Clowns and classic cars appeared along Southern Boulevard this past Saturday as the 41st Annual Bronx Halloween Parade was expected to draw more than 25,000 participants and spectators to the borough. The event, themed Carnival of Nightmares — The Greatest Fear on Earth, ran from Southern Boulevard and Westchester Avenue to Dawson Street and Rogers Place, capping nearly 10 months of planning by organizers.
The parade is widely considered New York City's second-largest Halloween parade, according to the Bronx Times. Bronx Community Board 2 organized the event, which featured clowns, candy and classic cars rolling past crowds lining the boulevard. The board said the parade belongs to the families who turn out along Southern Boulevard every October, per the same report.
A Grand Marshal With a Classroom Connection
Jason Reyes, founding principal of the Bronx High School of Hip Hop, served as grand marshal of this year's parade and received the Educational Visionary Award for his work. Students from his school performed during the event, adding a homegrown touch to a lineup that also included influencers, community members and local politicians, the Bronx Times reported. Councilmember Justin Sanchez served as co-sponsor and grand marshal alongside Reyes.
The parade route itself has grown dramatically since its earliest days — organizers once described it as a march of roughly 50 people, a far cry from the tens of thousands who now line the boulevard each fall, according to a historical account from the Bronx Times. Last year's 40th anniversary celebration welcomed more than 20,000 attendees, and the 2026 edition was projected to top that figure, per an event listing from the Bronx Times.
Post-Parade Festival Brings Performances to Bill Rainey Park
Once the marchers reached Dawson Street and Rogers Place, the celebration shifted to Bill Rainey Park for a post-parade festival hosted by local entrepreneur Rhina Valentin, which highlighted performers and community figures. Amaurys Grullon, co-founder of Bronx Native who previously hosted the parade's block party, said he grew up visiting Bill Rainey Park and returns each year to support his community, calling it a celebratory gathering place tied to his neighborhood.
This year's family festival featured live entertainment, special guests and performances alongside the parade.
Civic Message Woven Into the Costumes
Saturday also marked the first day of early voting in the Bronx, ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3, and parade organizers used the platform to encourage turnout. Councilmember Sanchez urged attendees to vote between Saturday and Nov. 1, folding a civic reminder into the day's festivities. Viancey Taveras, chairperson of Bronx Community Board 2, said he will continue to advocate for the Bronx and fight for its communities.
Taveras also thanked the staff, volunteers, sponsors, community partners, content creators, influencers, performers, the NYPD and spectators who helped pull off the 41st edition. The parade's growth over four decades — from a modest neighborhood march founded in 1986 by Father Louis Gigante and Sister Miriam Thomas to a borough-wide spectacle — remains a point of pride for organizers.
