We are throttling toward Halloween and one of the biggest and most anticipated weekends of the season for Halloween thrill-seekers, haunt-goers, ghostly tale lovers, Halloween and costume party goers, adults, teens, kids, Jack-o-Lantern fans, and absolutely everyone in between.
If you don't have your pumpkins, be sure to support a local pumpkin patch from one of the many scenic farms that dot the New England landscape. We love seeing pumpkins popping up on doorsteps everywhere during our travels!
We have dozens more wonderful events listed for this week on our website but our hand-picked state-by-state highlights are listed below.
The Haunted Speakeasy kicks off this Weekend!
Friday and Saturday are the first two vintage Halloween parties of The Haunted Speakeasy's four-night season where you can sport your ghastly or Gatsby-inspired costume in a historic 100-year old former jail and courthouse in Worcester where you will be treated to Prohibition-era cocktails, live entertainment, a burlesque show, and dancing!
Advance tickets are a must for The Haunted Speakeasy (Friday and Saturday, October 18th and 19th, Friday and Saturday, October 25th and 26th).
$18 DementedFX Tickets on Blood Thirsty Thursday (Thursday, Oct. 17th) and Military Night (Sunday, Oct 20th)!
College students are the big winners here this Thursday, October 17th when they can score $18 tickets to
DementedFX Haunted House in Holyoke, MA!
DementedFX delivers an in-your-face haunt experience, room to hang out, no cover to party, and a bar that is open until they close for the night. Must show valid College ID to take advantage of this special $18 ticket deal.
Blood Thirsty Thursday event details.
On Sunday, October 20th it is
Military Night at DementedFX where veterans and military can enjoy the haunt with $18 tickets (ID required).
Military Night details.
Cirque of the Dead returns to the Oberon in Cambridge, MA
You have six opportunities to snag tickets to
Cirque of the Dead's immersive, macabre circus experience!
The Boston Circus Guild invites you to follow their “ 'paranormal investigation team' as they explore the dark recesses of a haunted theater to look for evidence of evil spirits and nefarious creatures that manifest in the shadows. Ghosts, ghouls, and creatures from beyond the grave will fill the evening with never-before-seen circus acts including aerials, acrobatics, hand balancing, and more. This immersive, adults-only Halloween spectacular is not for the faint of heart, but is filled with as much humor as it is with horror."
Performers will be suspended above you and roam the venue as you can enjoy a cocktail while taking in the festivities. This show is 18+ only, due to graphic/disturbing content. (Production uses strobe and haze effects).
Cirque of the Dead details.
Pick a perfect pumpkin at your local pumpkin patch!
As you know by now,
Halloween New England makes it so easy to find a local pumpkin patch for carving your jack-o-lanterns in time for Halloween. Add in the various community pumpkin carving contests and pumpkin displays to the mix of your pumpkin-buying needs and you will certainly need to stock up on more than a few!
We have state-by-state guides and maps to all your local farms featuring pumpkin patches and PYO pumpkins.
Click on your state for
Halloween New England's
Pumpkin Patch Guides for
Connecticut,
Maine,
Massachusetts,
New Hampshire,
Rhode Island, and
Vermont.
Still Time to Find (and get help with) Costumes for Halloween Events!
Bought your tickets to
The Haunted Speakeasy but need to complete your 1920's costume? Need some help with your zombie details?
Not every New England state can boast that they have a year-round, brick-and-mortar costume store but New Hampshire can!
Costumania in West Lebanon moved to a new, bigger store last year to offer even more to their customers! We love that owner Mark Young is the kind of guy who actually can recognize returning customers an entire year later which speaks to the kind of personalized customer experience and expertise you get if you swing by in person.
Want to get a
$10 off $40 purchase in-store coupon like the one you see here? Visit the
Costumania page to download your
$10 off coupon.
Can't get to West Lebanon? You'll be happy to learn they also feature an online store.
At Port City Makerspace in Portsmouth, NH this Friday, October 18th is their weekly
FREE Costume Building Night where you can work on creating your dream Halloween costume and the only limit is your imagination! They'll have people on hand to help assist you and you'll even have access to their classroom and electronics lab as well as tools, 3D printers, laser cutters, sewing machines and more. This Friday features an experienced maker to help guide you with adding lights and circuits to your costume!
Massachusetts Halloween Events (full guide)
Much is brewing in Mass this weekend! Friday, October 18th starts you off with the
Black as Midnight Halloween Ball in Marblehead which is billed as a Halloween Cosplay event with a costume contest, dancing, entertainment, snacks, and other festivities.
This Friday, October 19th you can get dolled up in your best flapper ensemble, imbibe Prohibition-era cocktails, and lindy-hop your way through the night accompanied by live music and performances by Niki Luparelli and the Gold Diggers at
The Haunted Speakeasy vintage Halloween Party inside a historic turn-of-the-century jail and former courthouse.
