Weekly Top Picks Sept 23rd-28th, 2021

With October knocking on our door, we are thrilled that our favorite month of the year is right around the corner! Bring on the pumpkins, falling leaves, traditions, lights, spooky yards, horror movies, haunted trails, costume contests, Halloween displays, and yes, bring on the candy too. 

We're also very happy to see Halloween events starting to kick in around the region. In fact, we've added over 1000 events to our events database and you'll see them populating the state-by-state Halloween events guides very soon. With our new website, we're making sure everything works smoothly for you before we roll things out -- once the event listings start showing up on the guides, you will go crazy with all there is to do! 

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 happening across New England this Halloween season. We publish a fresh post every Wednesday until November!

Grave Addiction and Grave Detectives - Cemetery Tours for every age!

The Concord Tour Company has rolled out two exciting new tours this October!

Grave Detectives! Stories in Stone is an interactive family-friendly cemetery tour for kids and adults which explores the art, history, and sometimes funny stories behind the stones. This brand new offering reminds us that for kids, Halloween isn't always just about candy (ok, it's a big appeal) because this holiday sparks the imagination and curiosity in kids of all ages. 

With only four tour dates, Grave Detectives will introduce kids to some of Concord, MA’s oldest history hiding in plain sight at Old Hill Burying Ground including how to read gravestone iconography, how to use images to roughly date stones, and how the epitaphs convey information. Recommended for teens and kids 7y+. 11:00am Tours held n four select dates ~ find a 10% off promo code at this link!

If you are looking for cemetery tours geared toward adults, you will enjoy the Concord Tour Company's Grave Addiction experience where you will explore everything about these graves from burial customs to iconography. A sometimes humorous and sometimes chilling look at the stories behind the stones, this is a unique and memorable historical experience in beautiful downtown Concord!
Tours run Fri-Sun at twilight every weekend in October! Book early as these will fill quickly and that promo code will work for this tour too! 

Squeeze every drop of blood from your season with our Haunt Guides!

It's no secret that one of our absolute favorite ways to enjoy the Halloween season is to visit as many haunted attractions as we can possibly fit in. Years ago, in planning our Halloween fun, we researched the schedules for EVERY haunted house in New England to help us know what would be open and when. Compiling this list took dozens of hours over many weeks every season. Eventually, it dawned on us that if we were doing this amount of work to plot for our haunt trips, surely there were others who would also love access to that useful info too which is how our Opening Night Guide and Sunday Night Haunt Guide came to be! Soon after, we added the Weeknight Haunt Guide so we could squeeze every last drop of blood from our haunt-going every season.
Over the years, you might have seen us attending six haunts in a single weekend! Now you can too with just a click to access our guides.

Find Haunted History and Ghostly Tales on our state-by-state Ghost Tour Guides!

Who doesn't jump at the chance to spend a spooky hour strolling through a graveyard and soaking up local haunted history from an engaging tour guide under the light of the moon?
Okay, okay, I know we are preaching to the choir here... we love it as much as you do! 

If you haven't yet checked out Halloween New England's Ghost Tour Guide for every New England state then jump on over to our website where you can access a list of all the professional ghost tours and haunted history tours listed under each state. Plus, as our event calendar is populated, you'll find additional seasonal ghost tours rounding our your options on the Halloween Events and Activities Guides. 

Instagram Takeover Alert!

What would happen if Halloween New England handed over the reins to a local haunted attraction? We toyed with the idea all summer and we're very excited to share that our first of four Instagram Story Takeovers is hurtling at us in warp speed! 

We're so excited to share the news that 13th World Haunted Trail in Cumberland, RI is taking over Halloween New England's Instagram Story for the first takeover of the season! #HNETakeover and #HNEx13thWorld are the hashtags for this Friday's Takeover.

Be sure to tune in and follow Halloween New England's Instagram Story this Friday, September 24th - from morning to evening for 13th World's behind-the-scenes peek at working in a haunted attraction and get to meet a few of the folks who make you pee your pants every year! (Oh, that is just us? Uh, never mind!) You'll meet Morgan - Queen of Darkness, and Mama Nun - veteran actors at 13th World who will treat you a few of the ins and outs of working in a haunt.   

We've added dozens of new events to the Events database but most won't kick in until October. Until then, whet your appetite with our following top picks for the weekend:

Massachusetts Top Halloween Event Picks!

