Halloween week has arrived - and the most special night of the year lands on a Saturday night with a full Hunter's Moon hanging in the sky!
There are plenty of events lined up this week leading to the big night and with so many virtual events being offered, we invite you to explore what our top virtual events are highlighted outside of your state since virtual offers cross all state lines.
Halloween New England is publishing our top picks early this week to give you plenty of time to find something to line up for every night of the week!
Halloween Week Haunted History - Special Events, Spooky Strolls, and Graveyard Walks in CT
Wednesday, October 28th - Downtown Mystic Ghost Stroll at 7:00pm
Thursday, October 29th - Moonlit Graveyard Ghost Stroll at 9:00pm
Friday, October 30th - Downtown Mystic Ghost Stroll at 7:00pm
Saturday, October 31st (Halloween) Downtown Mystic Ghost Stroll at 7:00pm AND Moonlit Graveyard Ghost Stroll at 7:00pm & 9:00pm
Sunday, November 1st - Moonlit Graveyard Ghost Stroll at 7:00pm
Read more about Seaside Shadows in Mystic, CT.
There's Still Time to Find Costumes for Halloween!
Halloween New England makes it a snap to find your state's Costume and Halloween stores. We have lists of locally-owned, year-round, as well as many seasonal pop-up stores so you're never left in the lurch finding the perfect details for your costume.
Don't forget, NH's own Costumania is offering 30% your entire purchase (online store OR in-store!) which is an excellent offer that is hard to top! If you want to make a trip to see the full range of their inventory, don your mask and head to their superstore in West Lebanon, NH.
Click to see our complete Costume and Halloween Store guides for Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
It's Halloween Week so it is your last, best chance to see as many haunts as you can pack in before your favorite season is over.
Wednesday, October 28th has just one New England area haunted attraction who'll be open so make a point to get to Fall River, MA for Factory of Terror.
Thursday, October 29th offers up none local attractions to choose from including Haunted Overload's Fright Night Lite (Lee, NH), Legends of Fear trail (Shelton, CT), Factory of Terror (Fall River, MA), 13th World (Cumberland, RI), and The Dark Manor (Baltic, CT) will be open with Student Night deal of $5 off admission with student ID.
Click for a complete list visit our Guide to which Haunted Attractions are Open Weeknights.
If ringing in your favorite night of the year involves screams, scares, fog, and the stuff of nightmares then you know what you need to do - get your butt to an area haunted house to make this night most memorable!
SIXTEEN haunted houses and trails will be open on Halloween Night including 13th World (Cumberland, RI), , The Dark Manor (Baltic, CT), Legends of Fear trail (Shelton, CT), Factory of Terror (Fall River, MA), and Haunted Overload will be presenting their annual Blackout Night (Lee, NH).
Click for a complete list visit our Guide to which Haunted Attractions are Open on Halloween.
SEVEN haunts are opening this Sunday, November 1st including Trail of Terror (Wallingford, CT), Legends of Fear (Shelton, CT) trail only, Factory of Terror (Fall River, MA), and Barrett's Haunted Mansion (Abington, MA) will be open for Screens and Screams, plus 2 more.
Massachusetts Halloween Events (Full Guide)
So many events happening in the Bay State during Halloween week-- we had a tricky time paring down to our top picks!
This Wednesday and Thursday, October 28th and 29th head to Canton for the Spooky Scavenger Hunt at Bradley Estate with your flashlight to explore the historic Bradley Estate grounds for Halloween treats! Complete with spooky music and optional cider and donuts, it's a perfect outdoor event to enjoy this gorgeous fall weather we've been having.
Also on Wednesday, October 28th, log on for some local history with the Gravestone Girls who will take you on a tour of historic Lexington, MA cemeteries with their virtual presentation Welcome to the Graveyard! An Eye on Lexington Cemeteries. This free event is open to all and hosted by the Cary Memorial Library so be sure to sign up in advance to access the Zoom link.
