Halloween 2025

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.

young girl wearing purple witch hat, sitting in mock cockpit of plane, pretending to fly
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.

painting of blue snake with body twisting all over canvas
“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.

screenshot from movie Hocus Pocus showing three main character witches standing together
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, The Twilight 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, The Twilight 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, The Twilight 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 Samhain with 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.

This Week 25/10/16

Thursday, Oct. 16

Catch a guided tour of the exhibit of serigraph prints “Passion for Progress: Corita Kent and The Art of Assimilation” at the Alva de Mars Megan Chapel Art Center at Saint Anselm College in Manchester at 12:30 p.m. today.

Thursday, Oct. 16

Iconic country act Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives perform at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $58.

Friday, Oct. 17

The curtain rises tonight at 7:30 p.m. for a two-week run of Shrek the Musical,presented by the Manchester Community Players (698 Beech St., Manchester, manchestercommunitytheatre.com). Catch the show tonight 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., and Sunday, Oct. 26, at 2 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 18

The New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra (647-6476, nhphil.org) opens its season today, and tomorrow, Sunday, Oct. 19, at 2 p.m. at the Seifert Performing Arts Center (Salem High School, 44 Geremonty Drive, Salem, 893-7069 ext. 5601, sau57.org/pac). The Orchestra will perform “History in Sound: From Ellis Island to the Russian Revolution” with “Ellis Island: The Dream of America” by Peter Boyer, and Symphony No. 12 in D minor, Op. 112, “The Year 1917” by Dmitri Shostakovich. Tickets are $30.

Saturday, Oct. 18

The Great New England Fall Craft & Artisan Show will take place today and tomorrow, Oct. 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hampshire Dome, 34 Emerson Road in Milford. Admission costs $6; ages 14 and under get in for free. See gnecraftartisanshows.com.

Saturday, Oct. 18

Dance the night away from 7 to 10 p.m. at a New England contra dance with caller Byron Ricker and music by Black Cat Quadrille at the City-Wide Community Center (14 Canterbury Road, Concord, concordnhcontra.wordpress.com). “Beginners, singles, families are welcome. $10, ages 15-25 $5, under 15 free,” according to an email about the event.

Saturday, Oct. 18

The Winnipesaukee Playhouse will present ImprovOlympics! tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Playhouse in Meredith. Tickets cost $10; see winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org. Teams from area non-profits compete in a Whose Line Is It Anyway?-style improv contest for audience votes and donations, according to a press release.

Monday, Oct. 20

Anne Jennison, master storyteller and historian of European and Abenaki heritage, presents Gluskabe, The Magical, Powerful Culture Hero Central to Wabanaki Storytelling at theMt. Kearsarge Indian Museum (18 Highlawn Road, Warner, 456-2600, indianmuseum.org) tonight from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Save the Date! Saturday, Oct. 25
Andres Institute of the Art in Brookline will hold its Fall Iron Melt on Saturday, Oct. 25, noon to 2 p.m. (-ish, “molten iron can be finicky” according to andresinstitute.org). See the website for information on picking up a mold in advance to have your own iron creation made at the Welcome Center and returning it no later than 10 a.m. on the day of the pour. The cost is $45.

News & Notes 25/10/16

Arts awards

Gov. Kelly Ayotte handed out the 2025 New Hampshire Governor’s Arts Awards at the Executive Council chambers, according to a press release from the State Council on the Arts. The awards are handed out every two years to acknowledge contributions of individuals and organizations, the release said. This year’s winners are Dan and Beverly Wolf of Newbury for the Arts Champion category; Robyn Allen of Northfield for Arts Education; Derek Lucci in Amherst for Arts in Health; Rochester Museum of Fine Arts for Creative Communities; Deanna Hoying of Symphony NH in Nashua for Distinguished Arts Leadership; Regina Delaney of Exeter for Folk Heritage, and Tom Rush of Kittery, Maine, for the Lotte Jacobi Living Treasure award, the release said. “The 2025 N.H. Governor’s Arts Awards are non-monetary and the event is supported entirely through private funding,” the release said. See nh.gov/nharts.

Energy expo

Learn about solar energy and other renewable energy technology at the NH Energy Expo on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bow Memorial High School in Bow. Admission is free to this event which will feature workshops, exhibitors, refreshments, raffles and more, according to nhenergyexpo.org.