 

Join Salem Historical Tours for a special afternoon walking tour with the 1692 Witchcraft Walk! Here you can examine the demographics, theories, and personal stories comprising the dire events of 1692 with a  fascinating tour that will shed new light on what happened during the infamous witchcraft hysteria which turned neighbor against neighbor. Tours held daily in September and October at 1:00pm and again at 4:00pm during the fall. 

 

Another Salem offering you might enjoy is the Haunted Footsteps Salem Ghost Tour which takea you on a 90-minute lantern-lit ghostly tour through Salem packed with macabre tales, cemeteries, and local lore. Also held daily at this time of year--what could be easier?

 

All ages will enjoy tales of ghostly encounters at Edith Wharton's home The Mount in Lenox with the Family Friendly Ghost Tours at the Mount. The is hour-long tour will start at the top of the property at the Stable continue through the grounds into the empty rooms of the Main House and this tour is specially tailored for children ages 7-12. 

You will find Halloween New England this Sunday, September 26th for the Oddfest Haverhill, an oddities-focused vendor fair held inside Maria's Family Restaurant's lovely function hall. Featuring 25+ vendors selling oddities, curiosities, jewelry, vintage wares, & more--we can't wait!

Headed to The Big E? Be sure to stop by to experience the DementedFX Meat Tank Horror Experience. Holyoke's own DementedFX haunt has hit the road to bring you their MEAT Tank Horror as a featured vendor at The BIG E, open daily now through October 3rd.

Victims will hop on board a (M)ilitary (E)mergency (A)rmored (T)railer and travel into a post-apocalyptic, zombie wasteland, searching for a lost "asset." The sensory experience uses enhanced audio design, video, animatronics, lighting effects, and simulated movement to send the new recruits on an intense "4D" adventure they've always have had nightmares about.

Connecticut Top Halloween Event Picks

It's no secret here at Halloween New England, that we are big fans of Seaside Shadows Haunted History Tours. They offer twilight tours at two locations in Mystic, CT nearly every night of the week! This Saturday, September 25th, they have an additional special tour lined up at Elm Grove Cemetery.

Check out the twilight tours with Seasides Shadows as well - Downtown Mystic Ghost Stroll and the Moonlit Mystic Graveyard Tour and, as always, advance bookings required.

Let's do the time warp together this Friday & Saturday, September 24th & 25th at the Mansfield Drive-in's screening of the The Rocky Horror Picture Show with the RKO Army's live shadow cast!

Get out your Harry Potter and partake in some costumed fun at The Wizards Costume Contest at the CT Renaissance Faire in Lebanon this Saturday, September 25th. 

Also on Saturday, September 25th, don your goggles for some Jules Verne-inspired cosplay fun Compass Rose Steampunk Festival at Roseland Cottage in scenic Woodstock. 

Rhode Island Top Halloween Event Picks

Block Island Ghost Tours has wonderfully spooky Old Harbor Walking Tours on weekend nights through Columbus Day Weekend (and then continues weekends only until Halloween).
Rhode Island's very own Block Island welcomes its first and only interactive ghost tour which explores the stories and lore behind ghost ships, FBI serial killer man-hunts, massacres, and curses--and that is just a sample of the things you will hear all about! This easy one-mile tour shines a light on the darker, hidden history of Block Island and every tour is unique as their ghost hosts deliver their own creative twist on the history and folklore of Block Island.

Ever wanted to create some over-the-top, very original Halloween memories? This Tuesday, September 28th, grab a few friends for a splurge on a Haunted Gondola Ride -The Viaggio di Fantasme, or "Trip of Ghosts."  

A trained tour guide from Providence Ghost Tour will tell you about all of the haunted happenings along the Riverwalk of Providence during a 50-minute guided gondola ride. This unique experience is only available on Tuesdays and Thursdays during September and October.

Enjoy a couple of songs from your gondoliers and munch on their signature wine biscuits. To partake in this tour, you would reserve your own boat which can fit up to 6 people/guests.

Few horror movies can tell a story as well as this slow-burn classic based on the best-selling Stephen King novel, Carrie which is celebrating its 45th Anniversary this year! Sissy Spacek is spectacular in conveying her vulnerability and executing her vengeance! Find a matinee and evening screening on Sunday, September 26th as well as an additional evening screening on Wednesday, September 29th. Celebrate  Stephen King's "Carrie"45th Anniversary Film Screenings can be found in RI this weekend and also will be screening throughout New England!

