Do you have a framed photo of someone you miss? Bring it to Brooklyn Army Terminal on Saturday morning. ArtBuilt and Casa Cultural are building a communal ofrenda at the BAT Arches for Día de los Muertos, and their invitation asks guests to bring a framed photo of a loved one to place on it.
That same afternoon, 22 blocks north, Industry City runs its campus-wide Trick-or-Treat. Both events are free. Their hours overlap by four hours. Green-Wood Cemetery describes Día de Muertos as running from October 31 to November 2, and its own celebration falls on the last of those days, just past Sunset Park's northern edge. That means this holiday weekend starts on the southern waterfront and ends at Fifth Avenue and 25th Street. It works best as a route, done in order.
Saturday's two schedules, side by side
Brooklyn Army Terminal lists the celebration for October 31 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the BAT Arches, 140 58th Street, with a communal ofrenda, a crafts table, face painting, live music and performances. The Casa Cultural event page on Eventbrite splits those hours into blocks. Industry City's Trick-or-Treat runs from noon to 4 p.m.
| Time | Brooklyn Army Terminal, 58th Street | Industry City, 36th Street area |
|---|---|---|
| 11 a.m. | Ofrenda opens, all day; family crafts begin | Not started |
| Noon | Crafts continue; face painter arrives | Trick-or-Treat begins |
| 1 p.m. | Crafts end; blessing and performances begin | Trick-or-Treat continues |
| 2 p.m. | Face painting ends; performances continue | Trick-or-Treat continues |
| 4 p.m. | Celebration ends | Trick-or-Treat ends |
The BAT schedule puts all the hands-on activities in the first half of the day. Crafts close at 1 p.m. and face painting at 2 p.m. Industry City's businesses hand out treats until 4 p.m. So if you show up at 3 p.m., you can still trick-or-treat, but the marigold table at BAT will already be packed up.
The order that works
Start at the south end and head north. A child who wants the crafts and the treats can do the whole thing in one afternoon in this order:
- 11 a.m., BAT Arches. Add your photo to the ofrenda. Then go to the crafts table, where kids make paper marigolds and sugar skulls out of Magic Model clay until 1 p.m.
- Noon to 1 p.m., still at BAT. The face painter works from noon to 2 p.m. Going before 1 p.m. means a painted face for the rest of the day's photos.
- 1 p.m., stay for the opening. The performance block starts with a blessing by Calpulli Tletlpapalotzin.
- Mid-afternoon, north to Industry City. Trick-or-treating runs until 4 p.m., so there's still a good stretch of time after the trip up.
- After 4 p.m., optional. A resident-organized Halloween Block Party is on 32nd Street between Fourth and Fifth avenues. NYC DOT's Trick-or-Streets list gives it a 1:30 to 8 p.m. window, organized by the Residents of 32nd Street. It's their block, so treat it as a neighbor's party.
If the folklórico dancing matters more than the crafts, flip it. Trick-or-treat at Industry City starting at noon, then go south to BAT. The dance performances run until 4 p.m.
What's at each stop
The BAT Arches
After the blessing, the 1 to 4 p.m. block has dance performances by Ballet Folklórico Mariposas, Ballet Folklórico Quetzalcoatl NY and Tecuanes San Rafael, with music from Mariachis Águila y Plata. The Eventbrite page marks the event free and has a "Reserve a spot" button. Reserving gets you on the organizers' list.
One logistics note. The Eventbrite listing gives the address as 80 58th Street. Brooklyn Army Terminal's own events page puts the celebration at the BAT Arches, 140 58th Street. Use BAT's address for directions. BAT also asks that questions about a specific event go to that event's organizer, which here means ArtBuilt and Casa Cultural.
Industry City
Industry City says "Ghouls, goblins, and grown-ups welcome," and its list of participating businesses mixes food counters with stores kids don't usually walk into. On the food side: Colson Patisserie, Li-Lac Chocolates, Sahadi's, Hometown BBQ, Burger Joint, Table 87, Avo and Kotti. The rest: Puppet Works, Miniature World, St. Mark's Comics, Powerhouse Books, Brooklyn Escape Room, Brooklyn Made Store, IC General Supply, Fort Hamilton Distillery, Design Within Reach, Kohler, Gloss, Desk Job Design Lab, bkONE Productions and the UPS store.
That's 22 stops spread across the campus. Puppet Works and Miniature World are probably worth a few extra minutes for younger kids. For adults, Fort Hamilton Distillery and Li-Lac Chocolates both make good pickups for the walk home.
Getting between 58th Street and 36th Street
Both stops are within a few blocks of the waterfront, and their official directions pages share several transit options.
- The B37 runs to both. Brooklyn Army Terminal lists a B37 stop at 58th Street and Third Avenue. Industry City lists one at 34th Street and Third Avenue. So one bus line on Third Avenue covers the whole trip.
- Other buses. BAT is also served by the B11 at 58th Street and First Avenue. Industry City lists the B35 at 39th Street and Third Avenue and the B70 at 36th Street and Third Avenue.
- Subway. BAT's nearest station is 59th Street on the N and R. Industry City's is 36th Street on the D, N and R.
- Ferry. NYC Ferry's Rockaway–Soundview route stops at the Sunset Park/BAT landing. The fall timetable puts October 31 on a modified weekend schedule. On that weekend table, boats leave Wall Street/Pier 11 hourly from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and leave BAT for Rockaway at 17 past the hour. In the other direction, Rockaway departures run hourly from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and leave BAT for Wall Street at 41 past.
The ferry is the one piece that changed recently. NYC Ferry's new fares took effect October 19: $5 for a one-way ticket, $30 for a 10-trip pass, and $1.50 for eligible discounted fares. The ticketing page also lists a $15 two-day unlimited pass, sold only in the app. If you have family coming in from Lower Manhattan or the Rockaways, the boat brings them to the Sunset Park/BAT landing on the same campus as Saturday's celebration. The current fall schedule runs only through November 1, so check the NYC Ferry app before Saturday and again before any trip after that.
Monday evening, the holiday ends at Green-Wood
The last day of the holiday falls on a Monday this year, and the final event is at the top of the neighborhood. Green-Wood's Day of the Dead Family Celebration runs on November 2 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Main Entrance Meadow, Fifth Avenue and 25th Street, and near the Historic Chapel. The program has crafts, performances, music and hands-on activities about the holiday's history and traditions.
Green-Wood runs it differently from Saturday's events:
- Registration is recommended but not required. Nobody checks names, no paper or e-tickets are needed, and walk-ins are welcome. Admission is free, and Green-Wood suggests a $10 donation when you register.
- Admission ends at 6:30 p.m. On a weeknight, that's the real deadline.
- Crafts end early. Activities and crafts run until supplies run out or the performances start, whichever comes first. If the kids want to make something, plan to get there close to 4 p.m.
- Plan for the walk. The five-minute walk to the Historic Chapel has uneven ground and stairs, so Green-Wood strongly recommends good shoes. A vehicle is available for anyone who needs help getting there.
- Food and drinks are for sale. Nothing is free on that front.
- Weather calls come late. Green-Wood makes its final decision at least three hours before start time and sends any cancellation by Eventbrite email.
If the walk from the BAT Arches to Industry City gets you wondering what your own home on these blocks would sell for, Parkview Terrace Realty has worked out of the same Sunset Park storefront for more than 28 years. We're happy to talk it through with you. Get a free home valuation whenever the holiday weekend is done.
