31 things to do in Mass., one for every day in October

Fill your calendar with fun during the month of October.

Apple cider doughnuts from Red Apple Farm in Phillipston. Globe Staff/Wendy Maeda

By Kristi Palma

September 29, 2023

Fall in Massachusetts brings many events, especially during the month of October.

From apple picking to outdoor festivals to haunted houses, fill up your calendar using our list of 31 things to do — one event for every day in October.

Oct. 1: Enjoy a day at the fair at The Big E
The first day of October is the final day of The Big E, officially called the Eastern States Exposition. Enjoy carnival rides, a circus spectacular, food vendors, live musical performances, and the famous Avenue of States. (1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield)

Oct. 2: Get a psychic reading in Salem
Get in a Halloween frame of mind at the Salem Psychic Fair and Witches’ Market at Witch City Mall in Salem. The city’s longest-running psychic fair is open every day in October and offers tarot card readings, palm readings, past life readings, and more. (176 Essex St., Salem)

Oct. 3: Eat at Comfort Kitchen, one of the best restaurants in the U.S.
Comfort Kitchen, which offers global comfort food inspired by the African diaspora, was recently named among the best restaurants in America by The New York Times. (611 Columbia Road, Dorchester)

Oct. 4: Enjoy a sunset walk at Polpis Harbor
Join Nantucket Walkabout for a guided hike with guide Peter Bruce, who will educate the group about how geological forces formed Nantucket and Polpis harbors as well as conservation efforts in the area. (Polpis Harbor, Nantucket)

Oct. 5: Celebrate Halloween at Salem’s Haunted Happenings
Salem, famous for the Salem witch trials of 1692, hosts its famous month-long Haunted Happenings every October which includes parades, haunted houses, costume balls, psychic readings, street fairs, and more. (various locations, Salem)

Oct. 6: Feel the music at Somerville’s HONK! Festival
The 18th annual HONK! Festival of Activist Street Bands returns to Davis Square from Oct. 6-8. Friday brings a musical lantern parade followed by music and dancing all weekend long to all different styles of music. (10 College Ave., Somerville)

Oct. 7: Get lost in one of the best corn mazes in America
Visitors can choose from different levels of intensity and play various games at Davis Mega Maze, just named among the best corn mazes in the U.S. by USA Today readers. (142 Redstone Hill, Sterling)

John Singer Sargent, Lady Agnew of Lochnaw (detail), 1892. – Courtesy of the MFA

Oct. 8: Study the John Singer Sargent exhibit at the MFA
The Museum of Fine Arts Boston debuts “Fashioned by Sargent,” an exhibit featuring about 50 John Singer Sargent paintings along with period clothing worn by his subjects. Sargent (1856-1925) was one of the most successful American portrait painters of his era. The exhibit runs through Jan. 15, 2024. (465 Huntington Ave., Boston)

Oct. 9: Enjoy a sunset hike on Martha’s Vineyard
Join the Trustees of Reservations for a three-mile guided hike of Menemsha Hills, a protected nature reserve in Chilmark, and learn about the glaciation that formed the rocky landscape. (North Road, Chilmark)

Oct. 10: Get a workout with an ocean view
Work up a sweat while overlooking Crane Beach when you join Ipswich YMCA + CraneWellness for HIIT (high intensity interval training). (310 Argilla Road, Ipswich)

Oct. 11: Dine with an artist in Gloucester
As part of Cape Ann Plein Air, the annual Cape Ann outdoor painting competition taking place Oct. 8-15, guests who dine at Minglewood Harborside from 6-9 p.m. can watch artist Kirk Larsen paint the view. (25 Rogers St., Gloucester)

Oct. 12: Experience a top-ranked tour in the U.S.
Salem’s History & Hauntings of Salem Guided Walking Tour by Witch City Walking Tours is the best cultural and historical tour in the nation, according to Tripadvisor. Guests learn about Salem’s maritime history, the Salem witch trials, architecture, and more. (Old Town Hall, Salem)

Oct. 13: Celebrate the season at Halloween on the Hill
Bring the whole family on this seasonal-themed trail featuring more than 1,000 jack-o’-lanterns, hundreds of mums, light displays, music, and more during Halloween on the Hill at Long Hill in Beverly. (572 Essex St., Beverly)

Oct. 14: Enjoy hard cider and live music at Honey Pot Hill Orchards
Every Saturday and Sunday throughout October, Honey Pot Hill Orchards, named among the best apple picking destinations in America by Travel + Leisure, hosts live music at its Hard Cider Tent. Make a day of it by picking apples and exploring the Monster Maze. (18 Boon Road, Stow)

A team working out on the Charles River in preparation for a previous Head of the Charles. – Maddie Meyer

Oct. 15: Experience a car-free Newbury Street
Get your shopping done during Open Newbury Street. The street is closed to vehicle traffic between Massachusetts Avenue and Berkley Street from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. This is the final day of the event series this year. (Newbury Street, Boston)

