Watch The 2024 Roosevelt Island Halloween Parade Marchers Walk Down Main Street Today - Rosie The Turkey Joined Them Too

Roosevelt Islanders came in their most creative and some in spooky costumes today for the annual Roosevelt Island Halloween Parade starting at Capobianco Field

 

marching down Main Street

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🥁🥁🥁 pic.twitter.com/HnwONvUeG2

— Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (@RIOCny) October 26, 2024

to Southpoint Park.

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Rosie the Turkey joined in the Roosevelt Island Halloween Parade too.

And here's a speeded up version seen from above

of the Roosevelt Island Main Street Halloween Parade.

Come In Your Scariest And Spookiest Costume For The Annual Roosevelt Island Main Street Halloween Parade & Extravaganza Taking Place Saturday October 26 - Four Freedoms Park Halloween Pop Up Library And iDig2Learn City Of Forest Day On October 26 Too

According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):

Dear Roosevelt Island Community:

 

We will have three special events happening on the island this Saturday, October 26th that we wanted to make sure were marked on your calendars!

RIOC Halloween Parade & Extravaganza 

The spooky season is upon us and this year RIOC is once again excited to host its annual Halloween Parade & Extravaganza on Saturday, October 26^th!

 

This year’s event will once again kick-off with a parade down Main Street and proceed all the way to Southpoint Park, where we’ll be hosting Halloween fun for the whole family featuring food, music, pumpkin decorating, inflatable amusements and more!

 

PARADE DETAILS

 

Parade participants will gather at 10:00 AM at Capobianco Field (opposite 595 Main Street) then proceed down Main Street starting at 10:45AM to Southpoint Park for the Extravaganza.

 

 Event Information

• 10:00 AM - Parade organizes at Capobianco Field.
• 10:45 AM - Parade kick-off, led by PSD/Grounds vehicle. The Parade will head south on Main Street, passing the business district, proceeding to the Blackwell turnaround. Once at Blackwell, the parade will continue south on West Road, passing the subway, ending at Southpoint Park.
• 11:00 AM - Enter Southpoint Park. Attendees wishing to park strollers will be directed to a designated area outside the park.
• 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM - If you can’t make the Halloween parade, feel free to join us at Southpoint Park for the Extravaganza! Pumpkin decorating, amusements, food, music, giveaways and more!

Halloween Pop-Up Library at Four Freedoms State Park

The Four Freedoms Park Conservancy is hosting a special Halloween pop-up library and pumpkin decorating event on Saturday, October 26th from 11 AM to 4PM. Come grab a book and decorate a FREE pumpkin (while supplies last). There are a limited numbers of pumpkins, so registration is strongly encouraged at the link here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/halloween-pop-up-library-tickets-1048260363967

 

City of Forest Day at Lighthouse Park 

iDig2Learn, MSTDA, Coler Hospital and more are once again hosting their annual "City of Forest Day" at Lighthouse Park from 2:30PM to 5:30PM. The event will include:

• Tree Care: Mulching, Weeding, Planting & Adding New Tree Labels (2:30PM-5:30PM)
• Sample Niava's Body Butters (while supplies last) (2:30 PM)
• A Performance by Jody Sperling's Time Lapse Dance  (3PM-3:15PM)
• Artist Nikki Lindt's Underground Listening & Drawing Experience (3:30PM-5PM)
• Plogging (3:30PM-4:30PM)

This event is free to the public and all ages are welcome!

Here are scenes

from last year's Roosevelt Island Main Street Halloween Parade.

Watch The 2023 Roosevelt Island Halloween Parade Marchers Walk Along Main Street Today

The 2023 Roosevelt Island Halloween Parade March on Main Street took place today from Capobianco Field to Southpoint Park.

Leading the parade marchers were Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Public Safety Chief Kevin Brown and Acting Chief Operating Officer Mary Cuneen. RIOC President Shelton Haynes, who has been on an extended leave for two months and has purportedly been back at work last week, was not at the parade.

Here's the Halloween Parade as seen from the sidewalk next to Nisi Restaurant. (Click the full screen icon at bottom right of video for a better viewing).

Come In Your Spookiest And Scariest Costume For The Annual Roosevelt Island Halloween Parade & Extravaganza Saturday Saturday October 28

According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):

Dear Roosevelt Island Community:

The spooky season is upon us, and this year RIOC is once again excited to host its annual Halloween Parade & Extravaganza on Saturday, October 28th!

This year’s event will once again kick-off with a parade down Main Street and proceed all the way to Southpoint Park, where we’ll be hosting Halloween fun for the whole family featuring food, music, pumpkin decorating, special amusements and much more!

The parade will step-off at Capobianco Field at 10:45AM and make its way down to Southpoint Park, where our Halloween themed festivities will run from 11AM to 3PM. More event details, including parade logistics, are to come, so make sure to keep a lookout for future RIOC advisories.

