It’s hard to break away from your favorite scary or Halloweeny movies, but here are some recent-ish releases that you might look to add to your Halloween weekend viewing.
Shell (R)
I am really liking this recent, Glass Onion/Running Point-era Kate Hudson and I thoroughly enjoyed her performance here as ultra-rich wellness girlboss Zoe with an empire based on a quasi-medical rejuvenating but vague “Treatment.” Elisabeth Moss, an actress who can make a whole lotta something out of whatever slightly-more-than-nothing you give her, is Samantha, an actress trying to keep her career afloat in some slightly futuristic form of Los Angeles. But Samantha’s career is past its TV peak and her handlers suggest she try some Treatments to improve her castability, which Samantha reluctantly does. At first it’s all glowy skin and a movie offer, but soon Samantha starts to experience some of the freaky side effects. I could see how this movie could get written off as a lesser The Substance. But Moss and Hudson make this body horror a fun, compelling watch even when the going gets goofy. B+ Streaming on Paramount+ and available for rent or purchase.
Weapons (R)
Speaking of goofy, this strange and violent movie from the summer frequently tips over into laugh out loud goofiness. All children but one from the third grade class of teacher Justine Gandy (Julia Garner) disappear one night, running into the dark from their homes, arms held creepily behind them. The movie is told from the viewpoint of several people involved, including Justine, sole remaining child Alex (Cary Christopher), Josh Brolin playing the father of a missing kid, Alden Ehrenreich as a police officer Justine is having an affair with, and others. Popping up into the story — and occasionally just into the frame — is Amy Madigan as Gladys, the terrifying orange-wigged powdered-white face that shows up in some of the movie’s trailers. Weapons didn’t quite wow me but it did have moments of scariness and a fun Big Bad and was frequently amusing. B+Streaming on HBO Max and available for rent or purchase.
The Hand the Rocks the Cradle (R)
This remake of the 1992 movie gets a bit of “this is a real movie” shine with its casting of Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Caitlin, the mom in this Evil Nanny tale. But as I dug in, the crime and the perpetrator, in this case Polly the Nanny as played by Maika Monroe, seemed a few notches too silly and operatic. I like that the movie ups the bonkers-ness on Polly’s backstory from the original even if it doesn’t really make a lot of sense. The movie also feels longer than it needs to be and could slice off some subplots to get us to the blonde-lady-smackdown faster. This one is perfectly OK if you want something new but also don’t want to have to pay close attention while you do house chores or pay bills. C-Streaming on Hulu.
M3gan 2.0 (PG-13)
Original M3gan, was a delightful surprise with its sentient, slaying (in both senses) robot. This sequel, like M3gan itself (voice by Jenna Davis, stunts by Amie Donald), is a lot more self-aware but still adequately fun. M3gan — who of course “survived” from the first movie, or whatever it’s called when a killer robot’s consciousness persists — spends a chunk of the movie as either a voice on the phone or a weird little toy robot, which is a nice bit of comedy business. This movie’s human tech bro villain is a different flavor of callow narcissist than last movie’s but still recognizable as the person whose comeuppance will be cheered. Gemma (Allison Williams) and Cady (Violet McGraw) return as flawed aunt-guardian and niece who seems to have absorbed a fair amount of M3gan sassiness. B- Streaming on Peacock and available for rent or purchase.
Mark Swasey does a lot of hiking. According to his Ascent List on peakbagger.com, he has hiked to the top of more than 1,000 mountains. According to him, the best hiking of the year is just starting.
“Fall hiking,” he said, “outside of winter, is probably my favorite time of the year to hike. Number one, it’s the weather. You tend to get these cooler, drier days in the fall. Of course, the foliage and just the various flora that we have in New Hampshire just seems to really pop this time of year.”
Ken MacGray is the author/editor of Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide: AMC’s Comprehensive Resource for New Hampshire Hiking Trails South of the White Mountains. October is his favorite time of year to hike.
“I wait for this time of year all year long,” he said. “I just prefer the cool weather over when it’s 90 degrees with high humidity. Of course, the foliage color is always fantastic l to see. This year has been a little different because it’s been so dry. But the main reason for me is basically the cooler weather.”
Whether it’s cooler weather, or beautiful views, or relief from mosquitoes or even other hikers, hiking can be at its best in the fall. The following are eight hikes Hippo readers voted as their favorites in the “Best Of 2025” poll.
Mount Monadnock
Mount Monadnock State Park, 169 Poole Road, Jaffrey, 532-8862; nhstateparks.org/find-parks-trails/monadnock-state-park
There are 37 trails to the top of Mount Monadnock, covering about 40 square miles.
From the Park’s website:
Mount Monadnock, or Grand Monadnock, is a mountain in the town of Jaffrey, NH. At 3,165 feet, Mount Monadnock is nearly 1,000 feet higher than any other mountain peak within 30 miles. The park is surrounded by thousands of acres of protected highlands. Monadnock’s bare, isolated, and rocky summit provides expansive views. It is known for being featured in the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. In 1987, Mount Monadnock was designated a National Natural Landmark. The park offers year-round recreational opportunities.
Elizabeth Guguet climbs Mount Monadnock three or four times a year. She loves hiking there because of the way the mountain itself makes her feel.
“I think mountains in general attract people for that bit of intrigue and mystery that they have,” she said. “You see the summit shrouded in a cloud and then all of a sudden the light bursts through. The Native Americans that lived here, the Abenaki, ‘Monadnock’ means in their language the ‘mountain that stands alone.’ And I love that.”
Guguet likes how many trails there are on Mount Monadnock.
“I don’t think there’s an ‘easy’ way to go up,” she said. It depends on how you’re feeling. I just did the Dublin Trail and I love that trail because it’s not traveled as frequently as, say, the White Dot or the White Cross [trails]. Sometimes there’s a lot of people up there, and you can absolutely take another trail and you’ll see barely anybody.”
Mount Major-trail. Courtesy of NH State Parks.
Mount Major
Trailhead parking is just off Route 11 in the Mount Major Parking Lot, at 875 Mount Major Hwy, Alton; blog.nhstateparks.org/mt-major-family-friendly-hike
Mount Major is a small (about 1,700 feet high) and easily hikable mountain in Alton. There are two main trails to the top of the mountain, each about one and a half miles long. It only takes an hour or two to climb, even for inexperienced hikers, but has outstanding views from the summit.
Mark Swasey bases much of his hiking around “52 With a View,” a list of 52 hikes in New Hampshire that are not as ambitious as the state’s 4,000+-foot peaks but still have good views. He said the views from the top of Mount Major do not disappoint.
“Mount Major’s got one of the best views in the state,” he said. “It has a lot of bang for the buck. It’s not a long hike from the parking lot. From the summit there’s a view of the lakes and the various [mountain] ranges that are around, even into Maine. The views are expansive.”
Greg Boisvert is a guidance counselor and student advisor at Deerfield Community School. He has taken many groups of students to hike at Mount Major. He said it is an especially good hike for children.
“It’s a relatively short hike,” Boisvert said, “with a big punch at the end. At the top you have kind of a 360-degree view. You get to see the Lakes Region. You get to see north to Mount Washington. It’s relatively close, probably the closest sizable hike for kids who live closer to the seacoast. Kids feel very successful about climbing it; they feel tired, but then at the top it’s nice and open, with lots of room for kids to run around, but also the view is really nice too.”
Andres Institute of Art
Andres Institute of Art, 106 Route 13, Brookline, 673-7441; andresinstitute.org
The Andres Institute is the largest outdoor sculpture park in New England. There are 10+ miles of trails over 140 acres, with 100+ sculptures (including new pieces added during this year’s International Bridges and Connections Sculpture Symposium, just ended in early October), representing 40+ countries. Hikes are self-guided, with docents available. According to the Institute’s website, “Trails are open every day from dawn until dusk. There is no fee to enter but donations are greatly appreciated either online or in the trailhead or studio donation boxes.”
According to Kristi St. Laurent, the president of the Andres Institute of Art, the hiking trails at the Andres Institute are designed with frequent stops in mind.
“The park is situated on a former ski area,” she said, “so there is a little bit of a vertical challenge to the hiking. But then, of course, there are the sculptures. For everyday hikers, the opportunity to stop and rest and consider the art makes the hike more doable. If you go straight to the top and back again, [it’s a hike of] about 2 miles. But there’s a whole host of other trails that you can take. And most people say it takes them probably two hours on the hill for their first visit.”
For first-time visitors, St. Laurent recommends taking the Parkway Trail.
“It’s actually the paved driveway up to the spring,” she said, “but the footing is good and you can see a lot of sculptures along the way. And from the studio it’s a short hike from there up to the summit. And from there, you can see off to Mount Monadnock, it’s just a glorious view overlooking Sculpture No. 1 from the [Institute’s] first symposium 27 years ago, The Phoenix, which is 15 feet high and 11 tons.”
“If I need a quick hit,” St. Laurent continued, “I do the Quarry Trail. There’s several sculptures along there that I like. It used to be a granite quarry, and we have something called a grout pile, with the leftover stone that they would take out of the quarry. But it goes along the base of the hill, so it doesn’t have the vertical climb that some of the other trails do.”
Pawtuckaway State Park
Pawtuckaway State Park, 128 Mountain Road, Nottingham, 895-3031; nhstateparks.org/find-parks-trails/pawtuckaway-state-park
Pawtuckaway State Park is a 5,000-acre preserve named for Pawtuckaway Lake and the Pawtuckaway Mountains. The park extends from the west shore of the lake to the west side of the mountains. According to AllTrails.com there are 29 hiking trails in the park.
Ken MacGray said the views from the hiking trails in Pawtuckaway State Park are inspiring, particularly for geology enthusiasts.
“It’s quite a unique park, actually,” he said. “It’s the remnants of an ancient volcano. So if you actually look at it on a topographic map you can see the circular shape of the mountains. It’s called a ring dike complex. There are three mountains within the park. There’s North Mountain, Middle Mountain and South Mountain. South Mountain has a fire tower on it, which is probably the most popular hike in the park.”
Veteran hiker Mark Swasey agreed that Pawtuckaway’s geology is fascinating.
“You can just imagine that at one time there was a volcanic mountain sitting there that was about the size of Mount Rainier,” Swasey said. “To walk around that is amazing. The boulders and the various rock formations that are in there are impressive. The woods themselves are unique and it is just a wonderful loop hike.”