Attn fiddlers

The New England Fiddle Ensemble is taking registrations for the 2025-2026 season, which will feature rehearsals in New Hampshire and southern Maine (as well as Zoom options) and the option to participate in six concerts, according to nefiddleensemble.org.

Seven to save

The New Hampshire Preservation Alliance announced its “Seven to Save” — a program that calls attention to state landmarks that are underused or threatened — for 2025 on Oct. 2. These sites are Anna Hunt Marsh and Charles Dana Metal Truss Bridges in Hinsdale; Ware Family House in Alstead; Sunset Hill Golf Course Clubhouse in Sugar Hill; Abbie Greenleaf Library in Franconia; schoolhouses in Farmington and Madison; Merrill C. Dodge House in Greenville, and Golden Rod Grange #114 in Swanzey, according to nhpreservation.org.

Story update

In the “29 Reasons to Love Your Library” story in the Oct. 2 issue of the Hippo, the name and address for the Salem library were inadvertently omitted. The Kelley Library is at 234 Main St. in Salem, kelleylibrary.org, 898-7064. Coming up at Kelley: an Art Club for kids ages 7 to 10 featuring a yarn pumpkin project will take place Tuesday, Oct. 21, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. and, for grownups, the library’s “Not a Book Club” will take place Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 6 p.m. and is described as “The Book Group For Those Who Just Want to Read! ‘Read in Peace, Together,” according to the website.

Anne Hand will discuss her book Austrian Again: Reclaiming a Lost Legacy, about the author’s decision to apply for Austrian citizenship decades after her family fled the Nazis, with New Hampshire author Dena Rueb Romero (All for You: A World War II Family Memoir of Love, Separation and Loss) on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 6:30 p.m. at Gibson’s Bookstore, 45 S. Main St. in Concord.

The Women’s Caucus for Art/NH Chapter, NH Craft Club, Concord Makerspace and Kimball Jenkins in Concord, kimballjenkins.com, will hold an “I Am Grateful for You” community postcard project at Kimball Jenkins on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 1 to 3 p.m. The free, drop-in event invites the public to decorate and send a handmade postcard, with all supplies and postage included, according to a Kimball Jenkins newsletter.

“Come Together,” an exhibition featuring the art of six women who graduated from Colby-Sawyer College in New London, is on display at the college’s William H. and Sonja Carlson Davidow ‘56 Fine Art Gallery through Dec. 3, according to a press release. See colby-sawyer.edu/community/gallery.

The Holly Berry Fair at First Congregational Church, 508 Union St. in Manchester, will be Saturday, Oct. 18, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to an email from organizers. The fair will feature “handmade items, silent auction, attic treasures, baked goods including cookies and candy, handmade jewelry, children’s games and crafts, lunch counter and much more,” the email said.

Conversation

Both Sides Now explores Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen

A tribute act that isn’t exactly, Both Sides Now looks at the music and lives of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. The two were briefly lovers, but remained lifetime friends and mutual muses. Robbie Schaefer plays Cohen, and Danielle Wertz is Mitchell. The cabaret-style concert was first performed last year at the Signature Theatre in Northern Virginia.

Wertz and Schaefer’s paths converged after he’d been asked to do a Mitchell cabaret show himself and declined.

“His response was, ‘That’s kind of a weird fit, and … a heavy vocal lift,” Wertz recalled from a solo tour stop in the Czech Republic. However, Schaefer had been reading up on Cohen, learning about the relationship between the two songwriters. He said, “I think that’s a much more interesting narrative,” and asked them to find him a Joni.

That turned out to be a hard request. The Signature went to its book and couldn’t find a fit, until their director was in New York City working on a new musical. He met Wertz, an old friend, for lunch, and mentioned the show, asking if she liked Mitchell. “I was like, ‘yeah, of course I love Joni Mitchell … she’s been my obsession for the last 10 years.’”

A quick phone call, some emailed links and a few weeks later the two were introduced in California, where both had solo tour stops.

“We met literally on the side of a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean,” Wertz said. They played Mitchell’s “A Case of You” together. “Immediately we were like, ‘Yep, this is going to be a great fit, this all is going to work out.’”

