Weekly Top Picks for October 28th - 31st, 2019

Halloween week has arrived! Halloween might land on a weeknight but there are still plenty of events taking place all week long leading to October 31st and Halloween New England has all the highlights for you on this special week!

Halloween Week Haunted History - Special Events, Tours, Spooky Dinners in CT

If you are in the Mystic, CT area this week - or are seeking a special way to ring in Halloween week, Seaside Shadows Haunted History Tours has an expanded tour schedule and two extra very special events you'll want to check out. Advance bookings for everything are essential during Halloween week! 

Monday, Oct. 28th - Downtown Mystic Ghost Strolls at 7:00pm

Tuesday, Oct. 29th - Moonlit Mystic Graveyard Ghost Stroll at 7:00pm
Tuesday, Oct. 29th - Spooky Dinner at the Captain Daniel Packer Inne (details below)

Wednesday, Oct. 30th - Downtown Mystic Ghost Strolls at 7:00pm

Thursday, Oct. 31st (Halloween) - Downtown Mystic Ghost Stroll at 7:00pm; Graveyard Ghost Stroll at 9:00pm

Thursday, Oct. 31st (Halloween) Paranormal Double Feature: Conjuring & Ghost Adventures Party  (details below)

Two very special events are lined up this week in Mystic starting on Tuesday, October 29th for the Seaside Shadows' Spooky Dinner at the Captain Daniel Packer Inne. Join Seaside Shadows as they host a spooky dinner where you can drink, dine, and commune with the spirits over stories of the haunted attraction. Make reservations by phone directly through the Daniel Packer Inne at 860-536-3555.

And on Thursday, October 31st buy advance tickets for the Paranormal Double Feature: Conjuring & Ghost Adventures Party with Seaside Shadows at Mystic Luxury Cinemas! Celebrate HALLOWEEN NIGHT with a SPIRITED showing of The Conjuring followed by a LIVE viewing on the big screen of the Ghost Adventures Halloween Special filmed at the Conjuring house--even including a small snippet filmed with Seaside Shadows' Courtney Reardon!

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 Wednesday, October 30th to experience their high-intensity Darkness Unleashed Lights Out. Note: 16+ event.

Still Time to Find Costumes for Halloween Events, Parties, and Masquerades! 

Halloween New England makes it a snap 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 so you're never left in the lurch finding the perfect details for your costume.

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

Which Haunted Attractions are Open on Weeknights this Week?

It's Halloween Week and it's your last, best chance to see as many haunts as you can pack in before your favorite season is over. Click for a complete list visit our Guide to which Haunted Attractions are Open Weeknights.

Tuesday, October 29th has just one New England area haunted attraction who'll be open so make a point to get to Plymouth, NH for Abandoned Nightmares.

Wednesday, October 30th has five area haunted attractions open tonight including The Dark Manor in Baltic, CT, Fear Town in Seekonk, MA, Abandoned Nightmares in Plymouth, NH, and Barrett's Haunted Mansion will be hosting their Darkness Unleashed event (16+). Full list of open haunts.

Thursday, October 31st (Halloween Night) offers up seventeen local attractions to choose from including Haunted Overload's Fright Night Lite (Lee, NH), Ravenwood Haunted Farm (Haverhill, MA),  Fright Haven (Stratford, CT),  Fear Town (Seekonk, MA), Barrett's Haunted Mansion (Abington, MA), Abandoned Nightmares (Plymouth, NH), and The Dark Manor (Baltic, CT)
Click for a complete list visit our Guide to which Haunted Attractions are Open on Halloween.

New England is packed with Halloween events on the big week ahead leading to our favorite night of the year! You can find complete event listings for each New England state --plus CT, NH, RI, and MA have Family-Friendly Event Guides-- on our website Halloween New England.

Massachusetts Halloween Events (full guide)

Tuesday, October 29th swing through the Haverhill Library for a classic horror matinee screening of "13th Ghosts" (1960) and on Tuesday night, the Gedney House in Salem invites you to Classic Poems for All Hallow's Eve where you'll "enjoy a curated selection of classic poems about ghosts, goblins, spirits, and All Hallows’ Eve, dramatically presented in a seventeenth-century shipbuilder's house by lantern light" at their historic property in Salem.

Two chances to catch free theatrical presentations of Lizzie Borden and the Forty Whacks by the Delvena Theatre Company on Monday, October 29th in Hanover and again in Amesbury on Wednesday, October 30th.

Also, two opportunities to sit in on the lecture The Haunted History of New England - check them out Tuesday, October 29th in Marston Mills, and on Wednesday, October 30th in Mattapoisett.

