Looking for a Halloween outing in New York City that doesn’t require a pricey ticket? The South Street Seaport Museum is planning a day of free family activities on Saturday, October 31, 2026, with a little maritime history mixed into the costumes and candy.
What families can do
From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the museum will offer free general admission. Families can explore the historic 1885 tall ship Wavertree and follow a sailors’ superstitions scavenger hunt. The waterfront celebration also includes hands-on Halloween crafts and seasonal activities.
The Healthful Halloween Fair at Pier 16, presented with Mommy Poppins, runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. A costume parade is planned for 2 p.m., and trick-or-treating around the Seaport is scheduled for 3–5 p.m.
What parents should know
Admission is free, but organizers encourage advance registration; walk-up entry depends on capacity. Activities take place around the museum and Seaport neighborhood, so allow time to move between locations and check the forecast before heading downtown.
Parenting can be hilarious—sometimes on purpose, sometimes because if you don’t laugh, what else are you going to do? A new weekly comedy series called Overstimulated is taking that idea and running with it.
Launched October 14, 2026, by social-first entertainment studio Doing Things, the series stars comedians and longtime collaborators Manon Mathews and Vincent Marcus, who bring very different chapters of parenting to the conversation.
Who says your kids have to wait until they’re older to experience the music you grew up loving? The Rock and Roll Playhouse has announced a slate of New York City concerts for families, featuring everything from hip-hop to Queen, Taylor Swift, the Grateful Dead and the Beatles.
The first date is coming up fast: The Q Brothers bring Hip Hop for Families to Brooklyn Bowl on Saturday, October 24, 2026.
Upcoming Rock and Roll Playhouse NYC shows
Saturday, October 24: The Q Brothers — Hip Hop for Families, Brooklyn Bowl
Sunday, November 8: Music of Queen for Kids, Brooklyn Bowl
Sunday, November 15: Music of Taylor Swift for Kids, Soho Live
Sunday, November 15: Music of Dave Matthews Band for Kids, Brooklyn Bowl
Sunday, November 22: Music of Grateful Dead for Kids, Brooklyn Bowl
Sunday, November 29: Music of The Beatles for Kids, Brooklyn Bowl
Sunday, December 13: Music of Taylor Swift for Kids, Brooklyn Bowl
Sunday, December 27: Music of Olivia Rodrigo for Kids, Brooklyn Bowl
Live music for the whole family
These performances give parents an excuse to share familiar songs with their kids in a live setting. Whether your household is more Beatles than Swifties—or somewhere in between—the fall and holiday lineup offers several ways to make a family music outing happen.
Showtimes, ticket prices, age guidance and availability may vary by performance, so check the event listings before heading out. Find details and tickets through The Rock and Roll Playhouse.
Source: The Rock and Roll Playhouse October 19, 2026 email announcement. Event details are subject to change.
Banana Ball is headed to New York City! The Savannah Bananas and Firefighters are scheduled to bring their high-energy baseball entertainment to NYC on May 28 and 29, 2027—and families interested in tickets have a deadline coming up much sooner.
A day at an amusement park can be one of those childhood memories that sticks around for years. But for many families, the cost of admission puts that experience out of reach. Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, is helping change that with a donation of more than 1,200 tickets through nonprofit partner Tickets for Kids.
According to the park’s October 19 announcement, the tickets are valued at more than $80,000 and will help children and families facing financial barriers experience the park’s fall and holiday attractions.
Making fall and holiday traditions more accessible
The donated admission tickets are intended for children and families supported by community organizations, foster care programs, and youth-focused nonprofits. Experiences may include family rides, seasonal entertainment, Fright Fest, Kids Boo Fest, and the upcoming Holiday in the Park season.
“Fall and the holiday season are all about making memories with the people who matter most,” said Michael Fehnel, Park President of Six Flags Great Adventure. He added that the partnership is meant to make those experiences possible for children and families who might not otherwise have the chance to visit.
And here’s an important detail: the initial allotment has already been fully distributed to participating groups, according to Tickets for Kids. This announcement isn’t a public offer to claim free tickets.
What is Tickets for Kids?
Tickets for Kids Charities works with youth-serving organizations to connect children and families with experiences such as museums, concerts, sports, science centers, zoos, and other recreational activities. The goal is to help more kids participate in the experiences that make childhood memorable, regardless of financial circumstances.
