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Lakes Region
- Mermaids in the Mountains from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, through Monday, Oct. 12, at the Living Shores Aquarium in Glen. “Misty of the Mountains” will be splashing around the aquarium throughout the long weekend – grab a photo with the mermaid before completing a mermaid-themed scavenger hunt for a prize. More details. (General admission $22-25 for kids and adults, $19-22 for seniors)
- Ghost Light at Jean’s Playhouse in Lincoln opens Friday, Oct. 9, and continues through Halloween. From dusk until 10 p.m., this half-immersive-theater, half-haunted-house experience leads small groups through this historic playhouse and its grounds after dark, with plenty of scares and stories along the way. More details. ($37 per person)
- Paugus Bay Collecta-Con from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10 and Sunday, Oct. 11, in Laconia. Take a walk down memory lane – and grab a collector’s edition trading card while you’re at it. Vendors will be offering a range of memorabilia, from Pokemon to Magic: The Gathering items. More details. (Free)
- White Mountain Oktoberfest runs from Saturday, Oct. 10, through Monday, Oct. 12, at Loon Mountain Resort in Lincoln. Gates open at 11 a.m. each day for what’s billed as the largest Oktoberfest celebration in the region. Play beer stein-centric games, learn about lagers, hops, malt and more at “Beer College,” or get your lumberjack on with axe throwing and live wood carving. More details. (Free)
Merrimack Valley
- Warner Fall Foliage Festival runs Friday, Oct. 9, through Sunday, Oct. 11, the center of town. Peruse the Historical Society Barn Sale, compete in an ice cream eating contest at The Velvet Moose, or check out the oxen competition. More details. (Free admission)
- Parmigiano Reggiano Festival runs from noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11, in Salem. Take a spin sampling different wheels of this authentic Italian cheese, ride a gondola, catch free cooking demos – all to the tune of live Italian tribute bands. More details. (Free admission)
Monadnock Region
- Milford Pumpkin Festival runs Friday, Oct. 9 through Sunday, Oct. 11, at various locations around town. See the grandest gourd in the Great Pumpkin Weigh Off, personalize your own painted pumpkin, or catapult a pumpkin into the pond. More details. (Free admission)
- Monadnock Art Open Studio Tour from Saturday, Oct. 10 to Monday, Oct. 12, throughout the region. In “New England’s oldest and largest weekend art tour,” you’ll drive through the foliage-laden countryside to more than 60 working art studios, chatting with local artisans as they craft their work. More details. (Free)
- Melt A Glass Acorn on Monday, Oct. 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in at Terrapin Glassblowing Studio in Jaffrey. Walk-ins are welcome to this beginner-friendly workshop, where participants will melt and shape their own ornamental acorn. More details. ($25 per person, ages 12+)
North Country
- Return of the Pumpkin People runs all October throughout the town of Jackson. In the 42nd year of this self-guided tour, check out more than 60 pumpkin people displays set up around local restaurants, stores and lodges. Snap a pic with one of the displays, vote for your favorite pumpkin people, or “adopt a pumpkin person” for a chance to win a raffle prize. More details. (Free)
- Live music at Big Day Brewing on Friday, Oct. 9 through Sunday, Oct. 11, in Gorham. Hear autumnal Americana music from Seagrass (Friday) and The Barnyard Incident (Saturday), or swing by on Sunday for a funkier sound from Al Hospers Band. More details. (Free)
Seacoast
- Do Go On: Scared Stupid on Thursday, Oct. 8, at 6:30 p.m at the Rochester Performing & Arts Center. This live storytelling show will feature true stories of Granite Staters’ most fearful moments. More details. ($10, ages 18+)
- Night at the Museum starts at 4:40 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9 and Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Woodman Museum in Dover. Historical figures around the museum will come to life in this educational evening tour, sharing more about the legends and artifacts associated with them. More details. ($10 for ages 4-15, $20 for ages 16+, discounted prices for museum members)
Southern Tier
- The Moanin’ Frogs Workshop and Concert on Thursday, Oct. 8, at 4:30 p.m at the Concord Community Music School. Learn from this genre-defying saxophone sexlet in an open workshop, before hearing a live demo performance. More details. (Free)
- Chocolate Expo New Hampshire from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11, at the Doubletree Expo Center in Manchester. Celebrate this beloved sweet treat with chocolaty goods, live entertainment, and special guest appearances from the cast of the ‘90s classic film The Sandlot. More details. (Free for kids under 5; ticket prices for ages 5 and older vary based on timing and VIP level)
Upper Valley
- Grafton’s Gargantuan Garlic Gathering starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Grafton Public Library. Keep away the looming vampires of Halloween by tasting garlicky goodies and stocking up on garlic seeds. New this year: Pick up an Artsy Garlic Gathering poster, designed by Mascoma students. More details. (Free)
Mount Sunapee Duck Drop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11, in Newbury. Purchase a pack of rubber ducks, ride the Mount Sunapee chairlift, and aim your ducks into the targets below for a chance to win prizes. Every dropped duck goes toward funding the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kearsarge Sunapee. More details. (Rubber duck packs start at $25)
- P.S. — If you attend, keep an eye out for NHPR! Drop by our table for free swag and to meet some of the faces behind our station.
- Indigenous Peoples’ Day with Natives at Dartmouth at 12 a.m and 12 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 12, on the Dartmouth Green in Hanover. The day will include readings and demonstrations honoring the past, present and future of Indigenous heritage in the region. (If you can’t make this event, the Native American Program at Dartmouth is offering community events throughout Indigenous Peoples’ Month.) More details. (Free)
