Dogs dressed up for the 2023 Ditmars Halloween Block Party. Photo: Rivercrest.
Oct. 17, 2024 By Shane O’Brien
The annual Ditmars Halloween Block Party will return on Saturday, Oct. 26, bringing games, parades, and an artisan night market to Ditmars Boulevard.
Now in its third year, the block party will take place between 33rd Street and 37th Street. It will kick off with a children’s costume parade from 10-11 a.m., followed by a block party from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m.
The children’s parade starts at Ditmars Playground at 22-55 Steinway St. and goes along Ditmars Boulevard before finishing outside Rivercrest Sports Bar at 33-15 Ditmars Blvd. Organizers are expecting around 800 children to take part in the parade this year, a huge increase from the estimated 500 children who took part in last year’s event. Each participant will receive a goodie bag upon reaching the end of the route on Ditmars Boulevard.
Last year’s children’s parade. Photo: Rivercrest/
The block party, meanwhile, will feature a variety of games and activities for kids, including face-painting, magicians and live music.
The artisan market will take place between 35th Street and 37th Street and will feature various handcrafted products made by local vendors. It will additionally feature tarot readings, a live DJ, and live music.
The block party will also feature a dog Halloween costume parade, which will run from 5 to 6 p.m. between 35th Street and 33rd Street.
The doggo parade is limited to 50 participants, and owners can sign up their furry companions in advance of the block party next Saturday. Three prizes are up for grabs in the doggo parade, including prizes for best overall costume, most creative costume, and funniest costume. A panel of three judges, including Council Member Tiffany Cabán, will determine the winners of each category.
The annual block party is organized by the Destination Ditmars business association, a small collective of local businesses including Rivercrest, Queen’s Room, the Brass Owl, the Tiny Owl, the Bier and Cheese Collective and the Honey House.
The block party, the brainchild of Brass Owl owner Nicole Panettieri, is a continuation of Open Streets, which became a neighborhood staple during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rivercrest co-owner Ciara O’Sullivan, who is one of the organizers, said that local businesses wanted to provide an event that enabled local residents to connect with one another.
“Open Streets really helped all of our businesses during the pandemic and it kind of became like a staple in the community,” O’Sullivan said. “People really enjoyed being able to dine out in the streets, or even just walking their dog or riding a bike. It was really nice.
“So we continued it an extra year after the pandemic. Astoria, especially Ditmars here, is such a close-knit community, so we wanted to keep something that the community enjoyed.”
O’Sullivan said Panettieri suggested picking one day a year to hold a special Open Streets event and also suggested the concept of a children’s Halloween parade.
She added that the inaugural two years have proved a big hit among local businesses and members of the local community alike.
“It’s a really fun day. It brings lots of business to all the businesses around here. The community has a great time and lots of families come out. So it’s a really, really good day.”
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