New York's Village Halloween Parade
This annual Halloween tradition was started in the early 1970s by puppeteer Ralph Lee. He created the parade as an attempt to encourage the celebration of the holiday; which had been waning at the time. The parade has become a large affair with masked marchers and gigantic rod puppets. The event has taken on a similar air as the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans, Lousiana.

The festival brings in international spectators and was even the subject of a Lou Reed song. Each year the parade planners choose an overall theme for the parade. For example: the theme for Halloween 2007 is "Wings of Desire". The official planners for the event design their puppets and costumes around the chosen theme. Other participants are not held to the theme but many utilize it in their costume designs.

The parade takes place on Halloween night.