With Halloween just a few days away, there's plenty of frightfully fun events to keep you busy. You'll find details on haunted houses (and haunted hallways), spooky fairs and of course details on trick-or-treating in Concord and Penacook. You're sure to have a spooktastic time! (No worries . . . We're almost done with making up Halloween words.)
Halloween Howl: fun for all ages
Friday, Oct. 30, 5-8 p.m.
Bring your kids in costume and grown-up friends, too, to downtown Concord on Friday, Oct. 30 for the 18th annual Halloween Howl.
This year’s activities include:
– Live music in Bicentennial Square begins at 5 p.m. with a performance by local favorite Jamantics and others. Music will fill the air until 8 p.m.
– Free crafting will be led by Concord Arts Market organizers in Bicentennial Square. Crafts will then be used to dress up Eagle Square for the “Day of the Dead” celebration on Saturday.
– Trick-or-treating from store to store is a tradition much loved by all kids. Parents will be able to scope out the storefronts while their children score treats from local merchants from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
– Horse-drawn wagon rides will begin at the corner of Capitol and North Main and will run from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Hop aboard the wagon and enjoy a ride through historic downtown Concord. $2 per person.
– Stargazing on the State House Lawn with a McAullife-Shepard Discover Center educator.
– The costume parade led by WJYY’s Nazzy will offer a chance to show off your costume! Line-up plaza at 6 p.m. Make the memory last with the traditional group picture in front of the Capitol. Photos will be posted at concordcamera.com on Monday and available for purchase at Concord Camera after placing an online order.
– Pitchfork Records is again accepting donations of warm clothing, personal care items and canned goods as outreach for the homeless. Bring your donations to the new location at 2 N. Main St.
To make way for all the fun and to ensure the safety of the thousands of anticipated event goers, North Main Streets from Centre Street to Pleasant will be closed to vehicles from 4-8 p.m.
This event is presented by Main Street Concord, Inc. and Concord Recreation and sponsored by Loudon Center Electrical Specialists LLC and New Hampshire Distributors.
For more information, visit mainstreetconcord.com.
CHS group hosts Haunted Hallways event
Saturday, Oct. 31, 4-8 p.m.
Concord High School’s National Honor Society is sponsoring a Haunted Hallways event on Saturday, Oct. 30, from 4-8 p.m. at the school.
The event organizers were nice enough to answer a few questions about their fundraiser:
How did you come up with the Haunted Hallways idea? Our National Honor Society wanted to host an event that would be fun for the kids in the community, and we thought with Halloween coming up, the Haunted Hallways would be a safe way for kids to celebrate and have fun together.
What’s the age group for the event? This event is directed at elementary and middle school aged kids.
You don’t have to give everything away, but can you tell us some spooky things visitors will see? There will be different themed rooms such as a “mad scientist” room and a “zombie” room.
Will there be candy? There will be candy among other treats and goodies! There will be a reception area for the kids and their parents to have some snacks before or after they go through the Haunted Hallways.
One a scale of 1 to 10 (one is “not at all scary” and 10 is “I'm going to have nightmares about this for the next three weeks.”) how scary will this event be? On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate this as about a 4. It’s more Halloween fun than it is a scary event.
What is the money raised from the event being used for? The money that is raised from the Haunted Hallways will be used to buy food for food pantries in Concord. We are approaching the winter and holiday season, and we believe it is important to help those in need.
Admission is $3, costumes welcome! For more information, call 759-0072.
The creepy sounds of Halloween
Friday, Oct. 30, 7 p.m.
The New Hampshire Chapter American Guild of Organists presents a family-friendly concert of seasonal music for the pipe organ on Friday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. “Pipescreams Spooktacular” will be held at South Congregational Church, 27 Pleasant St.
Several Guild members along with other guest artists will play, sing, dance (and quite possibly howl!) their way through some great music, both popular and classical. Admission is free, though donations will be accepted. For more information, call 424-4743.
Don’t miss this haunted house
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 5-7 p.m.
A haunted house will be held at Second Start Alternative High School, 450 N. State St., on Wednesday, Oct. 28 from 5-7 p.m.