Ken MacGray said hiking to the fire tower isn’t physically demanding but can take a while.
“It’s not terribly tough,” he said. “It’s a little bit long depending on where you start. Most people usually come in from the main state park entrance, so it’s about a 6-mile round trip if you start from there. There are shorter ways to do it. You can drive into the interior of the park and take what’s called Tower Trail up. It’s less than a half mile but it’s very steep. And that’ll just get you up to the summit.”
Pulpit Rock Trail. Photo by Brian Nolen
Pulpit Rock Conservation Area
Pulpit Rock Conservation Area, New Boston Road, Bedford, 792-1320; plcnh.org/pulpit-rock-trail
Parking:
1. Kennard Trailhead: on the south side of New Boston Road, about .2 mile west of Esther Drive, at approximately 596 New Boston Road
2. Gage’s Mill Trailhead: turn onto Pulpit Road from New Boston Road and drive .72 miles, on the right just after 144 Pulpit Road
From the Pulpit Rock website:
The Pulpit Rock Conservation Area is ‘Bedford’s Natural Treasure’ and one of the town’s best places for local hiking, bird watching, and close-to-home outdoor experiences. With a marked trails system and varied terrain, the 338-acre parcel features the gorge and ledge named ‘Pulpit Rock,’ wetlands, Pulpit Brook, a number of small picturesque waterfalls; rocky outcroppings, glacial erratics such as Indian Rock, beaver lodges, and the remnants of Gage’s Mill, along with forest and fauna. This conservation land offers more than three miles of hiking trails and other opportunities for passive recreation.
Author Ken MacGray said Pulpit Rock is another hike that does not involve a lot of climbing. “It’s kind of centered around a gorge,” he said. “The trails from the road lead into this gorge. You can do a loop and then descend down into the gorge and then come back up, then Pulpit Rock is a ledge overlooking the gorge. It’s not really big; it’s not a ton of climbing. There’s a little bit when you go down into the gorge and coming back out, but it’s nothing crazy.” He said that the attraction of the area is in the forest, the gorge, and the surrounding wetlands. “There’s no big views or anything like that there,” he said.
There are three hiking trails at Uncanoonuc, 1.2 miles, 1.6 miles and 2.6 miles in length, with a climb of between 440 and 770 feet.
From TrailSpotting.com:
The two rounded peaks of Uncanoonuc Mountains stand out above the Goffstown landscape, virtually equal in height and around 700 feet in prominence. At 1,324 feet above sea level, North Uncanoonuc Mountain is officially several feet taller than the south mountain. Though North Uncanoonuc narrowly avoided being turned into a ski area in the 1960s, some of today’s trails on the slopes are a legacy of the forest clearing performed during the abandoned development of the resort.
The two mountains in Goffstown, North and South Uncanoonuc mountains, are immediately next to each other and are similar in shape and size, but author Ken MacGray says they offer very different hiking experiences.
“South Mountain is more heavily developed at the summit,” he said. “It has a lot of communication towers and structures on top. I prefer North Mountain personally, because it doesn’t have that and it feels more natural, without the artificial buildings on top. Before I started doing the AMC Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide, one of the previous editors years ago described South Mountain as ‘having the finest forest of communication towers in Southern New Hampshire.’ I always get a kick out of that. … Different people appreciate different things, though, and I can see people that would actually enjoy a hike where they’re looking at manmade objects”
Mark Swasey agreed. “I thought North [Mountain] was very nice,” he said, “and there were nice trails to the top. It really reminded me of the Wapack Range, of some of the trails that you get on North Pack and Pack Monadnock.”
Mount Kearsarge
Rollins State Park, 1066 Kearsarge Mountain Road, Warner, 456-3808
According to AllTrails.com, climbing Mount Kearsarge via Rollins and Lincoln Trail involves hiking a 1-mile loop, with a 337-foot gain in elevation:
This short trail starts from the parking lot at the end of the Rollins State Park auto road and climbs to meet the Lincoln Trail just below the summit of Mount Kearsarge. The Rollins trail is the easiest way to the summit and the total distance from the parking lot to the summit is about 0.6 mile. The trail starts as a crushed gravel path, crossing a few small bridges as it passes through the picnic area. It then ascends via easy to moderate grades as it climbs along the old route of a carriage path. It meets the Lincoln Trail, which ascends 0.1 mile to the open summit over bare ledge.
Ken MacGray said he loves Mount Kearsarge.
“I think it’s one of the nicest peaks in southern New Hampshire,” he said, “just because it’s very prominent. It has what’s called a lot of topographic prominence, meaning that it stands very high over the surrounding countryside. So that results in a lot of just really great views from the top.”
Tower Hill Pond Trails
10 Tower Hill Road, Candia
HikingProject.com describes the Tower Hill Pond Loop Trail as “a relatively easy loop trail right outside of Manchester with nice views of Tower Hill Pond. The full loop from Tower Hill Road is 4 miles. The trail is fairly flat and wide. Great for running, biking, or walking. This spot is especially nice in the autumn when you can enjoy views of the water and changing foliage. This is also a great place to walk the dog, but they must be leashed and are not allowed to swim as this is in the watershed.”
Ed Devereaux is a watershed patrol officer for the Manchester Water Works, which manages the Loop. He said it provides a convenient place for area residents to walk.
“It’s mostly local people,” he said. “There is an amount of people from Massachusetts, probably because it’s close. If you take it from the Tower Hill Pond gate, which is on Tower Hill Road … goes all the way around the pond and back … it’s 4 miles in total. It’s easy walking; it’s just the length of it that might be an issue for some people. There are a lot of side trails that can increase the length of your walk, though. A map is available on the Water Works website.”
According to Ken MacGray, the Tower Hill Pond Loop is less about wilderness hiking than it is about walking with your dog or a friend.
“It’s a pleasant walk,” he said. “I wouldn’t necessarily call it a hike myself, but it’s definitely a pleasant walk. It’s a place that’s definitely accessible to a lot of people. When I say accessible I don’t mean like ADA accessible, but it’s easy to get to. The trails are easy to walk. You can go there with your kids. It’s just an easy place to get outside.”
All Persons Trail at NH Audubon’s Massabesic Center New Hampshire Audubon recently opened a nature trail for visitors with limited mobility at its Massabesic Center (26 Audubon Way, Auburn, 224-9909, nhaudubon.org). Massabesic Center Director Kimmie Whiteman said the new All Persons Trail was built to provide a chance for “all persons” to enjoy being in nature.
“Our trail is 0.4 miles,” she said, “and it goes from the front of the center through several of our garden spaces. and then across a brand new boardwalk over a vernal pool area to connect with our field trails and continue down to Milne Pond, where there’s a beautiful scenic enjoyment site.”
Whiteman said October is an excellent time to enjoy the trail.
“Really, in all seasons, you get such a wide variety of habitat as you’re walking through,” she said. “But in the fall you have that pop of color from the woodland area that surrounds the fields. The pollinators are still out collecting that late season nectar. We’ve been seeing a bobcat periodically here recently, which is really neat. If you’re here at the right time of day in the morning or at dusk you might get a little glimpse of it.”
Resources for Hikers
– Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide: AMC’s Comprehensive Resource for New Hampshire Hiking Trails South of the White Mountains, featuring Mounts Monadnock and Cardigan, edited by Ken MacGray. Paperback, 320 pages. Published by Appalachian Mountain Club Books in 2021. $23.95. Available online and in bookstores and outdoor outfitters’ shops.
– New Hampshire 52 With a View Passport $19.95 through amcstore.outdoors.org. This is a concise way to log hikes on some of the state’s scenic, not necessarily strenuous, mountains. • PeakBagger.com A website where serious hikers can log a lifetime of hikes as they are accomplished.
– nhstateparks.org/find-parks-trails The list of New Hampshire state parks, including Mount Monadnock and Pawtuckaway State Park.
– Grand Monadnock Facebook Group (facebook.com/groups/557083607702443) A collection of hikers with strong opinions about Mount Monadnock.
– HikerBabes Community: Southern New Hampshire Chapter (facebook.com/groups/2587362171290164) A Facebook resource for women who hike.
– TrailSpotting.com An online resource where you can find information about specific hiking trails including location, length, changes in elevation, and level of difficulty.
Your guide to haunted attractions, downtown celebrations, scary movies, kid-friendly events and more spooky season fun
Halloween is more than just Oct. 31. For nearly the whole month of October, there are events for all ages that get in on spooky season fun. Whether you are looking for serious scares at a haunted house or community celebration at a downtown event or just another reason for the kids to wear their costumes, there are plenty of ways for everyone to get in on the Halloween excitement.
Haunted attractions
Here are season-long haunted attractions. See the websites for a look at the imagery and a sense of the scariness level. Many of the attractions strongly recommend or require advance ticket purchase (especially for nighttime entries).
• The Dark Woods at Trombly Gardens, 150 N. River Road in Milford, thedarkwoodsnh.com, is open for general admission evenings Fridays and Saturdays through Nov. 1 (except for Oct. 31) and in a The Darker Woods experience with nearly no light and characters that may touch or be near you on Thursdays, Oct. 16, Oct. 23 and Oct. 30 as well as Sunday, Oct. 26. Tickets cost $25, with a $40 VIP option. Pick an entry time when purchasing tickets. “Guests take a self-guided (walking) tour through dimly lit woodlands while being met by an unusual cast of creeps and misfits,” according to the website.
• Fear Farm at Beans & Greens Farm, 245 Intervale Road, Gilford, 293-2853, beansandgreensfarm.com, runs Fridays and Saturdays in October, 7 to 10 p.m. (last entry at 9:30 p.m. People under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
• Fright Kingdom 12 Simon St. in Nashua, frightkingdom.com, features five “frightening attractions” — Apocalypse Z, Bloodmare Manor, Psycho Circus, Grim and The Abandoned — as well as a Monster Midway (with costumed characters, photo opportunities, concessions and merch sales), which operate Friday through Sunday evenings through Nov. 1. When you purchase general admission tickets (which cost $38) you pick an entry time. Tickets for Dark Ride, a “‘double level, gravity feed, pretzel style’ amusement ride from 1970 that has been lovingly restored,” are available, weather permitting, on site for $10 per person, cash only, the website said. A “Hardly Haunted” version is available on Sunday, Oct. 19, from noon to 3 p.m. for kids of all ages with an outdoor midway, face painting, a haunted house tour and more, the website said; tickets cost $10. On Friday, Nov. 7, and Saturday, Nov. 8, there is an “In the Dark — No Restrictions” version of the attractions when the event is no or low light with a single light source per group and characters may touch you, the website said. The attraction recommends parental discretion for children under 12, the website said.
