Families in the Financial District have two organized trick-or-treat routes to choose from this Halloween, one on each side of Lower Manhattan. On the east side, more than two dozen businesses around the South Street Seaport will hand out candy on Saturday, October 31, from 3 to 5 p.m. On the west side, Brookfield Place runs its own trick-or-treat across two days, Friday, October 30, and Saturday, October 31. Both are free, and both are built around kids in costume.

Trick-or-treating at the Seaport

The Seaport calls this its annual neighborhood Halloween celebration. From 3 to 5 p.m. on October 31, participating shops, restaurants and attractions will have candy ready for trick-or-treaters. The posted list includes 33 Hotel, Balloon Museum, Café Patoro, Carne Mare, The Cinemas, Cobble Fish, Cool Sips, Cork, Cowgirl Seahorse, Fresh Salt, The Fulton, Funny Face, Green Klub, HIIT The Deck, Il Brigante, Kee's Chocolates, Lawn Club, The Little Shop, McNally Jackson, Mister Dips, Mure + Grand, Old Mates, Paris Cafe, Peck Slip Social, Quick Eternity, Sadie's, the South Street Seaport Museum, SUteiShi and Willett's.

Most of those stops sit within a few blocks of each other along Fulton, Front, Water and South streets and on Pier 17, so a family can cover a good share of the list in the two-hour window on foot. The Seaport posts a map of participating locations on its Halloween page.

A Haunted Fish Market in Peck Slip Park

Right after the candy route winds down, the Old Seaport Alliance hosts a Haunted Fish Market in Peck Slip Park from 4 to 8 p.m. on October 31. The theme nods to the Fulton Fish Market that operated in the neighborhood for generations: expect spooky fish, odd sea creatures and photo spots. Kids can paint pumpkins, and there will be apple cider and cider donuts. Dogs are welcome, and sign-ups for a dog costume contest open at 4 p.m.

Earlier in the day near the water

The South Street Seaport Museum offers free general admission on Halloween from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a scavenger hunt aboard the 1885 tall ship Wavertree. On Pier 16, a Healthful Halloween Fair with Mommy Poppins runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with crafts and free samples of healthier treats, and a costume parade steps off at 2 p.m. with prizes. If you want a family photo first, the Seaport's Pumpkin Arch is up on the Heineken Riverdeck through November 16.

Two days of candy at Brookfield Place

Across Lower Manhattan on the Hudson River side, Brookfield Place holds trick-or-treating on Friday, October 30, from noon until stores close, and on Saturday, October 31, from 10 a.m. until stores close. Start at Concierge, where kids pick up a free guide and a tote bag, then walk the complex visiting participating retailers for treats. Enter at 230 Vesey Street; Concierge is on Level 1 across from Theory and Warby Parker. Brookfield Place notes that treats are up to each retailer and last only while supplies hold, so earlier is safer.

Sixpoint Brewery at Brookfield Place also throws a Halloween party on October 31 from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. with live music, candy giveaways and a costume contest, and families are welcome. The Friday option is useful for parents who want to avoid the Saturday crowds, or who plan to do the Seaport route on Halloween itself.

Planning your afternoon

  • Seaport trick-or-treating: Saturday, Oct. 31, 3 to 5 p.m., participating businesses throughout the Seaport, free
  • Haunted Fish Market: Saturday, Oct. 31, 4 to 8 p.m., Peck Slip Park, free
  • Seaport Museum and Pier 16 fair: Saturday, Oct. 31, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (fair until 4 p.m., costume parade at 2 p.m.)
  • Brookfield Place trick-or-treating: Friday, Oct. 30, noon to store close, and Saturday, Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to store close, 230 Vesey Street, free

Getting there

For the Seaport, take the 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, J or Z to Fulton Street and walk east toward the river. For Brookfield Place, the WTC Cortlandt station on the 1 and the Chambers Street station on the A and C are close by, and the PATH and E train at the World Trade Center connect through the Oculus and the West Concourse. The two routes are about a 15-minute walk apart along Fulton Street, so a family could do Brookfield Place in the morning and the Seaport in the afternoon.

The Seaport says it may add more events before Halloween, so check both event pages that morning.

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