Weekly Top Picks for September 27th- October 3rd, 2018

With October arriving over the weekend, we are thrilled that our favorite month of the year has finally arrived! Bring on the scares, thrills, pumpkins, traditions, lights, decorated yards, haunted trails, costume contests, Halloween displays, and yes, bring on the candy too!

Halloween New England has the bases covered for you all season long with our Top Picks, highlights for the weekend, special events not to be missed, contests, and other essential info to keep you on top of everything this Halloween.

Haunt Seminars, Demos, Backstage Tours, Unlimited SpeedPass Haunt Admission, Food, and Rides at The Haunted Graveyard's Behind the Screams

Don't miss this one-of-a-kind event coming up this Saturday, Sept 29th!! The Haunted Graveyard's "Behind the Screams Experience" is an incredible backstage tour and seminar opportunity for haunt fans, home/yard haunters, and every kind of Halloween enthusiast! Event Details. 

Tour behind the scenes, access to special FX makeup and airbrush demos, seminars for learning haunt construction, lighting and sound FX, animatronics, and more.

Behind the Screams ticket *includes* admission to The Haunted Graveyard (including unlimited walk-throughs with speed pass!), access to Lake Compounce rides, 1 free Sky Coaster ticket, food, drink, t-shirt, and entry to win a Haunted Graveyard prop!
Save $$ when you buy tickets online. Limited ticket availability.

Saturday is Kids Day at Costumania's Superstore in West Lebanon, NH

New Hampshire's own year-round costume store Costumania has their special Kids Day coming this weekend. 

Pop in at Costumania's West Lebanon, NH superstore for Kids Day this Saturday, September 29th! Open 10:00am-8:00pm, every child who walks through the door gets a goodie bag and a special discount towards merchandise! Between 11:00am-3:00pm Kids can enjoy complimentary face-painting and pizza!

Situated right off Rte 89 and very close to Rte 91, their huge new store in West Lebanon has everything from wigs, makeup, costume props, character supplies, and thousands of costumes for kids, adults, and any character you can dream up. Costumania is a small family owned business in West Lebanon, NH which operates as a year-round costume store since 1994. If you do decide to shop at Costumania this season you can use the Halloween New England exclusive in-store coupon for $10 off any $40 Costumania purchase! Click here for the $10 off coupon.

Connecticut Halloween Events (full guide)

We know haunt-fans, novice haunters, and home haunters wouldn't miss the Behind the Screams event at The Haunted Graveyard coming up this Saturday, September 29th. (See more details in the feature above).

Wednesday, October 3rd kicks off a new 8-week Sculpting for Beginners course taught by Tyler Green two-time finalist on SyFy's Face Off at his studio in Litchfield, CT. Students will get an introductory to character design in 3D form by using a non hardening clay to develop skills and techniques in creating a character in clay.

Also, check out our Family-friendly Halloween Event Guide for all-ages fun in CT.

Massachusetts Halloween Events (full guide)

For the third year, Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, MA will host the immersive outdoor theatrical production of The Sleepy Hollow Experience which is back for a 6-week run on the grounds of this living history museum. Check them out Wednesday through Sunday nights and advance tickets are a must.

Lizzie Borden: The Mystery Continues is billed as a "one-hour, in depth retelling of the famous double homicide" by local history teacher Christopher Daley. Held at the Blackstone Library, this is a free event but it does require pre-registration.
Details and registration info.

Haverhill Library hosts free horror flicks during Terrifying Tuesday Nights and Classic Spooky Tuesday Matinees nearly every week in October starting Oct 2nd. Check out the 1932 "The Mummy" for the classic matinee and the 2017 Stephen King's "It" this Tuesday, October 2nd.
At Vampfangs' new Salem store this weekend you can book an appointment with Tyler Green of SyFy's FaceOff for Custom FX Teeth Consultations as he rolls out his new line of custom teeth products for zombies and monsters. You must pre-book a time by contacting Vampfangs directly and Tyler will be taking appointments on both days between noon and 6pm. Details.

Plus, check out our Family-friendly Halloween Event Guide for all-ages fun in MA.