Another great virtual option with a darker twist is Massachusetts Serial Killers - an online lecture with historian Chris Daley. this Thursday, October 29th. This 2-part lecture discusses different approaches to tracking serial killers and highlights three Massachusetts serial killers; Thomas Piper, the "Boston Belfry Murderer," Albert DeSalvo, the so-called "Boston Strangler," and Kenneth Hanson, known as the "Giggler." Hosted online by the Rockport Library, this free event is open to all and requires pre-registration.
For true horror fans, there are lots of excellent film-related offerings coming up this week including two on Thursday - look for the "Evil Dead" / "Evil Dead II" double-feature at Mendon Drive-in. For some brainier exploration of horror, join film critic Katie Walsh who'll be discussing Brian DePalma's iconic "Carrie" as part of a via the Coolidge Corner Theatre's virtual film seminar.
Other excellent horror film screenings this Friday, October 30th include "Night of the Living Dead" / "Suspiria" Horror at the Drive-in in Charlton and the "Halloween" / "Halloween II" Double-Feature at Mendon Drive-in. Barrett's Haunted Mansion in Abington just added a special Screens and Screams showing of "Halloween" (1978) this Sunday, November 1st if you want to take your horror film watching up a notch with their interactive drive-in experience!
This Friday, October 30th there are lots of all-ages events to enjoy outdoors or right from home.
Teens might love to compete in Zombie Bingo for Young Adults at Billerica Library (Virtual) which is open to all but requires sign-up in advance. For the whole family, there is Spooky Family Trivia which is also held virtually and free to all who pre-register.
Also on Friday night, take advantage of the wonderfully crisp October evenings we've been enjoying at the Full Spooky Moon Family Hike at Castle Hill along the Crane Estate in Ipswich.
We're intrigued by the Halloween Full Moon Hike at Worlds End in Hingham this Friday night, October 30th because so much about 2020 feels like it ought to be experienced at a place called Worlds End. Costumes are encouraged at this scenic outdoor hike searching for nocturnal creature under the (nearly) full moonlight.
In scenic Southborough, MA you are invited to take a full moon guided stroll through conservation land for the Breakneck Hill Full Moon Halloween Hike taking place Saturday, October 31st. With a shorter family hike earlier in the evening and a longer adult hike starting at 8:30pm, this is a free event.
If you are not ready to let go of the Halloween frights after the 31st, check out the "Scream" / "The Blair Witch Project" Double-Feature at the Mendon Drive-in this Sunday, November 1st.
Plus, take a peek at more all-ages events coming up on the calendar on our Family-friendly Halloween Event Guide for MA.
Connecticut Halloween Events (Full Guide)
For the last of the Wednesday evening free outdoor film screenings at Pitkin Plaza, New Haven closes out their seasonal offering with everyone's beloved "Beetlejuice" on October 28th. Be sure to dress cozy for this first-come-first serve admission event!
Starting Wednesday, October 28th you can experience the just-for-2020 film adaptation of "A Haunting at Mill Hill - The Movie" which will be available to screen from home throughout Halloween week. Pre-COVID this popular annual tour was offered by the Norwalk Historical Society but this year they've made it more widely available and "distanced" by creating a film version where "ghostly entities are waiting to share their true stories of death, murder, insanity, and destruction." Purchase a ticket to the screening but you can watch at your convenience anytime from Wednesday night through midnight on November 1st.
In addition to nightly scares and screams at The Dark Manor Haunted House in Baltic, there are two additional events to highlight for them this week. Students get rewarded on Thursday, October 29th during Student Night where it's $5 off admission with ID to this spooky indoor and outdoor haunted house. For those not up for the scares and shrieks, it's your final opportunity to visit the "Daytime Matinee Haunt" on Saturday, October 31st --a low-scare, daytime, lights-on twist for some lighter-fare starting at noon.
It's Trick or Treating at Roseland Cottage in Woodstock this Friday, October 30th where "ghosts of Halloweens" past hand out candy at the historic Roseland Cottage where they put the "Gothic" in Gothic Revival.
