Halloween New England Top Picks for Oct 29th-Nov 3rd, 2015

So many haunted attractions, so little time left! 
If you have ever wanted to attend haunted attractions on six consecutive nights--this is the week to do it!

Want to know  who is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week? Click on our Weeknight Guide to find out!

Need help deciding on where to go on Halloween? We have a list of everyone who will be Open on Halloween!

Not happy when Halloween is over but the itch persists to find more thrills? Out Sunday Night Guide will tell you which haunted attractions, hayrides, and corn mazes will be open on November 1st.

Top Halloween Event Picks for the Upcoming Week:
We've finally arrived at Halloween Week and there are plentiful ideas for how you can celebrate with costume parties, Halloween bashes, horror-genre inspired performances, historical ghost tales, and more. Here are our state-by-state highlights from this week's events calendar:

Connecticut will play host on Thursday, October 29th to the Haunted Hall Crawl & Costume Ball in New Haven, CT and you can get your fair share of mileage out of your costume this year if you follow it up with the Wadsworth Mansion Haunted Halloween Bash in Middletown, CT on Friday, October 30th.

What would a Halloween weekend be without an opportunity to see The Rocky Horror Show Experience? You're in luck because the Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport, CT will be hosting the film and live floor show for you on Friday and Saturday, October 30th and 31st.

Hartford, CT is where you'll find the Hallowed History Lantern Tour at Cedar Hill Cemetery on Friday, October 30th.

New Hampshire is busy with all kinds of Halloween events. Families can tour the Plainfield Pumpkin People display from the comfort of their car all along Rte 120 in Plainfield , NH on Thursday through Saturday, October 29th-31st.

For a change of scenery, runners may want don their glow necklaces to check out the nighttime Let's Glow 5k Run taking place along the Northern Rail Trail in Lebanon, NH on Friday night, October 30th.

The Strawbery Banke Museum's popular Halloween event "Ghosts on the Banke" is coming up in Portsmouth, NH on Friday and Saturday, October 30th and 31st, 2015. This event feature long-dead sea captains, 17th century shopkeepers and wayward pirates that haunt the streets of Portsmouth’s oldest neighborhood while kids can have safe trick or treating between the Banke's historic houses. You'll also be able to catch ghostly tales, improv skits, show off your costume in a parade, toast up by the bonfire and more.

If you attend Ghosts on the Banke on Saturday you can wrap up your time in downtown Portsmouth later that night with the annual Portsmouth NH Halloween Parade on Saturday, October 31st.

Rhode Island is buzzing with lots of Halloween events as well. Families will want to check out The Perfect Pumpkin Party at the Audubon Environmental Education Center in Bristol, RI on Saturday, October 31st. You will be able to try "pumpkin golf", pumpkin ring-toss and create pumpkin art. Children in costume will receive a special prize.

Newport will host the Spooky Aquarium and Exploration Center at the Easton's Beach Rotunda on Friday, October 30th through Sunday, November 1. This all ages event takes places inside the decorated aquarium where you'll encounter such "ancient sea monsters" as ominous octopus, ghoulish sharks, scary skates, and many new animals just in from Save The Bay's fall collection trips. Kids will also enjoy a scavenger hunt, story time and daily critter feedings.

If you take your themed costume parties seriously then "Some Enchanted Evening: A Great Gatsby Masquerade Party" may be for you! Find it at the Aldrich Mansion in Warwick, RI on Saturday, October 31st.

Shutterbugs looking for a new theme to their subject matter may be curious about the class "Photographing Stones and Souls in the Common Burial Ground" in Newport, RI on Saturday, October 31st.

The Jack-o'-lantern Spectacular at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, RI. wraps up its month-long run this Sunday but you can catch this event every night now through Sunday, November 1st.

In Massachusetts you will find Ghost Stories in the Gore Mansion in Waltham, MA on Friday, October 30th. It's the last weekend for Evil Dead: The Musical in Turners Falls, MA where you can catch performances on Friday and Saturday, October 30th & 31st. 

Say farewell to your jack-o-lanterns with a little enthusiasm at the Smashing Pumpkins Weekend at Fright Fest Six Flags New England in Agawam, MA on Saturday and Sunday, October 31st & November 1st.

Maine will help you dance your booty and your candy off at the Halloween Dance Party in Rockland, ME happening this Friday, October 30th.

Last Chance to WIN a Dunkin Donuts Gift Card from Dare to Scare

Dare to Scare is the unique free new app which allows haunt fans to participate in the action at a haunted house without even being at the attraction! You can watch live video feed from real haunted houses through the app and you remotely activate props and scares to trigger the customers' reactions--all from your phone.

