Upper Valley Connections

Issue No. 28 · October 23, 2026

Welcome to our special Halloween issue. Between trunk-or-treats, a haunted story walk in Etna, a Haitian Halloween dance party in Randolph, and the Gory Daze parade in White River Junction, the next ten days are about as spooky as the Valley gets. We've also launched a Halloween page so you can find it all in one place, and we're taking a closer look at Gory Daze.

Upper Valley Connections is a free, independent community newsletter. If you run a local business, add your listing -- it’s free to start. Have an event coming up? Submit it to the calendar. Paid tiers help keep this going every Thursday.

New: our Halloween page. Trunk-or-treats, haunted walks, costume parties, and parades, all in one place at uppervalleyconnections.com/halloween. Running something spooky that we missed? Submit it or email us at info@uppervalleyconnections.com and we'll add it to the page.

Featured this week: Bottles & Botanicals: Autumn Wreaths at SILO Distillery in Windsor on Saturday, Oct 24. Also on the calendar: Spooky Science at the Montshire, a Haunted Story Walk in Etna, the Taboo Tour at Enfield Shaker Museum, a Haitian Halloween dance party in Randolph, and the Gory Daze parade on Halloween night.

Farmers’ Markets

Norwich Farmers Market runs Saturdays outdoors through the end of October, including Halloween Saturday, then continues as an indoor market for the winter. Honey Field Farm's Monday Mini Market holds its final market of the season this Monday, Oct 26.

Why Gory Daze Is Bigger Than a Parade

White River Junction's Halloween parade began in 2002, when a few friends started it as a casual night out, and it has grown into what organizers call the biggest night of the year in town. It still starts at the Main Street Museum, 58 Bridge Street, a self-described repository of artifacts and public performance space that evokes an old-fashioned cabinet of curiosities. The museum was founded in December 1992 by artist David Fairbanks Ford.

Organizers say 1,000 or more people dance through the streets, and the Valley News reports up to 1,500 in a procession that runs about 40 to 45 minutes. Costumes are encouraged, homemade and hand-pushed floats are welcome, and cars are not. A 2008 Seven Days video of that year's parade shows a bagpiper, draft horses, a flame organ, and hundreds of costumed marchers filling the normally quiet streets of downtown.

This year the evening starts at 6:30 with a pre-parade party at the museum, with Lil Nicky Charyk's Barnyard Band, a bonfire, dancing, and candy (weather permitting). The parade, free to watch, steps off at 8, led by Brass Balagan. Afterward, the Gutter Ball dance party at Briggs Opera House starts at 9, with DJs Hot Juice, DEV2.0, and Chippendale Cooper, a cash bar with ID, and $10 admission at the door. Its decorations, including gourd bowling pins and UV backdrops, came out of a community crafting night at rePlay Arts.

The museum is a 100% volunteer-run nonprofit, and donations cover the musicians, insurance, venue rental, and the candy and donuts on strings. Full details are in the Gory Daze listing, and the rest of Halloween Saturday is in the section above.

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Upper Valley Connections · Serving NH & VT · uppervalleyconnections.com

Details are gathered from event organizers and may change. Please confirm times, prices, and availability directly with the venue before heading out.

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