The New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) announced the return of its annual Halloween event, Trick-or-Streets, and cut the ribbon for the new 29th Street Plaza in Long Island City, Queens. This year, the celebration will feature a record 137 car-free events planned across the five boroughs throughout October.
NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodríguez highlighted that Trick-or-Streets will bring joy, culture and safety to New Yorkers of all ages. “Throughout the month of October, NYC DOT’s fourth annual Trick-or-Streets program will bring seasonal events to plazas and open streets, like 29th Street Plaza, to bring joy, culture and added safety to New Yorkers of all ages and abilities to celebrate the Halloween season,” he said.
The 29th Street Plaza, part of the LaGuardia Community Greenway initiative, converts 17,390 square feet of underutilized roadway into a lively public space in front of LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC). Tables, chairs and bicycle racks allow students and neighbors to meet, rest and enjoy cultural activities.
The block-long asphalt mural, designed by Fine Arts student Fernanda Contreras, celebrates mobility in New York and the five subway lines that crisscross Long Island City. Kenneth Adams, president of LAGCC, noted that the mural and plaza create new cultural and business opportunities for the community.
The opening included live music from the Honk Family Band and a performance by the Ayazamana Ecuadorian Dance Group, in collaboration with the Queensboro Dance Festival. Both Rodríguez and Adams agreed that the plaza demonstrates how street transformation can enrich community life and improve road safety.
Trick-or-Streets 2025 will run from Friday, October 17 to Friday, October 31, with family events, interactive activities and special programming in plazas, open streets and other urban corridors. The city also coordinates events such as Día de Muertos, organized by NYC DOT and the Office of Immigration Affairs (MOIA), within the Open Streets program.
Since the beginning of the Adams administration, NYC DOT has created more than 1.5 million square feet of pedestrian space through plazas, expanded sidewalks and pedestrian islands. In addition to the 29th Street Plaza, the agency has made permanent improvements in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx, prioritizing pedestrian and bicyclist safety.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. stressed the importance of student and community safety: “I thank the DOT for their collaboration in building this new pedestrian plaza in front of LaGuardia Community College for the entire neighborhood, beyond our students, to enjoy.”
The full list of Trick-or-Streets 2025 events is available online at https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pedestrians/trickorstreets.shtml, inviting all New Yorkers to celebrate Halloween in safe and accessible spaces.