In the spirit of the season, Dare to Scare is giving away a treat this Halloween where you can win a $25 Dunkin Donuts gift card. Visit Halloween New England's home page for contest details. Contest ends on October 31st so this is your last chance to enter!

Congratulations to Sabrina Desy who won the tickets to Fear Town Haunted House!

What has Halloween New England been up to?

We've been excited to make it to Fear Town in Seekonk, MA, Haunted Hill in Cumberland, RI, Amity Road Horror in Bethany, CT, Haunted Overload in Lee, NH, Seven Cedars Haunted Hayride in Smithfield, RI, Field of Screams in West Greenwich, RI,  The Haunted Isle in East Haven, CT.

Halloween New England Top Picks for October 22-28th, 2015

Top Event Picks for the Upcoming Week:
This is a HUGE weekend for Halloween events for kids and adults alike. Whether you are looking for date-night ideas, an adult costume contest, or something your whole family can enjoy together, there are dozens of great options coming up this weekend. Here are our state-by-state highlights from this week's events calendar:

Connecticut has a number of special event tours and performances happening this weekend. Check out "Things that Go Bump in the Night" at the Hale Homestead in  Coventry, CT on Friday and Saturday, October 23rd & 24th. 

The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum in Wethersfield, CT rolls out their "Witches & Tombstones Tours" on Saturday and Sunday, October 24th & 25th.

For some family-friendly musical comedy with a Halloween twist, see "Dractastic! The Musical" featuring Dracula as a rock star. Performances run Oct 23rd-Nov 1st at the Milford, CT Center for the Arts.  

For more adult, interactive fun, the  Halloween Murder Mystery Cruise might be just what you are looking for. The 3.5 hour cruise leaves from Haddam, CT this Saturday, October 24th, 2015.

Maine is host to two community haunts you may want to visit this weekend. In Mexico, ME you will find the Wicked Haunted Walk taking place Friday and Saturday this weekend and next.

For a twist on a haunted hayride, at the Zombie Invasion Halloween Ride in Hebron, ME you'll hop on a 5-ton Army truck with other "refugees" as you try to avoid being eaten by the Zombies.  The Zombie Invasion will be infesting Hebron Friday and Saturday through Halloween. 

This Saturday the 24th is the last chance to see the Lincoln Haunted Trail. 

Massachusetts features a variety of Halloween-themed events this weekend worth checking out.

It's opening weekend for Nightmare Marlborough's 2015 attraction "The Asylum". Nightmare Marlborough is a family-run, home haunt whose small admission fee benefits the Marlborough Community Cupboard. They run their full show on this Saturday and Sunday night from 6:00pm-9:00pm (plus next Friday and Saturday), They even host a lights-on/no-actor hour this Sunday, October 26th 5:00-6:00pm.

Somerville will be hosting the Homegrown Horror Movie Fest on Sunday, October 25th (day and night) and Wednesday, October 28th at the Armory. Make a full day of horror on Sunday or pop in Wednesday night to check out and support New England horror filmmakers and see what kind of work they are up to.

It hardly needs to be written that Salem is pulsing with Halloween events day and night! Check out the Salem Historical Tours and Gallows Hill Witchcraft and Ghost Experience for some memorable fun!

Classic Horror fans should check out Evil Dead: The Musical which runs Friday and Saturday through Halloween in Turners Falls, MA 

Halloween Kids Fest at Tony Andrew’s Farm in East Falmouth, MA will take your family on a tram ride around the property for some Halloween fun! Pumpkin picking, tractor rides, a family-friendly haunted forest, and a jack-o-lantern obstacle course are some highlights of this annual festival taking place Saturdays and Sundays, October and 24-25th, plus October 31st 2015.

If you have little ones who haven't yet figured out just how much fun the costumes and scares can be, you may want to swing through The Un-scary Halloween Party at the Soule Homestead in Middleborough, MA this Saturday, October 24th where they'll enjoy games, crafts, refreshments, and story time.

If you have an incredible costume lined up for this season, show it off at King Richard's Renaissance Faire "Adult Costume Contest" this Saturday October 24th in the afternoon (Rain date: Sunday, 25th) and features a Cos Play / Time Traveler / Steam Punk theme.  

New Hampshire is always a destination for pumpkin festivals and there are two good ones to consider for this weekend. If you are looking for a fun festival that is also manageable in it's size, the Monadnock Pumpkin Festival  Swanzey, NH on Saturday, October 24th might be up your alley. This annual festival will offer family fun, pumpkins of course, fireworks, non-profit food vendors, amusement rides, a haunted maze, a pumpkin catapult competition, displays from regional artisans, baking contests, hayrides, live entertainment, kids’ activities, and more.

