Bored? Spend Some Time this Fall in NYC

October is here, and it’s one of the most beautiful and exciting months of the year. Leaves changing colors, leaves falling, apple picking, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, sunflower mazes, you name it. Wait, maybe we’re forgetting a few things. What about all the events that go on?

If you’d like to head down to NYC anytime in October, here are some of the events that will be going on. Wouldn’t you like to go in a haunted maze or haunted house? Well here’s the perfect place for you. Head down to the “Haunted Lantern Tours at Fort Totten Park.” This event takes place on October 28th, 2016. Explore the creepy Water Battery Gate at Fort Totten Park in the pitch-black while your guide shares goosebump-inducing stories about the phantasm-infested grounds. The price to get in is free (how convenient). This tour starts at 6:30 pm so drive on down for a scary haunted tour in the pitch black with only lanterns (no cell phone flashlights bro) and a tour guide and other people in a group.

Aside from this event, there are more events going on. If you’re into Marvel and enjoy cosplay, then this event is definitely for you! The New York Comic Con 2016! Filled with can’t-miss panels, celebrities, shopping and all the cosplay costumes you could ever fantasize about, this geek Mecca is one of the best things to do in New York this fall. This event goes from October 6th to October 9th 2016. New York Comic Con 2016 is at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on Eleventh Ave in Hell’s Kitchen. Costumes are not mandatory but it would be fun to get into the Halloween spirit and dress up.

Wait! There’s more than just the 2 events I’ve listed. This is all through October and it’s free. It’s called Kick Off To Fall. Nothing says autumn like an intricate corn maze, wooden bins filled to the brim with just-picked apples and a pumpkin patch overflowing with gourds. All three of these iconic seasonal staples are present at this annual festival, which celebrates the season’s return to Queens County Farm Museum. There will be a band called Savannah Sky playing there for entertainment. There is also a maze called the “Maize Maze.” Supposedly, you can easily get lost in there. If you go down to this festival, make sure you don’t get lost in the maze so you can go back home.

When you think of fall, you usually just think of leaves and pumpkins and other fall things, right? Such as making a leaf pile and jumping into it. Well, since it’s fall and it’s getting colder outside, there is a lovely and fun activity many people go out and do just to pass time or have family time. Ice skating! That’s right, the rink at Rockefeller Center opens up this month! Even if the sidewalks are overrun with tourists, you’ll have ample room to skate at the city’s most iconic rink; only 150 people are allowed on the ice at once. The rink opens October 8th, 2016. The rink will be open starting October 8th, Monday-Sunday from 8:30 am to midnight. The rink will close down for the spring and summer on April 1st, 2017 but will open back up in the fall! For admission, adults are $25.00, seniors and children under 11 years old are $15.00, and skate rental is $12.00. Just a warning, if you decide to go by the time Thanksgiving hits, you should prepare for painfully long lines. Plan to go early and often!

Okay, back to holiday related things. Have you figured out what you’re doing this Halloween? NYC is full of Halloween parties and events (including the iconic Village Halloween Parade and the Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade). There are also haunted buildings and haunted houses to visit while down in NYC for Halloween. I hope you have the Ghostbusters on speed dial because you may spot a few ghosts. From a functioning, allegedly apparition-filled bar to eerie hotels in NYC and the grisly-sounding Manhattan Murder Well, make sure to keep your peepers peeled for any signs of paranormal activity. Some places that are known for paranormal activity in NYC are Merchant’s House Museum, House of Death, One if by land, Two if by sea, 85 West 3rd Street. In 1845-1846, 85 West 3rd Street (which is now an NYU building) was the home of Edgar Allan Poe, who penned parts of his opus “The Raven” there. Only a single banister apparently remains from the original layout, and some have reported spotting Poe near it. Creepy, right?

Other places include The Ear Inn, Billop House, The Dakota, Washington Square Park, and much more. There are also ghost tours and locations of the spookiest haunted houses in NYC. Okay let’s move on from the weird, creepy stuff. How about something more cheery? How about the Columbus Day Parade? He may be one of the most famous failures in history, but 35,000 marchers and nearly 1 million spectators are expected along Fifth Avenue to mark the day when Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas and to celebrate the heritage of the Italian-American community. This year, Columbus Day will fall on Monday, October 10, 2016. Christopher Columbus arrived October 12, 1492, but since 1970, the United States has observed the occasion on the second Monday of every October. The Columbus Day Parade is held on October, 10, 2016 at 11am. This year, the procession is led by Grand Marshal Robert LaPenta, Founding General Partner of Aston Capital Partners. Well hey, those are all the main events that are happening in NYC this month! Go on down and take some time to enjoy NYC and relax and go to some of these events and have fun!