Halloween on the Harlem Meer

Come see the Harlem Meer get spooky! Join us for a host of FREE family-friendly activities. Costumes encouraged!

Wednesday, October 30
4:00 pm—7:00 pm

Celebrate Halloween in Central Park with a family-friendly event full of magic, entertainment, and music, featuring our signature great pumpkin flotilla. Drop off your carved pumpkin with us and head to the picnic area by the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, 110th Street (Central Park North) between Lenox Avenue and Fifth Avenue, to listen to not-so-spooky stories, enjoy a hair-raising magic show, and adorn your own trick-or-treating bag with Central Park–themed decorations.

Then, find a spot along the edge of the Harlem Meer, dance to some festive tunes (courtesy of our DJ), and watch the jack-o’-lanterns float by. It’s New York’s largest pumpkin flotilla—and it’s not to be missed!

These events are FREE and open to all ages. Please see our schedule of activities below or click here for a downloadable PDF.

Tickets are not required, but please RSVP to let us know you're coming.

Please note: Event details are subject to change based on weather conditions. Join the Central Park Conservancy’s Public Programs mailing list to receive news, information, and last-minute notices about this year’s event.

Schedule of Activities

  • 4:00 pm—5:30 pm

    Pumpkin drop-off (see details below)

    Make your own trick-or-treat bag, crafts, and more

  • 4:30 pm—5:00 pm

    Not-so-spooky story time, hosted by our friends at the New York Public Library

  • 5:15 pm—5:45 pm

    Hair-raising juggling and magic show with Magic Ned

  • 5:45 pm—7:00 pm

    Halloween dance party with DJ Dao

  • 6:00 pm—7:00 pm

    Pumpkin flotilla sets sail on the Harlem Meer

  • 7:00 pm

    Pumpkin pick up*
    Pumpkin owners may retrieve their carved pumpkins at the conclusion of the flotilla from the Harlem Meer beach near Fifth Avenue and East 108th Street.

PUMPKIN FLOTILLA INFORMATION

Please bring your own carved pumpkin. Pumpkins will not be given away for the flotilla.

Drop-off between 4:00 pm and 5:30 pm
Enter at 110th Street and Lenox Avenue
Space is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Pumpkins will be accepted until 5:30 pm or until all spots are filled. Stop by our information table for directions to the drop-off location.

Pumpkin Guidelines

DO bring a pumpkin that weighs about eight pounds after it’s carved (approximately the dimensions of a 4 size soccer ball).

DO bring carved, gutted pumpkins with their tops.

DON’T bring mini or extra-large pumpkins. They will not fit on the flotilla.

DON’T bring pumpkins with artificial decorations, such as paint, glitter, marker, food dye, paper, or plastic. They’ll pollute the Harlem Meer and harm the wildlife.

DON’T bring light bulbs, candles, or floats. We’ll provide these!

Entertainment Details:

Magic Ned

Magic Ned

Laugh yourself silly watching Magic Ned’s spontaneous and zany performance. Ned the comedy/juggler/magician was raised in the wilds of Brooklyn, and honed his skills over decades to become a world class entertainer. His verbal comedy is as sharp as his circus and magic skills!

Not-so-spooky stories read by


The New York Public Library has been an essential provider of free books, information, ideas, and education for all New Yorkers for more than 125 years. Founded in 1895, NYPL is the nation’s largest public library system, featuring 92 locations across the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, including our world-renowned research centers at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.