When it comes to pumpkin festivals if it's go-big-or-go-home for you then make note of the new name and location for the NH Pumpkin Festival (formerly the Keene Pumpkin Fest) which is now being hosted in Laconia, NH this Saturday, the 24th. 

Families may enjoy  Halloween Town in Madison, NH which is a benefit for the Laura Foundation. This kid-focused Halloween event has a amusement rides, a carnival, food court, petting farm, a Halloweenie Walk (non-scary trick-or-treating), a trick-or-treat trail, bouncy house,  face painting, storytelling and other fun.

Saturday and Sunday are the last two days for the Halloween Storybook Hayrides at DeMeritt Hill Farm in Lee, NH 

In Rhode Island you'll find the last few days of  Providence's week-long "Vortex: Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival" wrapping up on Saturday and we round into the final two weeks of the Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular at the Roger Williams Park and Zoo.  For a daytime event at the zoo, this is the Spooky Zoo weekend on both Saturday and Sunday, October 24th & 25th which offers seasonal activities, music, costumed characters, games, creepy crawly animal encounters, and pumpkin treats for the animals.

Another interesting option for Saturday in Providence is the 90-minute  H.P. Lovecraft Walking Tour where you can see the site of the writer's former home, as well as the sights mentioned in The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, The Haunter of the Dark, The Shunned House, and The Call of Cthulhu. Lovecraft's own words offer a most amazing literary, historical, and architectural walking tour. 

Lanterns and Legends Tours will share local stories of brazen murders, gruesome executions, and vampire lore. These lantern-led tours take place Thursday, October 22nd and Saturday, October 24th in Kingston, RI. Tours are held at night but circle the 6pm tour if you are looking for a family-friendly version.

Vermont will be hosting the family-friendly Spooky Woodstock Saturday, October 24th and Essex Junction will hold their annual Fall Pumpkin Fest and Great Pumpkin Walk also this Saturday evening.

The Shelburne Museum presents their Trick-or-Treating Haunted Happenings on Sunday October 25th for families.

Dare to Scare - A New App for Haunt Fans...and a Contest too!
Halloween is coming and you'll want to check out this fascinating new app Dare to Scare which allows haunt fans to participate in the action at a haunted house without even being at the attraction! With this app, you can watch live video feed from real haunted houses and you remotely activate props and scares to trigger the customers' reactions--all from an app on your phone.

 If you are one of those folks who loves to scare people (or you  wanted to get a taste of what it would be like) this app was  developed for people like you. Dare to Scare allows you to prompt  scares from  wherever you are via a live remote video feed within a  participating haunted attraction. It’s your chance to get a taste of  what it is like to be a haunt actor but you cut directly to best part –  scaring the living crap out of people!

 The app is free to download and you can get a feel for it by clicking  on their promo video above. The per-scare fee (.33 each) is an  optional in-app purchase only if you decide you want to try your hand  at scaring some unsuspecting haunt-goers this weekend--and we  think you won't be able to resist trying it!

Dare to Scare is giving away a treat this Halloween where you can win a $25 Dunkin Donuts gift card. Visit Halloween New England's home page for contest details.

Congratulations to  Jillian Beckford, Nicholas Ludlow,  Tim O'Donnell, Caitlin Reilly, and Patricia Walden winners of Haunted Overload tickets, Leanna Belgrove, Aaron Wieber, Pam Johnstone, Robert Chase, Stan Gurlewski, and Dan Decosta won the tickets to Haunted Acres' virtual reality experience!

Who is open on weeknights? Who is open on Halloween? 

Though waiting in line at a haunted attraction can be the atmospheric "appetizer" which sets the stage for the thrills to come, we definitely understand that you just can't fit in as many haunts per season if you spend all your time going on the busy nights! Halloween New England has you totally covered to help you know who is open on off-peak nights where you'll typically find the lines move faster and the attraction can spread out the groups for a different kinds of experience.

Bookmark our Guide to Haunted Attractions Open on Weeknights for your Thursday scares this week (and planning ahead for next week) and check out our Guide to Haunted Houses, Trails, Hayrides, and Corn Mazes Open on Sundays to extend your weekend fun.
Making your Halloween plans is very easy with our list of Haunted Attractions Open on Halloween!

Haunted houses, trails, haunted hayrides, and haunted corn mazes opening Thursday, October 22nd:

Nightmare Vermont (VT)

Haunted houses, trails, haunted hayrides, and night corn mazes opening this Friday, October 23rd:

Armory of Horror (MA) - Haunted House
Throckmorton Manor (VT) – Trail and Haunted Hayride
Emery Farms (NH) - Haunted Corn Maze and non-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