After 11 months of waiting and counting down the days, our favorite month is here at last! Even if the temperatures have remained warmer than usual, the blustery wind and the clusters of golden leaves gathering along the sidewalk edges and tumbling across parks and yards do manage to make New England looks like October ought to! Before we know it, there will be a chill in the air and our wool sweaters will make an appearance with our scarves.
Event-wise, things are still ramping up slowly which is likely to be how things unfold over the next month. As we highlighted last week, there are more virtual/online events than ever so we encourage people looking for online Halloween fun to poke around in other states' Halloween New England Event Guides. Bonus, there are more weeknight online events so you might even be able to pack in more Halloween-themed presentations and virtual events in a give week than you would in a more typical season.
The Jack O'Lantern Spectacular Delivers 32 Nights of Glow Starting Oct. 1st
In 2020 this annual pumpkin festival has been reimagined to facilitate an engaging drive-through experience to enjoy thousands of hand-carved carved Jack o' lanterns on display fitting a different arcing theme every year.
Held 7 nights a week from October 1st through Nov. 1st, you'll be treated to a breathtaking display of carved pumpkins and pumpkin displays, It's a perfect and safe way to spend a crisp fall evening and you still have time to try your luck at winning a pair of tickets on the Halloween New England website.
Massachusetts Halloween Events (Full Guide)
Yet another great event is slated for this Thursday, October 1st - for some under-the-moonlight culture, Full Moon Tours at deCordova Museum are small-group, outdoor, socially distanced guided tours of the sculpture museum grounds.
For a creepier doubleheader at the drive-in, on Friday and Saturday, October 2nd and 3rd you find screenings of "The Conjuring" and "IT" at the Mendon Drive-in.
Two more virtual presentations are slated for this Monday, October 5th - both via Zoom. Check out "Halloween: A Haunted History" Lecture offered virtually by the Medford Public Library and the Southwick Library offers up a presentation focused on Massachusetts Serial Killers. Both events require pre-registration.
Plus, take a sneak peek at all-ages events coming up on the calendar on our Family-friendly Halloween Event Guide for MA.
Connecticut Halloween Events (Full Guide)
Dustin Pari is offering two virtual supernatural-focused presentations this week - check out "Spirits of New England" on Thursday, Oct 1st hosted on Zoom by the Branford Library, and on Wednesday, October 7th you'll find a more global focus with "Spirits of the World" hosted on Zoom by the Cheshire Library. AS with all Zoom events, pre-registration is required to access the link.Night Fall Hartford returns this Saturday, October 3rd with a magical, free, community performance celebrating seasonal change through art, dance, music, and Anne Cubberly’s legendary giant puppets.
For their 9th Annual Show, they've transitioned to the screen and their multi-talented, multicultural performers are taking the creative wheel and bringing you the show online! Event details.
A Halloween Story - Samhain Feast is an evening-long outdoor, socially-distanced gathering on Tamarack Lake happening this Saturday, October 3rd in Voluntown. Costumes, cocktails, music, psychics, and vendors. They'll have food service, lawn games, a fire-pit, entertainment, and the add-on option to glamp overnight in a tent! Details
Nightmare on Main in Willimantic is happening this Saturday and Sunday, October 3rd and 4th. With afternoon and evening tours every 20 minutes, this Halloween-Themed History Exhibit is billed as "a socially distanced museum tour through gruesome and gripping stories about mythical characters that have terrified every culture around the world through the ages. Humans have conjured up monsters to understand the unexplainable evil in the world."
Brush up on your local history with this virtual lecture The Connecticut Witch Trials hosted on Zoom through the Seymour Public Library on Tuesday, October 6th. As always, register in advance to get the Zoom link!
Check out more upcoming Halloween events for kids at our Family-friendly Halloween Event Guide for all-ages fun in CT.
Nightmare on Main in Willimantic is happening this Saturday and Sunday, October 3rd and 4th. With afternoon and evening tours every 20 minutes, this Halloween-Themed History Exhibit is billed as "a socially distanced museum tour through gruesome and gripping stories about mythical characters that have terrified every culture around the world through the ages. Humans have conjured up monsters to understand the unexplainable evil in the world."
Brush up on your local history with this virtual lecture The Connecticut Witch Trials hosted on Zoom through the Seymour Public Library on Tuesday, October 6th. As always, register in advance to get the Zoom link!
Check out more upcoming Halloween events for kids at our Family-friendly Halloween Event Guide for all-ages fun in CT.
New Hampshire Halloween Events (Full Guide)
Pumpkin Festival will be underway at Charmingfare Farm over the next two weekends - the first of which takes place this Saturday and Sunday, October 3rd and 4th. It's a family-focused festivity with live music, pumpkin decorating, tractor train Rides, horse-drawn rides to Carlton’s Hay Maze, and pony rides. As with most things these days, be sure to purchase your ticket in advance as tickets have moved online.
The Plainfield Pumpkin People drive-along displays have begun to pop up along Routes 120 and 5A in Plainfield and more displays will continue to be added throughout October. Recent years have offered up over 250 pumpkin people in the yards of Plainfield homes --ready for you to drive by and spot along the way! Starting October 10th, local Plainfield businesses will have paper maps available to have you plot your route.