Vermont Top Halloween Event Picks 

True-crime lovers unite - have we got a tour for you! Head to Burlington this Thursday, September 24th for the True Crime Thursdays Tour an evening of ghastly and grisly crimes with join historian Thea Lewis, author of Wicked Vermont. This walking tour will treat you to some of the most infamous and notorious tales of the Queen City. Sensitive subject matter so this tour is best for ages 16 and up.

On Sunday, September 26th the pumpkins will fly, winners will be crowned, chili will be eaten, and music will be enjoyed at the Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin' Festival hosted at the Stoweflake Mountain Resort in Stowe. few things are more entertaining than a competition for who built the trebuchet to chuck the pumpkins the furthest! 

New Hampshire Top Halloween Event Picks 

Last weekend Halloween New England was treated to a fun evening taking the twilight Deadwick's Spectral Stroll and you can be equally enchanted this Friday, September 24th!

Portsmouth's own Deadwick's Ethereal Emporium has rolled out this brand new lantern-lit offering which uncovers Portsmouth's eerie history, unsolved deaths, and missing persons. Treat yourself to an evening of tales unearthed from Minerva Deadwick's haunted journal shared with you by an entertaining and theatrical guide.

Maine Top Halloween Event Picks

Presque Isle Haunted Hearse Tours asks the question:  Are there really ghosts and lingering spirits in Presque Isle? reserve your seat on the haunted hearse for a trip around Presque Isle on Thursday, September 23rd--and another lined up for October 21st and 31st. Haunted hearse tours are the kind of programming Halloween LOVES to see at this time of year! 

 

Looking for info on which haunts are open on Sundays? Did you know that THREE haunted attractions are open this Sunday, September 26th including The Haunted Labyrinth in Cranston, RI, Scary Acres in Hope, RI, and Fright Fest at Six Flags New England in Agawam, MA.

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.

Haunted Houses, Mazes, and Haunted Hayrides Opening Friday, September 24th

Fear Town (MA)

The Haunted Labyrinth (RI)

Wallingford's Nightmare on the Ridge (ME)

Rails to the Darkside (CT)

SpookyWorld (NH) 

West End Creamery (MA) - non-haunted Flashlight Corn Maze

Connors Farm (MA) - non-haunted Flashlight Corn Maze 

Click for the complete Opening Night Guide

Haunted Houses, Mazes, and Haunted Hayrides Opening Saturday, September 25th

Legends of Fear (CT) - Trail and Haunted Hayride

Screeemfest at Canobie (NH)

Nightmare Acres (CT) 

Fright Fest at Six Flags New England (MA)

Cucumber Hill Farm (RI) non-haunted Flashlight Corn Maze

Click for the complete Opening Night Guide

Opening Weekend Giveaways, Invite-Only Nights, and Tickets Galore!

We've got FIFTEEN contests live on Halloween New England right now plus more posted over the weekend! Find ALL the contests that you can enter HERE.

New Contests:
We've got one special chance to win 2 tickets to The Haunted Speakeasy's (21+) vintage Halloween BOO-ze Cruise (Boston, MA) on October 2nd and you can also enter to WIN a four-pack of tickets to 13th World Haunted Trail (Cumberland, RI) or enter our new contest to visit Elm Grove Cemetery with Seaside Shadows Haunted History Tours (Mystic, CT). Central MA folks will jump at the chance to attend Fear at the Farm at McCray's Farm (South Hadley, MA) with Opening Weekend tickets.

We've just posted a contest to win VIP Passes to the legendary Trail of Terror (Wallingford, CT) and you can try your luck at winning tickets to celebrate the 30th season at Barrett's Haunted Mansion (Abington, MA). We also have another VIP pass contest for DementedFX (Holyoke, MA). We just rolled out our first Fear Town (Seekonk, MA) contest and their companion haunt Factory of Terror (Fall River, MA) also has a contest running!
 

For all-ages atmosphere, you'll want to enter to win tickets to the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular at the Roger Williams Zoo (Providence, RI) so be sure to enter soon to have your chance!

