NYC DOT Announces Largest Ever Trick or Streets Just Got Larger With 180+ Planned Events Citywide

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IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 27, 2026
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NYC DOT Announces Largest Ever Trick or Streets Just Got Larger With 180+ Planned Events Citywide

New York City's Fifth Annual 'Trick-Or-Streets' Brings More Festive Car-Free Celebrations to Open Streets and Plazas Across the City Than Ever Before

NEW YORK - New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn today announced the city's fifth year of Open Streets will be the biggest to date leading up to and through Halloween weekend, with over 180 car-free events planned. First announced last month by Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, the 2026 rendition has drawn record interest, with additional programming added since. Part of the city's Open Streets, Plaza and Public Realm programming initiatives, Trick-or-Streets allows groups of residents, community organizations, institutions and other neighborhood associations to create car-free streets for New Yorkers to safely participate in Halloween activities. For the list of all events and an interactive map, visit nyc.gov/trickorstreets.

"New York City does Halloween like nowhere else, and this year we're giving New Yorkers a better, spookier time than ever before. We're opening up 180 streets and plazas for trick-or-treating, games, music and a whole lot of fun," said Mayor Mamdani. "And the only cars you should see at Trick-or-Streets are the ones made of cardboard, powered by two legs and fueled by a lot of sugar."

"Trick-or-Streets 2026 is already off to a fantastic start and we look forward to it getting even better as spooky season continues," said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. "It is great to see such a wide breadth of programming across the city as we continue to reimagine our streets this festive season."

This week's festivities will bring an exciting mix of free programming for New Yorkers of all ages and abilities to Open Streets and public spaces across the five boroughs, including live music, dance and theater performances, puppetry, science demonstrations, arts and crafts, festive photo booths, pumpkin patches and interactive games, alongside unique cultural experiences ranging from opera and traditional drumming to sugar painting and skateboarding activities. These activations, delivered in partnership with NYC DOT Public Realm Programming partners, will transform Open Streets and plazas into vibrant spaces for creativity, celebration and community connection. NYC DOT, through its partners, plans to distribute 75,000 pieces of candy across multiple locations.

Trick-or-Streets is also bringing Halloween and harvest celebrations directly to school communities through nine special Signature School events across Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx. The celebrations kicked off on October 21 at the Dock Street School for STEAM Studies in Brooklyn, with several additional events scheduled this week leading up to Halloween. In partnership with Street Lab and The Horticultural Society of New York (The Hort), these events feature festive pumpkin patches, interactive games, arts and crafts and other seasonal activities, transforming streets outside schools into vibrant public spaces for school communities.

An online interactive map highlights every location. Credit: NYC DOT.

NYC DOT's walking tours collaboration with The Municipal Art Society continues on Wednesday, October 28 with a Lower East Side walk titled Tales from the Urban Forest: A Halloween Tree Walk, which will end up at the Signature Trick or Streets Event at the Canal Open Street (Canal Street between Orchard Street and Essex Street) in partnership with the Canal Street Merchants Association and Closed Framed Productions. The Trick or Streets signature events will close out in the Bronx on Halloween on Saturday, October 31, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at James Baldwin Plaza (Goulden Avenue and Mosholu Parkway) in partnership with James Baldwin Outdoor Learning Center and Orisha Wholeness.

 *Please note: Events are subject to delay or cancellation due to weather and other circumstances.