Oct. 16: Celebrate ArtWeek Berkshires in North Adams
Between Oct. 14-22, more than 100 arts events take place across the Berkshires for ArtWeek Berkshires, an annual celebration of the arts. On this day, visitors can take part in Chinese Paper Cutting, Zentangle Art Therapy, and an exhibit with local photographer David Agasi at the North Adams Public Library. (74 Church St., North Adams)

Oct. 17: Explore the zoo by lantern light
Franklin Park Zoo’s 72-acres are lit with lanterns and lights every night through Oct. 29 during Boston Lights: A Lantern Experience. See a 33-foot sphinx, a glowing 80-foot dragon tunnel, and more between 6 and 10:30 p.m. (1 Franklin Park Road, Boston)

Oct. 18: Savor the cider doughnuts at Red Apple Farm in Phillipston
Your taste buds will thank you for buying cider doughnuts at Red Apple Farm, according to Boston.com readers, who named them the best in the state in 2022. The farm also has a stand in the Boston Public Market. (455 Highland Ave., Phillipston)

Oct. 19: Enjoy dinner and a haunted house in Abington
On Thursdays and Sundays in October, visitors can get both dinner at the Abington Ale House and general admission tickets to Barrett’s Haunted Mansion for $55 (tax and tip included) during “Bite and Fright.”(1235 Bedford St., Abington)

Oct. 20: Watch them row at the Head of the Charles Regatta
The Head of the Charles, the world’s largest two-day rowing event, attracts more than 11,000 athletes and tens of thousands of spectators to the Charles River. This year’s races take place Oct. 20-22. (various locations along the banks of the Charles River)

Oct. 21: Meet wildlife and sip craft beer in Milton
Head over to the Blue Hills Trailside Museum, where you’ll make nature-inspired art, meet wildlife, enjoy seafood from Chef Stephen Coe’s Lobsta Love food truck, and sip craft beer from Roundhead Brewing. This is one of seven festivals happening at wildlife sanctuaries across the state as part of Mass. Audubon’s first-ever Flocktober event. (1904 Canton Ave., Milton)

Witches Woods is a screampark in Westford. *– Susannah Sudborough/Boston.com*

Oct. 22: Tour the city with Boston Duck Tours
Boston’s amphibious vehicles take visitors through the city and past historic landmarks before driving right into the Charles River. (Departure locations: Museum of Science, Prudential Center, and New England Aquarium)

Oct. 23: Pick apples at Smolak Farms in North Andover
Smolak Farms, family owned for 50 years, is a working farm that “combines agriculture, education, and entertainment in a unique way,” according to its website. On weekends in October, families enjoy live entertainment, themed hay rides, lawn games, and more. (315 South Bradford St., North Andover)

Oct. 24: Ride a carousel in Boston’s oldest public park
Take a ride on the Boston Common Frog Pond Carousel, open daily in America’s oldest public park through the fall. Please note the carousel closes when it rains. (38 Beacon St., Boston)

Oct. 25: Check out the Naumkeag Pumpkin Show
The Naumkeag gardens are filled with more than 1,500 jack-o-lanterns, as well as hundreds of mums, pumpkins, and gourds. Visitors can buy fall treats such as hot cider while wandering through. (5 Prospect Hill Road, Stockbridge)

Oct. 26: Climb the trees at Ramblewild
This tree-to-tree adventure park offers adventures via high wires, zip lines, balancing logs, rope ladders, and suspension bridges. (110 Brodie Mountain Road, Lanesborough)

Oct. 27: Scream at Witch’s Woods Haunted Hayride & Halloween Screampark
Every Friday through Sunday this month at Nashoba Valley Ski Area brings witches, zombies, and unknown creatures to its Witch’s Woods Haunted Hayride. Other attractions include a Vampire Passage, 3D Keeper’s Crypt, Jack O’Lantern Jamboree, and Horrorwood Chamber of Chills. (79 Powers Road, Westford)

Oct. 28: Browse rare materials at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair
The 45th annual Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair, taking place Oct. 27-29 at the Hynes Convention Center, is free and open to the public after its ticketed opening night on Friday. Enjoy guest speakers, panel discussions, and browse rare materials from around the globe, such as manuscripts, maps, children’s books, modern first editions, and more. (900 Boylston St., Boston)

Oct. 29: Get frightened at Fright Fest at Six Flags New England
The 200-acre Six Flags New England, billed as “The Thrill Capital of New England,” hosts Fright Fest each fall, with haunted houses, scare zones, rides in the dark, and more. (1623 Main St., Agawam)

Oct. 30: Build and play at Lego Discovery Center Boston
Lego Discovery Center Boston, which reopened in April after a $12 million renovation, offers 12 zones of play that include a Duplo Park, 4D theater, Kingdom Quest ride, and more. Don’t miss Mini World, full of local landmarks made out of Legos. (598 Assembly Row, Somerville)

Oct. 31: Join a drumming circle in Salem
As part of Salem’s annual Festival of the Dead, recently named one of the best Halloween events in the U.S., visitors can join The Salem Witches’ Magic Circle with warlocks Christian Day and Brian Cain and drumming by the Dragon Ritual Drummers. (Salem Common, Salem)