East 92nd Street becomes a Halloween block party on Saturday, Oct. 31, and this year it comes in two speeds. Carnegie Hill Neighbors' annual Spooktacular runs from 4 to 5:30 p.m. between Fifth and Park Avenues, with a high-energy block for kids who want music and games and a separate Chill Zone for kids who want a calmer Halloween.

Two zones on one street

The neighborhood association splits the street at Madison Avenue:

  • High-Energy Block, Madison to Park: games, dancing, music and upbeat Halloween activities.
  • Chill Zone, Fifth to Madison: a calmer, low-sensory space for families who want the costumes and the candy without the noise and crowds.

Across both blocks, the party includes costumes, music, dancing, games, trick-or-treating and candy. It is free, and no RSVP is needed.

Who organizes it

Carnegie Hill Neighbors is the neighborhood association for Carnegie Hill, the northern stretch of the Upper East Side around Fifth, Madison and Park Avenues in the 90s. The Spooktacular is one of its annual events, along with a December holiday stroll. The group also runs a free weekly tai chi program with Health Advocates for Older People at the Church of the Heavenly Rest, in Dalton Hall, on Wednesdays at 1 p.m. and Thursdays at 11 a.m., no RSVP required.

Make an afternoon of it

The block party ends at the corner of the Jewish Museum, at 1109 Fifth Avenue and 92nd Street, which has free admission every Saturday. On Halloween it is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visitors under 18 are admitted free any day.

On Oct. 22 the museum installed a new single-work presentation on its third floor, Art in Focus: Mordecai Ardon, built around the Israeli artist's final triptych from 1988. It is on view through Aug. 2, 2027.

How to go

  • When: Saturday, Oct. 31, 4 to 5:30 p.m.
  • Where: East 92nd Street between Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue
  • Cost: Free, no RSVP

The closest trains are the 6 at 96th Street and the 4, 5 and 6 at 86th Street on Lexington Avenue, and the Q at 96th Street and Second Avenue. The M1, M2, M3 and M4 buses run on Fifth and Madison Avenues.

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