Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
2021 Village Halloween Parade Will Return If They Can Raise $150K
By
Ben Yakas
Published Sep 10, 2021
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Ben Yakas
Published Sep 10, 2021
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
After being canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic, things are looking up for this year's iteration of the annual Greenwich Village Halloween Parade.
Organizers say that they have received the necessary permits to put the parade on this October for its 48th year, and comedian Randy Rainbow is slated to be the grand marshal.
“It’s just in my bloodstream. I’m committed to this parade, because I see it as a spiritual act for the soul of New York City,” longtime parade director Jeanne Fleming told the Post. “I keep reading about Broadway returning. I’ve been thinking in my mind that the parade is live Broadway in the streets.”
Organizers add that as of now, parade participants must wear a mask in the staging area, but once the parade begins, "masks are encouraged, but not required." Fleming said that she hopes people "do something creative with their masks," though acknowledged rules about safety may shift as we get closer to the event.
But there is another pretty big obstacle standing in the way of the parade happening: organizers write on the official website that they "have gotten this go-ahead VERY LATE and do NOT (at the moment) have enough money to make the Parade happen, so…the Parade could STILL be CANCELED...due to lack of funds." They need to raise $150,000 by October 5th in order to put on the parade; as of Friday morning, they've raised around $1600.
Almost exactly a year ago, the 2020 Halloween Parade—which would have taken place on a Saturday night coinciding with a blue moon—was canceled. Last year's theme was supposed to be "Big Love," and Billy Porter would have been the grand marshal. Instead, there was a tiny puppet parade which was streamed online and hosted by puppeteer Basil Twist's Zohra, The Giant Spider.
You can check out photos from the 2019 edition of the beloved tradition, whose theme was "wild things." You can also see photos of New Yorkers wearing costumes on the subway on Halloween in 2019, our personal favorite tradition.
And below, it's always worth taking a few minutes to listen to Lou Reed's lovely, poignant tribute to the parade.
Tagged
halloween
halloween parade
greenwich village
village halloween parade
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
Spoiler alert: It's still 26.2 miles.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Oct 14, 2026 at 2:36 p.m. ET
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
"Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger," says the co-owner of Art of Play.
By
Sonia Rao
Arts & Entertainment
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
"Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger," says the co-owner of Art of Play.
By
Sonia Rao
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .