Spooky season is here! This is your one-stop spot for everything Halloween-related in the Greater Moncton Area – costume inspiration, craft & décor ideas, haunted houses, ghost stories, and more! (We’ll add to this throughout October, so keep coming back – and share with your friends, too!)

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HALLOWEEN EVENTS & ACTIVITIES IN GREATER MONCTON 2022

The Albert County Museum is known to have many spooky residents, including Tom Collins, convicted of the fall 1906 axe murder of Mary Ann McAuley. You can take yourself on a tour of the museum’s buildings and see Tom’s cell and the courthouse in which he was found guilty – or you can sign up for the museum’s annual Ghost Hunting Day event on Sunday, October 16! There will be a presentation about the Collins’ trial and a paranormal & wellness fair during the day, followed by a ghost hunting session with Hub City Paranormal in the evening. Tickets are $25/person for the full day.

Boo at the Zoo is a Moncton tradition! With scare levels appropriate for the whole family, enjoy a haunting visit to the 40-acre park, with all the usual awesome animal sightings to be had. Costumes are encouraged! Boo at the Zoo has four dates, each with three start times. Book your tickets online for October 22, 23, 29, or 30, 10am – 4pm. The annual Boo at the Zoo is a fundraiser presented by the Friends of the Magnetic Hill Zoo; there are mild, moderate, and scary Halloween options to ensure this is a fun event for everyone! Tickets are available for advance purchase online – and remember to dress for the weather!

Farmer Brown’s is hosting its Halloween Boo Bash on October 22, 1-4pm. This event has sold out in the past, so plan ahead! Admission is $43.50 plus tax for children (adults free); this includes bouncy castles, pumpkin painting, face painting, cookie decorating, crafts, balloon animals, treats, and more! Text 506-878-9285 to reserve your spot.

CARMA is holding a Halloween photo event at PetValu on Mountain Road on October 22, 10am – 2pm (1-2pm is quiet). Adults & children can join their pets getting a photo with The Cat in the Hat; $25/photo.

There’s also a fun Halloween/Nightmare Before Christmas theme pet photo opp happening at Ren’s Pets on Saturday, noon to 4pm.

The Arches at St. George have an awesome carnival planned for October 22! From 10am until 3pm, enjoy circus performers, carnival games, balloon animals, local makers, merchants, & more. Entry is $5/each, children 12 & under free.

The Great Big Boo returns to Cineplex Dieppe October 22, 23, 29 & 30. This is a great way to enjoy an interactive, indoor Halloween event with littles! It’s a one-hour musical presentation on the big screen at 11am.

Moncton’s Ghost Walk is back! Guides dressed in Victorian-era costumes will take you on a one-hour tour of downtown, pointing out scary and spooky spots. Tickets are selling out, so grab yours quickly! Tours happening October 22 and 23; cost is $22/each.

Up for a road trip? Check out some of the awesome Halloween events happening in Fredericton!

The Irishtown Community Centre has several Halloween events for the family to enjoy, with a pumpkin carving contest and a haunted house & trail. The haunted house will be open October 27-30, with the trail open Friday and Saturday. $5 for one, $7.50 to visit both (on the same day); hours vary, check the source. The house & trail are for all ages; you’ll be asked upon arrival what level of scariness you’re up for!

The folks from Arrow Amor Art will be on hand for a pumpkin painting event with the Village of Salisbury on October 27. Just $10/person, all ages welcome. Register in advance via email: arrowamorarte@gmail.com

Thursday, October 27 sees the return of the Ghost Walk organized as a fundraiser by the grad class at Salisbury Regional School (formerly JMA Armstrong High School). $3 for adults, $2 for students, and $1 to do it all over again! It runs 6-8pm, one night only.

Salisbury is once again hosting a Pumpkin Walk in Highland Park. Come out on Friday, October 28 between 6 & 7pm to see dozens of jack-o-lanterns scattered throughout the park, as well as enjoy some treats & more. Costumes encouraged!

For those looking for a scarier experience, Farmer Brown’s Forbidden Woods might be just what you need! Open Friday, October 28 & Saturday, October 29 from 6pm – 10pm (last entry at 9:30pm), cost is $10/person, payable at the door. Wood oven pizzas and beverages will be available for purchase, too.

Riverview’s Skate Park & Youth Centre always go all out for Halloween & the annual Rampocalypse competition. Check out the action Friday October 28, 6-9pm; $7 to compete, free to watch.

Hillsborough is holding several free Halloween public skating sessions: Friday night, October 28, 8-9pm, and Saturday October 29, 2-3pm & 8-9pm.

🎃 Art Richard’s amazing Halloween musical show is back at the LJR auditorium in Shediac on Saturday morning, 10:30am. A fantastic way to get those little ghouls & goblins moving in the morning! Admission is free; donations accepted for the Vestiaires St-Joseph food bank.

Monster Trot is back again at the Coliseum on October 29! This is the 10^th year for one of the best Halloween events in Greater Moncton & one of our favourite fundraising events & causes – Atlantic Wellness. For just $10 per trick-or-treater (meaning adults don’t pay if they aren’t gathering treats), you can make your way through several awesomely decorated stations, collecting yummy goodies as you go. Get your tickets in advance; there are three start times available at 11:30am, 12:30pm, & 1:30pm. Don’t forget to support the BBQ & prize draws, too, as funds go to provide free mental health counselling to youth in our community.

Riverview’s Lions Club is hosting a Chocolate Bar Bingo on October 29 from 2-4pm. Bring one regular size chocolate bar for entry (parents & children) and your first bingo card; ‘buy’ additional card with additional bars. Enjoy free hot dogs & prizes for best costumes!

Port Elgin & District Lions Club is teaming up with the Good Time Gang to hold a Monster March on Saturday, 1-4pm. Prizes for most creative & spookiest costumes, games, activities, & treats. Hot dogs on sale, admission by donation.

Looking for a fun treat? Pop into the Scarefree Cakery on Collishaw & indulge your sweettooth with spooky cupcakes and cookies. Stop in October 29 or 31 to grab a photo at their in-store display!

Amp it Up Dance in Salisbury is hosting a K-8 Halloween party on October 29. They’ll have two floors of activities & fun at the Lions Club, from 6-8pm. Cost is $10; this includes all activities & lots of treats!

On October 29, you can start the fun with a pancake breakfast (must pre-order) at Irishtown Community Centre, with games & pony rides available, too. Stay for the movie afternoon for the whole family (Muppets Haunted Mansion followed by Hocus Pocus 2) and a tour of the haunted house & trail!

Euston Park is opening to celebrate Halloween on October 29! Stop by 5-8pm to enjoy fall decor and treats!

Moncton’s Highfield Baptist Church is holding a Trunk or Treat on Saturday afternoon, October 29, 1:30 – 4pm, promising decorations without the scariness to keep the event fun for all ages.

Sunny Brae Baptist Church’s Trunk or Treat takes place in the parking lot on Saturday, October 29 at 6pm.

First North River Baptist Church in Wheaton Settlement is hosting a fall fair on October 29, with hay rides, BBQ, trunk or treat and more, noon till 5pm.

The Petitcodiac Legion is hosting a Halloween dance for tweens/teens in Grades 6 to 9 on October 29, from 6-8pm. Prizes for best costumes!

SkyZone is getting into the spooky spirit on October 29 with staff in costume & a series of special Halloween games & contests! Wear your costume, too – though no masks during jump time.

The Atlantic Wildlife Institute in Sackville is hosting its Spook Walk again this year. Admission is $5 (suggested), open to all. It’s approximately a 15 slow walk through ghouls, witches, and more – with an additional trail with added spooks if you’re up for more of a fright! Bring a flashlight and dress for the weather. Starts at 6:30 no October 29.

Shediac is turning Town Hall into a haunted house on October 29! The less scary experience takes place 1-3pm, with a scarier version from 7-9pm. This is a free event; non-perishable donations for Vestiaire St-Joseph accepted.

Mommy Connections Moncton is holding its first annual Halloween Haunt for littles & their parents. Enjoy a craft, treat, and a professional photo of your family in costume! Happening Sunday, October 30 at Reconnect Health Centre’s Studio. Cost is $25/family; register in advance as spaces are limited.

For the older, artsy crowd, why not take in a screening of the 1931 classic movie, Dracula, starting Bela Lugosi at the Capitol Theatre on October 30? Symphony NB will provide the music! This is a pay-what-you-will performance, with two showings at 2pm and 7:30pm.

The Multicultural Association of Sussex is holding a Halloween Party on October 30, with a photo booth, sugar skull workshop, a magician, and more!

Uplands Baptist Church in Salisbury is holding a Trunk or Treat event on October 30 at 6:30 – with prizes for the best trunk! Contact them to register your trunk in advance.

Steeves House Museum in Hillsborough is holding a Halloween event on October 30, 1-4pm, with crafts, games, cookie decorating and more.

Memramcook is hosting a free Halloween public skate at the Eugene (Gene) LeBlanc Arena on October 30 from 11:45am to 12:45pm.

Wacky Wonderful Waffles wants to see your kiddos in their costumes, too! Stop in Monday October 31 between 4 & 9pm; costumes = free ice cream with a colour-changing bowl & spoon! Grab a sandwich, too, to fill those tummies, too.

This one’s a little different, but we love it! The Town of Riverview is inviting its older population to join in the Halloween fun by dressing up & handing out treats along the Riverfront Trail on October 31 from noon until 1pm. The town is providing the treats; register with them if you want to dress up & share the spooky spirit with other trail users that afternoon! (The event is geared to those ages 55+.)

Last year, Moncton, Riverview, & Dieppe asked trick-or-treaters be active from 4 & 8pm on October 31. We’ll keep you updated if we see suggested hours again this year, but generally we’ve found people locally consider 5pm to 7:30pm the ideal time to knock on someone’s door.

HAUNTED HOUSES

We created this list in 2021; we’re hoping these homes will all be decked out again & we’d love to add more if your home deserves a mention!

Since 205, April Mullin has been creating & sharing her creations on First Avenue. Check out this incredible profile by CBC News in 2019 – her front yard is transformed to a spooky castle! (Photo from 2021!)

The folks at 59 Falcon Drive in Moncton’s North End have been going all out the past few years & we love it. The photo below is only a snippet of what they had on display in 2021!

We hear there’s an awesome display on Killarney Road in Riverview every year, and we always check out the mannequin family on Coverdale (across from the Riverfront playground). Another must-visit spot in 2021 was 19 Waterfall Drive in Riverview (below); we hear they’re back to having fun again this year!

In Moncton, the corner of Alexander Avenue & Milner Road was fun in the day but even more amazing at night in 2021! (Watch out for the AT-AT!)

If you’re up for a drive, check out the amazing display at LaFiouk Restaurant in Kouchibouguac; their inflatable collection is something else! The New Brunswick Botanical Garden in Edmunston also puts on an annual display, la Grande Grouille d’automne, that is out of this world. Worth planning a visit for the first full weekend in October. (They also have a winter event planned in November.)

For another list, check out the Monster Map being created by 91.9 The Bend.

SIMPLE HALLOWEEN CRAFTS

LOCAL GHOST STORIES

Albert County is filled with fabulous tales of ghostly figures. You can hear Albert County Museum’s Janet Clouston talk about sightings of Tom Collins, his apparent murder victim, a court judge, and more at the museum on our #NBHistory Podcast/TV Show.

#HistoryNB: The Ghosts of Albert County

We’ve also heard some fantastic ghost stories about Gray’s Island Graveyard in Hillsborough, the Capitol Theatre is another well-known location with a sense of something otherworldly, and the legend of Rebecca’s Grave is pretty much the best-known Moncton folktale. You can find a few other New Brunswick must-know ghost stories & haunted places in this article from Huddle & please drop your favourite ones below! We’d love to hear more about the every day encounters with spirits in this area!

 

TREATS

FUN TREATS TO EAT

Meatloaf shaped like a hand, surrounded by mashed potatoes, is our go-to Halloween meal here at Pickle Planet HQ. Mummy Dogs are a school lunch must! And we love creating yummy treats with some healthy elements to offset all that sugar coming our way. You can find our tips & tricks in this post:

You might also want to check out our toasted pumpkin seed recipes!

MUST READ: HOW TO BOIL & SEASON PUMPKIN SEEDS

SIMPLE DIY DECORATIONS & CRAFTS

We have some tried & true simple & affordable decorating hacks at our house. You can find five of them in this post; we highly recommend trying the cheesecloth tip!

Jenna & Tosh recorded an episode of their Rogers podcast on this topic last year, too!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE!