Riverdale gets a spooky splash of color during Kiwanis window painting

Posted Friday, October 23, 2026 10:06 am

Siblings Macy Murray, 7, and Mason Murray, 4, join family members in painting a colorful solar system during the Kiwanis Club of Riverdale’s 69th annual Halloween Window Painting Contest on Oct. 17. Inspired by Mason’s love of planets, the family chose a space-themed design, with the youngest artist helping paint the stars.

Michelle Mullen photos

Max Chen, 10, shows off his Halloween artwork at Steven John Opticians on Oct. 17. His painting combines the colors of autumn with spooky Halloween creatures, including a black cat, bats and a monster, with a colorful fall tree as the centerpiece.

Jeremy Calott, 12, puts his creativity to work painting a spooky scene outside Apple Bank, joined by his sister and their neighbors. Participating in the contest for the first time, Jeremy said he enjoyed the opportunity to paint on a much larger scale than usual, adding a spider to his Halloween design.

Even ghosts got dressed up for this year’s Halloween Window Painting Contest. Judges Joshua Brosz and Allen Kendall noticed a novel detail among the young artists’ creations — bows adorning ghosts and other spooky characters, adding a playful twist to traditional Halloween imagery.

Daniel Nadav, 13, joins neighbors and friends in transforming a storefront window into a Halloween scene featuring pumpkins and a scarecrow. The young artists returned for another year of the neighborhood tradition, working together on their festive design.

Sisters Ava Shkreli, 9, and Lila Shkreli, 4, decorate windows with ghosts and other spooky Halloween characters outside The Johnson Diner & Bar.The sisters, who have participated in the contest several times, said the fun of painting together matters more than winning a prize.

Rachel Collani, 10, and Naomi Delmundo, 6, join fellow young artists in decorating storefront windows along with their siblings and neighbors. The group brought a mix of Halloween characters to life, including a mummy, spiders and other spooky creations.

by Michelle Mullen

Riverdale storefronts got a spooky makeover Oct. 17 as young artists armed with paintbrushes and Halloween spirit brought ghosts, goblins and grinning pumpkins to life during the Kiwanis Club of Riverdale’s 69th annual Halloween Window Painting Contest.

The longtime neighborhood tradition drew children and families to businesses throughout Riverdale and Spuyten Duyvil, where shop owners offered up their windows as blank canvases for Halloween-inspired creations. From haunted houses and black cats to witches and monsters, the young painters transformed ordinary storefronts into a colorful outdoor gallery celebrating the season.

For some participants, the focus was on carefully crafted scenes filled with familiar Halloween characters, while others took a more imaginative approach, covering windows with colorful designs and abstract interpretations of the holiday.

The contest has become a multigenerational tradition for many Riverdale families, with parents who once participated as children now returning to watch their own kids take up a paintbrush. Beyond giving young artists an opportunity to showcase their creativity, the annual event brings together local businesses, schools and residents for a day of community celebration.

The tradition dates back to Oct. 26, 1957, when more than 45 children participated in the inaugural contest, according to an article published in the Oct. 31 edition of The Riverdale Press. That year, “Spooks and Sputnik” were among the popular themes, reflecting both the Halloween season and fascination with the Soviet satellite launched earlier that month.

First prize that year went to John Carey, who received $25 for a cemetery scene painted on the window of Alexander’s Cleaners, according to The Press’ coverage.

Nearly seven decades later, the contest continues to give Riverdale’s youngest residents a chance to leave their mark on the neighborhood, one painted window at a time.

This year’s long list of winners spanned different categories — from spookiest to funniest:

Best Display of Halloween: Tiny’s Diner — 3603 Riverdale Ave.; Tala Payan, 11; Ravi Payan, 8

Spookiest: Yo-Burger — 3726 Riverdale Ave.; Aleya Pervizaj, 8; Kroi Pervizaj, 5; Tian Pervizaj, 4; Liam Pervizaj, 12; Evan Pervizaj, 11

Most Creative: Val’s Color + Hair Studio — 3509 Johnson Ave.; Arthur Murray, 7; Maisie Murray, 7; Mason Murray, 4; Hudson Hernandez, 7; Sofia Hernandez, 10

Halloween Spirit: Steven John Opticians — 5901 Riverdale Ave.; Max Chen, 10

Halloween Showstopper: Sheza — 6050 Riverdale Ave.; Margare Feng, 16; Lynn Satomi, 15

Scariest: Dino’s Pizzeria — 5660 Mosholu Ave.; Anastasia Brown, 15

Funniest: C Town — 5686 Mosholu Ave.; Melina Selimaj, 10; Leanora Selimaj, 7

Keywords

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