The Concord Tour Company has a new family-friendly cemetery tour called Grave Detectives for Kids and you can win a pair of tickets right now if you enter soon!

Block Island Ghost Tours has a contest running where winners can redeem their winning tickets this October or even next year!

Ending Soon: On Friday we're wrapping up our first contest to win admission to The Dark Manor Haunted House (Baltic, CT) and on Thursday we end the 2nd contest to win tickets to Haunted Overload's Invite-Only Night in October (Lee, NH). Enter all contests right from the home page of Halloween New England.

Congratulations to recent contest winners including Jaimie Cura who won the contest to attend the Virtual Salem Tour with Seaside Shadows and Rayah Martin won the tickets to Seaside's Elm Grove Cemetery Tour! Nick Pietrunti and Jesse Bonello won tickets to Haunted Overload's VIP night, and Amy McKeon, Sheena deMedeirios, and Jenna Guancio scored admission to the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular in Providence! Kiana Ka and Sean Randall were the happy recipients of the four-pack of tickets to 13th World haunt in Cumberland, RI.

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

Weekly Top Picks Oct 22nd - 27th, 2020

As we round into the final weeks of October there are more events than ever-- both in-person and virtual - to mark the celebration of your favorite time of year. There are even plenty of events happening on weeknights, mostly virtual, to feed your Halloween mood and to keep you in a spooky state of mind as you slide into the weekend.

You will have more than enough options to celebrate Halloween your way - whether it be taking jaw-dropping Jack O' Lanterns, online costume classes, ghost tours, spooky storytelling events, contests, online how-tos, pumpkin events. or getting in your thrills at local haunts. 

Good luck narrowing down your agenda but the good news is we're offering up some great Top Picks to get you right into Halloween week.

Phantoms & Fire at Old Sturbridge Village 

For 2020 Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, MA is debuting a new Halloween experience this week - Phantoms & Fire.
In lieu of their ever-popular Sleepy Hollow Experience, this year's socially-distanced mini-festival is serving up "Nevermore: The Fantastic Terrors of Edgar Allan Poe" which dramatizes several short stories and poems of Edgar Allen Poe with professional performers. 

Situated across six different locations around the historic property under the moonlight, you'll be treated to "familiar tales of horror, revenge, obsession, and deception." The six performances are in constant rotation to enable guests to explore the property after hours in search of "spooky delights, bonfires, cauldrons, candy, ghosts, guitars and horror and…maybe even…a headless horseman!" Event details

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 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 a Costume for Halloween Events or Trick-or-Treating! 

We have two special New England costume and makeup supply stores we'd like to recommend for your last-minute costume needs and final details.

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 has even moved to a new, bigger store in recent years to offer even more inventory to their customers. 

If you can't get there in person, they also feature an online store. If you didn't know it already, Costumania is offering 30 percent off your ENTIRE order - online or in-person - when you stock up on Halloween costumes, parties supplies, props, and more. 

Click to learn more about this special sale and access the coupon code. The sale runs through Halloween--October 31st.

Massachusetts-based Vampfangs used to strictly be an online store but since they expanded to a brick-and-mortar boutique in downtown Salem, MA and they should be your first stop to buy special FX teeth (vampires, zombies, hillbillies, etc), FX contact lenses (blackout, werewolf, zombie, you name it), 3-D prosthetic transfers, conventional prosthetics, quality FX makeup, and even fragrances!

We are always happy to tip people off to how easy Halloween New England makes it 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 to make it easy! 

Click to see Halloween New England's complete Costume and Halloween Store guides for Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire,  and Vermont.

Massachusetts Halloween Events (Full Guide)

Wednesday, October 21st is opening night for Phantoms & Fire at Old Sturbridge Village. They'll be open this Wednesday through Sundays, until Halloween Night. Advance tickets required as nearly all the time slots are sold out so act fast!

A fascinating virtual event this Thursday, October 22nd is "Welcome to the Graveyard" a Virtual tour of Cemetery Art. This virtual presentation, hosted by The Gravestone Girls discusses colonial burial grounds "through the rural cemetery movement of the 19th century and into 21st-century locations. It examines why we have cemeteries and gravestones, why they look like they do, and how styles and art have evolved over almost 400 years." Hosted by the Medfield Library, you'll need to pre-register for this free event.   

For some weeknight drive-in screams, we recommend buying your tickets to see "Scream" and "IT" double-feature at the Topsfield Drive-in or head to the Mendon Drive-in for a Jordan Peele double-header of "Get Out" and "Us". 

On Friday, October 23rd you might prefer the "Ghostbusters" and "Silence of the Lambs" double-header at the pop-up drive-in outside Patriots Place in Foxborough.

Sunday, October 25th head to Suffolk Downs in Boston for their fall pop-up drive-in which will be showing "Scream"

On Friday and Saturday, October 23rd and 24th you can take a moonlight tour of the outdoor sculpture park at Halloween at deCordova. "Watch the harvest moon travel across the sky as you and your family complete a series of ghoulish activities, all inspired by mysterious artworks. Explore different disguises, create monstrous shadows, and solve tantalizing mysteries"  - costumes are encouraged 

Costumes suggested and all ages welcome! Reserve your spot online.

For more artistic fun, teens might enjoy the free Edward Gorey Art Class for Teens taught virtually and hosted by the Rockport Public Library and open to all who pre-register.

In Walpole this Friday and Saturday, October 23rd and 24th, you can swing through Bird Park for their "Nocturnal Trail" is a family-focused nighttime walk through a short pumpkin-lit trail in the woods. Along the trail, you'll find fun facts posted about the nocturnal animals and four “trick-or-treat stations” where kids can see the (pretend) nocturnal animals and gather a bag of candy. Costumes are invited so pack a flashlight and a trick or treat bag to this ticketed event with add-ons such as pumpkin decorating (pre-order).

The Worcester Art Museum has a special event recommended for ages 16+ with their "Virtual Art and Armor Spooktacular" on Saturday, October 24th which highlights, displays, and discusses some of the spookier and creepier items within their collection with extra time for Q&A.

The Adams-Langely Library in Groveland is hosting a virtual presentation of "Cursed Objects: Strange but True Stories of the World's Most Infamous Items" on Monday, October 26th with author J.W. Ocker. You'll be treated to stories about strange, macabre, and "supernaturally dangerous" items via Zoom - be sure to pre-register to get the link! 

Haunted History of New England presentation returns for an encore free lecture on Tuesday, October 27th - this time it will be hosted by historian Chris Daley via Sturbridge's Joshua Hyde Library. With tales of true facts and mythic legends, you'll want to sign up in advance to access the showing.

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)

This Thursday night The Dark Manor in Baltic is open for some weeknight screams and students reap the rewards during the Student Night special they'll be running with $5 off admission with student ID. Student Night details.

If you are looking for something with a spooky spirit but with low-scares and no actors, The Dark Manor's annual Daytime Matinee Haunt is happening 3 times this season and the first two matinees are this weekend - Saturday and Sunday, October 24th and 25th from noon to 5:00pm.

There is a wonderful 2-week virtual course called Halloween Costumes, Make-Up, and Physicality Class hosted by Stomping Ground Comedy which meets over the next two Fridays--October 23rd and 30th. This series teaches you how to draw "inspiration from everyday objects, exploring our 'weird', costumes, makeup" and more about how to create an amazing character and costume. Geared towards adults ages 18+, you'll want to pre-register for this course. 

This weekend you can find TWO Halloween Family Yoga special events lined up for the whole family to enjoy right from home!

The Saturday afternoon event on October 24th provides Halloween-themed poses and fun for kids ages 7-12y (adult optional) and the Sunday morning event on October 25th will offer up the same but for pre-K/younger kids (ages 4-7y) with their adult. Halloween Family Yoga is being held virtually this year so be sure to sign up early to get your link!

The popular and fascinating Elm Grove Cemetery Tour returns to Mystic this Sunday, October 25th. This special occasion graveyard walk hosted by the acclaimed Seaside Shadows Haunted History Tours invites you to discover the Elm Grove Cemetery "established in 1853 on the precipice of the Victorian Gothic era and the American Civil War -- times were changing across our new nation and that included cemeteries -- Join us to meet those who walked Mystic from the 1800's into the Gilded Age -- Sea Captains, Merchants, Civil War soldiers, World War I soldiers, those plagued by the Spanish flu and the families that made Mystic what it is today. Learn of unique grave markings and walk with the spirits of Mystic's colorful past. A step through time lies beyond the Elm Grove arches."
Limited space available for this special afternoon tour so be sure to buy advance tickets (no walk-ups).