Rhode Island

In scenic Portsmouth, RI you'll find Escobar Farm hosting their annual Pumpkin Festival at Escobar Farm on Saturday, September 29th (rain date Sept 30).

Also, on Saturday, Sept 29th (rain date Sept 30) Frerich's Farm in Warren will host their Halloween Party for Individuals with Autism and their families with a pirate ship, scavenger hunt, western town, bubble table, and food (advance registration required).

Find more kids activities on our Family-friendly Halloween Event Guide for all-ages fun in RI.

Maine

Bangor is the place to be this week where you can find two very special events lined up!
Queen City Arts kicks off a new Special FX Makeup Class for ages 15 and up. Held on Monday nights over a series of 6 weeks, this teen and adult course includes weekly instruction by a makeup professional and a makeup kit for easy home practice.

Haunted History is the name of the game at the "Darker Side of Mt. Hope Cemetery" in Bangor this Tuesday, October 2nd. This cemetery tour explores local history and is the first of three dates for this tour this October.

New Hampshire

Saturday, September 29th is the perfect day to go searching and shopping for your Halloween costume and decor needs--and the timing couldn't be better than during Kids Day at Costumania in West Lebanon, NH. Every child gets a goodie bag and a special discount towards merchandise and there's complimentary face-painting and pizza between 11:00am-3:00pm.

Vermont

Sunday, September 30th is the annual Pumpkin Chuckin' Festival in Stowe where you can cheer on the pumpkin trebuchet competition while noshing on entries to the chili cookoff!

What have we been up to? Where are we headed?

While it's early in the New England haunting season, Halloween New England packed in two trips to Salem on Saturday alone--first we dropped into Salem, Massachusetts for a few hours to check out Vampfangs new brick and mortar store, eat a slice from Flying Saucer Pizza, and visit HausWitch. Then we hit the road headed to our second Salem of the day - this time to Salem, New Hampshire-- to celebrate opening night of Screeemfest at Canobie Lake Park!

This weekend we've got plans to swing through Barrett's Haunted Mansion this week and we'll be heading to Scary Acres in Hope, RI. We just can't wait!

Looking for info on which haunts are open on Sundays? Did you know that SEVEN haunted attractions are open this Sunday, September 30th including The Haunted Graveyard (Bristol, CT) and Scary Acres Haunted House and Hayride (Hope, RI). If you love to plan your October weekends ahead like we do and want to check out haunted attractions on an off-peak night, we've compiled our essential Guide to Haunted Attractions Open on Sunday Nights.

We've got seven contests right now on Halloween New England.

Ending Soon: If you haven't yet entered, The Haunted Speakeasy is delivering the costume party of the year in Worcester, MA and we're wrapping up their ticket contest on Oct 1st so enter ASAP!
Enter all contests right from the home page of Halloween New England.


New Contests: Since last week we've added a 2nd chance to win a $25 in merchandise from

Costumania in West Lebanon, NH and a contest for a pair of tickets to Vengeance in the Valley Haunted Hayride and Maze in Guilford, VT. Ghost Ship Harbor in Quincy, MA kicked off their 2nd contest this week and look for the 2nd round to win Jack-o-lantern Spectacular tickets in Providence, RI.
The Haunted Graveyard has a contest running for combo tickets to see them during their 2nd weekend of haunting and there's still time to enter for tickets to see what Fear Town Haunted House has in store for you this season.
Barrett's Haunted Mansion is giving away a four-pack of tickets to see them in Abington, MA and another 13th World Haunted Trail ticket contest are now up for your visit to Cumberland, RI!

Visit Halloween New England's home page for contest details.

Congrats to Deltra Kroemer who won a pair of Opening Weekend tickets to The Haunted Graveyard, to Christen Clery who won Opening Weekend tickets to Ghost Ship Harbor, Ryan Lee, Sabrina Desy, and Shane Bergevin won a four-pack of tickets to Barrett's Haunted Mansion, Craig Miranda won a four pack of tickets to 13th World and Sean Burke and Ian Dincuff each won tickets to Fear Town!