Check out more upcoming all-aged Halloween events at our Family-friendly Halloween Event Guide for fun in NH.
Rhode Island Halloween Events (Full Guide)
The Jack O'Lantern Spectacular (see feature above) is definitely the biggest event to capture our attention in Rhode Island this week. They're open 7 nights a week now (Oct 1st) through Nov 1st and the admission is charged by the vehicle (not per person) for this drive-through carved pumpkin display. They've also gone with digital tickets and assigned time-slots for entrance this year so be sure to buy your tickets in advance! Details on the Jack O'Lantern Spectacular.Vermont Halloween Events (Full Guide)
This Friday, October 2nd is a unique Public Investigation at Wilson Castle in Proctor. This mini-grouped, fully-masked, paranormal investigation will take place inside this historic castle and there is eve an option to stay overnight!
Maine Halloween Events (Full Guide)
The event listings are starting slow this month in beautiful Maine but we encourage Mainers to explore the many (open-to-all) virtual Halloween events happening in other states. Zoom is able to cross state-lines so definitely check out virtual events across New England this week (including a few listed above). 
In Wells this Thursday, October 1st, you might enjoy soaking up the moonlight and wildlife with the outdoor Full Moon Walk at the lovely Wells Reserve at Laudham and you'll need to make a reservation to attend this event.
If you've ever wanted to stretch your spooky story-telling muscle but could use a little support, you might enjoy the online Halloween Storytelling Class - a 4-week (all Monday night) Zoom course offered by Stomping Ground Comedy. This course will focus on finding inspiration and sources for scary stories, building suspense and tension in the audience, creating audience engagement through details and specifics, and performance techniques for telling your stories to an audience. There is a fee for this course and pre-registration is required.
If you've ever wanted to stretch your spooky story-telling muscle but could use a little support, you might enjoy the online Halloween Storytelling Class - a 4-week (all Monday night) Zoom course offered by Stomping Ground Comedy. This course will focus on finding inspiration and sources for scary stories, building suspense and tension in the audience, creating audience engagement through details and specifics, and performance techniques for telling your stories to an audience. There is a fee for this course and pre-registration is required.
Plan ahead for your October weekends by checking out haunted attractions on a Sunday night! This weekend there are EIGHT haunted attractions open this Sunday, October 4th including 13th World (Cumberland, RI), and The Dark Manor (Baltic, CT). Sundays often offer shorter lines and a more personal experience-- so what are you waiting for?
Find the complete list on Halloween New England's Guide to Haunts Open on Sunday Nights.
CONTESTS: Opening Weekend Giveaways, Invite-Only Nights, and Tickets Galore!
We've got seven contests live on Halloween New England right now plus more posted over the weekend! Find ALL the contests that you can enter HERE.New Contests: Since last week we've added our one-and-only contest for VIP tickets to Trail of Terror in Wallingford, CT, and a brand new chance for two winners to score a ticket to the sold-out Screens and Screams horror double-header film experience at Barrett's Haunted Mansion in Abington, MA. We've got a new car-load ticket giveaway for Providence, RI's Jack O' Lantern Spectacular for you enjoy as a drive-through experience. You'll also be able to try your luck winning a four-pack of tickets to 13th World Haunted Trail in Cumberland, RI..
Ending Soon: Our 2nd Seaside Shadows Haunted History Tour wraps up soon and so will your final chance to win VIP tickets Haunted Overload's Oct 8th invite-only night. Sunday is your deadline to enter our current contest for a pair of tickets to The Dark Manor Haunted House in Baltic, CT.
Visit Halloween New England's home page for contest details and links for entering to win!
Congratulations to recent contest winners including Kiana Ka and CJ Beale who won tickets to Haunted Overload's VIP night, Maly Aroun and Stephanie Austin scored admission to the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular in Providence, David Gonsalves won tickets to visit Barrett's Haunted Mansion's Screens and Screams this weekend. Ian Antoniou and Eric Rivera each scored a pair of tickets to check out The Dark Manor Haunted House in Baltic, CT!
Haunted Houses, Haunted Mazes, and Haunted Hayrides Opening Friday, October 2nd
The Dark Manor Haunted House (Baltic, CT)
Trail of Terror (Wallingford, CT)
13th World Haunted Trail (Cumberland, RI)
Seven Cedars Haunted Hayride (RI)
Dead North (VT)
Trail of Terror (Wallingford, CT)
13th World Haunted Trail (Cumberland, RI)
Seven Cedars Haunted Hayride (RI)
Dead North (VT)
Haunted Grandview Manor (ME)
Destination Haunt (ME)
Destination Haunt (ME)
Witch's Woods (MA)
Nightmare on Wolcott Street (CT)
Fright Kingdom (NH)
Fright Kingdom (NH)
Hicks Farm Flashlight Night Maze (MA)
Haunted Houses, Haunted Mazes, and Haunted Hayrides Opening Saturday, October 3rd
Haunt on Eden (CT)
The Monser Mash Haunted Hayride (MA)
The Monser Mash Haunted Hayride (MA)
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?