“These tickets provide children and families with opportunities to spend quality time together, create lasting memories and enjoy experiences they may not otherwise have access to,” said Brandice E. Miller, Executive Director of Tickets for Kids.
More than a day at the park
There’s a lot to be said for a day when kids can simply be kids—riding something for the first time, laughing with friends, and making memories with their families. A partnership like this makes those moments possible for more children in our region.
Source: Six Flags Great Adventure press announcement, October 19, 2026. The initial donated ticket allocation has already been distributed; no public ticket giveaway is being offered in this article.
Halloween parties with kids have a few essential ingredients: costumes, candy, and a playlist that gets everyone moving. KIDZ BOP is leaning into all three with KIDZ BOO, its Halloween collection of music, dance videos, printable activities, and family-friendly party ideas.
Whether you’re planning a classroom celebration, hosting a neighborhood Halloween party, or just trying to keep the kids entertained between pumpkin carving and trick-or-treating, there’s a little something here for the whole family.
For parents, that’s a convenient way to put together an at-home Halloween party without having to invent every activity from scratch. Put on a playlist, queue up a dance video, and keep the coloring pages handy for anyone who needs a break from the action.
KIDZ BOO goes beyond the playlist
Yoto: The KIDZ BOP Halloween Vol. 2 audio card is available now, giving families another way to listen to seasonal favorites.
GoNoodle: Its KIDZ BOP Halloween takeover brings classroom-friendly dance activities, “Spooky, Scary Skeletons,” the Monster Move Minutes Challenge, and a downloadable activity pack. Participating classrooms can work toward Monster Crew badges, with a classroom-surprise promotion also announced.
Chuck E. Cheese: The Halloween Boo-tacular runs through November 2 at participating locations, featuring KIDZ BOP Halloween music, themed videos, and special messages.
SiriusXM:KIDZ BOP Radio, Channel 135, is playing Halloween hits throughout October, along with special messages from the KIDZ BOP Kids.
A little spooky, a lot of silly
The best part of Halloween with younger kids isn’t always the elaborate decorations or the giant bag of candy. Sometimes it’s the spontaneous living-room dance party before everyone heads out in costume.
If your kids love music and moving around, KIDZ BOO offers plenty of easy ways to turn an ordinary October afternoon into a mini Halloween celebration. You can explore the collection at KIDZBOP.com/Halloween.
Source: KIDZ BOP publicity announcement provided by DKC, October 16, 2026. Promotional image courtesy of KIDZ BOP.
Formula 1 is already one of the most exciting sports to watch, but anyone who’s experienced a race knows the sound is a huge part of what makes it special. The engines, the team radio, the chaos of the pit lane—it’s not exactly a quiet afternoon.
Now Apple and Dolby want to bring more of that experience into your living room.
Beginning with the 2026 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix on October 23, Apple TV will introduce Dolby Atmos audio to its Formula 1 coverage, joining Dolby Vision for a more immersive race-day experience.
What Dolby Atmos brings to Formula 1
Dolby Atmos is designed to create a more immersive sound experience, going beyond traditional surround sound to give audio a greater sense of space and movement.
For Formula 1, that means bringing fans closer to the sounds that make racing so intense: roaring engines, team radio conversations, race commentary, on-track battles and activity throughout the pit lane.
It’s one thing to watch an overtake. Hearing the cars and the surrounding action with greater spatial detail could make it an entirely different experience.
Dolby Vision handles the picture
Apple TV introduced Dolby Vision for Formula 1 earlier in the 2026 season. With Atmos joining the mix, the service will offer both technologies together.
Dolby Vision provides enhanced brightness, contrast and color on compatible displays. That means everything from team liveries to the details of a race circuit can look more vivid.
Pair that with immersive audio, and Apple and Dolby are aiming to bring more of the atmosphere of a Grand Prix into the home.
How to watch F1 in Dolby Atmos
The enhanced experience launches with the U.S. Grand Prix weekend beginning Friday, October 23, 2026.
U.S. viewers will need an Apple TV subscription and compatible equipment to experience the supported Dolby features. That can include supported Apple devices, Dolby-enabled televisions, soundbars and home theater systems.