Haunted Houses, Haunted Mazes, and Haunted Hayrides Opening Friday, September 28th

The Haunted Graveyard (Bristol, CT)

Legends of Fear (Shelton, CT) Haunted Hayride and Trail

Fear Town (Seekonk, MA)

DementedFX (Holyoke, MA)

Ghost Ship Harbor (Quincy, MA)

Haunted Labyrinth (RI)

The 7-1-5 Haunted House (MA)
13 Nights at Jiminy (MA)

Witch's Woods (MA) - House and Haunted Hayride

Monster Mash Haunted Hayride (MA)

Haunted Hale Corn Maze (CT)

The Haunted Isle (CT)

Fright Kingdom (NH)
Click for the complete Opening Night Guide

Haunted Houses, Haunted Mazes, and Haunted Hayrides Opening Friday, September 28th

13th World (Cumberland, RI)

Trail of Terror (Wallingford, CT)
Click for the complete Opening Night Guide

Halloween New England Top Picks for September 20th- 26th, 2018

We wait all year for this moment - the start of our favorite season!

Though the calendar reads September, devoted Halloween New England fans know the spirit of the Halloween season kicks off with the change in the temp, the turning color of the leaves, and the arrival of pumpkins at every local farm stand. Salem's Haunted Happenings Grand Parade is two weeks from today and haunt-fans across New England are thrilled to welcome the first weekend of haunt openings this weekend!

Halloween New England always has your back all season long with hundreds of upcoming events listed to help you stay on top of new Halloween experiences and alerted to new attractions. Tune in each Thursday for our Top Picks, highlights for the weekend, special events not to be missed, incredible contests, and other essential info to keep you on top of everything this Halloween. Our event calendars grow every year and you'll never find more Halloween events in a single place than at Halloween New England.

Our Family-Friendly Halloween Event Guides in several states will help you spot wonderful all-ages Halloween and pumpkin events for making memories and starting new traditions this year.

Earlier this month we posted on our blog about the one-of-a-kind experience we had during an off-season trip to the Pacific northwest to visit Ghost Ride Productions' horror prop shop.
We received a close-up look at the process of making the very Special FX horror props that we come across inside haunted houses all Halloween season long. In fact, it was such a close-up look that we participated in our first-ever lifecasting to become a full-size realistic horror prop! (Coming to a dark corner near you....)
We enjoyed touring their shop, getting to know their capable crew, seeing the jam-packed shelves holding dozens of molds responsible for making their incredible inventory--including our favorite Frank character!
If you haven't had a chance to read about Halloween New England's visit to Seattle to experience a lifecasting session for Ghost Ride Productions' new "Alexa" full size body prop, here's a quick link.

So many ways to celebrate Halloween, so little time to do it....that's why we start celebrating six weeks early--and so should you.

At this point in September, there is just a smattering of Halloween themed and seasonally inspired events. As we get closer to October 31st you'll see more highlighted events to consider across New England...and of course, we always have more listings--plus events in the future--listed on the website. To whet your appetite for the season, here are a few worthwhile events for this weekend.

With so much going on in Salem, MA October, it couldn't be a better time to check out the many tours and attractions the city has to offer. Salem Historical Tours is currently serving up five different daily walking tours every afternoon plus they add their Haunted Footsteps Ghost Tour nightly starting in October. Look for tours on Salem Haunted History, Cemetery Tours, Salem Movie Site tours, a midday Ghost Tour and a Witchcraft Walk.  It's always wise to book early and they offer discounts when you book multiple tours during your visit to the Witch City.

For the best of Salem planning, bookmark the website and social media pages for Haunted Happenings Magazine for the most updated special local Salem events and new attractions.

This Saturday, September 22nd is also the 11th annual Salem Wicked Half Marathon and walkers are welcome too!

Some special events worth highlighting for costume-lovers include the Wizards Costume Contest and a Harry Potter Cosplay Contest and Snitch Hunt at the CT RenFaire this weekend.

More Harry Potter fun this Saturday at Escobar Farm in Portsmouth, RI for their annual Harry Potter Day festivities.

