It’s time to immerse yourself in candy, costumes and creepy activities, because Halloween season is upon us. We’ve rounded up a bewitching batch of Halloween events that will entice revelers of all stripes.
Feel like getting some steps in? There’s a walk, bar crawl and road race to choose from.
Looking to bust a move this Halloween? There are a couple of live performances, including The Awesome in Arundel.
If you’re more of a movie buff, there are some quintessential Halloween-adjacent films being shown, including “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” in Biddeford.
This is a Halloween season to sink your fangs into. Here are events happening all week.
After Dark Halloween
6 p.m. Thursday. Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine, 250 Thompson’s Point Road, Portland, $45, 21-plus. kitetails.org
The Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine suggests you find a babysitter for its 21-plus soiree. After Dark Halloween features trick-or-treating, drag performances by Chartreuse Money and Bunny Wonderland, nibbles from Bird & Co. and Plot Twist Pretzels, an interactive animation experience and raffles. DJ Fave Le Chic will be pumping out the tuneage throughout the evening.
Thriller Throwdown
5:30 p.m. Friday. Monument Square, Portland. On Facebook.
The Thriller Throwdown in Portland’s Monument Square always draws an enthusiastic crowd of onlookers. More than 100 partially decomposed ghoulish creatures will rise from their graves to entertain the living. The drama begins when the music starts, specifically Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” The zombie dancers recreate the iconic video, and their weeks of rehearsal will pay off, right before your eyes.
‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’
7 p.m. Friday. Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle St., Portland, $28 or pay what you can. porttix.com
Turn the clock back 99 years with a screening of the 1923 film “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” starring Lon Chaney as the monstrous yet heroic bell-ringer Quasimodo. The silent film will be anything but, with dramatic live accompaniment on the Kotzschmar organ by Portland municipal organist James Kennerley. Costumes are encouraged for a night that will boil and bubble with history and horror.
‘Dracula’
7 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday. Westbrook Performing Arts Center, 471 Stroudwater St., Westbrook, $18 to $40.50. portix.com
Portland Ballet is stoked to perform its version of Bram Stoker’s classic tale. You’ll be brought along Jonathan Harker’s passage from the comfort and safety of his home into the chilling realm of Dracula, where mystery, lust and darkness reside. The show skews mature, so it’s recommended that all souls attending are at least 12 years old. Bring the kids, though, to the the ballet’s family-friendly Thrills & Chills performance at 10 a.m. Saturday.
‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’
7:30 p.m. Friday. City Theater, 205 Main St., Biddeford, $10. citytheater.org
It’s just a jump to the left, and then a step to the right! City Theater presents a screening of a film that’s one year shy of its 50th anniversary. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is a cult classic musical comedy of wild proportions. With songs like “Damnit Janet,” “Time Warp,” “Sweet Transvestite” and “I Can Make You a Man,” you’ll be dancing, singing and reciting every line right along with the cast. The theater is historic, so please leave the rice, squirt guns, toilet paper and toast at home, but bring your newspapers.
Hoot & Howl Family Halloween
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (two-hour time slots) Saturday and Sunday. Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine, 250 Thompson’s Point Road, Portland, $18, $15 for 60 and older. kitetails.org
Children and their adult parents/relatives/caregivers are invited to all-ages fun at the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine. The Hoot & Howl Family Halloween celebration includes indoor trick-or-treating, exploring animal artifacts and specimens, meeting characters from Maddy’s Theatre (and seeing them perform) and creepy crafting in the MakerSpace. Tickets include museum admission, a take-home craft, trick-or-treat stations and a trick-or-treat tote bag. Hooting and howling is encouraged.
All Souls’ Walk
Noon to 3 p.m. Saturday (tours leave every 15 minutes). Brick Store Museum, 117 Main St., Kennebunk. $15, brickstoremuseum.org
The Brick Store Museum presents its annual All Souls’ Walk through Hope Cemetery, a tradition that started more than two decades ago. A guide will lead the way, and you’ll encounter a number of ghosts who will share their humorous, sorrowful and passionate tales. The walk lasts about 75 minutes, covers about a half mile and is suitable for all ages.
Halloween Bar Crawl
4 p.m. to 12 a.m. Saturday. Downtown Portland locations, $25 in advance, $30 day of event, 21-plus. crawlwith.us/portlandme/halloween
OK, party animals, this one’s for you. The Halloween Bar Crawl features stops at several bars and restaurants within walking distance of one another, and the night culminates with an afterparty. You can also win some cash during the costume contest. Participants include Fore Play Sports Pub, Andy’s Old Port Pub, Gritty McDuff’s, Cheese Louise, Ri Ra Irish Pub & Restaurant, Rosie’s and The Thirsty Pig. They’ll all have special cocktails and shots waiting for you.
