Why does a Halloween parade that lines up at West New York Town Hall carry the name of a Thanksgiving custom that most of the country forgot about a century ago?
West New York calls its October 30 event the Fall Festival, Ragamuffin Parade and Trunk or Treat. The name goes back to New York in the 1870s. Children across the river then went out on a different holiday entirely, asking strangers for treats. They were called ragamuffins. What North Hudson does with that custom in 2026 explains why Halloween here runs over a full week on town calendars, with each town's version run a little differently.
"Anything for Thanksgiving?"
The Three Village Historical Society on Long Island traces the phrase back to children dressed as beggars. On Thanksgiving Day they would greet a passerby or knock on a door with one question, "Anything for Thanksgiving?" The custom grew in the 1870s, after Lincoln declared the Thanksgiving holiday in 1863. The society calls it a possible predecessor of modern Halloween.
The society says the custom is mainly associated with New York City. The ragamuffins got candy, fruit and sometimes coins. Anyone who refused could expect a trick. Over time the beggar costumes gave way to face paint and store-bought masks. The children, by then also called "maskers," paraded through their neighborhoods and collected treats as they went. The Library of Congress holds Bain News Service photos of these Thanksgiving maskers from around 1910, and one from 1911 shows a child having a masker's face painted.
According to the same account, the custom faded during the Depression and drew local opposition until it had all but disappeared. The Macy's Thanksgiving Parade and Halloween took its place.
Where the Name Held On
The society found that some Long Island towns kept the "Ragamuffin Parade" name long after the door-knocking ended. By the 1950s, though, it described a community Halloween parade, not anything held on Thanksgiving Day. The same thing happened on this side of the Hudson. The Thanksgiving custom became a Halloween parade, and the old name stayed with it.
Hoboken is the best-known local example. Its Halloween parade, also called the Ragamuffin Parade, has been held every year since 1963. A Hoboken newspaper from October 1968 advertised the sixth annual PBA parade, which fits a start in the mid-1960s. In 2017 the city's own notice still called it the annual Ragamuffin Parade and Costume Contest. One local telling of the history, in Hoboken Girl, adds that during the Depression, the custom gave poor children a chance to go door to door for money or food after Thanksgiving. Over time, both the costumes and the asking moved to Halloween.
The name isn't limited to Hudson County. In Bergen County, Wood-Ridge lists its "annual Wood-Ridge Ragamuffin Parade" for Saturday, October 31, 2026. Lineup is at 1:30 p.m. at 200 Johnson Drive, and the parade steps off at 2 p.m. into the Wood-Ridge Athletic Complex.
West New York's Version Runs on a Town Calendar
West New York's parade keeps the shape of the old custom. Children in costume walk from one place to the next, and treats wait at the end. The town now sets the route, the start time and the date.
That date changes from year to year. The earliest coverage of the town's Ragamuffin Parade found for this post is from 2022. That year it fell on Halloween itself, a Monday. Lineup was at 4 p.m. at Town Hall, the parade ended at the Little League Field, and Trunk or Treat followed at 5 p.m. In 2023 the town held it on Friday, October 27. In 2024 it was Friday, October 25. No source located for this post says when the parade first started.
This year it is on Friday, October 30, the day before Halloween. Costume lineup starts at 4:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 428 60th Street. The parade goes to Miller Park, 5800 Jackson Street, and Trunk or Treat begins there at 5 p.m. Because Halloween falls on a Saturday in 2026, the parade no longer competes with the holiday for the same evening.
Halloween Here Is a Week
West New York isn't the only North Hudson town running its own event. Each town has set its own day, and in 2026 those days stretch from one Saturday to the next. In order:
- Saturday, October 24. Weehawken holds its Halloween Trunk or Treat from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Weehawken Waterfront Complex. North Bergen's official October calendar lists a Trunk or Treat the same day at 12 p.m.
