October is one of our favorite months to be North Shore residents. There’s so much more to do than just visit Salem (although Witch City has some fantastic October events, as always). Below, you’ll find plenty of happenings this month, from autumn festivals and Oktoberfests that celebrate the season to shows and art exhibits you can’t miss while they’re in town. Read on for some of our favorite things to do on the North Shore this October.
Salem Haunted Happenings
October 2 and All Month
Halloween festivities are back all month long in Witch City this October. While you’ll find something exciting to do every day this month, the iconic Grand Parade kicks off the busiest month of the year with a nighttime parade of pageantry, music, and color.
Held, as always, on the first Thursday of the month, the parade kicks off on Oct. 2 at 6:30 p.m. at Shetland Park on Congress Street and ends at Salem Common. You’ll find plenty of other Haunted Happenings throughout the month, too, from marketplaces and food halls to a night faire and a jack-o-lantern festival.
Topsfield Fair
Through October 13
Now more than 200 years old, the Topsfield Fair is back this October for a week and a half of rides, food vendors, live music, and agricultural celebration. The fair kicks off with the All New England Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off on the 3rd, continues with highlights like swine racing, circus performers, sheep-shearing demos, horse-pulling contests, arts & crafts displays, hay-tossing competitions, and much more, ending with a demolition derby on October 13.
Madame Mozart: The Lacrimosa at Gloucester Stage
October 9-19
This mid-October, Punctuate4 Productions visits the Gloucester Stage Company for a run of Madame Mozart: The Lacrimosa, a dark comedy following the life of the young widow Constanze Mozart in the wake of her husband’s death. With creditors at the door, it’s up to Constanze to finish Mozart’s incomplete Requiem in D Minor and solidify her late husband’s legacy. Running 90 minutes with no intermission, the play shows ten times between October 9 and 19.
Psycho 65th Anniversary Screening at the Cabot
October 10
In celebration of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 horror flick Psycho’s turning 65 this year, The Cabot in Beverly hosts an (appropriately spooky) screening this October. On Friday, October 10, at 7 p.m., you can see all the iconic goings-on at the Bates Motel in the film that stars Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. Make a night of it with dinner in downtown Beverly, too, and don’t miss the other Halloween-themed films screening at The Cabot this month like Sinners and the original Frankenstein.
Hammers on Stone at CAM
October 11 – February 1
On October 11, a new exhibit opens at the Cape Ann Museum—Hammers on Stone: The Granite Industry on Cape Ann. Exhibiting at the museum’s Green Campus, Hammers on Stone explores the history of the granite industry that shaped Cape Ann’s economy from the early 19th century to the early 20th, providing work for folks from around the region and the world.
The exhibit displays artwork, objects, and other archival material from CAM’s collection that explains how granite harvesting worked and how it shaped construction across the US.
Manchester-by-the-Sea Cardboard Boat Regatta
October 12
Manchester’s annual Cardboard Boat Regatta returns to the North Shore on the second Sunday of October, bringing with it all the hilarity and impressive feats of engineering that unfold when contestants build paddle boats out of nothing but cardboard and tape. The regatta starts at noon on October 12 and awards winners based on timed races—everyone must paddle 100 yards in Manchester’s Inner Harbor—and people’s choice—Classic Cat-Ass-Trophy and Best SPIRIT will have their moment to shine, too.
mbtscardboardboatregatta.blogspot.com
Ipswich Illumination
Oct. 17–19, Nov. 1–2
This year’s Ipswich Illumination takes place over two weekends—from October 17 to 19 and November 1 to 2—celebrating art, community, and heritage. Each evening, bonfires will be lit by flaming arrow and floated gently down the Ipswich River, running through the heart of town. Also along the river you can expect art installations, live performances of music and poetry, and food and drink available for purchase.
The Cher Show at NSMT
Oct. 21–Nov. 2
Experience the ’70s superstar like never before at North Shore Music Theatre this month. Opening on Oct. 21, the Tony award–winning Cher Show comes to Beverly for two weeks, celebrating the “Queen of Camp’s life and career in spectacular, dazzling fashion. Featuring 35 of her biggest hits like “Believe,” “Turn Back Time,” and “Strong Enough,” the show was written by Rick Elice, creator of Jersey Boys. You’ll find “Meet the Theatre” after the shows on Oct. 28 and Nov. 1, and “Out at the North Shore” on Oct. 30.
40th Annual Essex Clamfest
October 25
The Essex Clamfest hits a milestone this year–-celebrating its 40th annual festival, the fest returns to Shepard Memorial Park in downtown Essex for a day of chowder, children’s activities, and community cheer. Starting at 11 a.m., the festival is free and open to the public—although the clam chowder tasting is $15 per person and runs from noon to 1 p.m., while supplies last. The day also includes live music, arts and crafts vendors, plus food and beer trucks.