Not too spooky

NYC celebrates Halloween on Oct. 31. If Halloween falls on a weekday, there may be parties the weekend prior, but the real deal is always on the actual day. Last night, I watched the Village Halloween Parade from 6th Avenue. The parade event is at the same time organized and quite loose ... if you want to march in the parade, you just show up in costume at a staging spot in Soho and get in line. The costumes are typically very creative. Some people wear costumes they've planned for months and are flawlessly executed; others are more spontaneous, but still original. There are impressive puppets, and some marching bands to keep the energy up. The best part: Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley from KISS were the grand marshals. Met Charles & Tyson for a late dinner at Yuca Bar; the restaurant's front windows facing Avenue A yielded some great people-watching.