Boston Events - October 2012
Best Things to Do in Boston in October
Best Boston events for October 2012 include the Head of the Charles Regatta, Fort Point Art Walk, the Ringling Brothers Circus at TD Garden, Salem Witch Museum Halloween events, fall foliage cruises, and more.
Boston sports fans consider October the perfect month with the Bruins, Celtics, and New England Patriots playing home games almost every day of the month.
Throughout the city, Halloween rules Boston events during October.
As pumpkins appear on doorsteps, you can join the fun at the Rocky Horror Picture Show, SoWa Market of the Living Dead, and the annual Beacon Hill Halloween BOO walk.
Check out my top recommendations for fun Boston things to do in October 2012 - and let us know about your suggestions.
Add an event to the Boston October 2012 Events Calendar
Quick Links: Boston events calendars: September l November l Other Months
Half-Price Tickets on Halloween Events
These events are for last year; look for 2012 updates soon!
With Halloween just around the corner, half-price and even FREE tickets for lots of fun events are becoming available to those who move fast:
- Haunted Halloween Party Cruises,
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ImprovAsylum's 2012 Gorefest production
- Haunted pub crawls
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Boston Babydolls Burlesque Troupe's The Wrathskeller
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Slasher (the Comedy)
Dining in the Dark at Hampshire House
When: October 27, 6pm - 9pm (also other dates throughout the year)
Where: Hampshire House,
Cost: $68.75
Reservations: 617-227-9600
Part theater, part musical event, and part culinary adventure, Dining in the Dark presents a memorable evening at Hampshire House, the special occasion dining venue in a magnificent Beacon Hill mansion. You'll put on a blindfold before entering the candlelit dining room, and all your other senses will take over as you savor the exquisite meal, stirring music, wonderful story, and of course, your dining companions. Part of a global Dining in the Dark movement, Boston's event was created by David Goldstein, producer of Mystery Cafe and creator of Boston Chocolate Tours, and is one of Boston's most unique dining experiences!
You can also enjoy a special Thanksgiving Dinner at Hampshire House
Head of the Charles Regatta 2012
When: October 20 and 21, 8am - 5pm
Where: Charles River between Boston and Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free (for spectators); $3 to enter Reunion Village, the food/drink/networking area
For more information, including best viewing spots and hotels: Head of the Charles Regatta
More than 8,000 elite athletes from around the world compete in 55 events as part of this exciting 2-day rowing meet held on the Charles River in this popular Boston October event. If you're visiting Boston this weekend, join the more than 300,000 spectators watching from the bridges and banks of the Charles. Fall foliage along the river is usually at its peak on this weekend - so bring your camera!
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Cartoon Fest at Symphony Hall
When: Saturday, October 27, 10am - 4pm
Where: Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Ave., Fenway neighborhood
Nearest MBTA station: Green Line/Symphony
Cost: $10, or a 4-pack for $35
More information and tickets: WGBH website
Boston 99.5 All Classical Radio Station WGBH hosts their annual Classical Cartoon Festival at Symphony Hall - a lively mix of classical music used in cartoons accompanied by Warner Brothers classic cartoons on the big screen, storytellers, and performers.
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Fall Foliage Tours
Fall foliage reaches its peak in October, and these luxury bus tours of top foliage locations outside of Boston take you through some of the most brilliant areas of fall color.
You get to see plenty of gorgeous New England foliage while someone else worries about the driving, plus there are plenty of stops for taking photographs and soaking in the surrounding beauty.
These tours fill up fast - so make your reservations now!
Boston Concerts during October 2012
These concerts took place last year, but will give you an idea of what to expect - please check back closer to October for updates.
