Weekly Top Picks for October 17th - 23rd, 2018

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, 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.

$20 DementedFX Tickets on Blood Thirsty Thursday!

College students are the big winners here this Thursday, October 18th when they can score $20 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 $20 ticket deal.
Event details

Darkness Unleashed at Barrett's Haunted Mansion Returns!

Turn out the lights, pack a house with monsters, and head inside -- designed just for the bravest of thrill-seekers and adrenaline junkies!
If you think you have the nerve to take things to the next level, you'll want to make a beeline to Barrett's Haunted Mansion in Abington, MA on next Tuesday, October 23rd to experience their high-intensity Darkness Unleashed Lights Out. Note: 16+ event.

Never too late to pick pumpkins at a local 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? 

If you're feeling stuck about your costume for this Halloween season or don't have a creative bone in your body then Costume 911 in Westport, CT to the rescue with help from theatrical costume designer C. Delari Johnston and Team MakerSpace! With 3 events coming up--including this Monday and Tuesday, October 22nd and 23rd--this FREE event will help you get on track (but you'll need to pre-register to save your spot!)

Planning to attend Costume 911 or AtmosFEAR Night but need to pick up some extras? 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.

Massachusetts 
Much is brewing in Mass this weekend! Thursday starts you off with Salem Witch Hysteria in performance in Townsend and Doggy Days Howl-o-ween at the Discovery Museum in Acton.

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's vintage Halloween Party at the historic Bull Mansion in Worcester.


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!

Saturday night calls out to the Worcester area undead to join them at the Zombie Apocalypse Party and Escape.

More Saturday Halloween highlights include the Medway Monster 5k and the afternoon Lights On Tours of Barrett's Haunted Mansion in Abington.


Sunday top picks include The Sleepy Hollow Experience in Sturbridge and the Not So Spooky Halloween at Edaville USA in Carver.
Massachusetts continues to be ground zero for a well-curated supply of horror film screenings and horror film related events each and every week.

Our top Horror Film Screening picks this week are "The Silence of the Lambs" on Monday at The Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, a matinee showing of "Psycho" (1960) in Haverhill on Tuesday. 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.

Connecticut

Our favorite New England Scarecrow Festival is also coming up this Saturday, October 20th in Wallingford where on top of the many family-friendly outdoor activities, you can also make your own scarecrow!
More family-friendly Halloween picks include matinees of Little Witches at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport.

If you love ghost tales and haunted history walks, consider Graveyard Shift Ghost Tours on Thursday through Saturday at the Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford.
Check out  Spirits Alive Cemetery Lantern Tours on Friday and Saturday in Cheshire, candlelight ghost stories at Things that Go Bump in the Night on Thursday and Friday in Coventry, and Ghosts from the Civil War Halloween Tours on Friday and Saturday at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion in Norwalk.

Sunday also brings you the first of four chances to learn and rehearse for the Thriller Flash Mob taking place in New Milford on Halloween night. All are welcome, even non-dancers, and it's FREE to learn, rehearse, and participate but you will need to pre-register in advance for one of the Thriller Flash Mob Rehearsals. And of course, you will be ready on Halloween Night when the Flash Mob emerges on the New Milford Town Common!

Costume 911 in Westport is has your back when it comes to creating a truly inspired costume for your upcoming Halloween party so be sure to pre-register for their FREE events on Monday and Tuesday October 22nd and 23rd.


Rhode Island

Thursday October 18th is the opening of six nights of Underland: Immersive Haunted Experience in Pawtucket.

For a special splurge on Saturday October 20th  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 Sunday, October 21st for a week-long examination and celebration of Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror Films. Running through October 27th.

New Hampshire

Thursday, October 18th 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!

Still too scared to see Haunted Overload in the darkness? Check them out Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10:00am-2:00pm for their Daytime Haunt which is a scare and actor-free experience enjoyed in the broad daylight.

Saturday is the annual Halloween Town event in Madison to benefit the Laura Foundation which is a kids-focused festival with Halloween-themed spooky cabins, games, trick-or-treat trail, and more.

