The West 69th Street Block Association has announced that its annual Halloween street festival will be cancelled due to concerns around COVID-19 and to ensure the safety of block residents and the wider neighborhood. This will be the first time the event, which last year drew approximately 3,000 people to view decorated homes and trick-or-treat, will not take place.
The West 69th Street Halloween Party was founded in 1971 by Tony and Grammy-winning actress Gwen Verdon and has grown from a small gathering of neighborhood children to an Upper West Side tradition attended by thousands each year.
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The West 69th Street Block Association, one of the oldest in Manhattan, provides a variety of services to residents, from volunteer opportunities to wellness checks on more vulnerable block residents. It is also part of the Lincoln Square Block Associations’ COVID-19 Info Hub for residents.
About the West 69th Street Block Association
The West 69th Street Block Association was organized by its residents in June 1969 and is one of the oldest block associations in New York City. All residents of West 69th Street between Central Park West and Broadway become members when they move onto the street. Membership is free, there are no dues, and the Association depends on the generosity of our residents and friends for support. West 69th Street is known as one of the prettiest streets on the Upper West Side and for the strong sense of community, which the Block Association fosters, making it a truly special place to live.
What about the 94/95th street blocks that always have a similar halloween party?
Please also note that there will be no Halloween on W 87th between WEA and Riverside where we have had on excess of 1200 families for years. Hopefully back in 2021!
In excess …that is.
This is unfortunate. With technology these days there hopefully was a way with volunteers to be able to set up an “event” type ticketing and having back end tech allow for only neighbhorhood kids allowed. I remember when I was little and it was always a treat and calm. Since my days even without covid it has become overwhelming. My family would always go towards the tail end leaving my daughter with little candy, which was okay, but for the pure fact it just became overrun from a neighborhood joy to a event for NYC.