Refreshments will be served after the event.
Admission is $3. The event is geared toward middle school age and up.
Trick-or-treating hours
Suggested trick-or-treat hours are as follows:
Penacook: Friday, Oct. 30, 5-7:30 p.m.
Concord: Saturday, Oct. 31, 5-7:30 p.m.
Get spooked by these films
Friday, Oct. 30 and Saturday, Oct. 31
Two spooky films are coming to Red River Theatres, just in time for Halloween.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
(R) 1975, 100 min.
After Janet accepts Brad’s marriage proposal, the happy couple drive away from Denton, Ohio, only to get lost in the rain. They stumble upon the castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a transvestite who is holding the annual convention of visitors from the planet Transsexual. Frank-N-Furter unveils his creation, a young man named Rocky Horror, who fears the doctor and rejects his sexual advances. When Frank-N-Furter announces that he is returning to the galaxy Transylvania, Riff Raff the butler and Magenta the maid declare that they have plans of their own.
Sponsored by NHTI, Ballard’s, The Hippo, Olive Garden, Dr. Stuart Cunningham DDS and Concord Endodontics PLLC
Tickets are $15, $12 members, $10 with NHTI ID, and includes an audience participation kit.
Showtimes: Oct 30 and 31: 9 p.m.
House on Haunted Hill
NR, 1959, 75 min.
Millionaire Frederick Loren offers five people $10,000 to stay a night in a remote haunted house, giving each of them a loaded gun as a “party favor.” Throughout the night, they’re terrorized by skeletons, disembodied heads and other grisly apparitions. Will any of the guests survive to win the prize? Or will the house scare them to death? The legendary Vincent Price stars in one of director William Castle’s most famous chillers.
Due to several frightening scenes, the movie may not be suitable for young children who are prone to nightmares.
Film will be shown in the screening room. Tickets are $5. Come in costume and your admission is free!
Showtimes: Oct. 30: 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 31: 1, 3 and 7 p.m.
Get crafty: Day of the Dead
Saturday, Oct. 31, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Concord Arts Market and Ciel Rouge Movement Company will bring Day of the Dead to Concord on Halloween from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Eagle Square (behind the giant clock tower on North Main Street) downtown. Admission is free.
This is a very special market day for so many reasons. It’s the last day of the 2009 season for Concord Arts Market. This is also the first collaboration between the Market and Ciel Rouge Movement Company, an aerial performance troupe based in the capital region. And, of course, it’s a special day because these two arts organizations are coming together to bring the community a unique blended celebration of two holidays, Halloween, and Day of the Dead, a Latin-American tradition. Day of the Dead or “Dia De Los Muertos,” is an occasion that falls on the day after Halloween and acts as an occasion to honor your ancestors with happy remembrance and celebrate life in all its color and beauty.
This special market day features handmade items from over 25 artisans and fine artists, as well as music from Mike O’Donnell, folk musician, blues-rock from Kelley Morris and the Fallen Free, a Celtic Music Jam led by Susan Young, laid back sounds of React Impact and the West African style drumming of Arabalon.
Hula-hoop dancers from Boston Hoop Troop, face painting by Ariel Venne, aerial performances from Ciel Rouge Movement Company, costumes contests and dance demos from Let’s Dance Studios of Concord are all part of the fun throughout the day. Trick-or-treating is welcome throughout the vendor tents from 3-8 p.m.!
Community arts projects will be there for visitors to get their hands into, led by mosaic artist Lizz Van Saun of Hopkinton and fine artist/painter Susan Schwake of artstream gallery in Rochester.
The centerpiece art installation of the day will be a giant “living remembrance altar,” a trapeze covered in beautiful decorations, that the public is invited to add their own items to in celebration of loved ones who have passed on. Flowers or photocopies of treasured photos are examples of items one might wish to add. Aerial performers will perform within it throughout the day to create a beautiful live art installation.
The evening will be capped off with the lighting of Eagle Square by pumpkins, followed by drumming.
Find out more about the Concord Arts Market and this special event at the market website, concordartsmarket.com. E-mail concordartsmarket @yahoo.com with any questions or call 229-2157.
