Happy Halloween!

October 26, 2017 12:01 am • Last Updated: October 26, 2017 12:05 am

Jeff and Kathy Barberi of Waterford host a Halloween party every year. They have made couples’ costumes for hippies, scary clowns, and an old married couple. (photo submitted)

Libraries, galleries, and other local hangouts are getting into the Halloween spirit, as well as our readers.

Thursday, October 26

Drop-in Halloween Craft — 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Waterford Public Library, 49 Rope Ferry Road; make and take craft program for all ages with an adult; free; (860) 444-5805.

Screaming Pretzels — 3 p.m., Cragin Memorial Library, 8 Linwood Ave., Colchester; for grades 6-12; free; (860) 537-5752.

Friday, October 27

Haunted History — 6 p.m., Leffingwell House Museum, 348 Washington St., Norwich; public paranormal investigation led by Arrowhead Paranormal; also 8 and 10 p.m.; $30 adults, $20 ages 10-18, children under 10 not permitted; registration required for a time slot; arrowheadparanormalct@gmail.com.

Walk of Horror — 6-9 p.m., Smith-Harris House, 33 Society Road, East Lyme; haunted trail to support various East Lyme non-profits; admission by donation; also Saturday; less scary children's walk 3:30-5 p.m. Saturday; (860) 451-9797.

"Nautical Nightmares: A Creature Among Us" — 6-10 p.m., Mystic Seaport, 75 Greenmanville Ave., Mystic; performances leave every 15 minutes; through Oct. 29; $21 members, $25 nonmembers, $16 youth members, $20 non-member youth; registration required: (860) 572-0711.

Halloween Costume Dance — 6:30-10 p.m., Leamy Ballroom, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, 15 Mohegan Ave., New London; dance lessons 6:30-8 p.m., dancing 8-10 p.m.; sponsored by the International Ballroom Dance Club; free; Alina.m.zapalska@uscga.edu.

Halloween Cabaret — 7 p.m., Chestnut Street Playhouse, 24 Chestnut St., Norwich; performance by Carroll Mailhot and her band; costumes and dancing shoes encouraged; $20; reservations encouraged; (860) 886-2378.

Antient Ghosts of Norwich — 6:40 p.m., register for location; graveyard tour and ghost stories of Norwich; also at 7 and 7:20 p.m.; $5; registration required, limited to 30 people per tour; part of Walktober; sponsored by the Norwich Historical Society; (860) 886-1776.

Marik's Haunted Fair — 5:30-11 p.m., Ledyard Fairgrounds, 722 Colonel Ledyard Highway, Ledyard; benefit for a Ledyard teen battling cancer; $5, $20 families of 4 or more.

Trick or Trunk — 6 p.m., Eastern Point Beach, 1 Beach Pond Road, Groton; rain or shine; prizes awarded for best decorated trunks; free for decorated cars handing out candy, $10 or two large bags of candy per undecorated car; (860) 446-4128.

"Bell, Book, and Candle" — 6:30 p.m., Groton Senior Center, 102 Newtown Road; dinner and performance by Groton Regional Theatre; $22; reservations required; through Oct. 29; grotontheatre.org.

Halloween Parade — 4 p.m., Public Library of New London, 63 Huntington St.; trick-or-treating around the library, crafts and games for children; costumes encouraged; free; (860) 447-1411.

Saturday, October 28

Classic Horror Film — 3 p.m., Waterford Public Library, 49 Rope Ferry Road; free; (860) 444-5805.

Spooky Creatures — 11:30 a.m., Public Library of New London, 63 Huntington St.; Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center about spiders, bats and other "scary" creatures; free; (860) 447-1411.

Literary Terrors: An Evening of Haunted Fandoms — 6-8 p.m., Bill Memorial Library, 240 Monument St., Groton; third annual haunted library event exploring the darker side of favorite series through a tour of the building; for ages 10 and up; $5, $20 per family; (860) 445-0392.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Sing-a-Long — 6:30 p.m., Cragin Memorial Library, 8 Linwood Ave., Colchester; fandom screening and sing-a-long; cosplay encouraged; free; (860) 537-5752.