- Sunday, October 25. Guttenberg's annual Howl-O-Ween dog costume contest runs from noon to 2 p.m. at Waterfront Park, 7100 River Road.
- Friday, October 30. West New York's Ragamuffin Parade lines up at 4:30 p.m., and Trunk or Treat in Miller Park starts at 5 p.m.
- Saturday, October 31, midday. Guttenberg holds a children's Haunted Hallway and Trick or Treat at noon at the Gerald R. Drascheff Community Center, on Hudson Avenue between 68th and 69th Streets. Hoboken's parade runs down Washington Street from 10th Street toward 5th Street, with live music, floats and costumes. As of the September preview, no start time had been published.
- Saturday, October 31, evening. Union City's free Children's Halloween Festival runs from 5 to 7 p.m. on 15th Street between Bergenline Avenue and New York Avenue. Later, Guttenberg hosts an adults-only 1980s Halloween party from 7 to 10 p.m. at Galaxy Towers Mall, 7002 Boulevard East.
Since the towns use different days, a family can attend more than one of these events, as long as each event's own rules allow it.
The Fine Print Changes at Each Town Line
Those rules differ more than the posters suggest. The Ragamuffin custom began as children asking anyone on the street. Its municipal version sometimes comes with registration, residency and a headcount.
| Town | Event | Date and time | Location | What the town lists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weehawken | Halloween Trunk or Treat | Sat., Oct. 24, 1–3 p.m. | Weehawken Waterfront Complex | Free, residents only, children ages 1–12 must register by Oct. 23, maximum of 500 |
| North Bergen | Trunk or Treat | Sat., Oct. 24, 12 p.m. | Not yet listed | Calendar entry only |
| West New York | Fall Festival, Ragamuffin Parade and Trunk or Treat | Fri., Oct. 30, 4:30 p.m. lineup | Town Hall to Miller Park | Costume lineup at Town Hall |
| Guttenberg | Haunted Hallway and Trick or Treat | Sat., Oct. 31, noon | Gerald R. Drascheff Community Center | Children's event |
| Union City | Children's Halloween Festival | Sat., Oct. 31, 5–7 p.m. | 15th Street, Bergenline to New York Avenue | Free |
| Hoboken | Halloween Parade | Sat., Oct. 31, time not yet listed | Washington Street, 10th to 5th | Open to all |
Weehawken's event has the most structure. Sign-up runs through the township's RecDesk program page. Registration opened September 7 and closes October 23. The event is free and limited to residents, only children ages 1 to 12 should be registered, and the program caps enrollment at 500. If you register late and the cap has been reached, you can't attend, so the October 23 date matters more than the event date.
North Bergen is the one to check again before October 24. Its 2026 calendar gives the date and a noon start but no location. Last year's municipal notice placed the event at the Recreation Center baseball field on 64th Street between Cottage and Durham Avenues. It ran from noon to 2 p.m., children didn't need to register, and proof of residency was required. That was the 10th annual event, held on November 1, 2025. Those details describe 2025 and may not apply this year. The township's announcement will settle it.
Hoboken's parade is the closest of the group to the open custom. It is led by Hoboken Cultural Affairs and supported by the Hoboken Business Alliance, which is working to bring business floats back this year. An older tourism listing gives a Sunday, 3 p.m. slot. That listing dates from 2021, when Halloween fell on a Sunday. It doesn't reflect the 2026 schedule.
Guttenberg's October 2026 newsletter puts all three of its events on one page: the dog contest, the children's Haunted Hallway and the adults-only party at Galaxy Towers Mall. It is the easiest town calendar to keep on the fridge.
Halloween weekend is when you see your neighbors' doorsteps at their most decorated, and it's a good time to wonder what your own place on the block is worth. Whether you're in Weehawken, West New York or anywhere along the Gold Coast, Monica Capellan offers a free consultation or home valuation in English or Spanish. When you're ready, she can give you a clear, calm read on your home.