Oct 1 - The Fab Faux @ Orpheum Theatre
Oct 1 - Steely Dan: The Royal Scam @ Citi Performing Arts Center
Oct 1 - Anne-Sophie Mutter @ Boston Symphony Orchestra
Oct 3 - James Blake @ Paradise Rock Club
Oct 7 - Ladytron @ Paradise Rock Club
Oct 8 - Matt Nathanson @ House of Blues
Oct 9 - Hanson @ House of Blues
Oct 13, 14, 15- YoYo Ma @ Boston Symphony Orchestra
Oct 15 - Bush @ House of Blues
Oct 15 - Indigo Girls @ Paradise Rock Club
Oct 21 - Smashing Pumpkins @ Orpheum Theatre
Oct 23 - Cyndi Lauper @ House of Blues
Oct 23 - Stephen Stills @ Wilbur Center
Oct 26 - Ziggy Marley @ Paradise Rock Club
Oct 28 - Duran Duran @ Citi Performing Arts Center
Oct 30 - Lang Lang @ Boston Symphony Orchestra
Buy tickets from:
- Ace Tickets
- Ticket Liquidators
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SoWa Market of the Living Dead
When: Sunday, October 28, 10am - 4pm
Where: 460 Harrison Ave, Boston's South End
Closest T station: Orange Line/Back Bay, or Silverline bus
Parking: Free parking available nearby - follow the signs
Cost: Free
More information: SoWa Market
Mark your calendar for the last Sunday in October, put on ghoulish makeup and your most outrageous attire, and head to the South End for the final October event in Boston's biggest outdoor market. Perfect chance to stock up on holiday gifts from Boston and New England artisans and crafts people, put together fixings for a final picnic before winter sets in, and end your day with dinner at one of the South End's unique chef-owned restaurants.
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Staples Champions Cup - Top Boston October Event
Tennis fans, get ready for an evening watching the superstars compete for a $1 million purse in the Boston stop on the 12-city U.S. Tour. Super legends Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Jim Courier, and Michael Chang will light up the court in 1-set semi-finals, with the winners to later compete for the title in an 8-game championship match.
When: TBD
Where: TD Garden
Closest T station: Orange Line/North Station
Parking: Boston garages near TD Garden
Half-price tickets for Boston events in October 2012
Half-price tickets to top Boston concerts, shows, tours, games, and other events become available about 2 months before their scheduled date - why pay more?
Check back later for October half price tickets.
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Pru Boo at Prudential Center
When:
- Sunday, October 28, 11am-1pm
Where: Prudential Center
Cost: $5 per child (12 and under)
More information: Halloween in Boston
Every year, the Shops at Prudential Center sponsor Trick or Treating for Charity, with proceeds going to a non-profit partner to benefit the neediest babies and children in Boston. Kids come dressed in their cutest Halloween outfits and enjoy trick-or-treating, face painting, pumpkin decorating, and more, while helping other children.
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New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium
When: Home games TBD
Where: Gillette Stadium
Tickets: Check for best prices, seats, discounts
Getting there: How to get to Gillette Stadium from Boston
Stay: Hotels near Gillette Stadium
Get New England Patriots Tickets:
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Boston Columbus Day Weekend Events - October 2012
Date for Columbus Day Weekend 2012: October 6-8
The 3-day Columbus Day Weekend holiday packs in lots of fun events in and around Boston. You'll find plenty to do all weekend - plus big Columbus Day sales in all the stores!
Boston Columbus Day events to check out:
- Christopher Columbus Day Parade
- Spirit of Boston Buffet Cruise in Boston Harbor, Oct 5 (check now for half-price tickets)
- Opening Our Doors - Free arts and culture celebration in Fenway
- Cranberry
Harvest Festival, Oct 6 and 7
- HONK! Festival, October 6 and 7
- Christopher Columbus Day at Christopher Columbus Park - October 7
- Sowa Open Market on Oct 7, 10am-4pm
More about Boston Columbus Day Events
OctoberFest at Harpoon Brewery
When:
- October 6- 5:30pm - 11pm (doors close at 9:30pm)
- October 7 - 2pm - 9pm (doors close at 7:30pm)
Where: 306 Northern Ave, South Boston Waterfront
Nearest T station: Red Line/South Station; take Silver Line 2 or 3 and get off at Harbor Street, or catch the free shuttle behind Federal Reserve building next to Fort Point Channel off Summer Street
Cost: $20 - includes one drink ticket and a souvenir cup (additional cost for food and additional drinks); bring a designated driver or stay over in one of the nearby South Boston Waterfront hotels)
Age: 21+
More information: Harpoon Brewery website; 888-HAR-POON, ext 3
Harpoon Brewery's 21th annual German-style OctoberFest boasts 3 stages with live music, a big selection of Harpoon beers and ales, and lots of German food sold by a local restaurant. Come do some Chicken Dancing, keg bowling, and enjoy the German Oompah bands at one of New England's largest OctoberFests.
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Cranberry Harvest Festival
When: TBD, 2012, 10am - 4pm, rain or shine
Location: A.D. Makepeace Company, 158 Tihonet Road, Wareham, MA
Admission: $5 adults, $3 seniors, free for children under 7
More information: Festival website
Celebrate the fall cranberry harvest season at this annual Cranberry Harvest Festival open house, located at the nation's largest cranberry grower south of Boston. Cranberry bog tours, family-oriented games and entertainment, and freshest cranberries to buy!