Pete's Sweets in East Longmeadow has a tasty event lined up for Saturday and Sunday, October 19th and 20th with a
Hocus Pocus Halloween Baking Class for anyone age 6 and up. Visitors will make a Hocus Pocus-themed brownie, two themed sugar cookie designs, and participate in a timed Secret Ingredient Challenge!
More Saturday Halloween highlights include the
Dead Writers Dance costumed Halloween Party in Northampton and the afternoon
Lights On Tours of Barrett's Haunted Mansion in Abington.
If you're going to be in the Witch City, book your tour with
Salem's Haunted Footsteps offered nightly at 8pm Monday through Friday. In fact, Haunted Footsteps offers multiple tours all day long in a variety of Salem-focused topics so be sure to book your reservation early!
Our top
Horror Film Screening picks this week are the outdoor
double-feature screening of "Sleepaway Camp" and "The Blair Witch Project" being held at Rocky Woods in Medfield on Friday which is an off-site event hosted by The Coolidge Corner Theatre. Outdoor overnight camping options available too if you dare--as if you could even sleep after all that anyway...
Check out
"The Amityville Horror" (1979) matinee showing in Haverhill on Tuesday, October 22nd. Those are just a few of the horror film screenings happening in Mass during this week. Click for the
full list of horror film screenings.
On Thursday, October 17th you can hone your Jack O'Lantern skills at the
Spooky Pumpkin Carving Workshop at OISS in New Haven where you can learn from an award-winning pumpkin carving artist at this carving event for adults.
In Simsbury on Friday, October 18th, the Storyteller's Cottage invites you
Art Macabre: Ghoulish Drawing where you can "spend a spooky evening in our candlelit magical and medieval spaces drawing live models as they drift by dressing as Victorian ghosts" and a local artist will be there to offer assistance as she hosts this special drawing event.
Our favorite New England
Scarecrow Festival is also coming up this Saturday, October 19th in Wallingford where on top of the many family-friendly outdoor activities, you can also make your own scarecrow!
On Saturday and Sunday, October 19th and 20th you will find the return of the annual
Ballet Spooktacular in Old Saybrook which you'll have two performances each day to catch it!
If you love spooky legends and haunted history walks, consider
Haunted: Victorian Ghost Stories on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion in Norwalk.
And on Sunday night in Simsbury, the Storyteller's Cottage hosts another great event this weekend -
Haunted Graveyard: a Wandering Mystery Game where you'll collect clues from the graveyard across the street then return back to the cottage to solve a special Halloween mystery - costumes are welcome!
On Monday, October 21st the actors from the
Spirits Alive Cemetery Lantern Tours convene in Cheshire for
Conversations from the Grave to share their in-depth experiences playing historic Cheshire residents with expanded contest and discussion.
Rhode Island Halloween Events (full guide)
On Friday, October 18th, take in some zombified crooners with "
The Rat Pack Undead: Frank, Dino, and Sammy Rise Again" at Savini's Pomodoro in Woonsocket where you'll be treated to the standards with a Halloween twist such as "Come Die With Me," "Get Me to the Crypt on Time," "What Kind of Ghoul Am I?"
For a special splurge on Saturday, October 19th is the annual
Boo at the Zoo Family Overnight at the Roger Williams Zoo where you can pack your sleeping bag and have access to VIP
Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular, ice cream, a movie with popcorn, and a private zoo tour in the morning.
On Saturday and Sunday in Providence, you'll find the annual
H.P. Lovecraft Walking Tour and your ticket will also include admission to the upcoming
Vortex Film Festival Festival.
The
Vortex Film Festival kicks off in Providence on Saturday, October 19th for a week-long examination and celebration of Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror Films. Running through October 27th.
On Saturday night October 19th in Pawtucket you can take in some lively Halloween festivities at the "
Halloween BooLesque and Cabaret 2 for 1 Theater Show" featuring Ms. Maple Devine & The Fringe Follies Gals. You'll want to be sure to come in your most fabulous costume to try your luck at one of the door prizes!
Thursday, October 17th is
Fright Night Lite at Haunted Overload which is the ideal place if you want some spooky (but not scary) fun or to just plain gawk at the artistry at New England's most original haunted trail on a night where you'll have the full atmosphere but none of the scares!
This weekend is also the annual
Goffstown Pumpkin Weigh-off (Saturday) and
Pumpkin Regatta (Sunday) where everyone will find something they love including a doggie costume contest, hayrides, pumpkin slingshots, pumpkin pie eating contests, pumpkin seed spitting contest, and culminating with the regatta where race their giant pumpkin boats down the river!
Still too scared to see Haunted Overload in the darkness? Check them out Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10:00am-5:00pm for their
Daytime Haunt which is a scare and actor-free experience enjoyed in the broad daylight.
Friday and Saturday, October 18th and 19th is the
Enchanted Forest at the McLane Center in Concord where you can wander the enchanted trail into the forest where you'll encounter larger than life creatures, plants, and characters as they perform skits about mysterious activities in nature. After the trail you can be invited to gather around a campfire for engaging stories. This is family-friendly, non-scary entertainment where early tours are offered during the daylight; later tours are on dark trails in the woods, illuminated by real jack-o-lanterns.
