Halloween New England Top Picks for October 8-14th, 2015

Halloween New England is a busy "place" right now. It's is always wonderful to see the buzz of activity on the website, the Facebook responses, and the blog feedback because it is just a reminder that our fellow New Englanders are just as excited about this time of year as we are and we're not the only ones plotting and planning our night tours and haunted attraction adventures.  We'll keep you ahead of the game with our guides and event listings so you won't miss out.

Top Event picks for the upcoming week:

With the season in full swing there is plenty of variety for our Top Pick events at this time of year.

If you are near Bridgeport, CT you may want to catch a performance of Sleepy Hollow running every Saturday and Sunday from Oct 10th through Nov 1st.

Another interesting show worth catching that is also billed as family-friendly is the Haunting Gardens of Naumkeag being put on by the Royal Frog Ballet.

If you're headed to Salem over the next month, consider checking out the Haunted Dinner Theatre at the Hawthorne Hotel which is running every weekend through November 7th.

For those craving protein with a little crunch (and maybe wings) then you;ll want to make a beeline for Fright Fest at Six Flags New England this weekend where you can jump in on the Cockroach Eating Contests happening all weekend.

New Hampshire is busy this weekend as they host the Milford Pumpkin Festival and the Pumpkin Festival at Charmingfare Farm.

If you are looking to stock up on cool new/used props, decor, and lighting for your haunt, yard decoration, or home/yard haunt you will want to make a point to stop by for the Annual Halloween Yard Sale at Haunted Acres this Saturday morning, October 10th. (Cash only)

For those eager to celebrate the season with a costume contest, Slater Mill in Pawtucket, RI is having a Halloween Costume Party and if you love horror films, you will want to swing up to Vermont for the Ax Wound Film Festival which is a full day of horror short-films.

One of the quirkiest pumpkin events of the year is coming up this weekend in Damariscotta, ME where you can spend the long weekend at the Damariscotta Pumpkin Regatta. If you have ever wanted to see giant pumpkins turned into boats (with separate motorized and paddle categories), painted in crazy designs, and raced against one another then the folks in Maine have the festival for you.

We've got five contests right now on Halloween New England. Enter to WIN a pair of tickets to Haunted Acres in Candia, NH, Haunted Overload haunted trail in Lee, NH, Fright Kingdom in Nashua NH, Amity Road Horror haunted trail in Bethany, CT, and the Jack-o-lantern Spectacular at the Roger Williams Zoo in Providence, RI. Visit Halloween New England's home page for contest details.

Congratulations to Michelle Rodriguez and Michael Palmisano who won the tickets to The Amity Road Horror, Gabrilelle Montevecchi and Jessica Mauro won the tickets to the Jack-o-lantern Spectacular, John Sanidopoulos snagged the Haunted Overload contest, and Sarah Johnstone, Tina Poxon won a pair of tickets to Haunted Acres, Michelle Thomas, and Tommy Ryan won tickets to Fright Kingdom!

Want to know who is open on weeknights and Columbus Day? 

Halloween New England always makes sure you're not left hanging when you are itching to get your scares and screams on. Check out our new Guide to Haunted Attractions Open on Weeknights (and yes, that includes who will be open this Monday/Columbus Day.

And don't miss our Guide to Haunted Houses, Trails, Hayrides, and Corn Mazes Open on Sundays.

What has Halloween New England been up to?

We had a blast last weekend at The Day of the Dead Scavenger Hunt and Party in the Pines in Taunton, MA where we spent hours learning more about the notorious Bridgewater Triangle, visiting murder sites, finding locations with haunted lore and items with Halloween themes. It was a complete blast and we can't wait to do it again next year!

We also stopped by Fright Kingdom in Nashua, NH to celebrate their opening night and we also popped by Scary Acres in Cranston, RI to jump on our first haunted hayride of the season and to be reminded that there are few things more quintessentially "fall" for us than wandering through a corn maze in the dark.

Our weekend is full of ideas for adventure and short on specifics. We're hoping to be at Night Fall in Hartford, CT on Saturday and catch a few haunts or ghost tours over the weekend. We're eyeing a swing through Fear Town in Seekonk, MA and Haunted Hill in Cumberland, RI--we'll let you know where we end up!

If you are looking ahead to plan your October weekends but want to check out haunted attractions on an off-peak night, we have your Guide to Haunted Attractions Open on Sunday Nights.

Haunted houses, trails, haunted hayrides, and haunted corn mazes opening Friday, October 9th:

Vengeance in the Valley (VT) Haunted Hayride and Haunted Corn Maze

Lakeville Haunted House (MA)

Hicks Haunted Corn Maze (MA)

Blood Fields (MA) - Haunted Hayride and Trail

Harvest of Haunts (NH) – Haunted Hayride and Haunted Corn Maze  

Haunted Maize at Sherman Farm (NH)

Schoolhouse: Halls of Horror (ME)

Haunted houses, trails, haunted hayrides, and night corn mazes opening this Saturday, October 10th:

Harvest of Horrors (MA) – Trail and Haunted Hayride

*as always, if the weather is lousy it's wise to double check that the event is open as some may close for inclement weather