To delight its community and celebrate the creativity that comes with the season, Theater for the New City (TNC), 155 First Ave., will present its annual Village Halloween Costume Ball October 31. A large outdoor festivity will be held from 3:30 PM to 7:00 PM outside the Theater on East Tenth Street between First and Second Avenues (or if it rains, in a big tent), featuring performances and a costume competition for kids. This will be followed by indoor performances from 7:00 PM to 11:00, ballroom dancing to Art Lillard’s Heavenly Swing Band and Mister Pablo (Latin Dance band), and an aerial dance concert by Constellation Moving Company. An indoor restaurant (The Witch’s Cauldron) opens at 7:00 PM, where guests can eat dinner for $4 with delightful gourmet dishes donated by local restaurants. Admission is free for the outdoor program and $20 for the indoor festivities. Costumes or formal wear are requested.

TNC has presented a Village Halloween Costume Ball annually since 1976. Traditionally, the celebration has taken up the entirety of TNC’s multi-theater complex at 155 First Avenue (the former First Avenue Retail Market building) and adjoining outdoor spaces. In 2020, due to the Covid shutdown, TNC maintained its Halloween tradition by presenting the entire event virtually. In 2021, with safety paramount, it was mounted entirely outdoors. In 2022 and 2023, TNC made the event hybrid, bringing some of it back inside while presenting an impressive set of offerings outside in the fresh air. The aim was to capture the event’s intensity and traditional magic while facilitating Covid safety for both performers and attendees. Now, TNC is bringing back the original format, complete with indoor dancing, dining and an extended performance schedule.

Schedule:

Outdoor Performances 3pm - 7pm

Indoor Events 8pm - Midnight