Natick’s many Halloween-time traditions are gearing up (already!), so be sure not to miss a single opportunity to dress up in costume, visit pumpkin patches, enjoy a fall festival, and more. Here’s our roundup of Natick Halloween Happenings, which we’ll be updating as activities get our attention.
DATE/TIME: Monday, October 19, 7pm-8pm LOCATION: Morse Institute Library, 14 E Central St, Natick, MA, 01760 DESCRIPTION: Join Rona for an evening of c-r-e-e-p-y stories. In this show you will find all manner of haints, dead folk, shape shifters, and mysterious players. Creepy! Eerie! Even humorous! This program is best suited for families with children ages 5 and up. Drop-in event. No registration required.
DATE/TIME: Thursday, Oct. 22, 7pm-8:15pm LOCATION: Morse Institute Library, 14 E Central St, Natick REGISTRATION: Suggested, but not required DESCRIPTION: If you’ve driven past the South Natick Burial Ground or North Natick Cemetery without stopping, this talk is a reason to change that. Established in 1731 and 1744, these are the town’s two oldest burial grounds and hold gravestones cut by hand by carvers whose work can be identified and traced across eastern Massachusetts. We’ll look at who carved Natick’s earliest stones and at the symbolism they used—death’s heads, cherubs, urns, and willows—which was designed to be read and understood by anyone who passed by. Natick’s other cemeteries appear along the way, as a way of tracing how burial grounds evolved into cemeteries over three centuries.
Enter if you dare! The Halloween House Decorating contest is back! Compete with your neighbors for bragging rights on the scariest, spookiest, or most creative house in town. Register here.
Winners are selected in 3 categories:
Voting runs October 23 – October 26. Winners announced Oct. 29.
DATE: Oct. 24 TIME: 10am-1pm LOCATION: Natick Common DESCRIPTION: Join us for a Halloween celebration on the Common. FREE & fun events include pumpkin decorating, donut-on-a-string eating contests, and live music. Be sure to stick around for the Pumpkin Smash with the Natick Fire Department.
DATE/TIME: Saturday, October 24, 10am-noon LOCATION: Fay School quad, Southborough, MA COST: The event and all activities during the event are free, but supplies are limited. The event is open to the public and is designed for children 8 and under. Parents/guardians must accompany their children at all times during the event.
Story time: 10:15am Children’s Costume Parade: 10:45am Halloween Concert featuring Lindsay Munroe, 11:15 am Crafts and Games will take place throughout the duration of the event.
DATE: Saturday, Oct. 24 TIME: 2pm-4pm LOCATION: 276 Church Street, Newton COST : Free and open to the public DESCRIPTION: Get ready for an afternoon full of autumn excitement at the West Suburban YMCA’s Annual Fall Festival! Pumpkin decorating; baby animals petting zoo; music & games ; giveaways; snacks; and more.
DATE/TIME: Saturday, Oct. 24, 6pm-8pm LOCATION: Weston High School, 444 Wellesley St., Weston, 02493 DESCRIPTION: Presented by the Class of ’29—all proceeds from ticket sales go to the sophomore class! Admission is $15 per person or $45 per family. Pay at the door with cash or card. The event also includes a children’s area for little ones. Snacks and beverages will be sold.
DATE: Friday, Oct. 30 LOCATION: The Eliot Church, 45 Eliot St. DESCRIPTION: Kids and adults awards categories. 12:30pm-5:30, drop off carved pumpkin(s) for judging; 5:30pm-6:30pm, public viewing, awards; 6:45pm, take your pumpkin home for Halloween
DATE/TIME: October 30, 7pm-9pm LOCATION: Cole Recreation Center, 17 Boden Lane, Natick Register online.
It’s Pumpkin Patch time, one of Wellesley’s beloved annual traditions, now in its 23rd year.
DATES: Oct. 9 – 31 TIME: 10am-6pm every day LOCATION: Wellesley Hills Church, 207 Washington St.
DATE: Saturday, Oct. 31 TIME: 10am-noon LOCATION: Center Court DESCRIPTION: A fang-tastic day featuring trick-or-treating, costumes, spooktacular entertainment, and more. With a $5 suggested donation to Second Chance Animal Services, kids will receive a special passport to collect stamps while they trick-or-treat. Once completed, they can turn the passport in for a prize!
DATE: Oct. 31 TIME: 1-3pm LOCATION: Natick Center shops DESCRIPTION: Wear a costume and trick or treat around Natick Center businesses. More information and a map to come.
Natick is definitely an October 31st trick-or-treating kind of town. Generally speaking, the littlest ones go out in their own neighborhoods at about 6pm.The older kids head out a little bit later, around 6:30. We heckle kids who show up either without a costume or wearing a Patriots jersey and claiming, “I’m dressed up like a football player.” Seriously, big kids, if you’re too cool to put together a real costume, it’s time to let it go. Most residents at 8pm close their doors, blow out the candles in their jack o’ lanterns, and turn off their front porch lights to signal that their house is done with Halloween.This can vary from neighborhood to neighborhood, but not by much. As far as the candy goes, certain houses have a reputation for handing out full-sized bars, and the rabid following that goes with such generosity. We’re not going to spill those sweet secrets here. You’ll have to get out there and find the best pickings for yourself.
These events have passed:
DATE/TIME: Oct. 16, at 6:30pm LOCATION: Natick High School. DESCRIPTION: Concert followed by carnival (bounce house, etc.) and haunted house. Costumes encouraged. $5 at the door