Schaefer’s career began in the 1990s with Canadian indie folk band Eddie From Ohio, and he’s made several solo records. The singer, songwriter and guitarist is also a playwright, a recently ordained rabbi and founder of Lamplighters, described as “an online community that cultivates small-batch, relationship-driven, inclusive Judaism.”

Wertz is an accomplished jazz musician and composer who’d earned comparisons to Mitchell before the collaboration. In a review of her second album, 2020’s Other Side, Jazz Weekly writer George W. Harris praised the title song for its “Joni Mitchell’d tenderness.”

The decades-spanning show includes nine Mitchell and seven Cohen songs and opens with the tune that gave Schaeffer and Wertz their first click of musical recognition. The song underscores an idea that reverberates throughout the evening and is emphasized via the easy chairs and lit candles in the stage design.

“Joni and Leonard really did not write music that has tribute show energy; they wrote with such depth and vulnerability,” Wertz said. “I think ‘A Case of You’ does a good job of introducing to the audience what kind of show this is going to be, as opposed to starting with something like, ‘You Turn Me On I’m A Radio.’”

The show touches on interesting intersectionalities such as the fact that both began artistic careers outside of music, Cohen as a poet and novelist, Mitchell as a painter, something she was forced to do after leaving art school when she got pregnant and had to move to a home for unwed mothers. After the birth, the 18-year old new mother gave her baby up for adoption.

“What she had intended to do with the next chapter of her life was to continue being a very serious painter,” Wertz said, explaining that she was moved by the reasoning for Mitchell’s move into music. “After she had the baby, the only way that she knew she could make money was by singing covers of folk songs in coffee shops.”

Cohen’s faith is highlighted in the show. The two have recorded and plan to release “Who By Fire,” a song that includes pieces of the R’tzei prayer sung at high holidays, such as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

“Leonard was raised in an Orthodox household and spent a lot of his life leaning into those traditions and then backing away,” Wertz said. “So much of his music asks, ‘Is this about God or is this about lust?’ It’s often both. We weave the prayer into that song, then pull it back out and let the lyrics … speak for themselves.”

Both Sides Now inevitably includes a rendition of the song that embodies Cohen to most of the world — a reluctant choice, according to Wertz.

“When we were putting the show together, we both rolled our eyes and went, well, we have to do ‘Hallelujah,’” she said. “But once we started playing it, really taking time, digging deeper and reading between the lines in the lyrics, we know it’s such a blessing to get to sing it every night.”

Both Sides Now
When: Friday, Oct. 10, 7:30 p.m.
Where: BNH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord
Tickets: $51 at ccanh.com

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Pizza, bubble tea, pumpkins

Food and fall fun at the Milford Pumpkin Festival

New Hampshire’s pumpkin season will officially kick off this weekend in Milford. The Milford Pumpkin Festival has been held since 1994, said Festival Director Wade Campbell.

“We’re all things pumpkin,” he said. “We have pumpkin carving — students from Milford High School are doing pumpkin carving to bring down. We have something called a Small Pumpkin House — which is where we’ll put the carved pumpkins on display — made out of pallets from Pallet Works out of Amherst. And of course we do the Great Pumpkin Weigh-Off. The giant pumpkins will be on display Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They get upwards to almost 1,000 pounds. A few years ago we had the largest pumpkin ever grown in North America. The gentleman [who grew it] could have brought it to one of the large-scale events, like Topfield Fair or something, but he came to us instead. I thought that was kind of cool.”

As with most harvest season festivals, a big focus of the weekend’s event will be food, Campbell said. “We have one whole street — which is Middle Street — that is dedicated to food vendors. And not only do we have food vendors there, on Middle Street, which range from pizza, to traditional fair foods like fried dough, sausage, to bubble tea; we’ll have seafood this year. And then all our venues — because we have five main venues — have at least one food truck or food available with plenty of food.”

Campbell said that this year the festival itself won’t feature any food-specific events, but that is a direction the organizers would like to move in. “We’re not doing any chili cook-offs or anything like that,” he said. “I’d like to bring that sort of event back. But right now the food is just from casual strolling. Pick what you like, pick what you want, and go from there. We shut down downtown completely during those hours, which allows people to walk around.”

Several downtown restaurants participate, Campbell said, including Brickhouse, Station 101, and Unwined.