The Great Pumpkin Ball
6 p.m. Saturday. State Theatre, 209 Congress St., Portland, $25 in advance, $30 day of, $65 VIP, 18-plus. statetheatreportland.com
Equality Maine has been presenting its Great Pumpkin Ball for decades, and it’s always a massive dance party. With stars from Maine’s LGBTQ+ community, the ball includes drag performances and costume and scream queen contests. DJs Keith James and Ben Spalding will keep you dancing, and Curbside Queens, Kings of the Hill, Big Kings and Golden Goddess Productions will keep you well entertained.
Spooky Stories
6-8 p.m. Saturday. Capt. James Winn House, 86 Obeds Lane, Ogunquit, $5, free for 5 and under. ogunquit.gov/489/Heritage-Museum
The Ogunquit Heritage Museum invites you for a tour featuring stories, ghostly appearances and unnatural occurrences, and they’ve got the perfect setting for it. The Capt. James Winn House was built circa 1780, and its walls just might share its secrets. Tours last 15 minutes and end with light refreshments, including Halloween candy.
Space Halloween
8 p.m. Saturday. Space, 538 Congress St., Portland, $15, 21-plus. space538.org
Space’s annual Halloween party has been happening for two decades, and always draws an enthusiastic, creatively costumed crowd. The theme is always the same: Local musicians form supergroups and perform as nationally known bands. This year’s lineup features some of the state’s ace musicians taking the stage as Yeah Yeah Yeahs, No Doubt, MGMT and Veruca Salt.
Plague’s Halloween Goth Ball
9 p.m. Saturday. Aura. 121 Center St., Portland, $25 in advance, $30 at the door, 21-plus. auramaine.com
Plague has its fingers on the pulse of Maine’s goth and industrial music scene, and the Halloween Goth Ball is its biggest night of the year. DJs Mothra, Nemesis and Sawtooth will be spinning goth, industrial and dark Halloween tunes all night long. There will also be live performances by Aerial Arts 207 and Lexi Go Go and some epic visuals by VJ Foo. Black Magic Vintage and Djinn will be selling their goodies and a costume contest goes down at midnight.
Monsters Run The River
9 a.m. Sunday. Riverbank Park, Westbrook, $30 in advance, $40 day of race. runtheriver.racewire.com
There won’t be any monsters chasing you, but you absolutely can dress up as one during the Monsters Run the River 5K road race in Westbrook. Dogs are welcome to join in the fun as well. The race is a fundraiser for the municipal organization Discover Downtown Westbrook. You’ll burn off a few Halloween candy calories while running along the Presumpscot River and through downtown Westbrook. Kids 10 and under are invited to participate in a 1K fun run that starts at 8:30 a.m. by the American Legion building.
Phantom Pages: A Literary Halloween Bash
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30. Mechanics’ Hall, 519 Congress St., Portland, $35, 21-plus. eventbrite.com
Turn the page on boring Halloween parties because this one is a truly novel idea. Phantom Pages: A Literary Bash, suggests you come dressed as your favorite literary character or author. The evening begins with ghost stories from Rebecca Turkewitz’s book “Here in the Night.” Guests will also be treated to readings from Mira Ptacin’s most recent novel, “The In-Betweens,” which delves into the history of mysticism and mediums in Maine. Psychic Julie K. Gray will also be there, and you may be invited to the hall’s mysterious fourth-floor clerestory for divination with pendulum session. DJ Benjamin Spaulding will be in charge of the music, and your beverage needs will be in the capable hands of Cocktail Mary.
Old York Halloween
3:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30. Old York Museum, 3 Lindsay Road, York, free. oldyork.org
Old York Historical Society presents an array of Halloween eve happenings, starting at 3:30 p.m. with trick-or-treating featuring creepy characters doling out the goodies. At 5 p.m., the annual Lighting of the Pumpkins occurs at the Old Burying Ground, steps away from the museum. Lastly, from 5-7 p.m., there’s the Afterglow gathering at Jefferds Tavern (on the grounds of the museum), where you can enjoy a bowl of soup with a local beer or hard cider for $10.
The Awesome Halloween Show
8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31. Vinegar Hill Music Theatre, 53 Old Post Road, Arundel, $25. vinhillmusic.com
For Halloween purists who want to party on the actual holiday, set your sights on Vinegar Hill Music Theatre for a night of ’80s covers expertly performed by Portland-based The Awesome. The band has been slaying since 2003 and plays hits from the likes of Wham, Wang Chung, Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, Duran Duran, INXS, Madonna, Human League, Whitney Houston and several other iconic acts. Figure out a fabulous costume and get ready for a night to remember.
Are You Afraid of the Funk?
9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31. Portland House of Music, $20. portlandhouseofmusic.com
Gina & The Red Eye Flight Crew will be throwing down pop, soul, funk and R&B tunes all night long. Fronted by vocalist Gina Alibrio, the band is known for rafter-shaking performances that bring audiences to their feet from the first note to the final. It’ll be Halloween night in Portland, but the only thing to be afraid of is the hunt for a decent parking space. Pull on a costume and some comfortable shoes for dancing.
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