For more fall events in Massachusetts, visit BostonParentsPaper.com/event/.

October 2 – November 1

Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular, 6pm, Roger Williams Park Zoo, 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence, R.I. A nighttime display of 5,000 illuminated jack-o-lanterns, many of them professionally carved masterpieces. Daily through Nov. 1. $11 and up. 401-785-3510; rwpzoo.org.

Friday, October 9

HONK! Festival, various locations, Cambridge and Somerville. A festival of activist brass street bands featuring several days of performances, dance parties, processions and a lantern parade. Through Oct. 11. FREE. honkfest.org.

SOUTH

Boo at the Zoo, 6-9pm, Buttonwood Park Zoo, 425 Hawthorn St., New Bedford. An evening of slightly scary Halloween fun with train and carousel rides and more. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 30. Price TBA. 508-991-6178; bpzoo.org.

WEST

Halloween Hike, 6:30-8:30pm, Broad Meadow Brook, 414 Massasoit Road, Worcester. At sundown, the sanctuary transforms into a magical, slightly haunted forest. Guided hikes leave every 10-15 minutes. Registration required. $8. 508-753-6087; massaudubon.org.

Saturday, October 10

SOUTH

Sampe Festival, 9am – 5pm, Plimoth Plantation, 137 Warren Ave., Plymouth. A celebration of all things corn with fall-themed activities and corn-inspired dishes. Free with admission. 508-746-1622; plimoth.org.

Cranberry Harvest Celebration, 10am – 4pm, A.D. Makepeace Company, 158 Tihonet Road, Wareham. Get a peek at the cranberry harvest as you enjoy music, food and children’s activities. Adults, $10; children, free. 508-322-4000; cranberryharvest.org.

Fall Festival, 10am – 4pm, Blue Hills Trailside Museum, 1904 Canton Ave., Milton. Celebrate autumn with storytelling, activities and live animal demos. Press apples to make cider and more. Through Oct. 12. $8. 617-333-0690; massaudubon.org.

WEST

Harvest Festival, noon to 5pm, Fruitlands Museum, 102 Prospect Hill Road, Harvard. Activities include a farmer’s market, animals raised by local 4-H clubs, crafts, apple tastings and old-fashioned games. Free with admission. 978-456-3924; fruitlands.org.

Halloween Hike, 6:30-8:30pm, Broad Meadow Brook, 414 Massasoit Road, Worcester. See Oct. 9 listing.

Sunday, October 11

SOUTH

Sampe Festival, 9am – 5pm, Plimoth Plantation, 137 Warren Ave., Plymouth. See Oct. 10 listing.

Cranberry Harvest Celebration, 10am – 4pm, A.D. Makepeace Company, 158 Tihonet Road, Wareham. See Oct. 10 listing.

Harvest Dinner with the Pilgrims, 5:30pm, Plimoth Plantation, 137 Warren Ave., Plymouth. Discover the table manners and recipes of the Pilgrims as you join them for songs, history and fun. Reservations required. $35 and up. 508-746-1622; plimoth.org.

WEST

Harvest Festival, noon to 5pm, Fruitlands Museum, 102 Prospect Hill Road, Harvard. See Oct. 10 listing.

Friday, October 16 

Fall Festival, 4-8pm, Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. Music, crafts, pumpkins and more. Museum admission is $1 from 5-9pm. 617-426-6500; bostonkids.org.

Saturday, October 17

Fall Pumpkin Festival, time TBA, Boston Common Frog Pond, Boston. Bring a small carved pumpkin to float on the pond and enjoy refreshments, creating luminaries and other fun family activities. FREE. 617-635-2120; bostonfrogpond.com. 

NORTH

Boo at the Zoo, 11am – 3pm, Stone Zoo, 149 Pond St., Stoneham. Trick-or-treat among the animals, create creepy crafts, run a haunted maze, watch the animals interact with pumpkins and more. Free with admission. 781-438-5100; stonezoo.org.

Pumpkin Day, 11am – 4pm, Cogswell’s Grant, 60 Spring St., Essex. Take a hayride through the fields to choose a pumpkin, compete in a pie-eating contest, make crafts and play games. Adults, $6; children, $4. 978-768-3632; historicnewengland.org.

