New York City's Village Halloween Parade began in 1974.
Greenwich Village puppeteer and mask maker Ralph Lee initiated the first parade on October 31, 1974. It began as an informal puppet procession for children around the Westbeth Artists Community, where Lee and other artists lived and worked.
The event expanded dramatically the following year, when the route ran from Jane Street near the Hudson River to Washington Square Park. About 200 adults and children took part in 1974; roughly 1,500 participated in 1975. The Theatre for the New City helped produce the 1975 parade, adding larger theatrical elements and an adult Halloween ball.
The parade later became famous for its giant animated puppets, volunteer performers, and open invitation to costumed marchers. Formal nonprofit management began in 1976, and the route eventually moved to Sixth Avenue as attendance grew. Although answers such as 1970, 1978, or 1982 may sound plausible because the parade grew over several early years, 1974 is the founding year normally cited.