5 frighteningly fun events to attend this spooky season

The season of ghosts and ghouls is here. With Halloween less than a month away, the northwest Bronx is getting into the spirit with a packed calendar of family-friendly events, neighborhood traditions and plenty of chances to show off a costume.

From pumpkin-filled afternoons and Halloween parties to festive crafts, local organizations and institutions are offering ways for people of all ages to celebrate throughout October. Some events lean into the spooky side of the season, while others keep things light for younger children.

Whether you are looking for a reason to break out the costumes early, searching for something to do on a fall weekend or simply hoping to make the most of Halloween before Oct. 31 arrives, there are plenty of options close to home.

Here are five things to do around the Riverdale area this trick-or-treat season.

Kiwanis window painting

A Riverdale Halloween tradition nearly seven decades in the making returns Oct. 17 with the Riverdale Kiwanis Halloween window painting contest.

Held annually since 1957, the contest brings young artists ages 5 to 18 to storefronts across Riverdale, where local merchants turn their windows into canvases for pumpkins, ghosts, autumn leaves and other seasonal scenes. Kiwanis distributes sign-up forms through local schools, while participating businesses provide the space for children to show off their creativity.

The contest is a beloved October tradition with painted windows remaining on display afterward for neighbors to enjoy.

Participants compete for ribbons, prizes and community recognition in categories including “Halloween Showstopper,” “Scariest,” “Halloween Spirit,” “Funniest,” “Spookiest” and “Family Friendly.”

For many Riverdale families, the event has become a multigenerational tradition, with parents and grandparents recalling their own years painting neighborhood storefronts. Even those who are not competing can take part by strolling the commercial corridors during the third week of October to see the finished artwork.

Boo on Mosholu

Mosholu Avenue will transform into a Halloween trail for Boo on Mosholu, a family-friendly celebration hosted by the Kingsbridge-Riverdale-Van Cortlandt Development Corp.

Families are invited to dress up and make their way along the avenue, where participating businesses will offer Halloween games, crafts, giveaways, prize tables and treats for children and adults. The event is designed as a neighborhood-wide celebration, with local merchants joining in the festivities and welcoming families throughout the afternoon.

The day will also include a trunk-or-treat at P.S. 81, at 5550 Riverdale Ave. Instead of going door-to-door, children can walk between parked cars with decorated trunks, collecting candy and checking out themed displays in a more contained setting.

Boo on Mosholu runs Oct. 24 from 1 to 4 p.m., with a rain date scheduled for Oct. 25 from 1 to 4 p.m.

Wags to Witches

The Van Cortlandt Park Alliance is gearing up for a free afternoon of creepy crafts, face painting, spooky storytelling and other family activities on the lawn of the Van Cortlandt House Museum,  at 6036 Broadway, from 1 to 5 p.m. Oct. 25.

But Halloween at Van Cortlandt Park is not just for humans. Four-legged visitors can get in on the fun during the fourth annual Canine Costume Contest at 3 p.m., with registration available in advance or from 2 to 2:45 p.m. that day.

As the sun goes down, the Halloween theme turns from the supernatural to the natural. From 6 to 7:30 p.m., urban park rangers will lead a nocturnal creatures and wildlife hike through Van Cortlandt Park, introducing participants to some of New York’s nighttime neighbors — including flying squirrels and the state’s nine species of bats — and the roles they play in the ecosystem.

Boo at the Zoo

The Bronx Zoo, located at 2300 Southern Boulevard, is bringing back Boo at the Zoo, its annual daytime Halloween celebration, on weekends through Nov. 1, with an additional date on Monday, Oct. 12.

Geared toward toddlers, preschoolers and elementary school-age children, the event mixes seasonal activities with the zoo’s usual wildlife attractions. This year’s lineup includes a new hay bale adventure course where children can climb, crawl, balance and jump past larger-than-life animal sculptures, as well as a Boo Carnival with inflatable games like pumpkin smash, ring toss and tic-tac-toe.

Families can also catch “The Tale de los Animales Who are No More,” a short wildlife theater show featuring spooky animal puppets singing, dancing and telling the stories of extinct animals.

Boo at the Zoo activities are included with regular Bronx Zoo admission and are free for zoo members.

Boo at MU

Manhattan University, located at 4513 Manhattan College Parkway, will once again open its campus to neighborhood families for Boo at MU, a free Halloween celebration hosted by Kappa Delta Pi, the university’s education honor society, with support from student organizations across campus.

Formerly called Safe Halloween, the annual event brings children onto campus for trick-or-treating, crafts, games and other activities organized by university students. In past years, classrooms and common spaces have been transformed into themed stops featuring everything from monster-making crafts and haunted mazes to sensory-friendly activities for children who prefer a quieter environment.

This year’s Boo at MU will run from 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 30, with activities centered around Smith Auditorium, the Quadrangle, Smith Steps and the Smith Auditorium lobby.

For many families, the event offers a chance to celebrate Halloween in a contained campus setting while meeting Manhattan University students and exploring a neighborhood institution in a more playful way.