The pumpkin-free walking tour of
Spirit Encounters at Canterbury Village where you can hear firsthand accounts of otherworldly encounters as seen through a Shaker lens. Tours being offered this Friday and Saturday, October 18th and 19th plus the following 25th and 26th.
Maine Halloween Events (full guide)
Maine has the Halloween spirit this weekend! Start your weekend on Thursday the 17th with the
Ghostly Bangor Walking Tour for an evening filled with tales of murders, mysteries, and history. If you can't get there on Thursday, you'll have another chance to check it out on Tuesday, October 22nd.
Portland Ballet returns this October with more seasonal programming - this year featuring "
Tales by Poe" which is ballet-inspired by Edgar Allen Poe. There are two performances to check out this Friday and Saturday nights, October 19th and 20th.
Head back to Bangor on Saturday, October 19th for a haunted history tour of the gravestones at
The Darker Side of Mt. Hope Cemetery.
On Saturday, October 19th downtown Bucksport surrenders to Halloween for one special day and night for
Ghostport - an all-ages celebration of everyone's favorite holiday! Featuring the Lil' Goblins Parade, pumpkin carving contests, pumpkin trebuchets, an evening costumed dance on the waterfront and haunted thrills Fright at the Fort.
Vermont Halloween Events (full guide)
Our highlights in Vermont this week include the Thursday afternoon screening in Stowe of Benedict Cumberbatch's live theatre performance as "
Frankenstein" as performed with the National Theatre in London.
On Saturday, October 19th, for an event with milder thrills yet still delivers the spooky, try the
Not So Scary Halloween at Wilson Castle in Proctor. Kids can tour the castle in costume while they trick or treating throughout Additional fun includes costume relay race, Wrap the Mummy, bobbing for apples, pumpkin decorating, coloring contest, costume contest, and doughnuts on a string!
Weeknights in late-October provides the rare chance to see a haunted attraction in a more personal setting and with fewer crowds. Get the most from the month by carving out time to visit a local haunt on a weeknight. Plus, the closer we get to October, the more options we have! We made it super easy for you to find which haunted attractions are open on Monday through Thursdays on our
Guide to Haunted Attractions Open WEEKNIGHTS.
Thursday, October 17th, 2019
Nightmare Vermont (VT)
SpookyWorld (NH) - Trail and Haunted Hayride
Field of Screams (RI) - House and Haunted Hayride
Witch’s Woods (MA) - House and Haunted Hayride
Shorter lines and personal experiences are what you get when you check out an attraction on an off-peak night. Veteran haunt-goers know to get the most out of the season by visiting haunted attractions on as many off-peak nights as possible. You're in luck--Halloween New England makes it easy with our handy
Guide to Haunted Attractions Open Sundays.
In fact, this
Sunday, October 20th you can find TWENTY-THREE area haunted attractions which will have their chainsaws gassed up and ready for you!
Buy your tickets now for
Haunted Overload (Lee, NH),
The Dark Manor (Baltic, CT), Evidence of Evil (Southington, CT), 13th World (Cumberland, RI), Fear Town (Seekonk, MA)
, Barrett's Haunted Mansion (Abington, MA), DementedFX (Holyoke, MA), Legends of Fear (Shelton, CT), Abandoned Nightmares (Plymouth, NH) Trail of Terror (Wallingford, CT), The Haunted Graveyard (Bristol, CT), and Fright Haven (Stratford, CT).
What has Halloween New England been?
Last weekend we had memorable weekend in Connecticut and where we toured through Legends of Fear in Shelton, CT and Fright Haven in Stratford; we took in a triple-header on Saturday starting our night at Evidence of Evil in Southington, CT, followed by our first-ever visit to Haunt on Eden in Plantsville, CT and wrapped up our night of screaming at The Haunted Graveyard in Bristol, CT.
On Sunday, we popped into to check out the family-friendly entertainment at Pumpkintown USA in
For the upcoming Columbus Day Weekend we are venturing back to CT for the full weekend where you might run into us at Legends of Fear (Shelton, CT), Fright Haven (Stratford, CT), Evidence of Evil (Southington, CT), Haunt on Eden (Plantsville, CT) and The Haunted Graveyard (Bristol, CT)
On our way back to MA we hope to stop to see Pumpkintown USA (East Hampton, CT). What an incredible weekend it was and we can't thank everyone enough for hosting us!
Haunted Houses Opening Thursday, October 17th, 2019
Haunted Houses Opening Friday, October 18th, 2019
Harrybrooke Haunted Trail (CT)
We're thrilled to have teamed up again with the uber-talented The Pixel Perfection: After Dark whose incredibly creepy and inspiring haunt photos populate the guides again this year. As always, we know you love their photos...just please don't steal their photos! Why not just follow them on Facebook or Instagram or hire them to capture your Halloween attraction or event?