Haunted Happenings Children’s Parade and Party, noon to 2pm, Salem Common, Salem. Wear your costume and march in the parade at noon, then play monster games and make crafts at the party. Ages 3-10. $10. phoenixschoolhauntedhappenings.webs.com.

SOUTH
Pumpkin Fest,
10am – 4pm, Camp Sayre, 411 Unquity Road, Milton. A day of pumpkin themed family fun in the outdoors. Activities include archery, catapults, mazes, pumpkin bowling and much more. Ages 4-11. $35, includes patch and pumpkin. 617-615-0004; scoutspirit.org.

WEST

Harvest Fair, 10am – 4pm, Applewild School, 120 Prospect Street, Fitchburg. Enjoy outdoor bouncy rides, finding the perfect pumpkin in their pumpkin patch, pony rides, musical performances, baked goods, crafts and more! FREE. 978-342-6053; applewild.org.

Sunday, October 18

WEST

Fall Festival, 10am – 12pm, Nobles Day Camp, 10 Campus Drive, Dedham. Check out this fun fall festival that includes a petting zoo, bouncy house and slide, face painting with Jenny the Juggler, pumpkin carving (free pumpkins to first 100 families, cider and donuts, crafts and games, and more! FREE. 781-320-1320. noblesdaycamp.org.

Tuesday, October 20

Great Pumpkin Float, 5:30pm, Pope John Paul II Park, Dorchester. Hundreds of costumed children will float pumpkins down the creek and enjoy cocoa and treats. Bring a 6-8 inch carved pumpkin. Floats and candles provided. FREE. 617-333-7404; mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr.

Friday, October 23

Boston Book Festival, time TBA, Copley Square, Boston. This hugely popular book festival returns to Copley Square with readings, activities and movies for the whole family. FREE. 617-945-9552; bostonbookfest.org.

NORTH

Halloween Happenings, 6-9pm, Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, 87 Perkins Row, Topsfield. Take a guided walk along the Halloween trail, lined with glowing luminaries and carved pumpkins. Ages 4-10. $10. 978-887-9264; massaudubon.org.

SOUTH

Halloween Prowl, 5:30-8pm, Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, 293 Moose Hill St., Sharon. Explore a barn filled with jack-o-lanterns and encounter costumed characters performing nature skits on a non-scary, candlelit trail. Through Oct. 25. Registration required. $9. 781-784-5691; massaudubon.org.

Family Owl Prowl, 7pm, Blue Hills Trailside Museum, 1904 Canton Ave., Milton. Meet some of the museum’s resident owls before going on a night hike to search for owls and other nocturnal life. Registration required. $10. 617-333-0690; massaudon.org.

Pumpkin Fest, 7pm, Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, 108 North St., Norfolk. Bring a pumpkin to carve and end the evening with a moonlit stroll. Adults, $11; children, $8. 508-528-3140; massaudubon.org.

Saturday, October 24

Zoo Howl, 11am – 3pm, Franklin Park Zoo, 1 Franklin Park Road, Boston. Trick-or-treat among the animals, explore a haunted maze, watch the animals interact with pumpkins and more. Free with admission. 617-541-5466; franklinparkzoo.org.

Children’s Magical Halloween Castle, noon to 4pm, Castle Island, Day Boulevard , Boston. Fort Independence transforms into a slightly spooky, family-friendly mystery castle. Costumes encouraged. FREE. 617-268-8870; bostonfortindependence.com.

NORTH

Halloween Happenings, 6-9pm, Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, 87 Perkins Row, Topsfield. See Oct. 23 listing.

SOUTH

Spooky Zoo, 10am – 3pm, Roger Williams Park Zoo, 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence, R.I. Trick-or-treat stations, pumpkin treats for the animals, animal encounters, pumpkin carving demos and more. Free with admission. 401-785-3510; rwpzoo.org.

Halloween Romp, 2-6pm, Children’s Museum in Easton, 9 Sullivan Ave., Easton. A family-friendly party featuring crafts, ghoulish games, science experiments, creepy crawly animals and more. $10. 508-230-3789; childrensmuseumineaston.org.

Halloween Howl, 5:30-8:30pm, South Shore Natural Science Center, 48 Jacobs Lane, Norwell. A night of pumpkin carving, animal visits and night hikes through the not-too-spooky woods. $10. 781-659-2559; southshorenaturalsciencecenter.org.

