Spooky Fun Lurks at New York's Village Halloween Parade

We're one day into October and Halloween is fast approaching. Countless party lovers and trick-or-treaters throughout the country are already clamoring to don their ghoulish masks and sport their most outrageous costumes. Though parties, haunted houses and other Halloween events are never short in number almost anywhere you look, there's one celebration in particular that stands apart from the rest - but you'll have to be in the Big Apple to participate. New York's Village Halloween Parade, now in its 37th year, will take place Sunday, October 31, 2010 in Greenwich Village, which lies on the west side of lower Manhattan and is considered the bohemian capital of New York City.

When mask maker and puppeteer Ralph Lee founded New York's Village Halloween Parade in 1974, the event merely involved going house-to-house with his kids and their friends. Two years later, Theater for the New City organized the event on a larger scale as part of its City in the Streets program. Over a 36 year span, New York's Village Halloween Parade has evolved into the nation's largest public Halloween celebration. And if you're looking for a night parade of this caliber outside New York, don't bother - this is the country's only major parade to be held under the lights. Attended by more than 2 million people and seen by more than 1 million TV viewers, it's no surprise that the parade was named as The Greatest Event on Earth by Festivals International for October 31.

The Village Halloween Parade, which will get under way at 7 p.m. EST, will march from Spring Street to 21st Street along 6th Avenue. More than 50,000 people are expected to take part in the parade, including various marching bands, stilt-walkers, break dancers, jugglers, hundreds of puppets, and thousands of New Yorkers clad in outlandish Halloween costumes. If you're worried about accommodation, we've got you covered. The Wellington Hotel New York, which is located less than 2 miles from Greenwich Village, features more than 500 tastefully appointed guestrooms, 85 one bedroom suites, and Molyvos, one of the best Mediterranean restaurants you'll find in bustling New York City. And roughly a mile away is W Hotel - Union Square, a pet-friendly property that offers a fitness center, spa treatments, cozy bar and its signature Living Room Lounge.

If you want to join in on the fun, all you'll need to do is show up early wearing a costume. The family-friendly event is free and open to people of all ages. So head to New York, put on your wildest Halloween attire, and partake in arguably the most spooktacular Halloween event the country has to offer!