Haunted houses, scary tales, & spooky events to celebrate Halloween in Greater Moncton (2023)
Are you ready for a spooktacular October? Pickle Planet’s 2023 Guide to Halloween 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!) The list is broken into not-so-scary & scarier options, listed chronologically, so keep reading to find what suits you best!
HALLOWEEN HOURS
Moncton, Riverview, & Dieppe do not have official hours, but encourage trick-or-treating between 4 & 8pm on October 31.
Generally we’ve found people locally consider 5pm to 7:30pm the ideal time to knock on someone’s door; watch for outside lights and/or decorations to indicate that houses are welcoming trick-or-treaters. Remember to be safe on the streets & polite on others’ property!
HALLOWEEN EVENTS & ACTIVITIES IN GREATER MONCTON 2023
- The Green Pig Market’s regular corn mazes closed Oct 24 for the season but there’s a haunted maze event for ages 13+ on October 26, 27, & 28, 7-10pm (last entry at 9pm)!
- We love the slow country pace at Milton Mile Farms. Check out their corn maze special flashlight events Friday & Saturdays in October; visit October 27 5-8pm & you’ll also be supporting Hillsborough Elementary School. Pair this with a stop at the Hillsborough Halloween House and some leaf peeping in Albert County for an awesome weekend adventure!
- Trueman Blueberry Farm has it all — corn maze, train rides, jumbo jumper, potato cannon, and more – including their amazing homemade ice cream. Always worth a visit! Starting this weekend you can take a wagon ride to the pumpkin patch! Open 11am-8pm Friday, Saturday, & Sunday.
TODDLERS & THOSE NOT LOOKING FOR A BIG SCARE
Salisbury’s Scooptoptia has transformed into Spooktopia this October! The ice cream spot added a haunted maze; free entry with ice cream purchase! They have a kid-friendly version with lots of cute Halloween inflatables, as well as a scarier option in another room.
Shediac’s ghostly tales will be front and centre on Thursday, October 12 with a guided walk through town. There’s a family tour at 7pm, followed by an adult tour at 9pm; both in French. There’s be a second night of French tours on October 26th, and an English night on October 19.
The Riverview Global Pets Store will be holding a Halloween photo session for pets on October 14, in support of PAW.
Travel to You Zoo is hosting a Halloween event at 164 Broadway Street in Moncton on October 14, 9am-3pm. You’re encouraged to wear your costume & bring a bag for goodies! There will be lots of animals to interact with, a Haunted House on the upper level, & a bouncy castle outside. Admission is $7/person, with those 3 & under free, Silverfox Fairytales will also be offering face painting (to match your costume!) for $5-$15 on site, and CK PhotoMe Photographer will be offering fall themed photos ($5-$20).
There’s a Halloween Spook Trail in Sussex Corner, October 14, at 5 Needle Street. The less scary trail will be from 6-7pm, then from 7-9pm you can expect actors on the trail to give you a real thrill! Admission is $4.
Also in Sussex on October 14, learn about the artistry of Calaveras de Azúcar (Sugar Skulls) as Mexican-New Brunswick artist Fabiola Martinez leads you through creating your own. The tradition dates to the Aztec civilization and are a way to honour the dead. Register by emailing info@mas-nb.ca; there is a $10 fee. The workshop begins at 11:30am.
The 5th annual J Colpitts Photography pay-what-you-can Halloween Photo Session fundraiser on October 15.
St. Andrews Church in Petitcodiac is holding a kids’ Halloween dance on October 20th.
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! Book your tickets now for October 21, 22, 28, or 29, 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!
Looking for a Halloween playlist that’s toddler-friendly? Check out the music from The Great Big Boo on Spotify. We’re hoping it will return to Cineplex, too!
- 🚗👻🎃 Street Queens are hosting a trunk n treat in the Cabela’s parking lot on October 21 at 6pm. Cars participating should arrive by 5pm; bring decor and candy!
The Riverview High School dragon boat team is again hosting Halloween Hallways. On Sunday, October 22 you can head to the school between noon & 3pm; admission is cash at the door, $15/person or $20/family, with proceeds supporting Lions Sick Children’s Fund and Atlantic Wellness Centre. Wear your costume & enjoy treats, face painting, Mad Science, a scavenger hunt, & more.
