The best date to ride the subway is October 31st, experts agree. The train cars are filled with New Yorkers and visitors adorned in costume, ranging from spooky to clever and niche to whimsical. It's an uplifting sight that embodies the creativity and joy of the city, and gives a little wink to the weirdness of it all. To celebrate this "only in New York" moment, we've teamed up with photographer Sai Mokhtari, who has been documenting Halloween night on the subway for many years.
"This will be my 10th consecutive Halloween photographing New Yorkers in the subway system. I don’t even know what Halloween is like above ground anymore!" Mokhtari says. "There’s something so cheeky and disruptive about seeing costumed commuters on the train — and this city never disappoints. I’m blown away by everyone’s creativity and I fall a little more in love with New York every year."
We'll be sharing Mokhtari's photos from Subway Halloween on November 1st, right here on MTAaway.com and on our Instagram, and we'd love to see and share your photos as well, so please tag @MTAaway on Instagram if you find yourself riding the subway in costume over the next few days (or if you spot some particularly well-costumed fellow riders)!
Many of these costumed straphangers will be headed to the legendary Village Halloween Parade, now entering its 49th year with the theme of "Freedom."
Everyone is welcome to join in the fun, either as a participant in a costume or as a spectator. The parade starts at Canal Street and 6th Avenue and goes up 6th Avenue to 15th Street, and parade organizers advise taking the subway and arriving between 6:30 and 9 p.m.
There are no planned subway service changes around the parade.
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