WEST

Great Pumpkin Fest, 2-9pm, EcoTarium, 222 Harrington Way, Worcester. More than a thousand carved pumpkins will be lit and on display, plus enjoy trick-or-treating, live entertainment and more. Price TBA. 508-929-2700; ecotarium.org.

Halloween Night Hike and Hayride, 6pm, Wachusett Meadow, 113 Goodnow Road, Princeton. Take a guided hike, do a Halloween craft, enjoy a hayride then warm up at the bonfire. Adults, $8; children, $4. 978-464-2712; massaudubon.org.

Sunday, October 25

PruBoo, 11am – 2pm, The Shops at Prudential Center, 800 Boylston St., Boston. An annual trick-or-treat event for charity, followed by a kids concert. Suggested $4 donation. prudentialcenter.com.

Zoo Howl, 11am – 3pm, Franklin Park Zoo, 1 Franklin Park Road, Boston. See Oct. 24 listing.

Children’s Magical Halloween Castle, noon to 4pm, Castle Island, Day Boulevard, Boston. See Oct. 24 listing.

SOUTH

Spooky Zoo, 10am – 3pm, Roger Williams Park Zoo, 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence, R.I. See Oct. 24 listing.

WEST

Halloween Wagon Rides, noon to 2pm, Gore Place, 52 Gore St., Waltham. Games, music, refreshments and wagon rides. $5. 781-894-2798; goreplace.org.

Creepy Crawlies, 1pm, Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary, 280 Eliot St., Natick. This program features some strange and creepy critters such as tarantulas, snakes and cockroaches. Registration recommended. Adults, $15; children, $9. 508-655-2296; massaudubon.org.

Friday, October 30

SOUTH

Baby Boo at the Zoo, 10am to noon, Buttonwood Park Zoo, 425 Hawthorn St., New Bedford. A version of Boo at the Zoo for the littlest ones, with a costume contest and parade. Price TBA. 508-991-6178; bpzoo.org.

WEST
Last Minute Nature Costumes,
2-4pm, The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. Drop in to make an animal mask, a nature crown or other Halloween costumes using things found outdoors. Free with admission. 978-264-4200; discoverymuseums.org.

Saturday, October 31

Halloween

Haunted Halls, 9am – 5pm, Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston. Festivities include a dance party, costume show, spooky scavenger hunt and Halloween versions of popular activities and presentations. Through Nov. 1. Free with admission. 617-723-2500; mos.org.

Some Scary Stories and Some Not, 10:30am, JFK Presidential Library, Columbia Point, Boston. Storyteller Len Cabral shares his favorite fright-filled tales from around the world. Reservations required. FREE. 617-514-1644; jfklibrary.org.

Trick or Treat on Station Street, 4-6pm, Puppet Showplace Theater, 32 Station St., Brookline. Drop in for free refreshments, activities and puppet making. Meet Dr. Doohickey and explore his monster laboratory. FREE. 617-731-6400; puppetshowplace.org.

SOUTH

Boo Bash, 11am – 2pm, Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St., Providence, R.I. Come in costume and have a blast with games, crafts and a mad scientist’s laboratory. Free with admission. 401-273-5437; childrenmuseum.org.

The Night Watch Lantern Light Tour, 4pm, Plimoth Plantation, 137 Warren Ave., Plymouth. Explore the 17th-century English Village after dark by lant-horn and flashlight. Free with admission 508-746-1622; plimoth.org.

Ultimate Werewolf Bonfire, Hayride & S’mores, 6-9pm, Oakdale Farm, 59 Wheaton Ave, Rehoboth. Teens can chow on s’mores and participate in an interactive game of Ultimate Werewolf. Ages 12-18. 508-916-2187; teenhalloweenbonfire.eventbrite.com.

WEST

Wild and Spooky Animals, 10:30am – 12:30pm, The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. Learn about the birds, reptiles, and mammals that live in your neighborhood as you view them up close. Free with admission. 978-264-4200; discoverymuseums.org.

Halloween Family Day, noon to 4pm, Spellman Museum of Stamps and Postal History, 235 Wellesley St., Weston. Come in costume and make Halloween cards, stamp crafts and more. Adults $8; children $3. 781-768-8367; spellman.org.