Creating a safe place to celebrate Halloween on the street in the Bronx

Nov 2, 2023

On Halloween, Street Lab hosted a special Open Streets event on Jackson Avenue in the Bronx as part of the NYC Dept. of Transportation’s “Trick-or-Streets” celebration, which created nearly 100 safe streets for communities to gather and celebrate citywide. Located next to PS/MS 5X, Jackson Ave is one of seven “School Streets” where Street Lab is working to create Open Streets in partnership with and adjacent to the schools as part of our New Public Space initiative.

Besides Street Lab programs, the event included activities offered by several Bronx artists and organizations, including Spooky Story Time with Boogie Down Books, Monster art-making with the BxArts Factory, obstacle course trick-or-treats with Equity Design, spooky jams from DJ Pagan Sounds, and a pumpkin giveaway with the Horticultural Society of New York. We also had a special guest, the Commissioner of DOT, Ydanis Rodríguez, join us for story time. See below for photos and coverage from BronxNet and News12 Bronx.

Bronx News Channel 12

BronxNet TV

A child dressed up as Dracula for Halloween jumping on hurdles in the street of NYC.
A group of kids jumping on hurdles on an open street in NYC.
A woman wearing a gray hoodie and a man wearing a mask giving out candy in an open street during Halloween.
A boy dressed up as Sonic the hedgehog drawing on a Street Lab's One Big Table in the street.
People drawing on an One Big Table by Street Lab at an open street in NYC.
People drawing on an One Big Table by an organization Street Lab at an open street in NYC.
A group of children listening to an adult reading a story book in the street of NYC during Halloween.
A man in a suit reading a story to a group of children in an open street.
Some children sitting on plastic benches surrounding a wooden cart with books in an open street in NYC.
People drawing on an One Big Table by Street Lab at an open street in NYC.
A woman reading a picture book to a boy on a plastic bench in a street.
A view of a car-free open street in the Bronx, NYC on Halloween Day.