For some seasonal fun geared toward the littlest Halloween fans, swing by the Happy Haunts Hollow in East Haddam, CT taking place this Thursday through Sunday, October 22nd through 25th. This drive-through experience features music, lights, and live-actor performances dressed in non-scary characters such as cheerful ghosts, dancing scarecrows, and more.

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)

On Thursday, October 22nd, artist Haya Tawatao walks you through a 90-minute Halloween Mask Making Workshop held virtually. This workshop will highlight "using every day, upcycled materials like cereal boxes, paper bags, gift wrap, and newsprint. You'll use collaging and paper-folding techniques to construct 3-D features as well as demonstrate ways to create different textures by reshaping paper into 'fur' and 'feathers'." This workshop is free but you'll need to sign up in advance.

We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly last weekend at the Daytime Haunt at Haunted Overload so we cannot recommend it highly enough! Offers from 10am-4pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, this self-guided daytime walk along the haunted trail is actor-free and scare-free but still, you will be treated to incredible Halloween creatures, treetop tall ghosts, haunt props, and other spooky scenes. Suitable for kids who like scary things but don't want to be scared...and the daytime event is perfect for that kind of experience. Enjoy the artistry and you are invited to take all the photos you want (and you will want to).

With over 200 pumpkin "people" on display along the roads of scenic Plainfield, NH you will enjoy making new Halloween family traditions as you drive along Rte 120 and 12A spotting the yard displays popping up along the way! The displays are open every day of the week and if you don't want the adventure of finding them yourself, you can even pick up a paper map available within local stores to guide you. Details about the Plainfield Pumpkin People.

This weekend you can find TWO Halloween Family Yoga special events lined up with Sweet Pea Yoga! The Saturday afternoon event on October 24th provides Halloween-themed poses and fun for kids ages 7-12y (adult optional) and the Sunday morning event on October 25th is a pre-K/younger kids class (ages 4-7y) with their adult. Halloween Family Yoga is being held virtually this year so be sure to sign up early to get your link!

Spooky Science - Halloween Themed Experiments for Kids is a free online class for kids ages 6-10 where the hosts will do the experiments with you, via zoom, explaining each step of the experiment and the science behind it. Advance registration required.

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)

Families will want to join the festivities at the Roger Williams Zoo in Providence, RI during their final two weeks to catch the atmospheric drive-through Jack O'Lantern Spectacular which is open 7 nights a week through Sunday, November 1st.

This weekend you can find TWO Halloween Family Yoga special events lined up with Sweet Pea Yoga! The Saturday afternoon event on October 24th provides Halloween-themed poses and fun for kids ages 7-12y (adult optional) and the Sunday morning event on October 25th is a pre-K/younger kids class (ages 4-7y) with their adult. Halloween Family Yoga is being held virtually this year so be sure to sign up early to get your link!

Saturday, October 24th is the Gone But Not Forgotten: Victorian Mourning Customs exhibit at the  Hearthside House Museum in Lincoln, RI. Every year Hearthside transforms this historic home to "re-creates the Victorian mourning customs practiced during the time when [owner] Simon Thornton passed away, with displays in each room of the house that include mourning clothing, mourning clothing, jewelry, artwork, stationery displays, post mortem photography, and other funerary exhibits." On this Saturday, the twilight hour features both the exhibit and the candlelight tour. 

On Sunday afternoon October 25th younger kids might enjoy Wicked Witch's Virtual Ghost Story Time for Kids (virtual) which is highlighted as a spooktacular afternoon of Halloween-themed storytelling for kids ages 2-6y hosted by the Wicked Witch herself! This online event required pre-registration.

Looking for more kids activities? Check out our Family-friendly Halloween Events Guide for fun in RI.

Vermont Halloween Events (Full Guide)

Friday, October 23rd marks the latest free outdoor horror movie gathering to see "The House on Haunted Hill" being screened in Bristol, VT. Bring a blanket and chairs and enjoy some classic horror movies by the Pavilion at the Bristol Hub Teen Center and Skate Park.

There is a wonderful 2-week virtual course called Halloween Costumes, Make-Up, and Physicality Class hosted by Stomping Ground Comedy which meets over the next two Fridays--October 23rd and 30th. This series teaches you how to draw "inspiration from everyday objects, exploring our 'weird', costumes, makeup" and more about how to create an amazing character and costume. Geared towards adults ages 18+, you'll want to pre-register for this course. 

