Here’s a not-so-secret secret: Here at Northshore, autumn is our favorite time of the year. The heat and crowds of summer have faded away, leaving behind crisp weather, stunning foliage, bountiful harvests at local farms, and so many community events.
Throughout October, you’ll find fall festivals and arts happenings along with recurring yearly events that aren’t to be missed, like Essex ClamFest, Ipswich Illumination, and Salem’s Haunted Happenings. Read on for our top ten picks to get out and get involved in the community this October.
Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend at the PEM
Sept. 28–June 15
On Sept. 28, Salem’s Peabody Essex Museum opens a new exhibit all about narwhal whales. Part of PEM’s interdisciplinary Climate + Environment Initiative, the exhibit, Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend, explores the habitat and lives of the recognizable creatures, of which there are about 173,000 individuals in the wild. Guests can even touch an 8-foot-long cast of a real narwhal tusk. And while you’re at the PEM, make sure to stop by its other exhibit opening this fall: Conjuring the Spirit World: Art, Magic, and Mediums.
pem.org/exhibitions/narwhal-revealing-an-arctic-legend
Salem Haunted Happenings
Oct. 1–31
Witch City’s annual month-long Halloween celebration draws hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world each year, and this year is no exception. October will see plenty of continuous events like artisan markets and shows all month long, and not just on the weekends. Fan favorites are back this year, too, including the 27th Annual Haunted Happenings Grand Parade on Thursday, Oct. 3, the Howl-o-ween Pet Parade on Saturday, Oct. 12, and the Salem Night Faire at the Pioneer Village on the nights of Oct. 18, 19, 25, and 26.
Smolak Farms Fall Festival Weekends
Weekends, Oct.
Every weekend in September and October, Smolak Farms welcomes the community to its Fall Festivals, which include hayrides, games, live music, family-friendly activities, and concessions every Saturday and Sunday. You’ll find apple picking and cut-your-own flowers each day, along with face painting and cow train rides. Concessions include the farm’s famous apple cider donuts and cider donut ice cream.
Cape Ann Plein Air
Oct. 5–13
This weeklong outdoor painting festival returns to Cape Ann this October, bringing dozens of the country’s top plein air (outdoor) painters to the area. The juried festival kicks off with a welcome party on Oct. 7 at the Beauport, and you’ll find live demos with painters throughout the week at outdoor locations like Cox Reservation, Stage Fort Park, and Sharksmouth Estate. The festival culminates at the Collectors’ Preview Party on Friday, Oct. 11, at the North Shore Arts Association, where guests can purchase the works of art created over the last week.
Fall on the Farm at Appleton Farms
Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26
Each Saturday afternoon this October, bask in the fall vibes at Appleton Farms in Hamilton and Ipswich. The family-friendly autumn celebrations at Appleton Farms, one of the oldest continuously operating farms in the country, include hayrides, lawn games, barnyard animals, and plenty of food and drink vendors selling seasonal treats and fresh-baked goodies. On Saturday, Oct. 12, the farm hosts an Oktoberfest celebration, complete with a stein-holding competition, a live German oompah band, wood-fired pizza, and beer from local brewers like True North Ale, Notch Brewing, Ipswich Ale, and Rockport Brewing.
thetrustees.org/place/appleton-farms
Ipswich Illumination
Oct. 11, 12, 25, 26
Returning for two weekends this October, Ipswich Illumination once again lights up the Ipswich River with floating bonfires each evening, lit by flaming arrows. Celebrating art and community, both weekends feature plenty of interactive art installations, live performances, and food and drink vendors. The first weekend is centered around the Downtown Riverwalk and features the Ipswich Cultural Council Art Show along with lots of live music and dance shows. The second weekend is farther downriver, by the Green Street Bridge and the Town Wharf.
historicipswich.net/ipswich-illumination
Manchester-by-the-Sea’s Cardboard Boat Regatta
Oct. 13
The annual Cardboard Boat Regatta returns to Manchester-by-the-Sea on Sunday, October 13, bringing with it all the fun and antics that go into racing boats made of cardboard. The premise is simple: Participants build boats of nothing but cardboard and tape, and whoever paddles their boat to and from a buoy in Manchester’s Inner Harbor the fastest wins. The event that started out as a backyard party in Manchester 15 years ago now draws spectators from all over and awards trophies for first place, second place, and a handful of people’s choice awards like the Cat-Ass-Trophy.
mbtscardboardboatregatta.blogspot.com
Rockport’s Harvest Fest
Oct. 19
Rockport’s Harvest Fest returns this fall for one day only on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The day’s main event is the Apple Pie Bake-Off featuring local bakers, and the fest also features local food and artisan vendors, live music, and all of downtown Rockport’s charming shops. Plus, kid-friendly activities include face painting, seasonal crafts, and a live animal exhibit.
Cider Hill Farm’s Sweet Halloween
Oct. 19, 20, 26, 27
Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury once again hosts its “Sweet Halloween,” a not-so-spooky, family-friendly Halloween celebration. An outdoor trick-or-treat is the featured event, during which kids get to explore the farm and pick up treats from staff at stations along the way. While pre-purchased tickets are required for trick-or-treating, the rest of the event is free and open to the public and includes hayrides, live music, a costume competition, food trucks, and a hard cider bar.
39th Annual Essex ClamFest
Oct. 26
The Essex ClamFest returns for its 39th year this October, celebrating the region’s cuisine the best way they know how—with a clam chowder competition. The daylong festival features plenty of other community events, too, like a K9 demo by the Essex Police Department, live music, kids’ arts and crafts, artisan vendors, and plenty of food and beer trucks. The chowder competition is at noon (it’s $15 per person to taste the chowders), and participating restaurants include Woodman’s of Essex, JT Farnham’s, Mile Marker One, CK Pearl, and Essex Seafood, among others, and the winner is announced at 3 p.m.