There are approximately two types of people who will find this post extremely useful.
Person One has an extensive collection of pumpkin scented candles, has been planning their costume for approximately six months, and has exhausted their Hocus Pocus DVD. Weekend activities include carving jack-o-lanterns, haunted hayride mn, and bobbing for apples while munching on candy corn and drinking Pumpkin Spice Lattes or hot cider.
Person Two knows Halloween is fast-approaching but has yet to actually put their Halloween costume together despite their looming Halloweekend plans. But they’re not the type to worry too much, because they can always get something like this breathable baggy outfit as a last-minute costume. What is worrying is that they’re having a hard time figuring out what to do on the big day. Weekend activities include: seeing everyone participate in the activities listed above via social media because they’re occupying their time in an assortment of other ways.
No matter what your level of Halloween enthusiasm may be, we’ve compiled a list of events to get you in the seasonal spirit. Take a look at the events below and register for your favorite today!
- Graveyard Shift Ghost Tours, The Mark Twain House
Featured on SyFy Channel’s Ghost Hunters and the Biography Channel’s My Ghost Story, the ever-popular Graveyard Shift Ghost Tours last throughout the month of October. On these tours, participants learn of Mark Twain’s interest in the supernatural and hear an assortment of creepy tales. Full of haunted history, dark tales and Victorian traditions surrounding séances and spiritualism, these night time tours are equally educational AND goose-bump inducing. Learn more here!
- West Hartford Hauntings, Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society
Returning for its twelfth year, West Hartford Hauntings is a series of spooky, theatrical cemetery tours. The lantern-lit tours take place on Fridays and Saturdays from October 21st– October 29th. Tours are guided by dearly departed West Hartford residents returning for these nights only. Click here for details!
- Spooktacular Science Weekend, Featuring The Minions, Connecticut Science Center
Looking for an event the whole family can enjoy? Stop by the Connecticut Science Center for the ultimate Halloween party. The party includes trick-or-treating, a photo booth, pumpkin decorating, kids “Scary-oke”, Halloween arts & crafts and special guests Kevin and Stuart from the film Minions and Despicable Me. Costumes are encouraged! Dress the whole family up and head to the Connecticut Science Center this Saturday & Sunday (October 22nd & 23rd). More information can be found here!
- First Annual Zombie Ball, The New England Carousel Museum
Wear your best zombie attire and dance the night away in the New England Carousel Museum’s haunted ballroom on Friday, October 21st. This 21+ BYOB event begins at 7:00 PM and lasts until the clock strikes midnight! Candy and snacks will be provided throughout the evening, and a prize will be awarded for most creative costume and best couple/group costume. Info to get your $15 tickets is located here!
- Hartford Symphony Orchestra Presents Danny Elfman’s Music from the Films of Tim Burton, The Bushnell
Hollywood’s Tim Burton has created some of your favorite quirky fantasy films including Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Nightmare Before Christmas and Alice in Wonderland. This Hartford Symphony Orchestra performance on Saturday, October 22nd highlights the collaborative relationship between music and storytelling. This live performance Danny Elfman’s celebrated film scores brought to life on stage by orchestra and choir, enhanced by the visuals of Tim Burton’s original sketches, drawings, story board and film clips. Get the details on this concert here!
- Thriller Family Halloween Event, Hartford City Ballet
Here’s another event for the kiddos! Hartford City Ballet’s annual Thriller Family Halloween event on Saturday, October 29th includes ghoulish games, a costume contest and special instruction on how to do Michael Jackson’s famous Thriller dance! Ages 3-12, parents and guardians are welcome free of charge. Learn more!
- Behind-The-Scenes Tour: CHS Gets Creepy, Connecticut Historical Society
History gets creepy with this behind-the-scenes tour of the storage vaults at CHS. Tales of vampires, corpses on ice and more haunt the storage and collection areas not normally open to the public. Tours are ages 12 & up and approximately one hour long. Space is limited, pre-register today!
- A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, The Bushnell
Nothing says Halloween season like a good, old-fashioned murder plot! Winner of the 2014 Tony Award for Best Musical, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder is playing at the Bushnell from October 25th-30th. Who knew getting away with murder could be so much fun? Get your tickets now for the musical that will have you “dying with laughter”! Info to contact the box office can be found here!
- Hallowed History Lantern Tour, Cedar Hill Cemetery
Grab your walking shoes and flashlight! Led by lantern-light, attendees will visit the final resting places of some of Cedar Hill Cemetery’s notable and not-so-notable residents on the only night Cedar Hill is open after dark. Character actors share their true-yet-darker tales. New stories are available every year! Reservations are required for certain time-slots. Find more details here!
- Spirits at Stowe: An Otherworldly Tour, Harriet Beecher Stowe Center
Tour the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in the dark and learn about 19th century spiritualism and the paranormal in Hartford. Hear stories about unexplained events from past and present, use a ghost hunting meter to measure paranormal activity and discover the five reported deaths in the Hartford home where Harriet Beecher Stowe lived for 23 years and where she died at age 86. Appropriate for ages 12 + up! Link for tickets is found here!
Join the United Arts Campaign to keep events like these alive in our communities!
