Halloween New England's Top Picks for October 8th - 15th, 2014

With a three-day weekend lined up, Salem's Haunted Happenings underway, and the haunted attraction season kicking into the next gear Halloween New England is here to help you stay on top of upcoming events and new attractions opening up.

Top event picks for the upcoming week:

Heading out to Salem this week?
The Gallows Hill Witchcraft and Ghost Experience is a very fun show and they're being offered daily throughout October and The Ghosts and Legends Trolley is also offered Tues-Sun by the same talented folks who bring you the Witchcraft and Ghost Experience.
If you didn't catch it earlier, here's our article breaking down our memorable visit to see the Gallows Hill show.

Salem Historical Tours offers multiple tours daily including a Salem 101, 1692 Witchcraft Trials, a movie tour, and a cemetery tour. They are offered throughout the day at set hours and you can buy your tickets online too (highly recommended).

At the Salem Witch Museum on Wednesday October 15th, 6:30pm they'll be hosting author Jakob Crane and artist Tim Decker will talk about the making of their new graphic novel, Lies in the Dust: A Tale of Remorse from the Salem Witch Trials. All ages welcome! FREE. Details here.

The month-long Jack-o'-lantern Spectacular opened at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, RI last weekend. Check out their display of carved pumpkins every night through Nov 2nd. Details here.

If nothing says October to you quite like a pumpkin festival then New Hampshire is the place to be this weekend with three of them lined up! Click for details on the Milford NH Pumpkin Festival, the Pumpkin Festival at Charmingfare Farm, and the Somersworth Pumpkin Festival. 

Paddle your pumpkin at the Damariscotta Pumpkin Regatta!

Looking for a very unique pumpkin event? Check out this weekend's Pumpkin Regatta in Damariscotta, ME.
We are fairly fascinated by any competition that attempts to turn giant squash into boats - paddle or motorized--and them races them. Todd Sandstrum, the founder of the wonderful South Shore Great Pumpkin Challenge and Mile of Orange event in Easton, MA, will be up in Maine this weekend for the festivities and he was kind enough to share a handful of photos from this off-beat festival! Full event details for the Damariscotta Pumpkin Regatta.

Delicious and nutritious roaches

October + Hunger = Cockroach Eating Contest, right? 

Lucky ducks like you will be able to crunch your way to prizes if you win the Fright Fest Cockroach Eating Competition which is going on all weekend! The contest will be held once a day from Friday through Monday, Oct 10-13th. Details here.
If you go, we sure do want to see your pictures!!

Ride the coasters, scream in some haunts, snack on some crunchy bugs--and a Happy October to you, my friend!!

*Win Tickets* We've got multiple contests running and more being added every day!
We've got a few contests running right now to WIN a pair of tickets to see Haunted Acres in Candia, NH, tickets to see Ghoulie Manor in Taunton, MA, and to the see the Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular at the Roger Williams Zoo. Visit Halloween New England to enter the contests (ends Saturday 10/11).

Congrats to Kristina Spencer and Missy Morgan who won the tickets to see Haunted Acres and congratulations also to Joe Paredez and Lou Correia who won tickets to Fright Fest.

Where has Halloween New England been lately?

New scene this year at The Amity Road Horror in Bethany, CT

Halloween New England had an incredible start to October last weekend with our haunt tour to Connecticut.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time at The Amity Road Horror, The Haunted Graveyard at Lake Compounce, Trail of Terror, and The Only Scream in Town. For the record, we did make it to THREE haunts in an evening (but barely!) so we've checked that off our bucket list.
A special shout out to The Amity Road Horror and The Only Scream in Town for their behind-the-scenes tours and for sharing their time during their busy season. If you missed it earlier this week, check out our article on the crew behind Only Scream.
We even wrapped up the weekend with a return to Fright Fest at Six Flags New England on Sunday because quite honestly, we couldn't fit everything in during our hours the previous weekend--there's a ton to see and do.

Where is Halloween New England headed this weekend?

Credit: The Pixel Perfection:After Dark

With no shortage of attractions to visit now that most are open, we're finidng it tricky to pare down our ambition plans to see everything. 

We're looking at a Friday/Saturday/Sunday combo of the following haunts-- Haunted Acres (NH), Hysteria at Connors Farm (MA), Haunted Hill (RI), and Beelzebub's CarnEvil (MA) and possibly something on Friday if we can.

Haunted houses, trails, hayrides, and mazes opening this weekend:

Opening Thursday, October 9th, 2014
Beelzebub's CarnEvil  (MA)

Opening Friday, October 10th, 2014

The Haunting of Barrett Park (MA)

Lakeville Haunted House (MA)

Hicks Family Farm Haunted Corn Maze (MA)

Davis Farmland Haunted Mega Maze (MA)

Fear at Fort Adams   (RI)

Destination Haunt     (ME)

Harvest of Haunts Hayride & Corn Maze (NH)

Opening Saturday, October 11th, 2014

Dark Walk Haunted Camp Tour   (CT)

Harvest of Horrors Haunted Hayride (MA)