We can’t wait to see everyone in their scary best on Saturday, October 28th!

-Team RIOC

Here are scenes from past Roosevelt Island Halloween Parade. 

Come In Costume For Return Of The Roosevelt Island Main Street Halloween Parade And More Harvest Extravaganza Fun At Southpoint Park Saturday October 29 - Trick Or Treat Halloween Dog Party Too

This is a pleasant surprise.

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) announced earlier this week that the Main Street Halloween Parade will take place Saturday, October 29, after previously saying it would not be part of this year's Halloween festivities.

RIOC President Shelton Haynes reported to the October 20 RIOC Board of Directors meeting that the Main Street Halloween Parade would not be part of this year's Roosevelt Island Halloween festivities at Southpoint Park but would return in 2023.

On October 14, I asked RIOC Public Information Officer Akeem Jamal:

The Roosevelt Island Main Street Halloween Parade has been a tradition enjoyed by residents for many years. I believe 35 years.

 It may be understandable that the parade did not happen during the worst of COVID but now that we are getting back to normal, why is the Main Street Halloween Parade being replaced by an event at Southpoint Park? Any comment from Rioc? 

Mr Jamal replied on October 17:

There is no comment at this time from RIOC. With a new communications team slowly coming on board, we hope to get back to where we were soon pre-pandemic and raise the bar!

Great news that RIOC is bringing back the Main Street Halloween Parade this year.

More details on the Roosevelt Island Halloween Extravaganza from RIOC:

The Halloween Parade and Extravaganza will be held this Saturday, October 29th! Parade participants will gather at 10:15 AM at Capobianco Field (opposite 595 Main Street) and proceed down Main Street to South Point Park for the Extravaganza.  South Point Park for the Extravaganza.  Rain date Sunday, October 30th.

No Parking on Sections of Main Street

• In front of or opposite 501 to 645 Main St from Friday, 10/28/22 at 11:00 PM through Saturday, 10/29/22 at 12:00 PM
• At the rear of 405 to 475 Main St from Friday, 10/28/22 at 11:00 PM through Saturday, 10/29/22 at 12:00 PM
• In front of or opposite 250 to 281 Main St from Friday, 10/28/22 at 11:00 PM through Saturday, 10/29/22 at 12:00 PM

Traffic Changes on Main Street

Traffic will be stopped from 10:40 AM – 11:00 AM, between Capobianco Field on Main Street and West Road, for the parade.

10:40-11:30 Traffic will be diverted from West roadway at Tram to East side Main Street F/O 405 Main Street to 480 Main Street

Parade Information

• 10:15 AM - Parade organizes at Capobianco Field. (Wristbands will be given out to all participants in the park).
• 10:45 AM - Parade kick-off, led by PSD/Grounds vehicle. The Parade will head south on Main Street, passing the business district, proceeding to the Blackwell turnaround. Once at Blackwell, the parade will continue south on West Road, passing the subway, ending at South point park.
• 11:00 AM - Enter South point park. Attendees wishing to park strollers will be directed to a designated area outside the park.
• 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM - If you can’t make the Halloween parade, feel free to join us at South Point Park for the Extravaganza!

Have fun!!!

UPDATE 5 PM - Wildlife Freedom Foundation Trick or Treat Halloween Dog Party at Southpoint Park Cat Sanctuary too.

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The Ghouls Of Roosevelt Island Organize Outdoor Mile Long Trick Or Treat Halloween Celebration Route Last Sunday, Fantastic Costumes, Spooky Spirits & Outdoor Fun - Best RI Halloween Celebration Anyone Can Remember Says The Ghouls

A group of Roosevelt Island residents, calling themselves The Ghouls Of RI, organized a local Halloween celebration last Sunday. According to the Ghouls Of RI:

By all accounts, on this past Sunday, the Roosevelt Island community held the best Halloween event anyone can remember. For two hours in the late afternoon, fifty to sixty participating families, residents, businesses and organizations ran outdoor Trick Or Treating stations 

which together spanned over a mile long route along the east and west sides of the island, from Southtown to Manhattan Park.

From simple tables to decorated scenes, adults and children alike donning costumes, the island came alive with the Halloween spirit.

There was a state of the art photobooth, 

there were stations with music, and costumes, fantastic costumes everywhere! 

The Outdoor Trick or Treating route was chock full of spooky and delightful tidbits of human creativity on display. 

One of the silver linings of the pandemic is the way people have begun to think outside the box to find new ways to thrive. Nowhere was this more apparent than on Halloween this year. An idea sparked by a local parent on a community Facebook page last year was met with such enthusiasm and joy, it seemed like a decided improvement on the way we New Yorkers used to do our domicile Trick or Treating, where kids took to the halls and stairwells and elevators in small, windowless spaces and came back with a truckload of a Halloween haul. The new “pandemic Halloween” brought us out of our boxes, into the fresh air, and it brought us together. It was New and Improved, bringing some of the best elements of suburban Halloweens to the city. It is an example of how hardship can make us better.  

