For example, check out Hallowscream Park, Oct 7-29 at the Boston Expo Center in Boston. TF 6-11, S 1-11, Sun 1-10. And daily b/f Halloween. Bayside Expo Center, 200 Mt Vernon St. I haven’t been to this one but it looks like a fun way to blow some money and see cheesy haunted houses. Go with a friend who’s giggly.
Every October The Ringling Brothers Circus, Oct 7-16, comes to the TD Banknorth Garden, which is what they are called the Fleet Center now, so get used to it. I haven’t been to this one either, but it’s sure to be worth the price if you have the following mindset. You’re not just there to be entertained you are there to experience cheesy fun, peoplewatch, and relive your childhood. I went to the Big E circus recently and about half the acts were awesome. Ringling should be even better.
If you need cheesy Oktoberfest experiences, check out The Newport Oktoberfest, but the real reason to attend is that it gives you an excuse to visit Newport. In fact — Alert! I have just discovered Murder Mystery Event at Beechwood Mansion, Thursdays to Oct 27th, an interactive murder mystery theater experience. You get to explore the mansion looking for clues and interact with live actors asking them questions. Unforunately it is Thursday evenings only. If they do it again next summer they will have Saturday matinees. You really just have to check this out. Plus the cliff walk and the other mansions.
One step up from the Newport Oktoberfest is the Massachusetts Cranberry Harvest Festival, Oct 8th. Another event worth going basically as an excuse to revisit Plimoth Plantation or Edaville Railroad. This is actually a totally separate event from the National Cranberry Festival I wrote about last week.
One step up from that is the Newburyport Fall Harvest Festival, which features a scarecrow contest and is probably the best New Englandy Bad But Good Bad Local Festival of the weekend, unless you count the Topsfield Fair which continues this weekend.
Check out the Canton Cup Cyclocross, 10am-2pm on Sunday Oct 9th, in Canton, MA. I went to a dirt bike race once a long time ago and the fun is basically rooting for the kids and getting swept up into the enthusiasm of the people who love the sport way too much. I’m not into sports at all but I seem drawn to this event, which was also featured in the Weekly Dig.
Finally, there is a major A Capella Concert, Saturday October 8th at 7:30pm, at the Someville Theater in Davis Square, Somerville. I deleted my information about this but it seems to be a charity event featuring national artists and is likely the biggest a capella event going outside of the East Coast A Capella Summit which is coming up Oct 29-31.

No bonus event this weekend. Get out to Davis Farmland if you haven’t already, and please email me and help me figure out which of all these “Halloween Happenings” is lame-ass and which is real and worth actually going to. You know what I mean. Any bar can hang up some decorations and have a costume contest. The kick-ass stuff involves pumpkin carving, hay rides, cemetery performances. More on this next week. Check out www.hauntedhappenings.org if you can’t wait to next Thursday for the scoop on Salem.