• Fright Nights at the Field: Screaming Line Drive takes place at Delta Dental Stadium in downtown Manchester, milb.com/new-hampshire/ballpark/halloween, Thursdays through Sundays, Oct. 16-19 and Oct. 23-26, as well as Wednesday, Oct. 29, through Saturday, Nov. 1. The park features two separate attractions with separate ticketing: a Haunted Stadium Tour and Save the Ballpark Escape Room. The attraction will not permit children under 12 years old, and kids 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult, the website said. The park is open Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 6 to 9 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 6 to 10 p.m.
• Haunted Overload at DeMeritt Hill Farm, 20 Orchard Way in Lee, hauntedoverload.com, is open evenings Thursdays through Sundays through Nov. 2 as well as for Day Haunt sessions (described as actor-free and family-friendly) Fridays through Sundays through Nov. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The attraction runs its “Frite Nite Lite” on the evenings of Thursdays, Oct. 16, and Oct. 23, featuring “[a]ll the lights, sounds, and effects without the scares!” according to the website. A Lights Out night will run in the evening on Sunday, Nov. 2. “Haunted Overload is a haunted trail that winds through a dense patch of wooded area. It has uneven ground, twists, turns, hills and valleys,” the website said.
• Hellwood’s Cursed Forest Elwood Orchards, 54 Elwood Road in Londonderry, 434-6017, elwoodorchards. com, is separate from the orchard’s corn maze and offers a haunted adventure that is “100% volunteer based and 100% of the proceeds go to charity,” specifically Manchester Girl Scouts, Future in Sight and Nashua Soup Kitchen, according to a post on Elwood’s Facebook page. Admission costs $8 per person and children under 5 get in for free, the post said. Fright Nights, which it says may “be too scary for some audiences,” run Fridays, Oct. 17, Oct. 24 and Oct. 31, from 7 to 10 p.m. and Saturdays, Oct. 18 and Oct. 25, from 6 to 10 p.m. Frite Lite, which is described as a “child-friendly/sensory-safe daytime experience,” runs Fridays, Oct. 17, Oct. 24 and Oct. 31, from 6 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays, Oct. 18 and Oct. 25, from 6 to 7 p.m., and Sundays, Oct. 19, and Oct. 26, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• The Salisbury Woods Haunted Barn and Trail 19 Franklin Road in Salisbury, salisburywoods.com, is open evenings Friday, Oct. 17, and Saturday, Oct. 18, and Friday, Oct. 24, and Saturday, Oct. 25 (tickets cost $20 plus fees), as well as on Friday, Oct. 31, with a Lite Fright Night (no actors) from 6 to 8 p.m. (costumes encouraged; tickets cost $10 plus fees) and on Saturday, Oct. 25, from noon to 2 p.m. for a Daytime Sneak Peek (no actors, some scares; tickets cost $10). “As you venture through our haunted trails, you’ll encounter spine-chilling scenes and terrifying creatures that will make your blood run cold,” the website said.
• Screeemfest at Canobie Lake Park in Salem, canobie.com, is open Fridays through Sundays until Nov. 1, opening at 5 p.m. on Fridays, 3 p.m. on Saturdays and 1 p.m. on Sundays. The attraction is described as delivering “family fun by day and a healthy dose of fear by night. You get TONS of rides, haunted houses, kid-friendly fun, live shows, roving monsters and much, much more,” according to the website. The park features five haunted houses — TerrorForm (a Mars outpost themed attraction labeled as new for 2025), Carnivus 2, Cargo, Pinecrest Sanitarium and Haven — with parental guidance recommended for ages 13 and under for the haunted houses, the website said. The park has static displays with haunted characters in haunted scenes around the park, the website said. There is a monster parade on Saturdays and Sundays at 5:45 p.m., and, for younger kids, a lights-on tour of a haunted house from 4 to 4:45 p.m. on Sunday (no actors, lighting and sounds turned off), the website said. See the website for a list of available rides.
• Spookville 1 Cheshire St. in Nashua is put together by S.C.A.R.E. NH, a nonprofit organization providing Halloween costumes to kids in need and offering free admission to its haunted house, according to scarenh.org. The Spookville attraction features volunteer actors and new themes every year, the website said. Spookville operates Friday, Oct. 17, 7 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 18, 6 to 9 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 24, 7 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 25, 6 to 9 p.m., and Friday, Oct. 31, 6 to 9 p.m. There will be two kid-friendly days: Sunday, Oct. 19, and Sunday, Oct. 26, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is also a United Way Collab Saturday, Nov. 1, from 6 to 9 p.m, “Spookville: A Decade of Darkness” with tickets for $10. At all Spookville sessions, donations are accepted.
• Spooky World Presents Nightmare New England 454 Charles Bancroft Hwy. in Litchfield, nightmarenewengland.com, is open Thursday, Oct. 16, through Sunday, Oct. 19; Thursday, Oct. 23, through Sunday, Oct. 26, and Wednesday, Oct. 29, through Saturday, Nov. 1, with entry times starting at 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays and 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays. The attraction offers “80 acres of fear” with attractions including the Haunted Hayride, Nightmare in 3D, Asylum 47 and The Colony as well as a Monster Midway featuring axe throwing, Zombie Paintball, a beer garden, psychic readings, food and games and more, the website said. Weather permitting, some Mel’s Funway Park attractions may also be open, the website said. Costumes are encouraged on Halloween night (see website for rules) and Saturday, Nov. 1, will be a Lights Out night. Purchase general admission tickets or VIP tickets online.
Night & day in the corn maze
• Beans & Greens Farm (245 Intervale Road, Gilford, 293-2853, beansandgreensfarm.com) offers entry to its corn maze daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The farm also offers hayrides and other farm activities — see the website for the different pricing packages. The farm also hosts Beans & Screams Fear Farm (see Haunted attractions).
• Beech Hill Farm and Ice Cream Barn (107 Beech Hill Road, Hopkinton, beechhillfarm.com) offers two corn mazes open from noon to dusk through Oct. 31. The cost is $7 per person (children ages 3 and under get in free) for access to both mazes, which feature puzzles and scavenger hunt-like activities to get through the maze, according to the website.
• Brookdale Fruit Farm (41 Broad St., Hollis, 465-2240, brookdalefruitfarm.com) In addition to its pick-your-own apple offerings, farm stand and more, Brookdale offers a corn maze and tractor ride on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is $4 per person.
• Coppal House Farm (118 N. River Road, Lee, nhcornmaze.com) presents a Monarch & Chrysalis Corn Maze this year, open Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays from noon to 5 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Saturday, Nov. 1. Admission costs $10 for ages 13+ and $8 for ages 5 to 12, 65+, military and college students with ID. The final public night maze of the season is Saturday, Oct. 25, from 6:30 to 9 p.m.; tickets cost $15 for ages 13+ and $12 for ages 5 to 12. Look for food trucks, an artisan fair and wagon rides Saturday, Oct. 18, and Sunday, Oct. 19 (wagon rides will also be available the following weekend, Oct. 25-26), the website said.
• Devriendt Farm (178 S. Mast St., Goffstown, devriendtfarm.com) opens its corn maze (and pick your own pumpkin field) on weekends, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The corn maze costs $10 for ages 14+ and $5 for ages 4 to 13, according to the website. The last day for the corn maze and PYO pumpkins will be Sunday, Oct. 26, the website said.
• Elwood Orchards (54 Elwood Road in Londonderry; 434-6017, elwoodorchards. com) has a 15-acre corn maze open daily at 9 a.m. On Fridays and Saturdays, the maze is open at night, with the last admission at 9 p.m. Admission costs $12 per person. Separate from the maze, the orchard is also hosting Hellwood’s Cursed Forest this season (see the Haunted attractions section).
• J&F Farms (124 Chester Road, Derry, jandffarmsnh.com) has a 4-acre corn maze open daily through Halloween. Admission costs $10, according to the website. You can also visit with the farm animals.
• Mack’s Apples (230 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 432-3456, macksapples.com) offers a corn maze daily along with its PYO apples and pumpkin patch, according to its Facebook page.
• Moulton Farm (18 Quarry Road, Meredith, 279-3915, moultonfarm.com) offers a full-size maze and a children’s maze, according to its website. Admission, which includes both mazes, costs $12 per person; $6 for ages 3 to 6.
• Trombly Gardens (150 N. River Road, Milford, 673-0647, tromblygardens.net) opened its corn maze Aug. 31, according to its Facebook page. The farm also sells doughnuts, fresh produce and more.
A little spooky, for kids
• Griffin Free Public Library, 22 Hooksett Road in Auburn, griffinfree.org, will host a Not So Spooky Story Walk with the book Willow’s Way on Thursday, Oct. 16, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The event will feature games, candy, sensory bins and a live reading, according to the website, which says that costumes and a trick-or-treat bag are encouraged.
• The Derry Public Library, 64 E. Broadway in Derry, derrypl.org, will present One Spooky Night — Return of the Haunted Library on Thursday, Oct. 16, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Register to take a tour of the haunted library trail, costumes welcome, the website said.
• Enjoy some Spooky Science on Friday, Oct. 17, 4 to 6 p.m. at the Seacoast Science Center in Odiorne Point State Park in Rye. At 5 p.m. there will be a squid dissection. Attendees are invited to come in costume to learn about “eerie science topics such as skeletons, bioluminescence, deep sea creatures and more,” according to a Seacoast email. The event is free but register atseacoastsciencecenter.org.
• The Not-So-Spooky Spectacular will take place at the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire, 6 Washington St. in Dover, childrens-museum.org, on Saturday, Oct. 18, with play sessions from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Costumes are encouraged for the day, which will feature take-home crafts, science experiments, a pumpkin scavenger hunt and more, according to the website, where you can purchase advance admission for the event.
Youngsters can get an official license to fly a witch’s broomstick at the Aviation Museum of N.H. on Saturday, Oct. 18. Courtesy photo.
• The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, 27 Navigator Road in Londonderry, aviationmuseumofnh.org, will be giving Broomstick Pilots Licenses to kids ages 12 and under — along with free admission to the museum — on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The day will also feature “the ghosts of past aviation pioneers, who will describe their achievements and explain basic principles of flight” and Halloween treats for licensees, according to a press release.
