¡CalabazaFest! returns to Maria Hernandez Park on Sunday, November 1, with a free afternoon that folds Día de los Muertos and Halloween into one Bushwick block party. RiseBoro Community Partnership, the Bushwick nonprofit that runs the festival, has set the hours at 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with live performances starting at noon and a costume contest at 2 p.m.

The park fills the block bounded by Irving Avenue, Knickerbocker Avenue, Starr Street and Suydam Street, a short walk from the L train at Jefferson Street or DeKalb Avenue.

Who is on the stage

RiseBoro has published a lineup heavy on mariachi, folklórico and young local performers, and notes that it may still change. Ricardo Steven hosts. The program includes:

  • Mariachi Internacional Tapatio de Alvaro Paulino
  • Jonathan Cazares
  • Mariachi Paty Ponce
  • Ballet Folklorico Mis Raices Paulino, appearing at CalabazaFest for the first time
  • Bushwick's Got Talent, a showcase of young dancers from the Compass Program at the RiseBoro Youth Center
  • Los Lil' Kumbia, a seven-piece youth cumbia band

The local acts are the thread running through the day. Several of the performers on the bill are children and teenagers from the neighborhood, including the Compass Program dancers, who train at RiseBoro's own youth center on Gates Avenue.

Pumpkins, costumes and vendors

The festival takes its name from the Spanish word for pumpkin, and pumpkin carving is back this year. When the carving is done, BK Rot, the Bushwick community composting group, will collect the scraps for compost rather than sending them to the trash.

The costume contest at 2 p.m. comes with prizes, and it falls the day after Halloween, so costumes get a second outing. Local vendors and community partners will set up tables around the park through the afternoon.

RiseBoro credits Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez with supporting this year's festival.

Two holidays, one afternoon

November 1 sits between Halloween and Día de los Muertos, the Mexican holiday on November 1 and 2 that honors family members who have died. RiseBoro bills CalabazaFest as a celebration of both, in one free outdoor afternoon in the park on Knickerbocker Avenue.

RiseBoro has offered services in the area since 1973, from affordable housing to youth and senior programs, and its youth center is the base for the young dancers on the bill.

If it rains

The festival does not cancel for weather. In the rain, RiseBoro moves CalabazaFest indoors to the RiseBoro Youth Center at 1474 Gates Avenue. Check the event page that morning before heading out.

How to go

¡CalabazaFest! 2026 is Sunday, November 1, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Maria Hernandez Park, Irving and Knickerbocker Avenues between Starr and Suydam Streets, Bushwick. Admission is free and no registration is needed. Performances begin at noon and the costume contest is at 2 p.m. Take the L to Jefferson Street or DeKalb Avenue. Questions go to RiseBoro at 646-794-0049.

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