October 25, 2007

Hallowe'en in New York

It's that scary time of year again! Time to think of ghosts and goblins, witches and skeletons, pumpkins and candy corn, and there is no better place to celebrate the season than right here in New York City! The festivities are already underway and there is something for everyone, from the littlest fairy princess to the creepiest monster!

This fun starts this weekend with the New York Pumpkin Festival in Central Park! Starting at midday on Saturday, Bethesda Fountain will be transformed into an urban pumpkin patch with face painting and jack-o'-lantern carving for young and old. Benefiting Camp Sunshine, a national retreat for children with life threatening diseases and their families, this is both a great time and a great cause.

If you would prefer something not quite so hands-on, but still somewhat ghoulish, how about a visit to Chelsea to view "I Am As You Will Be: The Skeleton in Art" now on at Cheim & Read on West 25th Street? This wonderful exhibition features over 30 works by a variety of artists each featuring a skeleton as the subject. Ranging from the 19th to 21st Centuries and using materials from pen and ink to bronze, from silk embroidery to actual bone, this exhibition causes the viewer to look at his own basic body structure through totally different eyes. Sometimes macabre, sometimes anatomical, this show offers works by artists as varied as James Ensor, Paul Delvaux (see oil painting on left), Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst. It's on until November 3rd and it's well worth the bus fare!

On the big night itself, how about a trip downtown to the mother of all Hallowe'en celebrations, the Greenwich Village Parade? Now in its 33rd year, this festival of costumes and fun just keeps getting better. This year's theme is "Wings of Desire" but don't get hung up on concepts, just throw on a costume and join in the fun - they don't stand on ceremony! The parade starts at 7 - get there early for a good viewing spot and enjoy the spectacle! It's the one day a year you can be whomever you please! BOO!!!!

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