Thursday and Friday, October 29th and 30th are the final two nights to enjoy Things that Go Bump in the Night candlelight tours of the ground and exterior building at the historic Hale Homestead. "The moonlit tour will feature the Hale Staff’s spooky encounters, as featured on the Syfy channel’s Ghost Hunters. Prepare to be scared while surrounded by the very history that spawned the stories. This tour will include creaks and cold spots and is not recommended for young souls." Remember to bring a flashlight and advance tickets suggested.
Open Friday and Saturday, October 30th and 31st, the littles will delight in the Connecticut Trolley Museum's Pumpkin Patch Trolley Rides for a ride on an antique trolley to the pumpkin patch where they can pick out their own pumpkin.
Check out "Scream" and "Coraline" on separate screens showing on Thursday, October 29th, find Michael Myers delivering terror in "Halloween" on Friday and Saturday.
All-ages film options include "Monsters, Inc." on Thursday, and "Hocus Pocus" on Friday and Saturday.
Lastly, you can don your mask and do the Time Warp on Halloween night when the Rocky Horror Picture Show returns to the drive-in in Mansfield.
Lastly, you can don your mask and do the Time Warp on Halloween night when the Rocky Horror Picture Show returns to the drive-in in Mansfield.
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)
It's a big final weekend in Lee, NH where Haunted Overload wraps up their haunt season with a series of special nights. On Thursday, October 29th you'll find their 2nd Fright Night Lite --a full nighttime light/sound/fog experience which still delivers their signature spooky atmosphere but without the actors or scares. Friday and Saturday, October 30th - 31st will be your last chance to enjoy the Daytime Haunt at Haunted Overload where you can set your own pace on a self-guided stroll through the artistic creatures and structures that line the impressively creative haunted trail. Without the actors or dark of night, the Daytime Haunt is a perfect way to enjoy the spooky atmosphere of the trail without the screams and scares.
On Friday, October 30th you can enjoy taking the hair-raising fun up a notch at Haunted Overload's Glow Stick Night where your single glow stick is the only standing between you, pitch darkness, and pure terror. However, if pure terror IS your speed, then you'll be glad to know there is also BLACKOUT Night available to you - no glow stick, just your own bravery and sense of direction to help you navigate. Appropriately, this scariest of special event nights are taking place this year on Saturday, October 31st.
Grab your pod people and buy a table at the socially-distanced but still very festive Monster Bash Dinner at LaBelle Winery in Amherst on Saturday, October 31st featuring themed-cocktails, a four-course dinner, dancing, and a costume contest in Amherst. This is a 21+ event requiring advance tickets.
For a twist on a beloved in-person event, this year the annual Halloween silent film showing event is available to you in virtual form with a pre-recorded online performance and offered to screen anytime over Halloween weekend! Available Friday, October 30th through Sunday, November 1st. enjoy the 1923 silent film classic The Hunchback of Notre Dame with Kotzschmar Organ accompaniment. Hear the improvised score created by Municipal Organist James Kennerley in this new kind of Halloween experience This concert is a Pay What You Choose event…. with prices starting at $10.
Check out more upcoming all-ages Halloween events at our Family-friendly Halloween Event Guide for fun in NH.
Rhode Island Halloween Events (Full Guide)
Halloween Storytelling for Little Monsters is a family-friendly virtual event happening this Thursday, October 29th with storyteller John Kirk sharing some seasonally spooky stories taking you on an imaginative tour of monsters, witches, and things that go bump in the night. Costumes are encouraged for this interactive online event suitable for ages 3 and up.
On Friday, October 30th join the Frosty Drew Astronomers for Spooky Views - Halloween Stargazing Experience under the (almost) full moon sky. With views of the near Full Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, and more as seen through their telescopes they will also feature activities to celebrate astronomy and Halloween. The observatory will be decked out in Halloween mode with frightful sights, spooky sounds, and candy available for all who visit them inside Ninigret Park in Charlestown, RI.
For some family fun on the farm on Halloween day, don your costume and head to scenic Portsmouth for the annual A-Mazing Halloween Party at Escobar's Farm on Saturday, October 31st.