• Children’s Trick or Treat will take place at Charmingfare Farm, 774 High St. in Candia, visitthefarm.com, on Saturdays and Sundays, Oct. 18-19 and Oct. 25-26, with entry times starting at 10 a.m. Take a horse-drawn wagon or tractor ride throughout the farm along a Halloween-themed trail to meet with characters, visit farm animals and receive candy, according to the website. Admission costs $29 per person, with add-ons for pumpkin art and pony rides. The Halloween Juggling Spectacular show featuring Jason Tardy will take place throughout the day; see the website for times.
• The Concord Public Library, concordnh.gov, will hold a Community Costume Swap on Saturday, Oct. 18, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Bookery, 844 Elm St. in Manchester, bookerymht.com, has a spooky season themed storytime with the book Creepy Sheepyand a craft on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 11:30 a.m. Reserve a spot online.
• The Harvest Fest at Griffin Park in Windham will take place Saturday, Oct. 18, from 1 to 4 p.m. and feature trick-or-treating, crafts and games, a bubble show, DJ Dominik, Steve Blunt at 3 p.m., animals and more, according to windhamnh.gov.
• Nashua will hold its annual Halloween Boo Bash on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 3 to 7 p.m. in Greeley Park, according to nashuanh.gov. The event will feature a haunted house, hay ride, trunk or treat, crafts entertainment and more, the website said.
• Trick or Treat and Take a Seat! is billed as a scare-free event at the Joppa Hill Educational Farm, 174 Joppa Hill Road in Bedford, jhef.org, on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 4 p.m. Walk through the farm’s trick-or-treat path and then watch an all-ages outdoor movie, according to the website. Tickets cost $30 per family (for up to six people).
• Try your knowledge of PG spooky season movies at Family Halloween Movies trivia Saturday, Oct. 18, at 6 p.m., at Chunky’s, 707 Huse Road in Manchester, chunkys.com.
• Manchester City Library, 405 Pine St. in Manchester, manchester.lib.nh.us, will host Zombie Games on Wednesday, Oct. 22, from 3 to 5 p.m., where kids grades 1 through 6 can drop in to play zombie-themed games.
• Manchester City Library, 405 Pine St. in Manchester, manchester.lib.nh.us, will host a Halloween Party for kids ages 1 to 5 on Friday, Oct. 24, at 10 a.m. with games, stories, a scavenger hunt and a craft, according to the website, where you can register (which is required).
• Kids can trick or treat the Concord Farmers Market on Capitol Street next to the Statehouse in downtown Concord during its final market of the season on Saturday, Oct. 25, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. See concordfarmersmarket.com.
• The Nashua Public Library, 2 Court St. in Nashua, nashualibrary.org, will hold a Costume Parade on Saturday, Oct. 25, from 11 a.m. to noon. Kids can parade through the library in costumes, collecting surprises at each department, according to the library website.
• The BWINH Collective will hold its 3rd Annual Trunk or Treat on Saturday, Oct. 25, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Manchester Community Action Coalition, 340 Granite St. in Manchester, according to bwinhsc.com. This free family-friendly event is open to all, and kids are encouraged to come in costume for trunk-or-treating and other kid-friendly activities and music, according to the website.
• The Town of Merrimack Halloween Party will take place Saturday, Oct. 25, from noon to 2 p.m. in Wasserman Park. The day will feature games, crafts, face painting, food vendors, a costume contest, community organizations and more, according to merrimackparksandrec.org.
• Hudson’s Best Trunk or Treat at the Hudson Mall, 77 Derry Road in Hudson, will take place Sunday, Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to noon, according to thehudsonmall.com. Register via facebook.com/innerdragonma (find it under “Events”).
• The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord, starhop.com, will present the Family Fright Fest celebration on Sunday, Oct. 26, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day will feature hands-on Halloween science, live demonstrations, a special Halloween-themed planetarium show, a trick-or-treat scavenger hunt and more, according to a press release The event is described as all-ages and costume-friendly, the release said. Activities are included with general admission, the release said.
• The Laurie Berkner Halloween Concert will be on stage at the Chubb Theatre at the Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St. in Concord, ccanh.com, on Sunday, Oct. 26, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
• Geneva —Ween Trick or Treating will take place Sunday, Oct. 26, 3 to 8 p.m. at 108 Geneva Point Road in Moutlonborough, for cabin to cabin trick or treating. See genevapoint.org.
• The Trick or Trash Community Cleanup, organized by SEE Science Center, Manchester Connects and the City of Manchester, will take place Monday, Oct. 27, from 3 to 5 p.m. Sign up to receive park meet-up locations. This 18+ event is aimed at creating “a safe environment for our kids as they head out trick-or-treating,” according to see-sciencecenter.org, where you can sign up as a group or individual.
• Cowabunga’s Indoor Playground 725 Huse Road in Manchester, cowabungas.com, has a Halloween party slated for Thursday, Oct. 30, with costumes encouraged and crafts and other activities planned.
• The Weare Public Library, 10 Paige Memorial Lane in Weare, wearepubliclibrary.com, will hold a Kids Halloween Party on Thursday, Oct. 30, 4:30 to 6 p.m. for ages 4+. “Not-too-scary stories, games, activities, and ghoulish treats. Costumes encouraged! Followed by Spooky Toons” at 6 p.m. with popcorn and prizes.
• Trick or Treat at Concord Community Music School, 23 Wall St. in Concord, ccmusicschool.org, on Friday, Oct. 31, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to the website.
Festivals & downtown fun
• Wilton’s Haunted Trail at Goss Park will run Friday, Oct. 17, 6 to 9:30 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 18, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., according to visitwilton.com.
• Ghosts on the Banke at Strawbery Banke, 14 Hancock St. in Portsmouth, strawberybanke.org, will run Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 17-18 and Oct. 24-25, with arrival times beginning at 5 p.m. Billed as family-friendly, the event features outdoor trick-or-treating at the historic houses where guests can meet pirates and a fortune-teller, hear “ghostly tales” and enjoy an All Hallows Bonfire, according to the website. The evening will also feature music (Mr. Aaron is slated to perform on Oct. 25, according to.mraaronmusic.com), games and other activities, the website said. Admission costs $16 per person.
• The Animal Rescue League of NH will host the Howl-O-Ween 5K on Saturday, Oct. 18, 10 a.m. at Delta Dental Stadium in downtown Manchester. Both human and dog participants are encouraged to wear costumes, according to rescueleague.org/howloween5k, where you can register (prices vary based on age of participants and number of dogs).
• Howl-O-Ween Doggie Costume Parade will take place Saturday, Oct. 18, at 11 a.m. at Griffin Park in Windham, according to an email from the Salem Animal Rescue League which hosts the event. The parade is free and open to the public but registration in advance or from 10 to 10:45 a.m. on-site is required, the release said. Prizes will be awarded. See sarlnh.org.
• The Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off and Regatta in Goffstown will take place Saturday, Oct. 18, and Sunday, Oct. 19, with activities throughout the weekend including yard and bake sales on Saturday morning, a book sale on Saturday, a touch-a-truck on Saturday, vendor booths and a bounce house in the downtown both days, the giant pumpkin weigh-off Saturday at 11 a.m., a pumpkin cook-off contest Saturday afternoon, a Parading of the Pumpkins Saturday at 11:30 a.m., an art show both days and a pie eating contest on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Giant Pumpkin Regatta in the river will take place Sunday at 3 p.m., according to goffstownmainstreet.org/pumpkin-regatta, where you can find rules to all the contests.
• The Witch of Weston Tower returns to McIntyre Ski Area, 50 Chalet Way, Manchester, 622-6159, mcintyreskiarea.com, on Friday, Oct. 24, 4 to 8 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 25, and Sunday, Oct. 26, noon to 6 p.m. Take a chairlift to the summit, a tractor ride along a spooky trail and visit the Witch of Weston Tower — where visitors can climb the tower stairs, according to the website, where you can purchase tickets.
• The 2025 Halloween Howl in downtown Concord will take place Friday, Oct. 24, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and feature trick-or-treating, a trunk-or-treat, a costume contest, games and more, according to intownconcord.org. Main Street will be closed to traffic from Centre Street and Loudon Road to Hills Avenue for the event, the website said.
• Downtown Trick or Treat in downtown Manchester will run Friday, Oct. 24, from 3 to 6 p.m. with businesses along Elm Street and in Stanton Plaza handing out candy to trick-or-treaters as well as other activities, according to the Manchester Economic Development Office’s Facebook page and manchesterproud.org.
• The Hanover Street Fall Festival is slated for Friday, Oct. 24, from 3 to 8 p.m. on Hanover Street in Manchester, coordinated by Downtown Business Collaborative and the Palace Theatre, according to the city’s economic development office.
• America’s Stonehenge, 105 Haverhill Road in Salem, stonehengeusa.com, will hold a Haunted History Lantern Tour on Friday, Oct. 24 and Saturday, Oct. 25, at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $35 and must be purchase online for this event that is recommended for age 18+, the website said. “Join local historian James Lacefield for a candlelit tour of America’s Stonehenge to encounter the ghostly remains – otherwise known as artifacts – of Salem, New Hampshire’s haunted history,” the website said. America’s Stonehenge will be open Saturday, Nov. 1, for Samhain from 9 a.m. to sunset with a drum circle from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., the website said.
• The Dover Zombie Walk featuring local dance studio zombies dancing to “Thriller” will take place Friday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. starting at Citizens Bank and headed from Bridge Street to North Main Street and onto Hanson Street to the intersection with Central Street, according to rochestermainstreet.org. Zombies can join in with volunteers in the front of the parade, the website said.
• Main Street Monster Mash Howl-o-Ween will take place Saturday, Oct. 25, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Main Street in downtown Nashua. Kids can trick-or-treat at downtown businesses and take part in costume contests — as can pets, according to a post on the Great American Downtown Facebook page. There will be a Pearl Streets Howl-o-ween Puppy Parade at 11:30 a.m. and a performance by the ActorSingers at noon, the post said. Attendees can also vote for their favorite Downtown Scarecrow.
• Rochester will hold its Downtown Trick or Treat on Saturday, Oct. 25, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Kids can come dressed up and downtown businesses will hand out candy, according to rochestermainstreet.org.
