Central Park

The Daily Plant : Wednesday, November 1, 2006

It Was A Dark And Stormy Great Halloween Event In Central Park

Photo by Daniel Avila

Last night, New York City was graced with unusually warm temperatures for this time of year, encouraging an enjoyable Halloween for trick-or-treaters and parade attendees.

The weather was less cooperative last Saturday when Parks & Recreation hosted the Great Halloween Event at Central Park.  But despite rain and wind, a couple of thousand hearty New Yorkers came out to be entertained with live performances, a pumpkin patch, a children’s costume contest, and healthy snacks. 

“The beloved Great Halloween Event successfully entertained little devils, vampires and cartoon characters this year with its pumpkin patch, kid costume contest, healthy snacks and live musical entertainment,” said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe.  “Despite the rain-laden forecast, parents and kids donned their best costumes and headed to Central Park and parks citywide to have a haunting good time in the City's communal backyards.”

Although a few festivities were cancelled due to the weather, Central Park was swarming with Halloween fun.  Cherry Hill was transformed into a giant pumpkin patch with 8,500 free pumpkins for participants to take home.  Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants, delighted the audience with songs from his new CD.  Award-winning Laughing Pizza Family Band and Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana also entertained the crowd at the Bandshell.  Power 105.1 emceed the event, including an impromptu audience participation performance of the Chicken Noodle Soup dance. 

Parks & Recreation hosted Halloween parties at various locations in all five boroughs, featuring activities such as haunted houses, hayrides, storytelling, and costume parades.  Citywide locations included Prospect Park in Brooklyn, Van Cortlandt Park and St. Mary’s Recreation Center in the Bronx, Cromwell Recreation Center and South Beach in Staten Island, J. Hood Wright Park and Hamilton Fish Park in Manhattan, and Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

“I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house. 

So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air.”

Nathaniel Hawthorne
(1804 – 1864)

Know Before You Go

Harlem Meer Center (formerly Lasker Rink)

Harlem Meer Center