Irishtown Community Centre’s Haunted House returns October 26 – 29; you’ll be asked the level of scariness you want to experience when you enter, so it’s open to all ages. You can pre-order your ticket before October 25 for a ‘fast pass’ entry; cash will also be accepted at the door. Entry is $5/person. Saturday, October 28 from noon until 2pm there’s a family friendly haunted trail, too! $5/each, no reservation required.
Riverview’s Unicorn Children’s Centre is hosting a kids’ Halloween Dance Party on Friday, October 27 from 6-8pm at St. Paul’s United Church.
Salisbury is again hosting its Halloween Pumpkin Walk at Highland Park. Enjoy treats (while supplies last) & walk through the park enjoying lit pumpkins decorated by local students & organizations. October 27, 6-7pm.
- 🚗👻🎃 Sunny Brae Baptist Church is again hosting a Trunk or Treat on October 27th, 6:30-8pm. Always a great event!
New Hope Community Church is hosting a Harvest Candy Festival on Friday, October 27, 6-7:30pm at their Homestead Road location.
Bass Pro Shops will have a candy hunt and free photos in store, October 27 (5-7pm), October 28 (10am-2pm), October 29 (10am-2pm), October 30 (5-7pm), & October 31 (5-7pm).
Dieppe’s Doiron House will be haunted on October 27, 28, & 29; families welcome in the afternoon (1-5pm) on Saturday & Sunday, evenings (6-9pm) will be for those ages 13 & older. Admission is $5/person over the age of 12. Doiron House was built in 1841; get a dose of history along with a little fright! The City is also offering a spooky trail to the site; park at Rotary St-Anselme and make your way to the house. Halloween films will also be shown in the Brunch Room at Rotary Pavilion on Sunday! (Pre-registration is required, as seating is limited. Hotel Transylvania (in French with English subtitles) at 1pm, The Nightmare Before Christmas (in French with English subtitles) at 4pm, and Hotel Transylvania (in English with French subtitles) at 7pm.
Mad Science will be at Chapters Moncton in the kids’ section for a special Halloween slime time at 2pm on October 28.
Boyle Family Farm is hosting the Mom Market’s Halloween event on Saturday, October 28, 10am – 2pm, with vendors, farm animals, and more. No entry fee.
SkyZone staff will be dressed up on Saturday, October 28, with theme games, contests, and more! (No costumes permitted during jump time.)
Kids Flow Exploration Lab is hosting a Halloween disco dance at La Station on Saturday, October 28, 5-7pm. Costumes encouraged.
The Wildcats have a 7pm home game on October 28; expect some Halloween themed fun! Wear a costume for a chance to win prizes & enjoy trick or treat stations.
Salisbury’s Farmers Market will celebrate Halloween on October 28 with special treats, cookie decorating, colouring and more for those who want to dress up and take part!
Next door you’ll find Gaxiola Mexican Restaurant, which is hosting a Dias de los Muertos celebration on October 28, 10am-8pm. Enjoy Bread of the Dead, Cafe de Olla, and an Altar filled with photos of the deceased.
Amp It Up Dance Studio in Salisbury is hosting a kids’ Halloween Blast Costume party on October 28. They’ll have a dance, trick or treating, activities, and more. Price is $8/child; there’s a $5 fee if you’d like to get a can of pop, bag of chips, and treat bag. You should reserve a spot in advance.
- 🚗👻🎃 The Salvation Army Moncton Citadel Community Church is hosting a Trunk or Treat on October 28, starting at 5pm at their location on St. George Blvd.
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🚗👻🎃 Olympia Cheerleading is hosting a Trunk or Treat on October 28; email them to save a spot for your trunk! hello@olympiacheerleading.com
- 🚗👻🎃 Nicholas’ Hope is hosting a Trunk or Treat at the Riverview Lions’ Club on October 28, 5-7pm.
- 🚗👻🎃 Shediac’s A&A Auto is hosting a Trunk or Treat on October 28. Message them to RSVP, show up at 4:$5pm to set up your trunk/table, and enjoy from 6-9pm.
- 🚗👻🎃 First North River Baptist Church is hosting a Trunk or Treat on October 28, 2-4pm.
The Fundraising Crew at Salisbury Elementary School are hosting a Halloween-theme chocolate bar bingo on Sunday, October 29, 2-4pm. Wear your costume, play bingo, and support the playground fund. Entry is $5 for 10 bingo cards (or $3 & a non-perishable food item); one game per card. Canteen available as well!
Our friends at Off the Wall Eyewear Emporium are holding an incredible Nightmare Before Christmas Market on Sunday, October 29 at their Moncton store (Mountain Road) with more than two dozen vendors, henna tattoo artists, fortune telling, rabbits & blacks cats, a play area thanks to Scholar’s Choice, trick-or-treat surprises, & more. Check out their Facebook event for more details! Open 11am-4pm.
Memramcook is hosting a free Halloween skate, from 11:45am-12:45pm on Sunday, October 29.
Petitcodiac‘s Sunday public skate will also be Halloween themed on October 29, 1-2:30pm.
Riverview’s annual free Halloween Skate is happening October 29, 2:30-4pm. Wear your costume, enjoy spooky tunes, and take away a treat bag.
If you really love Halloween, consider at least a temporary move to Miramichi – they have a website dedicated to Haunted Happenings, with events for all ages throughout the fall! Tours of ghostly homes, graveyard walks, the Headless Nun tour, Fletcher’s Haunted Corn Maze, & more!
And if you want a reason to Halloween in another city, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National team is hosting Brazil at the Halifax Wanderers Grounds on October 31!
Looking to unload some candy for some other treats? Our pals at K945 are hosting a Candy Exchange! Stop by Brian Hicks Park on Evergreen from 5-7pm on Halloween night to trade for gift cards for pizza, pancakes, comic books, & more. They’ll have a fun 360 selfie booth so you can get an awesome family photo!
TWEENS, TEENS, & THOSE READY FOR A FEW JUMPS
Shediac’s ghostly tales will be front and centre on Thursday, October 12 with a guided walk through town. The adult tour at 8pm.
Hazy Grape Theatre Collective is again hosting a Ghost Walk in Downtown Moncton! This is always an incredible, sold out event so book your tickets fast. The Walk happens Sunday, October 22 & Monday October 23. There are 6:30pm & 7:30pm start times. Guides dressed in Victorian-era costumes will take you on a tour of some of downtown’s historic buildings, known to be home to a ghost or two. Cost is $25; the walk lasts about 1.5 hours.
Looks like this is booked full; check their event for cancellations. If you’re up for a drive, the Bowlands are offering haunted hay wagon rides on October 21 & 28th. Family-friendly sunset ride (30-35 minutes) begins at 6pm, the scary version (lasts 40-45 minutes) at 7:30pm. The wagons hold 8-10 people per trip; cost is $10/person. Head to their Facebook event to save your spot now!
If you’re up for a road trip, New River Beach will host Witches & Warlocks on the Water on October 21. Dress up in your best and take to the water, or watch from the beach. There will be bins collecting personal care items, non-perishable food, craft/school supplies, and monetary donations for various local charitable organizations. There’s also a Witches on the Water event in Hampton on October 28!
Looks like this is booked full; check their event for cancellations. Riverview’s Youth Drop In program is hosting a pumpkin painting party on October 21; open to ages 12-17, all materials provided, and free to attend. Reservation online in advance.
The Riverview High School dragon boat team is hosting Halloween Hallways – the teen version – on Saturday, October 21, 6-9pm. Admission is $10, with proceeds supporting Lions Sick Children’s Fund and Atlantic Wellness Centre. Wear your costume & enjoy treats, face painting, Mad Science, a scavenger hunt, & more.
If you’re in Richibucto, the Grade 7 & 8 students from Soleil Levant School invite you to a Haunted House at the Anchor, October 25, 26, & 27. $2/person; ages 10 & over.
Irishtown Community Centre’s Haunted House returns October 26 – 29; you’ll be asked the level of scariness you want to experience when you enter, so it’s open to all ages. You can pre-order your ticket before October 25 for a ‘fast pass’ entry; cash will also be accepted at the door. Entry is $5/person. There’s also a scary (teens & adults) haunted trail on Friday & Saturday 7-9pm; $5/each, no reservation required.
Mount Allison’s drama department presents the musical Sweeny Todd, with performances October 25-28, 7:30pm.
Want to watch the original Exorcist on the big screen? It’ll be showing at Cineplex on Trinity on October 27 & 28.
Sackville’s Live Bait Theatre hosts the world premiere of Shivers, a three-act play featuring ghost stories from the area. Two performances each night on October 27 & 28, one on October 26.