Bangor Maine area folks with an interest in learning FX Makeup will want to know about a special 8-week course at Queen City Arts called SPFX Makeup Class which is open for anyone ages 15 and older.

Theatre-lovers might like to know that Jekyll and Hyde the musical opens their run on Wednesday at North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA and will feature Constantine Maroulis in the title roles. You'll have until October 7th to check it out. 

The Portland Players in Portland, ME are opening their musical production of the always hilarious and fun Little Shop of Horrors which runs September 21st through October 7th.

Vermont is hosting the biggest of the big pumpkin events this weekend with a Giant Pumpkin Weigh-in at Sam Mazza Farms.

Contests: Opening Weekend Giveaways, Ticket 4-packs,
 $25 towards Costume Merchandise, and Tickets Galore!

We've got nine contests live on Halloween New England by the end of today plus more coming on Monday! Find ALL the contests that you can enter here.

Enter to WIN a pair of tickets to Fear Town Haunted House in Seekonk, MA, win a four-pack of tickets to Barrrett's Haunted Mansion in Abington, MA, win a four-pack of tickets to 13th World haunted trail in Cumberland, RI, and another chance to win entry to the special invite-only night at Haunted Overload in Lee, NH.

Opening Weekend welcomes more winners! Enter to win Opening Weekend tickets from Ghost Ship Harbor in Quincy, MA and combo tickets (haunts + rides) for The Haunted Graveyard in Bristol, CT.
If you're looking to pick up some new additions for your Halloween Costume this year you will find a chance to win $25 towards merchandise at Costumania in West Lebanon, NH!

We're also running ticket contests for Vengeance in the Valley haunted hayride and haunted maize in Guilford, VT and you won't want to miss out on the chance to win admission to The Haunted Speakeasy which is the costume party of the season at The Bull Mansion in Worcester, MA!
Visit Halloween New England's home page for contest details and links for entering to win!

Recent Contest Winners: Congrats to Jason Avery and Stephanie Brown who won her way into the special invite-only night at Haunted Overload!

 Haunted Houses, Haunted Mazes, and Haunted Hayrides Opening Friday, September 21st

Barrett's Haunted Mansion (Abington, MA)

Scary Acres (Hope, RI) - Maze and Hayride

Marini Farm Corn MAze (MA) - non -haunted Maze

SpookyWorld - Trails and Hayride
Click for the complete Opening Night Guide

Haunted Houses, Haunted Mazes, and Haunted Hayrides Opening Saturday, September 22nd

Fright Haven (CT)

FrightFest at Six Flags New England (MA)

The Ghoullog (NH)

Screeemfest at Canobie Lake (NH)

Cucumber Hill Farm Flashlight Corn Maze (RI) - non-Haunted
Click for the complete Opening Night Guide

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?

2018 Opening Night Guide for Haunted Attractions in New England

It's baaaaaaaack!

The Halloween New England Opening Night Guide for Haunted Houses, Haunted Trails, Haunted and Flashlight Corn Mazes, and Haunted Hayrides has returned for  2018!
Posted right on our website and easy to find on every haunt page, we compiled every local haunts' opening night into a nifty guide to help you plan for your thrills this season. 
You'll never have to waste hours visiting three dozen websites looking for who is open - we did it all for you!

Be a good friend and remember to SHARE the Opening Night Guide with your fellow adrenaline junkies.

When haunts open up, it also signals the beginning of Halloween New England's season too. Nine haunted attractions will be opening up in the 3rd week in September this weekend which must surely be a record for this area. The last weekend in September -- Sept 28th and 29th -- will be another monster weekend for haunted attraction opening nights--twelve more kick off their season! By the time October arrives, we'll be in full swing.

Stay tuned for more guides all season long including our Guide to Haunted Attractions Open on Sunday Nights and Attractions Open Weeknights for the folks who love to check out haunts on off-peak nights and shorter lines. Don't forget to bookmark our Guide to Haunted Attractions Open on Halloween because what could be a better way to spend your favorite holiday?

We're thrilled to be teaming up again with New England's own 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 and Instagram or hire them to capture your Halloween attraction or event?