“We have many venues throughout town now,” Campbell said. “Originally, it started just on the Oval. Now, it’s [five sites] — the Town Hall, Middle Street, Emerson Park, which is down by the post office. That’s where the Haunted Trail is. We have vendors down there. There’s the Community House Lawn, which is downtown. They do games and stuff and they do a lot of non -profit stuff over there. We are also doing stuff down at Keys Field. At night, we have an astronomy station for two nights in a row, weather permitting. You can look at the stars and they do presentations down there.”

Perhaps the coolest pumpkin event of the festival, Campbell said, has nothing to do with eating them. Dollars for Scholars has a trebuchet — something like a medieval catapult — set up at Railroad Pond, just off the Oval.

“They launch pumpkins into the water, and they try to hit a mannequin on a float,” he said. Additionally, he said, “we’ve got scarecrow-making over on the Community House lawn that’s run by the Lions and Rotary [clubs]. That’s their venue. And we have a haunted trail that’s Friday night and Saturday night. And a bunch of loud music. Each venue has music. We have a beer and wine tasting over on Community House lawn. And, of course, we have our big pumpkin lighting that kicks off our event.”

Milford Pumpkin Festival

When: Friday, Oct. 10, from 5 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 11, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 12, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: downtown Milford
More: milfordpumpkinfestival.org

Highlights, according to the website

  • As part of the Great Pumpkin Weigh Off, giant pumpkins will be on display throughout the weekend with winning pumpkins announced on Saturday at noon.The lighting of the town hall pumpkin will take place Friday 6:30 p.m.
  • The Haunted Trail will run Friday 6 to 9 p.m. and Saturday 5:30 to 9 p.m. Admission costs $7 for adults, $3 for ages 10 and under; children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
  • The Boys and Girls Club of Souhegan Valley Pumpkinfest 5K and Kids Fun Run will take place Saturday morning. Register online through Friday. The fun run starts at 8:30 a.m. and the 5K starts at 9 a.m.
  • A Pumpkin Carving Demo will take place all day Saturday starting at 10 a.m. with Master Pumpkin Carver Jim Flis, according to the website.
  • A Milford Historical Walking Tour will take place at 8 and 9:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
  • Pumpkin Painting and Scarecrow Making will take place on the Community House Lawn Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (see website for pricing, as well as pricing for face painting).
  • A Rubber Duck Race will take place Sunday at 1 p.m.
  • There will be a bounce house and games in Emerson Park all three days.
  • Red Trouser Show featuring juggling and aerobatic stunts will take place Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m.

Milford Pumpkin Festival Music & Performance

According to milfordpumpkinfestival.org, this is the line-up for music and other live performances at the festival.

Friday, Oct. 10

  • Oval Stage: Rabbit’s Foot, 5:30 p.m.; Fox and The Flamingos, 7:15 p.m.
  • Community House Lawn Stage: Justin Cohn, 5:45 p.m.; Glitter Tooth, 7:30 p.m.
  • Intersection Of Elm & Union St: Red Trouser Show, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 11

  • Keyes Memorial Park Stage: Gary P & Wendy 11 a.m.; Stone Hill Station, 11:45 a.m.; Alivia Ferdinand, 12:40 p.m.; Tumble Toads, 1:30 p.m.; Groove Hound, 2:40 p.m.; Kevin Kierstead, 3:40 p.m.; Toni Lynn Washington & The Motivators, 4 p.m.
  • Oval Stage: Jiggery Pokery, 10 a.m.; The Two’s , 11 a.m.; Jamdemic, 12:15 p.m.; Fatha Groove, 1:45 p.m.; Pop Farmers, 3:30; The Incidentals, 5:15 p.m.; Ballou Bros Band, 7 p.m.
  • Community House Lawn Stage: Chris Roberts with Katie Roberts, 10:30 a.m.; Chris Gunn, 11:45 a.m.; Vale’s End, 1 p.m.; 21st & 1st, 2:30 p.m.: Soul Circuit, 4 p.m.; Humans Being, 5:45 p.m.; Cosmic Blossom, 7:30 p.m.
  • Intersection Of Elm & Union St: SVB&G Club Competitive Dance Team, 11:45 a.m.; Flying Gravity Circus, 1 p.m.; Red Trouser Show, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 12

  • Oval Stage: Paul Driscoll, 10 a.m.; Murphy-Clark, 11:15 a.m.; The Slakas, 1 p.m.
  • Community House Lawn Stage: RGB, 10:45 a.m.; Crescendos Gate, noon; Caylin Costello, 1:15 p.m.
  • Appearing in front of Brickhouse Restaurant and Chaotic Lily: Milford Pumpkin Festival Dance Jam, 11:30 a.m.; A Company of Witches, 1 p.m. with an Encore at 2 p.m.

