Oct. is lovely on the Island — green leaves morphing into vibrant reds, golds, and oranges, warm rich sunlight dancing over bright blue water, and the calming quiet that takes over as the summer tourists leave. But Oct. is also a month packed with a variety of fun and festive activities and events, including pumpkin carving, costume parties, scary movies, Halloween celebrations, and more. So if you’re looking for some fun fall adventures, read on.
On Thursday, Oct. 17, from 3:30 to 5 pm, grab the kids and head over to Vineyard Haven library to make a glow lantern. Decorate a jar with glitter and other goodies, add a flameless tealight, and make a seasonal lantern. Also on the 17th, don’t miss the “Gossip, Ghosts, and Downright Scandal Walking Tour” through Edgartown village. The tour includes visits to haunted houses, colonial homes, Greek Revival churches, African American tour sites, and much more. Edgartown village at 6 North Neck Road, from 6 to 7:15 pm.
Morning Glory Farms is hosting its popular Pumpkin Festival on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm. Don’t forget to go inside and buy some delicious bread and baked goods!
On Sunday, Oct. 20th, fly on over to the Ag Hall for the annual free Fall Festival. Enjoy live music, food, wagon rides, kids’ crafts, pie-eating contests, pumpkin carving, a hay maze, homesteader demonstrations, and much more. Fall Festival runs from 10 am to 2 pm.
“Murder, Mayhem, and Madness,” with Island educator and historian Chris Baer, will take place on Oct. 24 at 5 pm at the M.V. Museum. Baer will unveil the Island’s most gripping and eerie tales, from an unidentified man in a straw hat buried alive on South Beach to the murder of socialite Knight Owen in Vineyard Haven.
The film “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” is showing on Friday, Oct. 25, at 7 pm at the First Congregational Church of West Tisbury. “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” is a classic horror/mystery silent film from 1920 that has English intertitles. It will be accompanied by organ music performed live by Bill Peek, music director of the First Congregational Church of West Tisbury.
The Halloween Drag Show at the Red Cat Kitchen in Oak Bluffs will take place on Oct. 25 as well. Enjoy a fun evening of drag, cabaret, dancing, spooky cocktails, and more. Tickets include admission, two drink tickets, welcome Jell-O shot, goody bags, costume contest entry, and more. Doors open at 9:30, show begins at 10 pm. No need to pick up tickets; they will have a guest list at the door, and drink tickets will be handed out upon arrival.
Boo in the Barnyard with Martha’s Vineyard Community Services is taking place on Saturday, Oct. 26. Head over to the FARM Institute for a fun morning of tricks, treats, boos, and baas. Stroll through the Katama Barn and Friendship Garden, treat the animals to a snack, and pick up a treat for yourself. Costumes are most welcome.
From 10 am to noon on Saturday, Oct. 26, Misty Meadows Equine Learning Center is hosting a morning filled with magic, including kids’ games, face painting, pumpkin decorating, meeting a Misty horse, bake sale, popcorn, cider, and so much more. This free community event is open to all. Also on Saturday, Oct. 26, Oak Bluffs is the place to be! Enjoy trick or treating, a costume parade, movies at the Strand, a costume contest, a fun scavenger hunt, mini-pumpkin decorating, an open house at Enchanted Chocolates, and more.
Later that evening, throw on your Frankenstein costume, or another spectacular getup, and partake in the P.A. Club’s Halloween Costume Dance Party to benefit Habitat for Humanity of Martha’s Vineyard. Music will be performed by Serendipity, and prizes will be awarded for best mask, makeup, and costume. A silent auction will also be held, plus a Fly Away Raffle to Boston, with a two-night stay at the Charles Hotel. $20 suggested donation. Oct. 26, 7 to 10 pm.
Not a costume wearer? Then head over to Grange Hall to watch the thriller film “Catch Presence.” This psychological thriller follows a family haunted by mysterious forces in their new home. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, this film masterfully blends supernatural suspense with slow-building tension. Oct. 26, 7 pm.
Lighthouses and ghost stories often seem to go hand in hand, and on Monday, Oct. 28, at 7 pm, author Jeremy D’Entremont, president of the American Lighthouse Foundation, historian for the U.S. Lighthouse Society, and the author of more than 20 books and hundreds of articles, will host a talk on “Haunted Lighthouses of New England” at the Vineyard Haven library.
Also on Oct. 28 at 5:30 pm, at the M.V. Museum, Holly Nadler, the ghost lady of M.V., will tell tales that include one from inside the museum, titled “Journey’s End at the Old Marine Hospital.” Nadler is celebrating the 20th anniversary edition of “Haunted Island.” and will read and sign books, including her new memoir, “The Hobo Diaries: Down and Out on Martha’s Vineyard.”
On Wednesday, Oct. 30, bring your dinner to the Oak Bluffs library, and catch a scary movie on the big screen. Movie titles cannot be advertised online, so call 508-693-9433 to ask about the title. This is an after-hours program, so entrance is only through the meeting room doors, starting at 6 pm.
On Wednesday, Oct. 30, check out Spirits and Spirits at the Grange Hall. Enjoy mulled beverages, apple cider floats, Morning Glory Farm doughnuts, and other seasonal treats on the porch before listening to an evening of chilling storytelling, featuring works by Edgar Allan Poe, Roald Dahl, H.P. Lovecraft, and more. There will also be live music and performances. 7 pm.
On Thursday, Oct. 31, make sure to join in on all the Halloween fun at the West Tisbury library from 3 to 5 pm. Come in costume, hop on a hayride, play some games, and chow down on some spooky refreshments. There will be trick-or-treating at the Field Gallery and Howes House. All ages are welcome. Free and open to the public.
Boo!