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Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer, on WNYC. All, this week during our membership drive, we're ending the show each day with a guide to some can't-miss cultural happenings this fall. Today we acknowledge that the big cultural event on our doorstep is Halloween. There's the big parade in the village on Tuesday, of course, but there are scary and scary fun events around town this weekend too. Are you familiar with the term Hallow weekend? To hear about some of them, we're joined by our own Rose Marina Boubion, New York Public Radio's receptionist who gathered this information for Gothamist in her other role as a freelance audio journalist. Hey, Rose, so glad to have you on the show.
Rose Marina Boubion: Hi, Brian, thank you so much for having me today.
Brian Lehrer: Let's start with Tuesday's parade and then we'll get to what is called Hallow weekend, but the Village Halloween Parade is turning 50 this year, huh?
Rose Marina Boubion: Yes, the parade is really such a New York institution. It puts on display so much of the spirit of the city, especially for the village with all the beautiful costumes and just all the fun people that come out.
Brian Lehrer: It kicks off just around the corner from our offices, I believe, right? When does it start and what's the route?
Rose Marina Boubion: Yes, so it runs up Sixth Avenue, starting at Canal Street, and it goes up to West 15th, at 7:00.
Brian Lehrer: There's a theme this year?
Rose Marina Boubion: Yes, the theme is, "Upside down, inside out," referencing this topsy-turvy year that we've had and coming out from the chaos and just being able to show everyone who you are and what you want to be.
Brian Lehrer: "Upside down, inside out," the theme for the Halloween parade in the village on Tuesday and the Grand Marshal.
Rose Marina Boubion: Yes, the Grand Marshal is artist and musician, Laurie Anderson, who was really active in the New York scene in the '70s.
Brian Lehrer: That's so sweet.
Rose Marina Boubion: Also in memory of Lou Reed.
Brian Lehrer: Yes, her late husband. If you want to be in the parade, how do you go about that? Can people just show up?
Rose Marina Boubion: Yes, pretty much. It's always free to watch and participate but if you want to march, you absolutely must be in costume.
Brian Lehrer: If you want to watch the parade, what's the best way to do that? Do you have any secret spots or anything like that?
Rose Marina Boubion: It gets really crowded between Bleecker up to 14th, so if you want to get a good spot, I would say arrive early but you can also line up anywhere to watch between King and 15th. If you want something a little less crowded, maybe go to the beginning of the parade route.
Brian Lehrer: Cool. I see for people who can't handle it in person or can't get there, and if you have spectrum cable, New York one puts it on at eight o'clock on Halloween night. All right, let's now talk about Hallow weekend which obviously starts today. There are some spooky activities around town including, I see, a moonlight corn maze. Can you tell us about that?
Rose Marina Boubion: Yes, the Maze by Moonlight is at the Queens County Fire Museum over in Glen Oaks. It's just a big corn maze in the dark, nothing too scary, but pretty fun. They're going to have doughnuts and apple cider for sale as well if you'd like anything else.
Brian Lehrer: Cool, and now the Tompkins Square Park dog parade that was canceled then reprieved, and now it's already happened but your colleague at Gothamist, Ryan Karloff, made a list of some other opportunities to put your dog in a costume and walk around happening this weekend from the Great Pupkin, not pumpkin, Pupkin, in Fort Greene Park to Hoboken, and Van Cortland parks, Howl-o-ween. Cute dogs and dog puns seem to go together, don't they?
Rose Marina Boubion: Yes, it's a great opportunity to really take your puppy out for a fun walk and see some other cute dogs in costume.
Brian Lehrer: Yes, I really have to pause after that one. Where can people find more information on these?
Rose Marina Boubion: There's more information on these parades on Ryan's piece, you just look up dog parades on the Gothamist.
Brian Lehrer: You found a haunted house on Staten Island. What can you tell us about that?
Rose Marina Boubion: Yes, I would say this is probably the scariest event that I found. It's over on Staten Island at the ferry Hawk Stadium right by the ferry terminal in St. George. This is just a big scary haunted house. They've got actors who are going to chase you around the stadium Park and make you scream, but there's more on the hallows on the website if you want to check for tickets that'll be running through this weekend.
Brian Lehrer: Cool. I didn't know about that one. For those who want to party in costume, there's a Jazz Age murder mystery at an Astoria bar?
Rose Marina Boubion: Yes, the rabbit hole in Astoria is a bar that's turning their upstairs level into a prohibition speakeasy for a murder mystery tonight. You'll be able to have some drinks and try to solve the mystery. This is very interactive and there's going to be jazz and burlesque performances, and you should all, attendees to dress up in some Gatsby wear.
Brian Lehrer: You really know what's going on around town, so many things and you're filling us in on so many things. One more, a dance party in Bushwick, what's the story there for Halloween?
Rose Marina Boubion: Yes, over at the Club Elsewhere in Bushwick, they're having their own Halloween dance night. They've got a bunch of artists on the lineup, but the headliner is the legendary duo, Ying Yang Twins. They've also got some DJ sets by Brook Candy, and DJ Top Gun, and a bunch of other electronic artists as well as hip-hop and Latin artists. It's a big club night so it's not totally required to wear a costume but you definitely should just to help out the party ambiance, but they've got more tickets available on their website.
Brian Lehrer: Okay, Rose Marina Boubion, you going as anything this year?
Rose Marina Boubion: Yes, I'm going to be Laurie Strode from Halloween with my boyfriend who will be Michael Myers.
Brian Lehrer: Right in the Halloween spirit. Meta Halloween costume about Halloween. Rose Marina Boubion, we leave it there. You can find Rose's guide to Halloween fun and the Guide to Dog Parades too, @gothamist.com. Thank you, that was great.
Rose Marina Boubion: Thank you so much.
Brian Lehrer: Have a great Halloween weekend, everyone.
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