• Pumpkinpalooza will take place Saturday, Oct. 25, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Kimball Jenkins, 266 N. Main St. in Concord, kimballjenkins.com. This family-friendly all-ages celebration invites you to bring your own pumpkin to decorate before taking part in a candy scavenger hunt and a costume parade and listening to “‘A Spooky Serenade,’ a live performance by Melissa Elsman, Contralto,” according to the website, where you can register to attend (advance registration required).
• The Haunting of Wilton continues on Saturday, Oct. 25, with a costume parade at 1:30 p.m., Main Street merchants trick or treat at 2 p.m. and a performance by A Company of Witches at 2:30 p.m., according to visitwilton.com.
• Squam Lakes Natural Science Center in Holderness will hold its annual Fall New Hampshire Day on Sunday, Oct. 26, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $8 for trail admission the day will feature “Up Close to Animals” presentations and more. Reserve a spot at nhnature.org.
• Downtown Trick or Treat on Main Street in Goffstown will take place Friday, Oct, 31, from 6 to 8 p.m., according to goffstownmainstreet.org.
• The Portsmouth Halloween Parade takes place Friday, Oct. 31, at 7 p.m. starting at Peirce Island by Prescott Park. See portsmouthhalloweenparade.org for the route and more parade information, including details on fundraising events and other happenings leading up to the parade such as the Pumpkin Smash on Oct. 18 and the Jumbo Circus Peanuts Halloween Bash on Oct. 27.
Halloweeny happenings
• Flag Hill Distillery & Winery in Lee, flaghill.com, will hold a horror movie trivia night on Thursday, Oct. 16, at 6 p.m. Register a team of up to six people to compete; food and drink, including a themed cocktail, will be available for purchase.
• Chunky’s, 70 Huse Road in Manchester, chunkys.com, has lots of Halloween trivia on the schedule this month including Rocky Horror 18+ trivia Thursday, Oct. 16, at 7:30 p.m.; Halloween movies 18+ trivia Thursday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m., and horror movies 18+ trivia Thursday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m.
• The Haunted Winnipesaukee Ghost Story Cruise by Mount Washington Cruises (211 Lakeside Ave., Laconia, 366-5531, cruisenh.com) takes place Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 16 through Oct. 25, featuring ghost stories told by live actors and desserts, according to the website. The cruise costs $60 per person. A 21+ Halloween Masquerade Ball will be held Saturday, Oct. 25, at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $73.
• Bookery, 844 Elm St. in Manchester, bookerymht.com, will host a horror book talk club on Friday, Oct. 17, at 6 p.m.
• Spooky Soiree: Drag Night with Raya Sunshine will take place Friday, Oct. 17, at 8 p.m. at Auspicious Brew, 1 Washington St. in Dover, auspiciousbrew.com. Tickets cost $12 in advance, $15 on the day.
• Castle in the Clouds in Moultonborough will celebrate Halloween with several upcoming events. On Friday, Oct. 17, at 6 p.m. it’s a Pumpkin Walk, billed as family-friendly. The event is free but preregistration is suggested. The Castle in the Clouds also hosts a Graveyard History Walking Tour on Mondays, Saturdays and Thursdays through Thursday, Oct. 30. “This informative history walk will discuss the families that lived here and the funerary traditions from each time period. Along the journey, guests will also stop at cellar holes to see where the families, now buried on the property, used to live. The Graveyard Tour is a two-mile walk outdoors that includes inclines and uneven ground,” according to a press release. Registration costs $15 per person. See castleintheclouds.org.
• Bella Vita Dance Academy, 859 Hanover St. in Manchester, facebook.com/BellaVitaDance, will hold a 603 Salsa & Bachata Social: Gothic Ball Edition on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $25 in advance, $28 at the door, according to a post on the Academy’s Facebook page. The night will include a beginner salsa lesson, “Spooky hors d’oeuvres and treats,” complimentary drinks and more, the post said.
• The Friends of the Salem NH Historical Society will host their annual Salem Soul Stroll, Sunday, Oct. 19, from 3 to 5 p.m. This will be a tour of the Salem Burying Ground at The Salem Common. Meet at the Old Town Hall (310 Main St., Salem). Children under age 13 must be accompanied by an adult, according to the group’s Facebook page.
• Gibson’s Bookstore, 45 S. Main St. in Concord, gibsonsbookstore.com, will host a horror panel with authors CJ Leede (Maeve Fly), Delilah S. Dawson (Star Wars: Phasma) and Clay McLeod Chapman (Ghost Eaters) on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 6:30 p.m.
• “Ghosts and Legends” with Jeff Belanger will feature a multimedia program focused on “haunts in your backyard and around the world” on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 7:30 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium, 2 Prince St. in Concord. Admission is free; the doors open at 7 p.m. See walkerlecture.org.
• LaBelle Winery will hold Swing, Sip and Savor: Evening Glow Golf at the Derry location (14 Route 111) on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 6 to 9 p.m. featuring a nine-hole golf scramble competition at The Links golf course (with a glass of wine) followed by light bites in the private dining room at Americus Restaurant. The cost is $89 per person. See labellewinery.com.
• Jeffrey Zygmont will perform Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” at Derry Public Library, 64 E Broadway in Derry, on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 6:30 p.m. Register at derrypl.org.
• The Rockingham Ballroom, 22 Ash Swamp Road in Newmarket, rockinballroom.club, will host Halloween line dancing with 603 Line Dance on Friday, Oct. 24, at 6:30 p.m. (when doors open; lessons start at 7 p.m.). Admission costs $15.
• Night at the BOOzeum, a 21+ Grown Up Play Date event at the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire, 6 Washington St. in Dover, childrens-museum.org, will take place Friday, Oct. 24, from 7 to 9 p.m. The evening will feature a Monster Mash dance party, a scavenger hunt, a craft, a cash bar and more, according to the website. Tickets cost $25 in advance, $30 at the door.
• The Buzz Brews & Boos Halloween party, a 21+ event, will take place at The Hill Bar & Grille at McIntyre Ski Area, 50 Chalet Way, Manchester, 622-6159, mcintyreskiarea.com, on Saturday, Oct. 25, from 7 to 10 p.m. featuring The Morning Buzz, an appetizer buffet, a DJ, a Halloween costume contest and more, according to the McIntyre website, where you can purchase tickets for $50 per person.
• The Rockingham Ballroom, 22 Ash Swamp Road in Newmarket, rockinballroom.club, will host a Halloween party at the Haunted Ballroom with DJ Johnny B Groovy & Soul Sister Pamela on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m. Scaryoke will be at 11 p.m. Admission includes light treats and a complimentary cocktail, the website said. Admission costs $15 in advance, $20 at the door.
• Auspicious Brew, 1 Washington St. in Dover, auspiciousbrew.com, will present BOO-lesque Night with THEM Burlesque on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 8 p.m. Costumes are encouraged (there will be a contest), according to the website. Admission to this 21+ show costs $15 in advance, $20 on the day.
• Fitzy’s Fright Fest at 37 Maple Ave. in Newton, will operate Saturday, Oct. 25, and Sunday, Oct. 26, from 6 to 9 p.m. This outdoor haunt is described as family run and family friendly, according to an email from the happening. The event is free and open to the public, donations accepted, and attendees are asked to drive slowly through the neighborhood and only park on the same side of the road as the haunt, the email said. See facebook.com/Fitzysfrightfest.
• To Share Brewing Co., 720 Union St. in Manchester, tosharebrewing.com, will hold a Dungeons & Drafts: Spooky Edition D&D event on Sunday, Oct. 26, at 1 p.m. Regulars and beginners are welcome to this “special spooky one-shot campaign hosted right here at the brewery,” according to a post on the brewery’s Facebook page. Costumes are encouraged.
• Balin Books, 375 Amherst St. in Nashua, balinbooks.com, will host Horrorfest, a multi-author discussion of The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King’s The Stand, on Tuesday, Oct. 28, at 6:30 p.m.
• Ronny LeBlanc, an author, researcher, screenwriter and television personality, will discuss his “work exploring Bigfoot, UFOs, and other paranormal phenomena” at the Exeter Public Library, 4 Chestnut St. in Exeter, Exeterpl.org, on Tuesday, Oct. 28, at 6 p.m., according to a library email. The event is free and open to the public.
• The Weare Public Library, wearepubliclibrary.com, will host “Weare: Beyond Belief III” on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at East Weare Cemetery at 24 Buzzell Hill Road (or in the library if it’s raining). Call 529-2044 for details.
• The Pembroke Town Library, 313 Pembroke St. in Pembroke, will host Jeffrey Zygmont doing a presentation on and recitation of Edgar Allan Poe’s poetry on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m.
• Ghost Encounters at Canterbury Shaker Village, 88 Shaker Road in Canterbury, shakers.org, will run Thursday, Oct. 30; Friday, Oct. 31, and Saturday, Nov. 1, with times at 5, 6 and 7 p.m. The 45-minute tour will discuss the growth of spiritualism as part of the Shaker religion and feature firsthand accounts of “otherworldly encounters,” according to the website. Tickets in advance cost $10 for ages 12 and under and $20 for general admission, $25 on the day.
• Tomes of Terror horror trivia will be hosted by Paloma Serena on Thursday, Oct. 30, 7 p.m., at Bookery, 844 Elm St. in Manchester, bookerymht.com.
• Double Midnight, 252 Willow St. in Manchester, dmcomics.com will host Double Spooky Draft Night on Friday, Oct. 31, at 7 p.m. “Players will be given a random selection of three spooky-themed Magic: the Gathering boosters, with two of their choice to draft as normal, and the third to open as-is and add to their sealed pool. Play three rounds against other players, and earn packs for each round that you win. Event entry is $20,” according to a post on the shop’s Facebook page.
• The Rochester Opera House, rochesteroperahouse.com, will present the 2nd Annual Monster Bash at the Castle on Charles on Friday, Oct. 31, from 7 to 11 p.m. at 31 Charles St. in Rochester. The 21+ night will feature a cash-only bar, a costumed dance party, a costume contest and light food, with tickets benefiting the Opera House and the youth theater programs, the website said. Tickets cost $20.
• Sunstone Brewing, 298 Rockingham Road in Londonderry, sunstonebrewing.com, will hold a Halloween party on Saturday, Nov. 1, at 5 p.m. with an adult costume contest, live music from Mollicious Intent and more, according to the website.
Autumnal art
• Chunky’s, 70 Huse Road in Manchester, chunkys.com, has Halloween-themed art events on its schedule this month. On Friday, Oct. 17, at 7:15 p.m. it’s a Paint Night with “Señorita Calavera ‘Sugar Skull.’” On Friday, Oct. 24, at 7:15 p.m. it’s a Paint Night for a Haunted Pumpkin Patch. Go online to reserve a spot.
“Satanimatronics – Snake” by Max Gagnon at See Saw Art. Courtesy photo.
• Celebrate Samhain will take place Sunday, Oct. 19, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hilton Nashua, 2 Somerset Parkway in Nashua, according to facebook.com/NHSamhain. Admission costs $12, or $10 with a non-perishable food item, the page said. The day will feature presentations by prominent metaphysical authors and instructors, vendors and artisans, psychics providing readings, music and an open ritual honoring ancestors, the post said.
• The Dover Witches Market runs Sunday, Oct. 19, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Dover City Hall Auditorium and on Central Avenue in Dover, according to groovywitch.com. Admission is free to this event, which will feature “local artisans and small businesses offering their spellbinding handcrafted merch,” the website said.
• “Haunts,” a themed exhibition of three New Hampshire based artists — Aerial Grace, Max Gagnon and Aaron Cane — will be on display at See Saw Art, 66 Hanover St., Suite 201, in Manchester, seesaw.gallery, through Oct. 26.
• A Witchy Workshop will be held at Lucky Bug Farm in Amherst by the New Hampshire Craft Club on Sunday, Oct. 26, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., according to nhcraftclub.com. Make witch bells and mini brooms; the cost is $45, the website said.
• The Center for the Arts, 428 Main St. in New London, will present Celebrating 100 Years of Edward Gorey on Sunday, Oct. 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. “Celebrate what would have been Gorey’s 100th birthday by participating in the Edward Gorey House 2025 All Ages Halloween Envelope Art Contest! Bring your drawing tools, imagination, and a stamped envelope. The CFA will provide space, inspiration, encouragement, and camaraderie,” according to a Center newsletter. The theme is “The Evil Garden” and children under 14 “must be accompanied by a semi-responsible adult,” the newsletter said. See centerfortheartsnh.org.
• “Nature’s Palette” with paintings and photography by John A. Webster that “showcases the natural beauty of New England’s change of seasons” will be on display at NH Audubon’s Massabesic Center, 26 Audubon Way in Auburn, nhaudubon.org, through Thursday, Oct. 30. The center is open Wednesdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• “Exquisite Corpse,” “a group exhibition inspired by the surrealist game where hidden hands shape unexpected creations,” will be on display at at Mosaic Art Collective, 66 Hanover St., Suite 201, Manchester, mosaicartcollective.com, through Sunday, Nov. 2, with “calling hours,” as the artist reception is being themed, Saturday, Oct. 11, 4 to 8 p.m., the website said. See Michael Witthaus’ story about the exhibition in the Oct. 2 issue of the Hippo; find it in the digital library at hippopress.com. The story is on page 16.
Spooky & fantastical theater
• Dracula Radio Show Epping Community Theater (38 Ladds Lane, Epping, eppingtheater.org) will present the Dracula Radio Show Friday, Oct. 17, through Sunday, Oct. 19.
• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow will be presented by the Pinkerton Players Friday, Oct. 17, through Sunday, Oct. 19, at the Stockbridge Theatre (5 Pinkerton St., Derry, pinkertonacademy.org/stockbridge-theatre).
• Shrek the Musical will be presented by the Manchester Community Players (698 Beech St., Manchester, manchestercommunitytheatre.com) on Friday, Oct. 17, and Saturday, Oct. 18, at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 19, at 2 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 24, and Saturday, Oct. 25, at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 26, at 2 p.m.
• Dracula will be presented by Break A Leg Legally Productions in Dover, breakaleglegally.com, Friday, Oct. 17, through Sunday, Oct. 26, at The Strand, 20 Third St., Dover. Tickets cost $20 at breakaleglegally.com. This is the ninth anniversary production of the classic vampire tale performed by this local troupe, an audience favorite. Eight performances, two each day in the afternoon and evening.
• Zombie Prom Atomic Edition will be presented by RPAC Teen Mainstage at the Rochester Opera House, 31 Wakefield St. in Rochester, rochesteroperahouse.com, on Friday, Oct. 17, at 5 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 18, at 11 a.m., and Sunday, Oct. 19, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. “This girl-loves-ghoul rock and roll musical is set in the atomic 1950s at Enrico Fermi High, where the law is laid down by a zany, tyrannical principal,” according to the website. The performers are ages 11 to 18.
• The Man Who Laughs, a horror romance based on the Victor Hugo novel, will be presented by Players’ Ring Theatre, 105 Marcy St. in Portsmouth, playersring.org, Friday, Oct. 17, through Sunday, Nov. 2, with shows Thursdays at 7 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. (except for Oct. 31, when the show starts at 9 p.m.) and Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30 p.m.
• The Shark Is Broken, a play about the making of the movie Jaws, will be presented by the NH Theatre Project, 959 Islington St. in Portsmouth, nhtheatreproject.org, Friday, Oct. 17, through Sunday, Nov. 2, with stage times on Fridays at 7 p.m.; Saturdays at 4 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m.
• The Winnipesaukee Playhouses’s Professional Theatre for Young Audiences program will present Winnie-the-Poohon Saturdays, Oct. 18, and Oct. 25, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 26, at 1 p.m. at the Winnipesaukee Playhouse, 33 Footlight Circle in Meredith. See winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.
• Macbeth will be presented by the Seacoast Rep, 125 Bow St. in Portsmouth, seacoastrep.org, with showtimes Thursday, Oct. 23, through Saturday, Nov. 1.
• A Clockwork Orange will be presented by Actors Cooperative Theatre at the Derry Opera House, 29 W. Broadway in Derry, Friday, Oct. 24, through Sunday, Oct. 26. See kctnh.org/act.
• Monster Mash Cabaret, a youth production, will be on stage on Saturday, Oct. 25, the Majestic Theatre, 880 Page St. in Manchester, 669-7469, majestictheatre.net.
• Heathers The Musical Teen Edition will be presented by the Seacoast Rep Academy MainStage Sunday, Oct. 26, at 2 & 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 2, at 2 & 7:30 p.m., according to seacoastrep.org. The Seacoast Repertory Theatre is at 125 Bow St. in Portsmouth.
• Beetlejuice Jr. presented by the Palace Youth Theatre, with a cast of performers in grades 2 through 12, will be on stage at the Palace Theater, 80 Hanover St. in Manchester, palacetheatre.org, on Tuesday, Oct. 28, and Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m.
• Witch Perfect, a live singing parody of Hocus Pocus, will be performed on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 7 p.m. at the Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St. in Manchester, palacetheatre.org.
• Southern Fried Murder will be presented on Friday, Oct. 31, through Sunday, Nov. 2, by the Majestic Theatre, 880 Page St. in Manchester, 669-7469, majestictheatre.net.
• Dracula presented by the Anselmian Abbey Players at the Dana Center at Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, tickets.anselm.edu, Friday, Oct. 31, and Saturday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 2, at 2 p.m.
• Seussical The Musical RGC Theatre of Portsmouth, facebook.com/RGCTheatre, will present the Dr. Seuss musical Friday, Oct. 31, through Sunday, Nov. 2, at Derry Opera House, 29 W. Broadway, Derry. Tickets $28 and up at eventbrite.com. Weaving together favorite Dr. Seuss characters such as The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant and the Whos, director Geehae Moon “takes a fresh and powerful perspective: highlighting how imagination can be both a refuge and a revolutionary act for those whose voices are often silenced,” according to RGC.
• Sweeney Todd will be presented by the Village Players of Wolfeboro, village-players.com, Friday, Oct. 31, through Sunday, Nov. 9, at Village Players Theater, 52 Glendon St., Wolfeboro. Tickets cost $25 at village-players.com. Stephen Sondheim’s Tony-winning adaptation of the Christopher Bond play about an unjustly exiled barber whose return to London in search of vengeance against the judge who framed him leads to an unlikely partnership with a meat pie maker, according to the website.
• Deadly Deal Lend Me a Theater will present the murder mystery dinner theater Deadly Deal at Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, tupelomusichall.com) Saturday, Nov. 1, and Sunday, Nov. 2, with dinner and a show and show-only ticket options. See lendmeatheater.org for more on the show.
• The Addams Family young@part presented by the Palace Teen Apprentice Company, with a cast of performers ages 12 to 18, will be on stage at the Palace Theater, 80 Hanover St. in Manchester, palacetheatre.org, on Wednesday, Nov. 5, and Thursday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m.
• The Addams Family The Riverbend Youth Company presents The Addams Family at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts (56 Mont Vernon St., Milford, amatocenter.org/riverbend-youth-company) Friday, Nov. 7, through Sunday, Nov. 9.
Scary movies
From classic horror films to fall films to fantastical films (Willy Wonka + candy?), here are some of the seasonal screenings on the schedule.
• The Phantom of the Opera(1925), starring Lon Chaney, will screen with live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis on Thursday, Oct. 16, at 6:30 p.m.,at the Nashua Public Library, 2 Court St. in Nashua, nashualibrary.org.
• It (R, 2017) will screen at Chunky’s, 707 Huse Road in Manchester, chunkys.com, on Thursday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m.
• Trick ‘r Treat(R, 2007) a movie from writer/director Michael Dougherty starring Anna Paquin, Brian Cox and Dylan Baker, will screen via Fathom Events on Thursday, Oct. 16, at the Cinemark Rockingham Park in Salem (7 p.m. and 9 p.m.), the O’Neil Cinemas Brickyard Square Epping (7 p.m.) and Regal Fox Run in Newington (7:05 p.m. and 9:25 p.m.). See fathomevents.com.
• Hocus Pocus (PG, 1993) will screen outdoors at Arts Alley in Concord on Friday, Oct. 17, at 6 p.m., courtesy Red River Theatres in Concord, redrivertheatres.org. Check back for details.
• Casper (PG, 1995) will screen Friday, Oct. 17, at dusk in Derryfield Park in Manchester courtesy the Manchester City Library, Manchester Public Television, the city’s Parks and Recreation, Economic Development and Mayor’s offices.
• A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 (R, 1985) will screen Friday, Oct. 17, at 6 p.m. at the Manchester True Collective Center, 72 Concord St. in Manchester, as part of the group’s Queer Cinema Club, which is free and open to everyone 18+, allies welcome, according to manchestertrue.org.
• Grow (PG, 2025) a live-action family movie about a girl who grows a giant pumpkin starring Nick Frost and Jane Horrocks, will screen via Fathom Events Oct. 17 through Oct. 23 at O’Neil Cinemas Brickyard Square in Epping. See fathomevents.com for specific days and times.
• Spirited Away (PG, 2001) will screen via Fathom Entertainment ,fathomentertainment.com, Saturday, Oct. 18, through Wednesday, Oct. 22, with dubbed and subtitled versions at O’Neil Cinemas at Brickyard Square in Epping, Cinemark Rockingham Park in Salem and Regal Fox Run in Newington; see the website for specific times.
• The Phantom of the Opera (1925), a silent film presented with original live music by the Dylan Jack Quartet, will screen on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 8 p.m. at NH Theatre Project, 959 Islington St. in Portsmouth, nhtheatreproject.org. Tickets cost $20.
• Rocky Horror Picture Show (R, 1975) will screen at Red River Theatres in Concord, redrivertheatres.org, on Saturdays, Oct. 18, and Oct. 25, at 10 p.m. with special guests and theater provided props for a night of audience participation. The show is 18+ or 16+ with an adult, the website said.
• Faust (1926), a silent film by F.W. Murnau, will be presented with live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis at Wilton Town Hall Theatre on Sunday, Oct. 19, at 2 p.m.
• A Nightmare on Elm Street (R, 1984) will screen Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. at the Rochester Opera House, 31 Wakefield St. in Rochester, rochesteroperahouse.com.
Hocus Pocus will be shown at Arts Alley in Concord.
• The Exorcist (R, 1973) will screen at Chunky’s, 707 Huse Road in Manchester, chunkys.com, on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m.
• Willy Wonka & The Chocolate FactoryTaste-Along Experience featuring a screening of the 1971 film starring Gene Wilder with an accompanying box of candy to taste during specific moments in the film, will be at the Music Hall Historic Theater, 28 Chestnut St. in Portsmouth, themusichall.org, on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $39.
• The Man Who Laughs (1923) a silent film based on the Victor Hugo novel, will screen with live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. at the Flying Monkey in Plymouth, flyingmonkeynh.com.
• Paranorman (PG, 2012) the animated movie remastered in 3D will screen via Fathom Entertainment,fathomentertainment.com, Saturday, Oct. 25, through Tuesday, Oct. 28. See website for theaters and times.
• Repo: The Genetic Opera (R, 2008) plus the live performance “Cult: A Draglesque Tribute to Classic Horror Movies” and a costume party dance will take place at the BNH Stage, 16 S. Main St. in Concord, ccanh.com, on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $27.
• Rocky Horror Picture Show (R, 1974) will screen at Chunky’s, 707 Huse Road in Manchester, chunkys.com, on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 9 p.m. Props and costumes are allowed (an email will advise about which props are allowed), the website said.
• Gremlins (R, 1984) will screen Tuesday, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m. at the Rochester Opera House, 31 Wakefield St. in Rochester, rochesteroperahouse.com.
• The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), will screen on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m., with live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis at the Derry Opera House, 29 W. Broadway in Derry, sponsored by the Derry Public Library (see derrypl.org). See silentfilmlivemusic.blogspot.com for more details and for screenings around the greater New England area.
• The Twilight movies will screen during the final days of October via Fathom Events. On Wednesday, Oct. 29, Twilight (PG-13, 2008) will screen at Apple Cinemas in Merrimack and Hooksett (7 p.m.); Cinemark Rockingham Park in Salem (10:40 a.m.; 1:20 p.m.; 4 p.m.; 6:40 p.m.; 7 p.m., and 9:20 p.m.); O’Neil Cinemas Brickyard Square in Epping (7 p.m.) and Regal Fox Run in Newington (4 & 7 p.m.). On Thursday, Oct. 30, catch The Twilight Saga: New Moon (PG-13, 2009) at Apple Cinemas in Merrimack and Hooksett (7 p.m.); Cinemark Rockingham Park in Salem (10:40 a.m.; 1:20 p.m.; 4 p.m.; 6:40 p.m.; 7 p.m., and 9:20 p.m.); O’Neil Cinemas Brickyard Square in Epping (7 p.m.) and Regal Fox Run in Newington (4 & 7 p.m.). On Friday, Oct. 31, TheTwilight Saga: Eclipse (PG-13, 2010) will screen at Apple Cinemas in Merrimack and Hooksett (7 p.m.); Cinemark Rockingham Park in Salem (7 p.m.); O’Neil Cinemas Brickyard Square in Epping (7 p.m.) and Regal Fox Run in Newington (4 & 7 p.m.). On Saturday, Nov. 1, TheTwilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1 (PG-13, 2011) will screen at Apple Cinemas in Merrimack and Hooksett (7 p.m.); Cinemark Rockingham Park in Salem (7 p.m.); O’Neil Cinemas Brickyard Square in Epping (7 p.m.) and Regal Fox Run in Newington (4 & 7 p.m.). On Sunday, Nov. 2, TheTwilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2 (PG-13, 2012) will screen at Apple Cinemas in Merrimack and Hooksett (7 p.m.); Cinemark Rockingham Park in Salem (7 p.m.); O’Neil Cinemas Brickyard Square in Epping (7 p.m.) and Regal Fox Run in Newington (4 & 7 p.m.).
• Halloween (R, 1978) will screen at Chunky’s, 707 Huse Road in Manchester, chunkys.com, on Thursday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m.
• Halloween franchise double feature with Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (R, 1988) and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers(R, 1989) will screen at the Music Hall Historic Theater, 28 Chestnut St. in Portsmouth, themusichall.org, on Thursday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. Tickets for the double feature cost $5.
• The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) with Boris Karloff will screen at the Park Theatre, 19 Main St. in Jaffrey, theparktheatre.org, on Friday, Oct. 31, at 7 p.m.
• House on Haunted Hill (1959) starring Vincent Price, will screen at the Park Theatre, 19 Main St. in Jaffrey, theparktheatre.org, on Friday, Oct. 31, at 7:15 p.m.
• The Corpse Bride (PG, 2005) the stop-motion animation feature co-directed by Tim Burton, will screen at the Park Theatre, 19 Main St. in Jaffrey, theparktheatre.org, on Saturday, Nov. 1, at 2 & 6:30 p.m.
• Screaming Skull (1958) will screen at the Park Theatre, 19 Main St. in Jaffrey, theparktheatre.org, on Saturday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m.
• Zombieland (R, 2009) will screen Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. at the Rochester Opera House, 31 Wakefield St. in Rochester, rochesteroperahouse.com.
Haunted music
• Loud Entertainment presents Lords of Salem (a tribute to Rob Zombie) and Sun and Steel (an Iron Maiden tribute) on Friday, Oct. 17, at 8 p.m. at Jewel Nightclub, 61 Canal St. in Manchester, find them on Facebook. Tickets cost $18 in advance, $25 at the door.
• Shadowlounge Gothic Rock & New Age Dance Party with DJ Drae the Undead will take place Saturday, Oct. 18, at 8 p.m. at the Terminus Underground, 134 Haines St. in Nashua, newhampshireunderground.org. The event is 21+ with a suggested $10 donation.
• Strafford Wind Symphony Halloween show will be performed Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. at the Rochester Opera House, 31 Wakefield St. in Rochester, rochesteroperahouse.com. Tickets cost $12 online, children under 12 get in free.
• Hachi’s Halloween Party with Lumasi, OkayJake, Voartyx, Smokes Lets Go and more will take place Friday, Oct. 24, at 8 p.m. at Jewel Nightclub, 61 Canal St. in Manchester, find them on Facebook. Costumes are highly encouraged, according to the Facebook post, where you can find a link to tickets.
• Recycled Percussion will present three Special Halloween Shows at The Cake Theatre, 12 Veterans Square in Laconia: Saturday, Oct. 25, at 2 & 7 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 26, at 2 p.m. Tickets with fees run $54 to $109; see thecaketheatre.com.
• Ritual of Samhainwith Abel Blood, Benthic Realm, Psychomanteum, Konseptikor, and Dead Harrison will take place Saturday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m. at the Terminus Underground, 134 Haines St. in Nashua, newhampshireunderground.org. The event is 21+; tickets cost $15.
• Rasa String Quartet will perform their “Soundtrack to a Nightmare” Saturday, Oct. 25, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at The Orchard Chapel 143 Exeter Road in Hampton Falls. See thewordbarn.com.
• Candlelight: Haunted Halloween Classics at the Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St. in Manchester, palacetheatre.org, in two shows on Thursday, Oct. 30, at 6 & 8:30 p.m.
• LaBelle Winery, 345 Route 101 in Amherst, labellewinery.com, will host a Halloween Disco Party with Booty Vortex Band on Thursday, Oct. 30. Doors open at 7:15 p.m., the performance begins at 8 p.m. Disco attire is encouraged. The cost is $40 per person.
• All Hallow’s Eve: Spooky Tunes, Songs and Tales From Scotland will take place Thursday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. at the Word Barn, 66 Newfields Road in Exeter. Tickets cost $25. See thewordbarn.com.
• Space Oddity, the Quintessential David Bowie Tribute Experience, will take place at the Music Hall Historic Theater, 28 Chestnut St. in Portsmouth, themusichall.org, on Friday, Oct. 31, at 9 p.m. Costumes encouraged, according to the website.
• Dr. Gasp and The Eeks will perform on Friday, Oct. 31, at 9 p.m. at the Press Room, 77 Daniel St. in Portsmouth. See doctorgasp.com/tour for tickets to this 21+ event.
Sweets & treats
• LaBelle Winery will hold Halloween cookie decorating classes at the Amherst location (345 Route 101) on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 9:30 a.m. to noon and at the Derry location (14 Route 111) on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 9:30 a.m. to noon. The cost for either class is $69. See labellewinery.com.
• Wine On Main (9 North Main St. in Concord, wineonmainnh.com) will hold a Halloween Wine Tasting on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 1 to 4 p.m.
•Wine On Main (9 North Main St. in Concord, wineonmainnh.com) will host a discussion and wine tasting called Haunted Histories and Ancient Estates with sessionson Tuesday, Oct. 21, and Wednesday, Oct. 22, 6:30 to 8 p.m. “This wine class focuses on some of the oldest wineries in the world in a fun and spook-tacular way,” the website said. The cost is $35 per person (21+) and includes six wines and light snacks, the website said.