If a haunted opera speaks to your cultural soul, you'll have two chances to experience "The Medium - An Operatic Halloween Experience" in Peabody on Wednesday, October 30th and again on Halloween night, October 31st.

Wednesday and Thursday, October 30th and 31st are your final chances to take a stroll through the postcard-pretty graveyards of Concord, MA on Ghosts in the Gloaming while soaking up ghastly and ghostly tales of local haunted history.

Connecticut Halloween Events (full guide)

On Monday, October 28th, test your knowledge at the Hocus-Pocus-themed Trivia Night at the South Windsor Red Heat Tavern.

Our Halloween Night top pick in CT is the Paranormal Double Feature: Conjuring & Ghost Adventures Party with Seaside Shadows at Mystic Luxury Cinema which has everything you could want from the evening - a screening of The Conjuring, a live viewing of the Ghost Adventures Halloween Special (filmed at the Conjuring house) and costumes are welcome!

Billed as a "true prom experience for the dark at heart" the Goth Prom in New London will treat you on Halloween Night to Goth rock, drinks, and a costume contest, all for $5-$10 as they fundraise for the Spark Makerspace.

Also on October 31st is a Live Performance of Michael Jackson's Thriller in Plainville, CT performed by a local dance school for an event doubling as a food/can drive to benefit the Plainville Community Food Pantry. Set amidst lasers, music, and a Halloween decorated yard, their biggest Thriller performance to date will feature an added Monster Mash sing-along by The Plainville Choral Society Youth Theater.

Find a complete list at our Family-Friendly Halloween Event Guide.

New Hampshire Halloween Events (full guide)

Monday, October 28th in Portsmouth, Scary-oke belt out your favorites while you help support the fundraising efforts for the annual Portsmouth Halloween Parade. And you guessed, it on Halloween night the aforementioned Portsmouth Halloween Parade is another of our top picks for Thursday, October 31st!
On Thursday - Halloween night - Haunted Overload in Lee, NH will offer their 2nd Fright Night Lite of the season--a full nighttime light/sound/fog experience which still delivers their signature spooky atmosphere but without the actors or scares.

Rhode Island Halloween Events (full guide)

Every night this week - including Halloween night - the Roger Williams Zoo's Jack-O'-Lantern Spectacular will be open for you starting at dusk to soak up some glowing pumpkin atmosphere at their display of over 5,000 hand-carved pumpkins on a scenic trail within the park.

The Gravestone Girls are coming to Coventry on Wednesday, October 30th for Virtually Exploring Coventry's Cemeteries, a presentation about "New England cemetery art, history, and symbolism" through a virtual tour exploring "colonial burial grounds through the rural cemetery movement of the 19th century and into 21st-century locations."

Maine Halloween Events (full guide)
Hands-down the most creative and fascinating event in Maine this week for us is the upcoming Halloween Silent Film "Battleship Potemkin" with live organ accompaniment on Tuesday, October 29th in Portland.
Festivities include an early evening family concert with a child-friendly screening of Halloween silent cartoons and accompanied by organist James Kennerley and wrapped up with a children’s costume parade. Later in the evening the is the main event - a screening of “Battleship Potemkin” with Kennerly's accompaniment on organ to this terrifying classic silent film with a Teen and Adult Costume Contest held at intermission!

Vermont Halloween Events (full guide)

Our top pick in the Green Mountain State this week takes us to Essex Junction on Wednesday, October 30th for PumpkinPalooza where Halloween fans of all ages will love the Jack-O-Lantern displays,  S'mores, and hot cocoa by the bonfire.

Weekly Top Picks for September 20th- 25th, 2019

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 away 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.

If you are looking to narrow down our events listings to all-ages experiences, try our Family-Friendly Halloween Event Guides in several states will help you spot wonderful Halloween and pumpkin events for making memories and starting new traditions this year.

So many ways to celebrate Halloween, so little time to do it....that's why we start celebrating eight 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.

Massachusetts

With so much going on in Salem, MA every October, it couldn't be a better time to check out the many tours and attractions the city has to offer before the crowds kick in! 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 even offer discounts when you book multiple tours during your visit to the Witch City.

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

This Saturday, September 21st is also the 12th annual Salem Wicked Half Marathon and walkers are welcome too!

The Medfield library is serving up a half-day Teen Costume Making Workshop this Saturday, Sept 21st where grades 5 and up can learn how to work with heat-moldable Fossshape to build costumes, armor, and more.

On Monday, September 23rd, the Holliston Historical Center is hosting a lecture called Lizzie Borden: The Mystery Continues featuring an hour-long retelling of the famous double homicide by historian Christopher Daley who'll be highlighting his researching using archival materials, period newspapers and period photographs.