Featured photo: Milford Pumpkin Festival. Courtesy photo.

Canvas City

Sidewalk chalk colors Nashua’s Main Street

As the colors of autumn foliage begin to fade, the streets of downtown Nashua will brighten, as a community-wide effort will turn patches of sidewalk into the pages of a coloring book. On Oct. 11 the city’s Great American Downtown booster group will host Coloring Main Street, inviting artists and art lovers to fill in a life-size coloring book.

From Main Street Bridge to the public library and City Hall, chalk outline murals will be ready for coloring. The project was sparked by Great American Downtown Executive Director Alyssa O’Mara, who assumed the leadership role at the organization in June. She envisions the “inherently temporary” art form as a good way to unify the community for a day.

O’Mara talked about Coloring Main Street, and Great American Downtown’s future plans, in a recent email interview.

If the Coloring Main Street templates were a coloring book, how many pages would it be?

Fun question! I’d say at least 15 pages. We’ve given the artists creative freedom to design their sections of sidewalk however they’re inspired. Each will complete two to three separate pieces, with some areas intentionally left open so our attendees have room to kneel or sit while coloring them in. Students from the Nashua High School Art Honor Society will also be working in pairs on their sections.

What are some of the pictures that artists will fill in, and where are they located?

Each artist was asked to create something positive and family-friendly, with full freedom over the subject matter. Some designs include animals, spooky Halloween themes, flowers, and more. Styles range from simple, kid-friendly outlines to more intricate designs that older children and adults will enjoy coloring. The murals will be spread along Main Street, from the Pearl Street area down to the bridge and over by the Nashua Public Library.

What was the inspiration for doing this event?

When I started in this role in June, I was already attending meetings of the Downtown Business Roundtable, a group of local business owners working to promote each other. We often collaborate by providing outdoor music for their Third Thursday events. During one of my first meetings as Executive Director, we were brainstorming ideas for fun, unique, family-friendly programming. What began as a chalk walk suggestion from Liz Hannum, Director of Economic Development, quickly evolved into this coloring book concept. One of my favorite things about downtown Nashua is its public art, and this felt like a wonderful opportunity to create a new kind of canvas for the community.

How is the event funded?

When City Arts Nashua closed in 2024, they generously donated funds to Great American Downtown specifically for arts programming. From that donation, GAD is compensating the professional artists and covering supplies. Student artists are volunteering their time, and downtown businesses will also be putting out colorful chalk for attendees to use.

How does the event further Great American Downtown’s mission?

GAD’s mission is to provide coordination, collaboration, and partnerships that unify Nashua around a common vision for an attractive, vibrant downtown that truly reflects the character of our city. Downtown Nashua already showcases murals by Positive Street Art, sculptures from the International Sculpture Symposium, historic theaters like the Janice B. Streeter, and the new Center for the Arts with performances and gallery exhibits. This event adds to that legacy in an especially interactive way. Coloring Main Street invites our residents and visitors to become the artists themselves, while also bringing people together in celebration of creativity. Street art is inherently temporary, especially when created with chalk, but the experience lasts. That’s what we’re really working for.

Anything you’d like to add?

This is the first of five events we’ll be hosting between now and the end of November. Next up is the Main Street Monster Mash on Saturday, Oct. 25 … immediately following the library’s story time and Halloween celebration. Kids can enjoy trick-or-treating on Main Street, a Howl-oween Puppy Parade with prizes for the best costumes (in partnership with the Humane Society for Greater Nashua), and a special surprise performance by the ActorSingers. We’re thrilled to keep building on Downtown Nashua’s reputation as a hub of arts, culture and community fun.

Coloring Main Street
When: Saturday, Oct. 11, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: City Hall, 229 Main St., Nashua
More: linktr.ee/downtownnashua

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