Dieppe’s Doiron House will be haunted on October 27, 28, & 29; families welcome in the afternoon (1-5pm) on Saturday & Sunday, evenings (6-9pm) will be for those ages 13 & older. Admission is $5/person over the age of 12. Doiron House was built in 1841; get a dose of history along with a little fright! The City is also offering a spooky trail to the site; park at Rotary St-Anselme and make your way to the house. Halloween films will also be shown in the Brunch Room at Rotary Pavilion on Sunday! (Pre-registration is required, as seating is limited. Hotel Transylvania (in French with English subtitles) at 1pm, The Nightmare Before Christmas (in French with English subtitles) at 4pm, and Hotel Transylvania (in English with French subtitles) at 7pm.
The Green Pig Market is holding a haunted maze event for ages 13+ on October 26, 27, & 28!
Also in Salisbury, the grad class at Salisbury Regional School is again hosting its Ghost Walk on Thursday, October 26. Entry is $3/adults, $2/students, and $1 to go again! Bring money for the bake sale, too!
École Antonine-Maillet in Dieppe is hosting a Sentier hanté d’Halloween on October 27. There are indoor and outdoor displays, games, a maze, an escape room, snacks for sale, and more. Entry is free, but some activities are by donation. Open 6-8pm.
The Albert County Museum is holding a special Haunted Jail event on Friday, October 27 & Saturday, October 28. This is open to all ages, but may be more suitable for older kids. Admission is $5/person; tour each of the three historic jail cells from 6-9pm, as well as the upstairs fun.
Riverview’s Surface Skateshop is once again hosting Rampocalypse on Friday, October 27.
Who’s ready for a Nightmare on Kill’em Drive?! It’s a Halloween-themed roller derby & disco, open to all ages, October 28.
CarnEvil on Pellerin will have live actors as part of their Halloween display on Saturday, October 28 (6-8pm) & on Halloween (5-9pm). (Those with young kids/lower scare tolerance should come in the first 30 minutes or so for a less intense visit!)
The Capitol Theatre is screening the 1963 Hitchcock classic, The Birds, with a score composed by New Brunswick’s Andrew Reed Miller and performed by members of Symphony NB. There are two showings, at 2pm & 7:30pm on Sunday, October 29. The performance is pay what you will.
Monday, October 30 will be a spooky outing for the elders, with Lucinda: A Witches Night Out at Riverview Arts Centre. This looks like a unique performance!
HAUNTED HOUSES TO VISIT AROUND MONCTON
Have an awesomely decorated house to add? Drop your info in the comments! We’ll update as we find more spots, too!
A must-visit is 19 Waterfall Drive in Riverview (below); Keeping Up With The Bones bring their skeleton friends out to play each year. Stop by to admire the constantly changing display!
There’s also 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). We’ve also seen great photos of 29 Patricia Drive!
In Moncton, we always check out the corner of Alexander Avenue & Milner Road to see what their AT-AT is up to. Salisbury Road has several homes with great displays, too, & we’ve seen some great photos from the Old West End.
Have you made a visit to CarnEvil on Pellerin yet?! They have an incredible display & on some nights, live actors to scare you! Come out Saturday, October 28 (6-8pm) & on Halloween (5-9pm) for the full effect! (Those with young kids/lower scare tolerance should come in the first 30 minutes or so for a less intense visit!)
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 & when we drove by this year in early October, there was so much more!! We highly suggest exploring the neighbouring streets, too – we saw some great displays between Falcon & Deerfield!
We heard about a fantastic display in Dieppe – and wow! We’re so impressed! Thanks to the Williams family for sharing these photos from their home at 23 François Court!
Still looking for more? Starting October 20, 91.9 The Bend will share their Monster Map of displays submitted to them.
Take a drive to check out the Hillsborough Halloween House. They’re also adding to their display throughout the month but it already looks incredible! Lights are on at 26 Greys Island Road, approximately 7-9:30pm nightly, weather permitting.
Ready for more? Head to ‘The Nightmare Project’ in Upper Blackville. Check out their Facebook page for some sneak peeks! Open to the public starting October 13; donations accepted.
LaFiouk Restaurant in Kouchibouguac has an inflatable collection that is something else; a great photo op & little kiddo friendly!
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.
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 one year, too!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE!
