation Center of P.S. 372 between Fourth and Third Ave. Carnival games, make your own T-shirts, Meet N’ Greets with Snoopy, WNBA, Sandy from Brooklyn Cyclones, and Star Wars Costume Volunteers. First 200 kids get free trick or treat bag with over $50 in goodies; 3 p.m. Costume Contest 3 p.m. R train to Union St or R/F to 9th St and 4th Ave, www.puppetryarts.org or call (718) 768-3703. Oct. 31.

Prospect Park Halloween Haunted Walk and Carnival: Free haunted fun: Prospect Park transforms the Nethermead area of the park for its scary Halloween Haunted Walk and Carnival, for kids of all ages. Lurking high on Lookout Hill are zombies, wolf men, headless horsemen, witches, and other creepy characters. Seasonal treats, a puppet show, and more. Saturday, Oct. 31 from 12 – 3 p.m. Plus: Haunted Carousel, Sat. and Sunday, Nov.1.

Halloween at Lefferts Historic House: Scary stories and chilling tales at Lefferts House in Prospect Park! Plus kid-friendly, Halloween-centric arts & crafts. Saturday, October 31 and Sunday, Nov. 1 from 1 and 4:30 p.m.

Creepy Crawly Halloween: A critter-fest! Kids ages 3 to 12 won’t be able to wait to get their hands on all sorts of creatures at the Audubon Center in Prospect Park. Saturday, October 31 and Sunday, Nov.1 from 12 - 5 p.m.

Eerie Green-Wood Cemetery Walk: Celebrate the holiday with tales of murder, mayhem, spirits, and ghosts on Green-Wood’s annual Halloween walking tour with Green-Wood Historian Jeff Richman. This is a very popular tour, so arrive early. Saturday, Oct. 31, and Sunday, Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. Meeting Point: Inside the main entrance at 25th Street at 5th Avenue. Price: $20; buy tickets online at www.green-wood.com

BAMboo! at BAM Under the Sea: Brooklyn’s most elusive sea-monsters and scariest sharks will surface, while its littlest mermaids and cutest clownfish mingle with adventurous scuba-divers and underwater explorers At BAM on Saturday, Oct. 31 from 4 – 7 p.m. Carnival games, storytellers, street fun with an underwater theme, free candy and more. Prizes for the best costumes. BAM Peter Jay Sharp Building at 30 Lafayette Avenue. (718) 636-4100, bam.org.

Families First Halloween Munchkin Party: For children ages 0-5. Paint a pumpkin, have your face painted, dance and sing. Bring your children in their costumes for a fun time. Oct. 31 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Call (718) 237-1862 or visit www.familiesfirstbrooklyn.org for more information.

Monster Mash at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum: 5 - 8 p.m., for all ages. The BCM is summoning all goblins big and small to celebrate Halloween and the harvest season. Touch slithery snakes, get your face painted and hear spooky stories. Costumed DJ dance party, “Wee Little Monster� for preschoolers, Mad Scientist’s Laboratory and more. Due to the popularity of the event each year, advance ticket purchase ($10 per person, $5 per person for Museum members) is recommended. 145 Brooklyn Avenue (718 ) 735-4400 www.brooklynkids.org

Park Slope Children’s Halloween Parade: Said to be the largest of its kind in the United States. The event is filled with activities, games, large puppets and treats. Saturday, Oct. 31 from 6:30 - 9 p.m. The parade route will begin at the corner of 7th Avenue and 14th Street, continue north on 7th Avenue, turn left on 3rd Street, cross 5th Avenue and end at the Old Stone House on the Washington Park field where the revelry will continue until 9 pm.

Boo at the Zoo: Prepare for a spook-tacular weekend at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Prospect Park Zoo. “Boo at the Zoo,� an extreme Halloween extravaganza, takes place Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Creatively costumed characters, craft-making and haunted habitats will make this a frighteningly fun weekend. Haunted Barn! 450 Flatbush Ave. in Prospect Park. (718) 399-7339 or visit www.prospectparkzoo.com.