• Averill House Vineyard (21 Averill Road, Brookline, 244-3165, averillhousevineyard.com) will present the Halloween Wine Cave Igloo Experience Wednesday, Oct. 22, through Sunday, Nov. 2, featuring a Halloween wine tasting, a charcuterie board and more. The cost for these private igloos is $100 for two guests and $39 for each additional guest, up to eight guests per igloo, the website said.
• Van Otis Chocolates, 341 Elm St. in Manchester, vanotis.com, will hold a Haunted Cabin classon Thursday, Oct. 23, at 5:30 p.m. Decorate pre-made chocolate haunted cabins with provided treats, according to the website. Recommended for ages 12 and up. Tickets cost $87.21.
• LaBelle Winery will hold Halloween Candy & Wine Pairing classes at the Derry location (14 Route 111) on Saturday, Oct. 23, at 6 to 7 p.m. and at the Amherst location (345 Route 101) on Wednesday, Oct. 29, from 6 to 7 p.m. The cost for either class is $40. See labellewinery.com.
• The Culinary Playground (16 Manning St. in Derry, culinary-playground.com) will hold a “Baked Spiderweb Donuts” class on Saturday, Oct. 25, from 10 a.m. to noon (for ages 6 to 10) and 1 to 3 p.m. (for ages 10+). The cost is $45 per person.
• This year’s New Hampshire PoutineFest is the PoutineFest Spooktacular on Saturday, Oct. 25, starting at 11:30 a.m. at the Biergarten Anheuser-Busch in Merrimack. See poutinefest.com/ newhampshire for ticket information.
• Monster Mash Drag Bash, an 18+ event featuring a themed drag brunch and cocktails, will take place Sunday, Oct. 26, at the Flying Monkey in Plymouth, flyingmonkeynh.com. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. (the brunch buffet runs to 1:30 p.m.); the show begins at 1 p.m. The day will also feature a costume contest. See the website for ticket options.
• LaBelle Winery, 345 Route 101 in Amherst, labellewinery.com, will host two Harry Potter-inspired meals on Sunday, Oct. 26. At 11 a.m. it’s Morning at Hogwarts: A Potter Inspired Cocktail Brunch featuring four courses paired with cocktails for $65. At 6:30 p.m it’s Evening at Hogwarts: A Potter Inspired Wine Dinner, where a four-course meal is paired with LaBelle wines (and, for the dessert, a Butterbeer Cocktail). The cost is $85.
• Celebrate the change of seasons at the Oktoberfest + Ski & Snowboard Sale on Sunday, Nov. 2, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Pats Peak in Henniker. Buy and sell new and used equipment; see patspeak.com for details. The Oktoberfest will feature German food offerings available for purchase, a Sam Adams German beer garden, a magic show with Marko Master Magician and Hypnotist, live music by the Bavarian Brothers Band, kids activities, axe throwing and more, the website said.
• Flag Hill Distillery & Winery in Lee, flaghill.com, will hold a Boo Brunch on Sunday, Nov. 2, at 11 a.m. The cost is $69 per person and includes a farm-to-table brunch and a build your own mimosas bar, according to a winery newsletter. Costumes are encouraged.
Get ready to feel super nostalgic, Gen X-ers and elder millennials, with this documentary about the 1997 through 1999 music festival Lilith Fair and its creation by Sarah McLachlan — just in time for the release of her new album Better Broken.
If you are old enough to have regularly purchased physical, not digital, albums and a person with a singer-songwriter interest, it’s likely you’ll realize as you watch Building a Mystery that you probably own or owned from nearly every singer who appears as a talking head or in clips from the fair (thank you, Columbia Record Club). These were the female musicians of the late 1990s. The documentary joyfully explains McLachlan’s vision — an all female show in a music business that still thought you couldn’t play two female artists’ songs back to back on the radio — and how she pursued it, expanding the musical genres featured and adding second stages. The second stages in particular offer some fun clips of artists at the beginnings of their music careers, including Dido, India.Arie and Christina Aguilera. The festivals sought to be good business for the performers but also provided local activists with places to do outreach and local nonprofits with donations. The documentary also highlights the joyful vibe of the concerts — from the teary videos of concert goers at the time to the memories of performers now about what a welcoming (and pregnancy- and baby-friendly) working environment the festival was. In addition to making you (or at least the “you”s of a certain age) wish you were there, the documentary highlights the way Lilith informed future concerts and performers. AStreaming on Hulu.
Liam Neeson’s Frank Drebin Jr. takes over from Leslie Nielsen — spiritually portrayed here as an owl that blesses this franchise continuation — as the lady-romancing member of the LAPD’s Police Squad. The movie begins with Drebin disguised, with the aid of one of those Mission: Impossible-style face masks, as a small lollipop-wielding girl to infiltrate a bank where thieves are stealing an item from a safe deposit box that is, as labeled, a “P.L.O.T. Device.” And pretty much there, you’re either in or you’re not. This movie is extremely stupid from the title card where the spacing has been misjudged and all the letters of the title can’t fit in the screen to the end credits song where Neeson is singing about boobs. And I mean “extremely stupid” in the most complimentary terms possible. Pamela Anderson is perfect as a breathy femme fatale who urges Drebin to investigate her brother’s death as a murder. Paul Walter Hauser is solid as Ed Hocken Jr., Drebin’s capable partner, and Danny Huston is appropriately villainous as a tech guy with a very dumb apocalyptic plan. Everybody here plays all their “take a chair” “no thanks, I have plenty of chairs at home” goofiness completely straight in exactly the right way. A- Available for rent or purchase.
The saga of the Crawley family comes to an end (probably, maybe) with this 1930-set story of generational baton passes among both upstairs and downstairs characters.
Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) scandalizes the country and is shunned by fancy people after her divorce from Henry “Matthew Goode is not in this” Talbot. Their divorce is front page of the evening news and she even has to be hustled out of a party before some lesser royals arrive, which is pretty funny and also, like, get ready for 1936, the U.K. This state of things adds to the difficulties between Mary and her father, Robert (Hugh Bonneville), who is still not totally cool with giving her control of Downton Abbey and all the estate management. They’re both pretty anxious about the inheritance hopefully coming to Robert’s wife/Mary’s mother, Cora (Elizabeth McGovern), from her recently deceased American mother since Mary’s various improvements have already spent about half of what they think they’re getting. But since the inheritance was being settled by Cora’s “Teapot Dome Scandal” brother Harold (Paul Giamatti), hopefully they’ve kept the receipts. Harold comes to England with his buddy Gus Sambrook (Alessandro Nivola), who he presents as sort of a financial adviser and who happens to be hanging around when the recently divorced Mary decides to let her hair down a little.
Meanwhile, among the downstairs crowd, Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol), now happily married to the farmer Mason, is about to retire and hand the kitchen over to Daisy (Sophie McShera). Daisy’s husband Andy (Michael Fox) is on the verge of taking over the butler position from Mr. Carson (Jim Carter), who is still/once again retiring. Carson’s wife Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan) is still working as the Downton housekeeper and Miss Baxter (Raquel Cassidy) is still serving as Cora’s lady’s maid while married to Mr. Molesley (Kevin Doyle), former footman and teacher, current screenwriter and forever staff goofball. Mr. (Brendan Coyle) and Mrs. Bates (Joanne Froggatt) are still on staff and are expecting their second child.
Also present are Edith (Laura Carmichael), who is absolutely killing it as the wife of big-time noble person Bertie (Harry Hadden-Paton), and Tom (Allen Leech), the closest thing the Crawleys have to a “regular guy” relative and father of Crawley granddaughter Sybbie (Fifi Hart). They all wind up back at the Abbey to pitch in with finding solutions to Mary’s social shunning and the family’s general financial woes with some help from Cousin Isobel (Penelope Wilton), famous actor Guy Dexter (Dominic West), former footman and Guy’s partner Thomas Barrow (Robert James-Collier) and Noël Coward (Arty Foushan).
The movie kind of ends up in a riff on Gosford Park, which like Downton was written by Julian Fellowes and like this movie takes place in the early ’30s while the great house ecosystem still exists but is clearly fading fast. We get the big party, with fancy people gathering around a piano and staff and kids listening from the hallway — very sweet, very nostalgia-while-it’s-happening. And that sort of characterizes the movie overall. We get all of our still living characters back as well as shout-outs to some of the non-living ones and enough tributes to the late Dame Maggie Smith as Dowager Countess Grantham that she still feels like part of the movie. While the TV show had more tartness — Mary’s Mr. Pamuk, Edith’s child out of wedlock — the movies have felt a little softer, with edges sanded down, and more repetitive (it feels like Carson has been retiring for a decade). But these are still the same Crawleys and it’s enjoyable to spend time with them. B+ In theaters.
Highest 2 Lowest (R)
Denzel Washington is the head of a record label at a crossroads in this Spike Lee-directed riff on an Akira Kurosawa movie (that I haven’t seen — 1963’s High and Low, which is streaming now on HBO Max). David King (Washington) is contemplating a profitable buyout of his company and/or not selling and buying back the controlling interest that he sold years ago. One option gives him a mountain of cash; the other gives him the ability to get back to the art of finding and developing new musicians (but requires a mountain of cash from him). Then he gets a call that his teenage son Trey (Aubrey Joseph) has been kidnapped. David and his wife Pam (Ilfenesh Hadera) are willing to give up any amount of money to get him back. Twists in the plot, however, muddy David’s willingness to give his actual money to the kidnappers — with police not offering great hope that they will be able to solve the crime.
Jeffrey Wright plays Paul, David’s longtime friend and driver, and Wright and Washington are terrific in their scenes together. Washington is, of course, magnetic in all of his scenes making the sometimes stagey dialogue feel natural to the ego-filled but conflicted David. The movie is highly watchable — even if Spike Lee maybe could have edited away some of the ideas that he stuffs in around the central action to keep up the movie’s pace. But I think an occasional slowdown of the forward momentum of the movie is worth those extra Spike Lee touches. There is a standout action sequence in the middle of the movie that hits that exact right Spike Lee-style “this is a New York City story” beat. That sequence — and the opening credits of the sun rising on the city — also makes the movie a nice addition to a triple feature about NYC characters in high tension situations with the elegiac 25th Hour (streaming on Amazon Prime Video) and the tight-as-a-drum heist story Inside Man (on Netflix). B+ Streaming on Apple TV+.