Billed as giving a Halloween twist to the ever-familiar Nutcracker, "Clara in the Underworld: A Zombie Nutcracker" offers three days of virtual performances by the Thrive Ballet Company this "story takes place after Clara's adventure to the Land of Sweets. Join Clara as she journeys from a Halloween party to the Underworld." Virtual performances showing in the evenings on Friday and Saturday, October 30th, and 31st and daytime matinees available on Saturday and Sunday, October 31st and November 1st. Buy a ticket to access the show.
Looking for more kids' activities? Check out our Family-friendly Halloween Events Guide for fun in RI.
Maine Halloween Events (Full Guide)
For Halloween weekend - and through All Souls Day, the Kennebunk Brick Store Museum has moved their annual All Souls Walk of Hope Cemetery to a virtual format! Starting Friday, October 30th and running through Monday, November 2nd, for a small fee you can access "costumed interpreters portraying the historical figures, and share their stories of love, loss, and fate." This not-spooky presentation is suitable for all ages as you tour a dozen gravesites while learning local history, and tragic tales - all from home!
Begin at the Museum for a narrated walk with costumed interpreters through Hope Cemetery to visit the graves and hear the fascinating and sometimes tragic tales of Kennebunk residents from the past three centuries. Tour lasts about one hour. Not too spooky, it’s perfect for the whole family!
Halloween Storytelling for Little Monsters is a family-friendly virtual event happening this Thursday, October 29th with storyteller John Kirk sharing some seasonally spooky stories taking you on an imaginative tour of monsters, witches, and things that go bump in the night. Costumes are encouraged for this interactive online event suitable for ages 3 and up.
The Some Theatre Company in Bangor is holding multiple in-person, socially distanced performances of "The Woman in Black" opening Thursday, October 29th, and running for several performances through Sunday, November 1st. Option to buy adjacent seat tickets for just your pod/group to ensure physical distance from other audience members. This play presents dark and supernatural themes which are perfect fare for Halloween weekend!
For a twist on a beloved in-person event, this year the annual Halloween silent film event is available to you virtually with a pre-recorded online performance you can screen anytime over Halloween weekend! Available Friday, October 30th through Sunday, November 1st. enjoy the 1923 silent film classic The Hunchback of Notre Dame with Kotzschmar Organ accompaniment. Hear the improvised score created by Municipal Organist James Kennerley in this new kind of Halloween experience.
Kennerley "brings life, intrigue and, most importantly, brilliant musical accompaniment to Wallace Worsley’s American classic starring Lon Chaney. The film is based on Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel set in Paris in 1482, and is filled with intrigue, love-lost, betrayal, murder and every other plot twist a spectacular horror movie should offer up to its audience. This silent movie classic will be silent no more when Kennerley adds his magnificent playing to the film!" This concert is a Pay What You Choose event.
Vermont Halloween Events (Full Guide)
Halloween Storytelling for Little Monsters is a family-friendly virtual event happening this Thursday, October 29th with storyteller John Kirk sharing some seasonally spooky stories taking you on an imaginative tour of monsters, witches, and things that go bump in the night. Costumes are encouraged for this interactive online event suitable for ages 3 and up.
The HUB Teen Center & Skatepark in Bristol is serving up the final night of their Outdoor Horror Movie series with one of our faves - "Night of the Living Dead" this Friday, October 30th. Dress warm and cozy up under a blanket or on a chair.
Billed as giving a Halloween twist to the ever-familiar Nutcracker, "Clara in the Underworld: A Zombie Nutcracker" offers three days of virtual performances by the Thrive Ballet Company this "story takes place after Clara's adventure to the Land of Sweets. Join Clara as she journeys from a Halloween party to the Underworld." Virtual performances showing in the evenings on Friday and Saturday, October 30th, and 31st and daytime matinees available on Saturday and Sunday, October 31st and November 1st. Buy a ticket to access the show.
CONTESTS: Last Chance for Haunt Tickets!
Our final contest of the season is running RIGHT now but only through Thursday, October 29th so act fast to enter to win a pair of tickets to Factory of Terror. Enter all contests right from the home page of Halloween New England.
Nearly all of our contests have wrapped up but we'd like to congratulate Kelly Hanna who won tickets to Factory of Terror and Rick Cook who won 4 tickets to DementedFX.