Halloween Festival in Fort Greene Park: On Saturday, October 31, from 12 noon – 3 p.m. Hay rides, games, sack races, face painting, music, dancing, and pumpkin decorating — free. Great Lawn at Dekalb Avenue and Washington Park. The festival opens with “The Great PUPkin,� a wild costume contest for dogs and their owners co-sponsored by Fort Greene PUPS, and closes with a popular kid’s costume contest and parade.

The 11th Annual Great Pupkin Dog Costume Contest will be held by Fort Greene PUPS once again in Fort Greene Park. Last year’s winner was a dog dressed up as the Fort Greene Park dog fountain. Saturday, Oct. 31, with registration at 11:30 and judging starting at noon sharp. A $5 per entrant donation is suggested. Prizes. Meet at the stairs below the monument (at the crypt level). Rain date Nov. 1. See www.fortgreenepups.org for more information or call (718) 623-3762.

The Gravesend Inn: Spooky, scary and chillingly fun portrayal of a haunted hotel. Produced by City Tech’s Theatreworks, this spectacular Halloween attraction is located at 186 Jay St. and costs $6. Oct. 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30 and 31, hours vary. Call (718) 260-5588 or 5592 for more information.

Brooklyn Public Library: Comedians Andrea Rosen, Leo Allen and other notables will be at Brooklyn Public Library’s annual Spooky Salon to read scary stories aloud to adults on Saturday, Oct. 31 starting at 4 p.m. (Andrea can be seen in some of the funniest commercials on TV from Bing to the NY Lotto, Yoplait and Macy’s.) Central Library on Grand Army Plaza.

2009 Halloween Walk & Fair at Owl’s Head Park: State Senator Marty Golden announced plans for the event on Saturday, October 31,beginning at 2 p.m. at Owl’s Head Park, located at 67th Street and Colonial Road. Events include the Haunted Walk, the Fairytale Forest, a pumpkin patch, a costume contest and much more. The event will also feature rides for the children, pony rides, face painting and “Dracula’s Food Court.� This year there will be a limited opportunity to purchase V.I.P. Passes for $5 until October 29th, which will entitle 1 adult and up to 4 children to enter the Halloween Walk through the sponsors entrance. For further information, please contact Senator Golden’s office at (718) 238-6044.

Halloween Costume Ball at BAM Café: Featuring the Super Duper Band. 30 Lafayette Ave. at Ashland Place (718) 230-4100 or www.bam.org. Oct. 31, 9 p.m. Free.

Habana Outpost Halloween Party: Saturday, Oct. 31 from noon - 6 p.m. Recycled Arts and Crafts 12 - 4 p.m.; Monster Bash Dance Party with DJ Juice E: 4 to 6 p.m.; Costume Contest to 5 p.m. Habana Outpost, 757 Fulton Street (Corner of South Portland) (718) 858-9500 or www.HabanaOutpost.com

Moxie Spot Halloween Monster Mash: 6 to 9 p.m. Costume Dance Party; decorate a reusable trick-or-treat bag all week. Brooklyn Heights, www.themoxiespot.com

Halloween Celebration at NY Kids Club: Oct. 30 and 31, 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. Open gym, Halloween art, costume party, cookie decorating and refreshments. $40 or two play passes. Reservations required. 182 Henry St., Brooklyn Heights. (718) 228-0800

22 Evil Laughing Clowns: Micro Museum is presenting four national visual artists in the second year of a 3-year program entitled BIG IDEAS. Opening Party Oct. 31 from 8 to 11 p.m., with David Goldman playing the Lumiano from 9 to 10 p.m. The Laziza’s will additionally highlight “The Evil Laughing Clowns� as a part of Magic Numbers. These clowns react to weight shifting by laughing manically. ($10 includes 2 free drinks, snacks, gifts) 123 Smith St. www.micromuseum.com (718) 797-3116.

— Compiled by Mary Frost
Brooklyn Eagle

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