Spooky Science - Halloween Themed Experiments for Kids is a free online class this Saturday, October 24th for kids ages 6-10 where the hosts will do the experiments with you, via zoom, explaining each step of the experiment and the science behind it. Advance registration required.

Pumpkin bowling, spider web necklace crafts, Halloween tales, hayrides, spooky farm life exhibits, hidden pumpkin searches, safe trick or treating, and a costume parade are on the lineup in Woodstock during the beloved annual Family Halloween at Billings Farm and Museum. Social distancing will be in place for all the many family-friendly Halloween activities during this special day on Sunday, October 25th in Woodstock.

Maine Halloween Events (Full Guide)

Held Friday and Saturday nights, October 23rd and 24th at their property in Levant, it's the last chance to visit the Night Maze at Treworgy Family Orchards. With flashlight in hand, forge bravely ahead into the cornstalks under the moonlight as you navigate your way through. This is a non-scary Halloween attraction suitable for all who don't mind being a little lost in the maze! Advance tickets suggested.

As we've mentioned earlier, there is a delightful 2-week virtual course called Halloween Costumes, Make-Up, and Physicality Class hosted by Stomping Ground Comedy which will meet over the next two Fridays--October 23rd and 30th. This series teaches you how to draw "inspiration from everyday objects, exploring our 'weird', costumes, makeup" and more about how to create an amazing character and costume. Geared towards adults ages 18+, you'll want to pre-register for this course. 

The Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad invites you all-aboard their annual Pumpkin Train! Held over three afternoons - the first pair of dates are coming up this Saturday and Sunday, October 24th and 25th in Portland! Guaranteed to delight the littles Halloween fans, children can explore the railroad museum, paint a miniature pumpkin as a souvenir, and take a ride on the historic train as you take in the foliage along the way. All visitors are treated to complimentary hot cider and cookies.

 

Plan ahead for your October weekends by checking out haunted attractions on a Sunday night! This weekend there are FOURTEEN haunted attractions open this Sunday, October 25th.

Be sure to check out Trail of Terror (Wallingford, CT), Legends of Fear (Shelton, CT), Haunted Overload (Lee, NH) 13th World (Cumberland, RI), Factory of Terror (Fall River, MA), The Dark Manor (Baltic, CT),  and DementedFX (Holyoke, MA).

Sundays often offer shorter lines and a more personal experience-- so what are you waiting for?

Which Haunted Attractions are Open on Weeknights this Week?

If you are like us, you'll want to pack in as many haunts during October to take full advantage of the Halloween season and our Weeknight Guide was created with you in mind!

Thursday, October 22nd has 9 haunted attractions open including the trail at Legends of Fear (Shelton, CT) The Dark Manor (Baltic, CT) with a special Student Admission Deal, Haunted Overload (Lee, NH), Factory of Terror (Fall River, MA) 13th World (Cumberland, RI), DementedFX (Holyoke, MA), plus three more!

Click for a complete list visit our Guide to which Haunted Attractions are Open Weeknights.

CONTESTS: Opening Weekend Giveaways, Invite-Only Nights, and Tickets Galore!

We've got two contests live on Halloween New England  - the number of contest opportunities is winding down to allow people enough time to enter, win, and redeem their tickets. 

Enter to win a 4-pack of general admission tickets to DementedFX in Holyoke, MA - this will be your final chance to win tickets to go there!
We also have one of our last chances to win admission for two to Factory of Terror in Fall River, MA. 

Visit Halloween New England's home page for contest details and links for entering to win!

As we've been wrapping up most of our contests, we want to say congratulations to Kim Clements and Kayla Mello who won tickets to The Dark Manor, Melissa Peterson scored a 4-pack of tickets to visit DementedFX, Stephanie Dasman, Devon Ryan, Britnee Torres, and Ylenia Basilico each won a pair of tickets to 13th World and Melissa Vo is headed to Factory of Terror. Chandara Ho and Carly Muniz are the lucky winners of our final Haunted Overload contest!

Haunted Houses, Haunted Mazes, and Haunted Hayrides Opening Thursday, October 22nd 

Nightmare Vermont (CT)

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?