|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Double double toil and trouble – Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
Now that you’ve traded in your iced coffee for hot pumpkin spice, it’s time to brace yourself for the spooky spectaculars of the season.
Families can keep it light with trick-or-treating and zoo events, while thrill-seekers can test their nerves at haunted attractions. Adults can also head out for wine, live music, and heart-pounding fright. New Bedford has several fall favorites, with more happenings across Fairhaven, Westport, and Fall River.
New Bedford
Boo at the Zoo takes over Buttonwood Park Zoo for October weekends with trick-or-treating, characters, face-painting and Halloween fun. Younger children can join Baby Boo at the Zoo on Friday, Oct. 30, for a gentler celebration geared toward little ones.
Traditional trick-or-treating is getting a parking-lot upgrade this October, turning local tailgates into full-blown candy hubs.
Child & Family Services Community Trunk or Treat: Get the weekend started early on Friday, Oct. 23, at 5 p.m. Head over to 965 Church St. for a spooktacular neighborhood treat haul.
New Bedford Police Department annual Trunk or Treat: On Friday, Oct. 30, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., head to the Sawyer Street parking lot behind Cotali Mar. Local police, fire, EMS, and community service providers are decking out their emergency vehicles and lining up to dish out mountains of sweet loot.
The Zeiterion has two very different ways to get spooked. “The Lodger” screens Sunday, Oct. 18, with live organ music by Juan Cardona Jr. Then “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is back on Halloween night with a live shadow cast by RKO Army. It’s just a jump to the left for one of Halloween’s most enduring cult favorites.
The Witches’ Ball brings music, dancing, tarot readers, mediums and vendors to the First Unitarian Church Parish House on Saturday, Oct. 24. Costumes are encouraged.
Dartmouth
The North Branch Library serves up mayhem during Googly Monster Madness on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Kids can make clay monsters and Halloween rocks. At 2 p.m., storyteller Jeff Belanger takes over with “Ghosts and Legends,” a multimedia program packed with eerie hauntings, strange history, and unexplained tales.
There’s a double dose of trunk-or-treat fun on Saturday, Oct. 24. Dartmouth Fire District No. 1 and Parks and Recreation host Trunk O’ Treat from 5 to 6:30 p.m. with fire truck rides, trick-or-treating, and seasonal treats. Fire District No. 2 keeps the candy coming with another Trunk or Treat from 6 to 8 p.m.
The 9th annual Trunk or Treat rolls into the Stackhouse Club on Sunday, Oct. 25, from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Expect decorated trunks, plenty of candy, music and raffles at this community fundraiser.
For a more active scare, the South Coast Spooky 5K & Kids Run steps off Sunday, Oct. 25, at Dartmouth High School. The day starts at 8 a.m., followed by the free kids run at 8:45 a.m. and the 5K at 9 a.m. Costumes are encouraged, and proceeds support the school’s cross-country and track programs.
Fairhaven
Fort Phoenix gets eerie after dark during Hauntings at the Fort on Wednesday, Oct. 14, when the Fairhaven Village Militia shares ghost stories, local folklore and Revolutionary War history.
The North Fairhaven Open Air Market Fall Fest comes to Livesey Park on Saturday, Oct. 24, with pumpkin painting, vendors, music, food and costumes.
At Nasketucket Bay Vineyard, author and paranormal investigator Tom Stewart will share strange experiences and stories from his new book during “My Paranormal Story” on Friday, Oct. 16. On Halloween, grownups can escape the doorbell at the Hallo-WINE Trick or Treater Escape Party with live music by Acoustic Nation, costumes, games, prizes, pizza and drinks.
Westport
Westport offers a softer side of autumn with Saturday hayrides at Westport Rivers, cozy fire pits and a corn maze at Buzzards Bay Brewing. After dark, Boos & Booze: Winery After Dark adds nighttime hayrides, winery tours, seasonal food and drinks.
Fall River
For a bigger scare, Factory of Terror is back and bigger than ever with dark corridors, creepy characters and plenty of jump scares. Battleship Cove also joins the witch wagon with Gremlin’s Ghoul-A-Palooza on Friday, Oct. 23. The family event includes trick or treating, games, crafts and live entertainment aboard the historic ships.
Email Toni Delgado-Green at tdgreen@newbedfordlight.org.
