Last year, Austin Street's car-free Halloween event fell on Halloween night itself. This year it moves up a week to Sunday, October 25. On October 31, a parade that has never run before closes Metropolitan Avenue at midday. Forest Hills now has two Halloween hubs, one on each of its main shopping streets, a week apart. Families who plan around a single afternoon could miss half of it.
The Austin Street date comes out of a street safety campaign that ran there all summer. The Metropolitan parade is a group of small businesses on that strip starting a tradition of their own.
How Austin Street ended up on October 25
In 2025, QNS listed the Forest Hills Austin Street event among the city's Halloween night celebrations, running 3 to 6 p.m. In 2026, NYC DOT lists the Austin Street Open Street, between 71st Avenue and 71st Road, for Sunday, October 25.
The summer explains the change. Starting August 30, the nonprofit Open Plans and the group Neighbors for a Safer Austin Street closed that same block to cars every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for four weeks. They filled it with crafts, games, and community resources. On the first Sunday there was a Kids Corner and Street Lab's BUILD station, a hands-on building activity introducing architecture and construction. QNS reported in mid-September that it was the first time Austin Street had ever been set up as a dedicated open street. Cecil Brooks Jr., senior campaign manager at Open Plans, told the outlet that more than 2,000 people had taken part since the launch.
That same QNS story billed the September 20 Sunday as the last Austin Street open street of 2026. Then the block came back on the city's Halloween list. In that article, Brooks described what the organizers want to do next:
"We're really excited to continue building on this momentum and pursue longer-term solutions that foster community and improve street safety for this neighborhood."
He also credited U.S. Rep. Grace Meng and the Queens Chamber of Commerce for supporting the pilot. Neighbors for a Safer Austin Street describes itself on its own site as a neighbor-led pedestrian safety advocacy group. It is independent, but it works with Open Plans and Transportation Alternatives.
Austin Street's Halloween slot also rose in status. NYC DOT runs Trick-or-Streets with one Signature Event per borough, five in total, and the Austin Street Open Street is the one for Queens. When the city announced the program on September 30, it named Hive Public Space the Queens Signature Partner for the second year in a row, alongside Neighbors for a Safer Austin Street. That puts a weekend Halloween event on a block that just finished a summer of Sunday events.
What Sunday, October 25 looks like so far
The city has two published end times for Austin Street. The DOT Trick-or-Streets page lists 2 to 7 p.m. The Mayor's Office announcement lists 2 to 5 p.m. If you are planning around a late-afternoon visit, check again closer to the date. DOT also says its events are subject to delay or cancellation.
DOT describes Signature Events as live music, activities, and interactive performances. It has not published a lineup of performers or participating businesses for Austin Street. Citywide, this is the program's fifth year. The city says it covers a record 160 car-free streets and plazas, and DOT plans to hand out 75,000 pieces of candy. New this year, the Municipal Art Society will lead free walking tours of some participating neighborhoods. DOT says details will come later and has not yet listed Forest Hills as a stop.
The same Sunday works for a two-stop afternoon. The Alliance for Flushing Meadows Corona Park is hosting Shocktoberfest from noon to 3 p.m. at the Playground for All Children. It's free and has a pumpkin patch, arts and crafts, inflatables, and music. Together the times work like this:
- Noon to about 1:30 p.m. at Shocktoberfest, when the pumpkin patch is likely at its fullest.
- Head back to Forest Hills for the 2 p.m. start on Austin Street.
- Stay on Austin Street through at least 5 p.m., the earlier of the two published end times. If DOT's 7 p.m. listing holds, the block stays open into the evening.
Metropolitan Avenue gets Halloween day
The week after, the activity moves across the neighborhood. The Forest Hills Halloween Parade & Costume Contest is billed as its first year. Frederic Sandy presents it with the Metro Village of Forest Hills businesses. It runs on Saturday, October 31, starting at noon. Marchers gather at Sybilla Street and 69th Road, head toward Metropolitan Avenue, and follow the Metropolitan business strip to the finish at Continental Avenue, also called 71st Avenue.
The organizer says the local precinct will close Metropolitan Avenue to traffic from noon to 1:30 p.m. with no exceptions. The page frames this as a protected walking route that also brings foot traffic to local businesses. Drivers who use Metropolitan on Saturday midday should plan another route for that window. The site offers a downloadable route map and says more details are still being finalized.
DOT's listing differs a little. It shows the Forest Hills Halloween Parade on 69th Avenue from Sybilla Street to Metropolitan Avenue, organized by Metro Village of Forest Hills, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The organizer's noon start and the city's 11 a.m. window may just reflect setup time before marchers step off. Arriving at the assembly area by late morning works under either version.
The parade fits the merchants behind it. Metro Village is a nonprofit group of business owners. It was founded in August 2020 by Rachel Kellner of Aigner Chocolates and Eileen Arabian of DEE'S Wood Fired Pizza + Kitchen. Its events page also describes an October Halloween Walk, where participating shops put a poster in the window and hand out candy. No 2026 date or list of participating stores is posted yet. If the walk falls on parade day this year, the end of the route at Continental and Metropolitan would be a natural place to start trick-or-treating at shops.
The full calendar, including the warm-up weekend
October 17 adds a third weekend before either main event. The Fall Festival at Victory Field in Forest Park is sponsored by Councilmember Joann Ariola and the Forest Park Trust.
| Date | Event | Where | Published hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Oct 17 | Fall Festival at Victory Field | Victory Field, Forest Park, Woodhaven Blvd between Forest Park Dr and Myrtle Ave | Noon to 3 p.m. |
| Sun, Oct 25 | Shocktoberfest | Playground for All Children, Flushing Meadows Corona Park | Noon to 3 p.m. |
| Sun, Oct 25 | Austin Street Open Street, Trick-or-Streets Signature Event | Austin St, 71st Ave to 71st Rd | 2 p.m. start; listed end time is 5 p.m. or 7 p.m. depending on the city source |
| Sat, Oct 31 | Forest Hills Halloween Parade & Costume Contest | Sybilla St and 69th Rd to Metropolitan and Continental Aves | Noon per organizer; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. per DOT |
The Victory Field festival is free and offers games, entertainment, and pumpkins. With it, Forest Hills families have something on three weekends in a row, each in a different spot.
What hasn't been announced yet
Halloween night may still bring the traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating, but none of it is confirmed for 2026.
- Forest Hills Gardens. The Forest Hills Gardens Corporation's October 2025 newsletter called trick-or-treating in the Gardens a longstanding tradition. It said to expect visitors from 4 p.m. on, especially around Hawthorne Park. As of now, the corporation's newsletter list stops at September 2026, so no 2026 guidance is posted.
- The Metro Village Halloween Walk. It is described as an October tradition but has no 2026 date yet.
- The Forest Hills Halloween House. Frederic Sandy's display site describes a haunted display and a jack-o'-lantern donation project now in its sixth year. Its photo gallery is still labeled 2025, and no 2026 hours are posted.
- A Municipal Art Society walking tour in Forest Hills. It's possible, but not yet announced.
Some of these are likely to firm up in the last two weeks of October. The Gardens newsletter and the Metro Village events page are the two places to watch.
At Rachel Borut, we follow changes like a new open street on Austin and a new parade on Metropolitan block by block, because they shape what living near Austin Street or Metropolitan Avenue is like week to week. If you're wondering how foot traffic and street life near your home affect its value, schedule a consultation and we'll talk it through over coffee, maybe right after the parade.