Spooktacular Animal Adventure — 10:15 a.m., Wheeler Library, 101 Main St., North Stonington; Animal Embassy brings snakes, spiders, scorpions and other misunderstood animals for a visit; free; (860) 535-0383.

Walk of Horror — 6-9 p.m., Smith-Harris House, 33 Society Road, East Lyme; haunted trail to support various East Lyme non-profits; admission by donation; also less scary children's walk 3:30-5 p.m.; (860) 451-9797.

"Bell, Book, and Candle" — 8 p.m., Groton Senior Center, 102 Newtown Road; performance by Groton Regional Theatre; through Oct. 29; $12 in advance and seniors, $15 at the door; grotontheatre.org.

Monster Mash — Norwich Arts Center, 62 Broadway; 2-4 p.m., children's party for ages 3-10 and accompanying adults with crafts and snacks, $5; 7 p.m.-midnight, 21+ party with DJ, dancing, cash bar and a costume contest, $20; (860) 887-2789.

Howling Halloween Bash — 7 p.m.-midnight, Hygienic Art Park, 79 Bank St., New London; "Shipwrecked"-themed costume party with food trucks, live music and cash prizes for best costumes; sponsored by the Hygienic and Spark Makerspace; $10 in advance, $15 at the gate; (860) 443-8001.

Spook-A-Thon — 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Dodd Stadium, 14 Stott Ave., Norwich; Halloween parade, trick-or-treating, the "Haunted Locker Room" and more; $5 donation; (860) 742-2267.

Sunday, October 29

“Bell, Book, and Candle” — 2 p.m., Groton Senior Center, 102 Newtown Road; performance by Groton Regional Theatre; through Oct. 29; $12 in advance and seniors, $15 at the door; grotontheatre.org.

Monday, October 30

Halloween Dramatic Readings — 4 p.m., StoneRidge, 186 Jerry Browne Road, Mystic: actor and StoneRidge activities director Michael Langlois reads “Dracula” and works by Edgar Allen Poe in period dress; free; registration required; (860) 572-5601.

Classic Horror Film — 6:30 p.m., Waterford Public Library, 49 Rope Ferry Road; free; (860) 444-5805.

Horror Writers in New England — 6:30 p.m., Waterford Public Library, 49 Rope Ferry Road; presentation by Faye Ringel, professor emeritus of humanities at the Coast Guard Academy; free; (860) 444-5805.

Escape the Upside Down — 5-8 p.m., Groton Public Library, 52 Newtown Road; “Stranger Things”-themed escape room for ages 12 and up in teams of 2-6; free; registration recommended; (860) 441-6750.

Tuesday, October 31

Halloween Trick-or-Treat — 4-6 p.m., Olde Mistick Village, 27 Coogan Blvd., Mystic; costumed kids visit village merchants for treats; free; (860) 536-4941.

Halloween Celebration — 12:30 p.m., Lymes' Senior Center, 26 Town Woods Road, Old Lyme; spooky café, raffles and more; costumes encouraged; (860) 434-1605 ext. 240.

Mall-o-ween — 5-8 p.m., Crystal Mall, 850 Hartford Turnpike, Waterford; games and activities for children with Disney Junior's Vampirina; free; (860) 442-8501.

Halloween Storytime and Parade — 10:30 a.m., Cragin Memorial Library, 8 Linwood Ave., Colchester; library trick-or-treat for all ages; free; (860) 537-5752.

Wednesday, November 1

Day of the Dead — 6:30-7:30 p.m., East Lyme Public Library, 39 Society Road; stories and songs in English and Spanish, with dancing and a paper calavera mask craft; free; (860) 759-6926.

Marsha Giardina of Mystic sent this photo of her son Richard, 12, at a haunted camping event this month. The Giardina family makes their creepy costumes every year. (photo submitted)

From Debbie Butler of New London: “These are my children Brendan and Devon. I made these costumes myself, they kept the children warm, no masks were required. They are now older, and would be mortified that I resurrected this photo. That’s what moms are for.” (photo submitted)

Roberta Helming of Ledyard went through her old photo box to find this picture of her and her husband John from a Halloween party in the 1990s. (photo submitted)

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