3. If you haven't carved a jack-o-lantern yet, visit Lyman Orchards in Middlefield, Connecticut, on Saturday for the annual Pumpkin Festival featuring pumpkin carving and painting contests, hayrides, pumpkin treats and a final opportunity to get lost for a while inside the orchard's corn maze.
4. On Friday and Saturday, Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut, hosts two nights of ghostly Halloween fun. Sea Scare features music, dancing, a Halloween-themed sea lion show, a ride through the Haunted Mine and more. Events are suitable for all ages and run from 6:30 until 10 p.m.
5. And finally, there's no better place to celebrate Halloween in New England than Salem, Massachusetts, where haunted happenings abound this weekend. Tour the House of Seven Gables by candlelight; listen to chilling tales aboard an 18th-century sailing ship; visit the Haunted Neighborhood at the Salem Wax Museum and much more. Saturday and Sunday are Family Fun Days in Salem, and the annual children's costume parade and party begins at noon on Saturday at Salem Common. For more information on events in Salem this weekend, call toll free, 877-SALEM-MA.
Before I go, I want to remind you to set your clocks back on Saturday night—and be sure to plan something fun for that extra hour of fall.
Also, on a personal note, today is my little girl's fourth birthday. She wasn't due to arrive until November 11, but I think she wanted to arrive in time to see the fall leaves! There is something about autumn that brings out the child in all of us, and I hope that the magic of this spectacular season remains with you through the holidays and beyond.
I'm Kim Knox Beckius, and I want to thank all of you who have listened in to The Weekly Peepcast. This is my final fall podcast, but you can visit me year-round at GoNewEngland.About.com. Subscribe to my free weekly email newsletter for more travel ideas in the months ahead.
And be sure to stop by The Boston Globe's explorenewengland.com for more ways to make the most of this beautiful season or to begin planning your 2007 fall foliage trip. There's no better time than autumn to explore New England.