Apple TV is the exclusive U.S. home for Formula 1 coverage, including practice sessions, qualifying, Sprint races and Grands Prix, live and on demand.
The service also offers 4K coverage and Multiview options, including onboard feeds, team layouts and race data.
A different way to experience race weekend
There’s something about the sound of motorsports that a standard television broadcast doesn’t always capture. You can see the speed, but the noise and energy are part of what make Formula 1 feel like Formula 1.
Dolby Atmos won’t replace being at the track, but it could make watching from the couch a lot more exciting—especially with a good home theater setup.
And unlike some technology upgrades that are difficult to explain, this one is pretty straightforward: racing is loud, dramatic and full of movement. It deserves audio that can keep up.
The first opportunity to hear the difference arrives October 23 on Apple TV.
Source: Dolby Laboratories and Apple press announcement, October 7, 2026. DaDa Rocks received the announcement following Dolby and Apple’s October 6 preview event in New York City.
Artemis Fowl is getting another shot at the screen—this time as an animated television series. Disney announced on October 11 that it has greenlit an adaptation of Eoin Colfer’s bestselling fantasy books for Disney Channel and Disney+.
The news came from Colfer himself during the “25 Years of Artemis Fowl” panel at New York Comic Con. It’s a fitting moment for the announcement: the first novel arrived in 2001, making this year the series’ 25th anniversary.
What’s the new Artemis Fowl series about?
The show follows Artemis, a 13-year-old criminal mastermind who discovers that fairies aren’t just the stuff of bedtime stories. They have a secret underground civilization, serious firepower and advanced technology. Artemis plans to capture one and take its magic in hopes of saving his seriously ill mother.
That mix of family stakes, fantasy and high-tech mischief helped make the books a favorite among young readers. Disney says the franchise has sold more than 35 million copies and has been translated into 48 languages.
Will the author be involved?
Yes. Eoin Colfer will serve as an executive producer, alongside Ben Juwono, whose credits include Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur and Big Hero 6: The Series, and Colleen Evanson, who has worked on DuckTales and Monsters at Work.
For readers who care about how the books translate to television, Colfer’s involvement is an encouraging detail. It doesn’t guarantee a scene-for-scene adaptation, but it does mean the creator is part of the team shaping this version.
When does Artemis Fowl premiere?
Disney has not announced a premiere date, voice cast or episode count. The project has been greenlit, so families shouldn’t expect an immediate streaming debut. We’ll be watching for the first look and further production details.
New York City is about to get louder—in a good way. HONK NYC! returns October 15–18, 2026, celebrating 20 years of brass bands, percussion and community-powered music across Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn.
Rather than a single-ticket concert, HONK spreads performances across neighborhood spaces, including outdoor locations. Organizers describe the four-day program as a mix of free and affordable events, with music drawing on jazz, bhangra, Afro-Caribbean traditions and more.
Highlights from the 2026 schedule
Thursday, October 15: Opening night at Fifth Hammer Brewing in Long Island City, 6:30–9:30 p.m., with No Small Money Brass Band, Bhangra Liberation Orchestra and a participatory jam.
Friday, October 16: A Ghost Band event brings music to Midtown. Saturday, October 17: An afternoon performance is scheduled in Washington Square Park. Sunday, October 18: HONK! The Open Streets fills Underhill Plaza in Prospect Heights with afternoon music, followed by an evening finale at Loove Annex in Brooklyn.
Is it a good family outing?
For families with children who enjoy live music, the daytime outdoor events are worth considering. Because individual performances have different venues, hours and settings, check each listing before attending with younger kids. Some evening venues may be more adult-oriented.
Ready for some prehistoric fun at home? PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie is now available to watch at home, and families can add a little hands-on adventure with a downloadable packet of themed activity sheets shared by the film’s publicity team.
In the movie, Ryder, Marshall, the rest of the PAW Patrol pups and their new friend Rex team up for a rescue mission on Dino Island. The new printable activities offer kids a way to keep the dinosaur-themed fun going after the credits.
The download link is supplied by the movie’s publicity team. You’ll need a PDF viewer and, if you’d like paper copies, a printer. Adult help may be useful for younger kids.
More dino-sized PAW Patrol fun
PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie brings the rescue crew together with Rex for a dinosaur adventure. Families interested in watching can check their preferred digital movie retailer for current viewing options.