In Wolfeboro on Saturday is The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Ballet at the Kingswood Arts Center and also on Saturday is the return of the Monadnock Pumpkin Festival in Swanzey which delivers fireworks along with pumpkin catapults, a spooky maze, jack-o-lanterns, and amusement rides.
On Sunday if you're near the Massabesic Audobon Center in Auburn, you might want to stop in for Mythbusting: Halloween Wildlife Edition for some all-ages nature fun!

Maine

Maine has the Halloween spirit this weekend! Start your weekend on Thursday the 18th with the Ghostly Bangor Walking Tour or if you can't get there Thursday, you'll have another chance to check it out on Tuesday October 23rd.

We're completely fascinated by the theme of Portland Ballet's Jack the Ripper Ballet taking place Friday and Saturday. Also in Portland on Saturday is the Portland Ghoulwill Ball costume party and fundraiser.
Saturday October 20th in Bucksport it doesn't get better than a full day of Halloween fun at Ghostport with pumpkin carving contests, pumpkin trebuchets, the Lil' Goblin Parade, a horror movie screening at the Alamo Theatre. and more!

Head back to Bangor on Sunday for a haunted history tour of the gravestones at The Darker Side of Mt. Hope Cemetery.

Grab your flashlight and head to Treworgy Family Orchards in Levant on Friday to get lost in their night maze! This Saturday and Sunday are the first of two weekends you can take a ride on the Pumpkin Train at the Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum in Portland.
Also in Portland on Saturday is the annual Ghoulwill Ball which is a lively costumed fundraiser (lots of prizes!) to support Goodwill of Northern New England. Saturday, October 21st is the only chance to catch the annual celebration Ghostport which is a lively costumed fundraiser (lots of prizes!) to support Goodwill of Northern New England.
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays are the days to take the Ghostly Bangor Walking Tour filled with tales of murders, mysteries, and history.

Vermont

Our highlight in Vermont this week is a mid-week event on Saturday, October 20th in Montpelier which is the  Trick or Trot Trail Run.

Weeknights in late-October provide 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.

Shorter lines and a more personal experience 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 21st you can find TWENTY-FIVE area haunted attractions which will have their chainsaws gassed up and ready for you!

Buy your tickets now for Haunted Overload (Lee, NH), Scary Acres (Hope, RI), Field of Screams (East Greenwich, RI) and 13th World (Cumberland, RI), Fear Town (Seekonk, MA) Ghost Ship Harbor (Quincy, MA), Barrett's Haunted Mansion (Abington, MA), DementedFX (Holyoke, MA), Legends of Fear (Shelton, CT), Trail of Terror (Wallingford, CT), The Haunted Graveyard (Bristol, CT), Fright Haven (Stratford, CT).

New Contests:  We're closing out our 4th Jack O'Lantern Spectacular ticket contest this Thursday along with our another incredible Barrett's Haunted Mansion contest to win a 4-pack of tickets to their haunt in Abington, MA.

It's your last chance to win a $25 certificate in merchandise from Costumania in West Lebanon, NH and try your luck at winning a pair of tickets to our final Vengeance in the Valley contest to see their Haunted Hayride and Maze in Guilford, VT. Last chance to win combo tickets to the closing weekend at  The Haunted Graveyard in Bristol, CT.

Enter all contests right from the home page of Halloween New England.

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

Congrats to Monica Camara and Erica Seaver who won tickets to Fear Town Haunted House, Eric Rivera won the combo tickets to The Haunted Graveyard,  Christopher Sartre and Jessicalynn Rosario who each won a 4-pack of tickets to the Jack O' Lantern Spectacular, Phil Rokosa scored a pair of tickets to DementedFX, and  Nick Grantsis got a surprise on his birthday when we drew his name for tickets to experience Ghost Ship Harbor! Matt McLeish scored tickets to Vengeance in the Valley.

Jenn Bowse won a pair of tickets to The Haunted Speakeasy, Nina Camuso won regular tickets to Haunted Overload, and Alana Dias and Michele Antunes each won a 4-pack of tickets to Barrett's Haunted Mansion!

Haunted Houses Opening Thursday, October 18th, 2018

Nightmare Vermont (VT)
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?