This year, we decided not to wait to hear whether Halloween would be cancelled by RIOC, State or City officials and expand upon the brilliance of our outdoor Halloween. This outdoor Halloween version of things was exciting precisely because it wouldn’t have to be fettered by public officials, or be at the mercy of changing COVID statistics. This year, the event went a little bigger, putting out a call for participants early in October, with flyers posted around the island 

and conversations to bring in local businesses and organizations. Then big, colorful posters went up,complete with a QR code that could be scanned for a digitalized map of the route. While we don’t have an exact count of the numbers, it’s estimated that nearly 1000 people participated on Sunday. 

To all who participated, we thank you for linking hearts and minds with us to make this event truly magical. While some old traditions may be on hold, like the Halloween Parade, there is always space for new ones to be created. Our entire community-- from the youngest to the oldest-- has made clear that the Roosevelt Island spirit is here to stay. Thank you all for your support of our second annual Outdoor Trick or Treating; we will see you in 2022!

No Roosevelt Island Main Street Halloween Parade For Second Consecutive Year But RIOC Will Present A Spook-tacular Halloween Harvest Extravaganza Saturday October 30 At Southpoint Park - Halloween At The Sanctuary And Granny Annie's Too

2021 will the second consecutive year without the Roosevelt Island Main Street Halloween Parade. According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):

You're Invited! 

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation is excited to present the Halloween Harvest Extravaganza on Saturday, October 30th at Southpoint Park, from 2 - 5 PM! 

While we are unable to return to full Halloween activities at this time, this scaled-down free event will be a festive day of fun and a chance for all to show off your Halloween costumes -- whether they be spooky, funny, smart, beautiful, or downright terrifying! Activities will include pumpkin painting, costume walks, music, dancing, art activities, giveaways, and more! 

Get ready to have a SPOOK-tacular time!

The 2020 Roosevelt Island Main Street Halloween Parade was cancelled last year due to the Covid Pandemic. RIOC has not explained why the Halloween Parade was cancelled this year too.

The Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance hosted a socially distanced, fun filled Halloween "Thriller" celebration last year.

 Here are some scenes from the 2017 Roosevelt Island Halloween Parade - remember?

The Sanctuary is hosting an All Hollows Eve Silent Disco and Family Halloween.

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And Granny Annie's Irish Bar is getting in the Halloween Spirit too.

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Hopefully, next year the Roosevelt Island Halloween Parade will return.

Happy Halloween From Roosevelt Island - Annual RI Halloween Parade Cancelled This Year Due To Pandemic, But Watch MST&DA Special Thriller Dance Video, Take A Look Back At 2019 RI Halloween Parade Too

Happy Halloween From Roosevelt Island. Karine Wong shares this spooky and eerie Halloween themed rendering of the Roosevelt Island Tram

The annual Roosevelt Island Halloween Parade was cancelled this year due to the Coronavirus Pandemic but that did not stop the talented and creative folks at Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance (MST&DA) from celebrating with:

... a special "Thriller" Halloween themed pop up dance class for all ages on Tuesday, October 27th! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Special guest teacher, Makenzie Gomez taught choreography from the "Thriller" video plus some more fun moves. MSTDA families came out in costume and masks and were treated to a pop up dance class, followed by a performance and halloween treats. Space was limited due to covid restrictions, but those who attended had a thrilling blast of a time! Quarantine 2020 has challenged us all, but it will not stop us because MSTDA KEEPS MOVING!!!

Roosevelt Island photographer Irina Hage shares these photos from MST&DA Halloween Thriller Dance Class.

Here's the 2019 Roosevelt Island Main Street Halloween Parade.
 

Let's hope we can have a Hallowen Parade next year.

Watch The 2019 Roosevelt Island Halloween Parade March On Main Street - Almost 1 Thousand Parade Goers But Missing Marching Band And Music This Year

The 2019 Roosevelt Island Halloween Parade March on Main Street took place today from Capobianco Field to Sportspark.

According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) almost one thousand marchers participated in today's parade, based upon the number of wrist bands distributed.

Here's the Halloween Parade as seen from sidewalk next to Nisi Restaurant. (Click the full screen icon at bottom right of video for a better viewing)



People had a good time but several mentioned being disappointed that there was no music, marching band or spooky vehicle leading the Halloween Parade this year as done in past parades.

Some of the costumed Roosevelt Island Halloween Parade marchers.

The Parade marched south on Main Street to the Sportspark for an indoors Halloween Extravaganza and a shout out from Captain America a/k/a NYC Council Member Ben Kallos.



Some more pictures from Roosevelt Island Sportspark Halloween Extravaganza.