Marine Park hosts party in the pumpkin patch featuring costumes, crafts and climbing

MARINE PARK — “Costumes, games and fall fun! What more can you ask for?” said State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, when asked about the Marine Park 34th Halloween Fall Festival. 

His words rang true on Saturday afternoon when the festival drew nearly 3,000 participants who came to celebrate mid-fall and the Halloween season with their families. The festival is organized annually by the Marine Park Community Association along with the New York City Dept. of Parks & Recreation.

At the festival’s “pumpkin patch,” kids chose small pumpkins to decorate at nearby tables. Other attractions included face painting, balloon animals, temporary tattoos and popcorn. 

The festival’s costume contest awarded ribbons and gift cards to kids for their creative attire. Among the winners were a tyke in a tiny chef outfit and another clad adorably as Super Mario.

True to tradition, the City Parks Foundation’s popular CityParks PuppetMobile provided free marionette shows for attendees of all ages. For older kids and adults, the NYPD contributed to the festivities by bringing in a towering rock wall. 

“We were proud to co-sponsor this exciting event in partnership with the Marine Park Community Association. It was a fun-filled day for the community, and especially for the children,” said Marine Park Director Margot Perron. “It was truly a collaborative effort as the Marine Park Community Association, NYPD, our Urban Park Rangers and students from the local high school rallied together to bring crafts, a climbing wall, face painting, puppets and much more to this festival.”  

Paul Link of the Marine Park Community Association said that this was the first year that the event was held on the Fillmore Avenue side of the park, between Madison Place and Marine Parkway. The organizers plan to keep the festival in this location for future years. 

“The Marine Park Fall Festival is a valued local tradition and I am glad that members of my team could be there to join in the fun,” said Gounardes, who sent representatives to the event.