Connecticut
The Monster Bash Halloween Party is coming to Whiting Mills in Winsted, CT this Saturday, September 21st! This free family-friendly event is designed to "spark creativity with hands-on workshops, make-up demos, celebrity guest performances" plus raffles to win incredible prizes! It's open to all people (children and adults) who have the drive to show their creative side and who are looking for hands-on workshops for every age to learn new ways to make their own Halloween costumes, decor, and more.

In Branford, this Saturday is Cosplay 101: Intro to Costuming and Cons for Teens at the Blackstone Library. Veteran cosplayer, Denny McDermott, will host a discussion on costuming for your everyday life--from conventions to renaissance faires, and everything in between. Teens and adults are invited to join us for this hour-long presentation, followed by a Q&A.

Rhode Island
It's going to be a gorgeous weekend of weather and what family wouldn't enjoy the annual Harry Potter Day festivities at Escobar Farm in Portsmouth, RI or the annual Great Pumpkin Festival in North Smithfield.
The Hearthside Museum in Lincoln will be hosting Validating the Afterlife presentation with spiritual medium Roland Comtois in the intimate setting of Hearthside's drawing room on Monday, September 23rd.
On Wednesday, September 25th Providence Ghost Tours invites you to join them for the Haunted Boat Tour "surrounded by the moon-lit bridges, cobblestone walkways and century-old parks of downtown, you will learn of Providence's dearly-deceased-but-not-so-departed residents; local literary giants and humble servants alike; their restless souls still stirring among the living." 

New Hampshire
Three fantastic events are lined up for this Saturday, September 21st in the Granite State. It'll be Kids Day at Costumania's superstore in West Lebanon. Open 10:00am-8:00pm, every child who walks through the door gets a goodie bag and a very special discount towards merchandise. Between 11:00am-3:00pm Kids can also enjoy complimentary face-painting and pizza!

In Portsmouth at dusk on Saturday is the first-ever Spooky Ride Portsmouth which is an all-ages group bike ride to benefit the Portsmouth Halloween Parade and proposes to "appease the undead at the same time". Ride will last about an hour and will take you past cemeteries, oddities, and possibly a haunted house. 

At the Strand in Dover, NH you won't want to miss the interactive film screening of "Jaws" (1975) complete with special adult cocktails.

Vermont
In Springfield, this Saturday, and Sunday, September 21st and 22nd treat yourself to the weekend-long Springfield Steampunk Festival where you'll find steampunk vendors and artists with their wares on display and for sale, food trucks, a beer tent, and a large Children's Program. Hartness House Inn will offer live music along with related workshops and panels and even a private absinthe tasting right before the headliner!

The always popular Giant Pumpkin Weigh-in at Sam Mazza Farms is lined up for this Sunday, September 22nd which is accompanied by plenty of outdoor harvest activities and family fun at one of the biggest pumpkin events of the season!

Contests: Opening Weekend Giveaways, Ticket 4-packs,
 VIP Passes, and Tickets Galore!

We've got ten contests live on Halloween New England by the end of today plus more posted over the weekend! 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 Barrett'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.
For an entire night of haunt-going, enter to win VIP Speed Passes to Legends of Fear in Shelton, CT where you'll be treated to their haunted hayride and haunted trail with reduced wait time!
If you've been anticipating the debut of Ravenwood Haunted Farm in Haverhill, MA we've got your chance to win a pair of VIP Passes to check them out!

Opening Weekend welcomes more winners! Enter to win Opening Weekend combo tickets (haunts + rides) for The Haunted Graveyard in Bristol, CT and Opening Weekend tickets to The Haunted Speakeasy vintage Halloween party at the Bull Mansion, in Worcester, MA.

We're also running ticket contests for Haunt on Eden in Plantsville, CT, and you won't want to miss out on the chance to win admission for four to the Jack O' Lantern Spectacular in Providence, RI where you will experience the magic of over 5,000 carved pumpkins in a (gently) spooky atmosphere!

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

 Haunted Houses, Haunted Mazes, and Haunted Hayrides Opening Friday, September 20th

Barrett's Haunted Mansion (Abington, MA)

The Haunted Isle (CT)

Click for the complete Opening Night Guide

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

Sonny's Place (CT) Haunted Hayride

FrightFest at Six Flags New England (MA)
Screeemfest at Canobie Lake Park (NH)
Coppal House Farm (NH) – non-haunted Flashlight Corn Maze
Hathaway Farm Moonlight Maze (VT) - non-haunted Corn Maze

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?