Rooted in the Samhain festival, All Hallows Eve is a big deal in the city, with the Village Halloween Parade being one of the main attractions for both locals and tourists alike. But you can add another event to your celebrations as Candlelight Halloween returns to NYC, recreating eerie compositions at some of the city’s best venues. Tickets are already on sale because they’re known to sell out.
Candlelight Halloween: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics
The Nightmare Before Christmas medley captures Jack Skellington’s journey from Halloween king to Christmas convert, while Charles Gounod’s “Funeral March of a Marionette” provided Alfred Hitchcock with his signature television opening, and Dmitri Shostakovich’s “String Quartet No. 8” brings genuine classical horror through raw, unsettling textures.
These diverse pieces find unity through the string quartet’s remarkable adaptability. Classical masterpieces and pop culture anthems receive equal treatment from musicians who understand both technical precision and emotional storytelling. Their instruments create a range of sounds that build and release tension, using sliding scales for creeping dread and sudden dynamic shifts for shocking jolts. This sonic experience is all amplified by the concert’s sea of flickering candles, adding a touch of mystery to the evening.
Candlelight at Church of the Heavenly Rest
Soaring Gothic Deco arches and a vast, vaulted interior at the Church of the Heavenly Rest create a breathtaking backdrop for thousands of candles, their glow accentuating intricate stonework and casting dramatic shadows along the beautiful balcony and nave. The 60-minute concert allows audiences ample time to be enveloped in this ethereal, candlelit ambiance, heightening the sense of mystery and reverence unique to this historic Manhattan landmark.
As the string quartet performs Funeral March of a Marionette – Charles Gounod, Beetlejuice (Theme) – Danny Elfman, and In the Hall of the Mountain King – Edvard Grieg, the interplay of flickering light and haunting melodies conjures an elegant spookiness. With demand high, planning early ensures you won’t miss one of the most popular Halloween experiences in New York City.