The Magic of Halloween in Park Slope: Where Community Spirit Takes Spooky Center Stage

In the heart of Brooklyn, Park Slope transforms each Halloween from a neighborhood known for its eco-conscious parenting and artisanal sensibilities into a spectacular celebration of spooky season splendor. Despite their reputation for Montessori toys and organic everything, when October 31st arrives, Park Slope families embrace the holiday with unbridled enthusiasm, trading their usual restraint for plastic fangs and sugar highs. The neighborhood’s tree-lined streets and historic brownstones create the perfect backdrop for what has become one of Brooklyn’s most cherished traditions. Among the many festive blocks, 11th Street between Prospect Park West and 8th Avenue has emerged as the undisputed Halloween headquarters, where creativity and community spirit converge to create magical memories for trick-or-treaters of all ages. By mid-afternoon on Halloween, the street is already alive with costumed children eagerly approaching the first of many elaborately decorated stoops, setting the stage for an evening where neighborhood bonds are strengthened through shared imagination and joy.

The Van Ooyen family stands as the pioneering force behind 11th Street’s Halloween fame, having decorated their brownstone for an impressive 17 years. This year, they cleverly transformed their home into “Jurassic Park Slope,” featuring towering dinosaurs constructed from wooden frames, chicken wire, landscape fabric, and spray foam that delighted the many dinosaur-costumed children in attendance. Marcel and Cheryl Van Ooyen, dressed as park rangers, greeted awestruck trick-or-treaters as John Williams’ iconic “Jurassic Park” theme music played in the background. What began as a family tradition has evolved into something much larger—about three years ago, the Van Ooyens and their neighbors secured a permit to close the block to traffic, turning Halloween into a full-blown community celebration. “Building our decor every year is so rewarding when you see how excited the families here get and the children’s reactions,” shared Cheryl, who revealed that their impressive T-rex has been repurposed over the years, previously appearing as everything from a giant rat to a “Game of Thrones” dragon, showcasing their commitment to creative sustainability.

The Halloween spirit extends beyond the Van Ooyens, inspiring many neighboring families to develop their own spectacular displays. Directly across from “Jurassic Park Slope,” the Iarussi family created an elaborate nautical wonderland featuring swirling tentacles, a shipwrecked vessel aptly named the “Park Sloop,” and a stage extending from their steps where family members—dressed as pirate princesses, sea captains, and mermaid goddesses—greeted visitors. Adam Iarussi explained that they’ve been creating these displays for seven years, initially inspired by the Van Ooyens. The family’s creative process begins months in advance, with this year’s underwater concept having been conceived in late July and construction starting just after Labor Day. “It’s always a big family art project,” Deborah Iarussi noted, adding that these elaborate decorations serve as a means of connecting with “all the kids on the block” who regularly visit throughout October to witness the evolution of their display. In previous years, the family has created themes ranging from Beetlejuice to Barbie, demonstrating the endless well of creativity that Halloween in Park Slope inspires.

The musical element of 11th Street’s Halloween experience cannot be overlooked, with guitarists Camp Childers and Mike Coon providing a soundtrack of spooky movie riffs from their own decorated stoop at 606 11th Street. Children paused in their candy collection to dance, listen, and pet Inca, Childers’ schnauzer dressed as a bat for the occasion. “People in Park Slope are more enthusiastic about Halloween than any other holiday, I think,” Coon observed as a steady stream of costumed toddlers began lining up for treats. The musicians highlighted the overwhelming popularity of the block, noting that despite their best efforts, they typically run out of candy by 5:30 pm due to the sheer volume of trick-or-treaters. This speaks to the magnetic pull of 11th Street’s Halloween festivities, which have become a destination not just for local families but for visitors from throughout Brooklyn and beyond who have heard about the block’s reputation for spectacular holiday spirit.

Elsewhere in the neighborhood, father-son duo Stephen and Roman Barr brought humor to the holiday with their display at 634 10th Street, featuring plastic skeletons lounging at a table sipping “eyes-cold lemonade” complete with floating fake eyeballs and a sign reading “Raising money to raise the dead.” This witty approach represents their third year of food-themed Halloween displays, following previous scenes of skeletons eating Life cereal and a clever “Gaba-Ghoul” setup featuring a skeleton enjoying pasta. “I thought of this idea on the bus with my dad,” young Roman proudly explained, adding with a grin, “We didn’t use food dye, it was food d-i-e.” The Barrs’ approach demonstrates how Halloween in Park Slope embraces not just the scary aspects of the holiday but also its potential for wordplay and humor, creating experiences that entertain parents as much as children and showcasing the neighborhood’s characteristic blend of intelligence and whimsy.

For residents of Park Slope, Halloween has evolved beyond simple decoration into a cherished tradition that strengthens community bonds. Vivien F., who runs the popular Park Slope Living social media feed, has embraced this community spirit by creating the neighborhood’s “Spooky Stoops Map”—a curated guide to the most impressive Halloween displays that helps families plan their trick-or-treating routes. “It means a lot to our community and all the neighbors who put in months of effort into spreading cheer,” she explained. “Our strong community, beautiful architecture, and leafy streets make this the best neighborhood to celebrate Halloween in.” This sentiment captures the essence of what makes Park Slope’s Halloween celebration special—it’s not just about the candy or even the elaborate decorations, but about the sense of belonging and shared joy that emerges when neighbors channel their creativity toward a common purpose. In a city often characterized by anonymity, Park Slope has cultivated a small-town Halloween experience where every stoop tells a story, every decoration represents hours of loving preparation, and every child’s delight reinforces the community bonds that make this Brooklyn neighborhood so special year-round.