Newton Family-Friendly Halloween Bike Ride
Biking is cool, but it’s even cooler when you’re wearing a costume. At the Second Annual Newton Family-Friendly Halloween Bike Ride, you do just that. The ride, which starts at the Newton Centre Playground at 11 a.m. on Oct. 29, travels on a 2-mile loop protected by safety marshals. Newton Family Bike Rides, a parent-led community biking group, will host a post-ride celebration featuring apple cider, treats, and a prize for the best costume at the playground.
Jr’s Barktoberfest
It’s not often that you get to sample beer and spirits while watching dogs trot around in Halloween costumes. Baramor, a restaurant at 45 Union St., is hosting Jr’s Barktoberfest, an event for the whole family that comes with raffles, complimentary tastings, and dog treats. The tickets cost $10 for kids and $18 for adults online, and proceeds will benefit canine cancer research. It runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Oct. 20. Dogs and humans alike are encouraged to arrive in costume for the event.
BooFest at Burr Playground
For neighborly fun without the stress of decorations and food preparation, head to the Burr Playground for BooFest on Oct. 22. The event features trunk or treating—trick-or-treating out of the trunks of cars—a live DJ, games, and more. The event runs from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 142 Park St.
Second Annual Hallowbash
Want to strut like a celebrity in the spirit of Halloween? Consider attending the Second Annual Hallowbash at the American Legion Nonantum. For a $20 ticket, enjoy light food, a live DJ, and access to a cash bar. The best costume gets a prize. The party goes from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Oct. 22 at 295 California St.
Halloween Window Painting
This annual event seems to be morphing into a community tradition. Children—with adult supervision—will get the chance to paint spooky masterpieces onto some storefront windows throughout the city’s village centers. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 29. Interested families can register online.
Spooky Silent Film Screening
You don’t just get grave robberies. You don’t just get possessed nuns. Watch the 1922 Swedish silent film Häxan, and you’ll get both. Head to the Scandinavian Cultural Center at 206 Waltham St. on Oct. 30 to watch the scary classic. Tickets, available online, cost $10, and the screening starts at 7 p.m.
CareOne Trunk or Treat
Have you ever thought you could go on a hayride just five minutes off of the Massachusetts Turnpike? At the CareOne nursing home’s Halloween celebration, you get hayrides along with trunk-or-treating, face painting, and games. The free event at 2101 Washington St. lasts from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 22.
West Suburban YMCA’s Fall Festival
At the West Suburban YMCA’s annual fall fest, you get a little bit of everything, including pumpkin decorating, balloon art, science experiments, and even a petting zoo. The event at 276 Church St. is free and open to the public and lasts from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m on Oct. 22. .
Vampire-O Halloween Adventure
Head to Auburndale Park on Oct. 22 for a game that combines tag with a scavenger hunt. Teams will search the woods to try to capture checkpoints, but if they get tagged by a ‘vampire,’ they will be eliminated and also become taggers. There’s one game for whole families as well as one for people 11 and older. You can register for the event, which takes place at 104 W. Pine St. between 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m, online. Groups of five can register for $25. For the 11-and-older game, individuals can register for $8.
Trick-or-Treating
You can’t pass up on the Halloween classic. Residents on Facebook said Oxford Street and Athelstane Road in Newton Centre and Prince Street in West Newton are especially great places to take the kids on the night of Oct. 31.