More about the Cranberry Harvest Festival and nearby Plimouth Plantation and Mayflower II
Haunted Happenings Grand Parade
When: TBD, 2012
Location: Salem, MA; begins at Shetland Park and ends at Salem Common
From Boston: Newburyport/Rockport Commuter Rail from North Station or #450 bus from Haymarket; about a 10-15 minute walk to parade site
Cost: Free
Salem, site of the infamous 1692 witchcraft trials that left 20 people and 2 dogs dead, devotes the month of October to Halloween festivities. The Grand Parade, featuring costumes, music, and pageants, officially kicks off the season of witches, ghosts, and goblins. More about the Grand Parade and other Halloween in Salem events.
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Columbus Day at Christopher Columbus Park
When: TBD, 2012, 11am
Location: Christopher Columbus Park, Boston's North End (next to the Boston Marriott Long Wharf Hotel)
Public Transportation: Blue Line/Aquarium; about a 3 minute walk north on the Greenway
Cost: Free
ParkART presents a variety of music and entertainment by local groups, plus family activities to celebrate Boston's Italian heritage and the Columbus Day holiday in this gorgeous park overlooking Boston Harbor.
More about Boston's Columbus Day Events
Boston discount passes for attractions, tours, cruises
Why pay full price for top Boston attractions such as the New England Aquarium, Museum of Fine Arts, Plimouth Plantation, Salem Witch Tours, Boston Harbor Cruises, and much more?
Boston Discount Cards are the best deal in town. Select Boston CityPass to see Boston's Top Attractions at a leisurely pace, or choose the GoBoston card (you pick how many days) to see 70+ attractions, tours, cruises, and day trips.
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Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus
When: TBD, 2012
Location: TD Garden
Nearest T stop: Orange Line/North Station
Parking: Boston Parking Garages near TD Garden
Stay: Hotels near TD Garden
Tickets:
- Check GoldStar for discounted tickets close to the event dates
- Check TicketLiquidator for wide selection of cheap tickets and best seats
Photo courtesy Yvonne E.
Get ready for the greatest show on earth - conveniently located at Boston's TD Garden. Clowns, acrobats, and animals add up to loads of fun at this annual family-oriented event.
As a bonus, go watch the elephant parade, a long-standing Boston tradition. The elephants arrive in town by train, disembarking at the tracks between Vassar and Albany Streets near MIT in Cambridge. Boston police stop traffic as the elephants parade down Mass Ave and Memorial Drive, march over the Charles River Bridge and walk past the Museum of Science on their way to TD Garden. On the day after the last show, they do the same route in reverse.
The parades for 2012 haven't been determined yet so please check back!
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Columbus Day Parade
When: Sunday, October 7, 2012, approximately 1pm
Where (2012): East Boston
Closest T station (North End): Blue Line/Maverick
More information: Boston Columbus Day Events
Boston's Columbus Day Parade honors Christopher Columbus's explorations of the Americas, military commitments to freedom from Colonial times through today, and Boston's Italian heritage.
This year, the parade marches through East Boston. The parade typically lasts a couple of hours.
The parade alternates between the North End (odd-numbered years) and East Boston (even-numbered years).
More about Boston's Columbus Day Parade - including our new Photo Gallery
Fun Boston Tours
Beacon Hill with a BOO!
When: October 31, 5:30 - 7pm, Beacon Hill, Boston - arrive 10 minutes before tour starts
Where: Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood
For more information: Boston by Foot website
Cost: $20 ($5 for Boston by Foot members) - Purchase tour tickets directly from your guide - no reservations are required
Murders, mysteries, mayhem, and the occasional ghost haunt this special walking tour of Beacon Hill. Your guide for this ghoulish annual event, a volunteer with local tour group Boston by Foot, will show you the darker side of this charming neighborhood. Wear comfortable walking shoes and your favorite costume!
More Halloween in Boston events
Halloween events in Salem, America's "Witch City"
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Boston Bruins Return to the Garden
When: TBD
Location: TD Garden
Nearest T stop: North Station
Parking: Boston garages near North Station / TD Garden
Photo courtesy of Dan4th
The Boston Bruins begin their regular season at the Garden in early October. Come join the excitement on the ice! 2012 schedules are still TBD.
Essential Information for Boston Bruins Fans
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| Bruins Schedule | Hotels near TD Garden | Bruins Sports Bars | Bruins Shirts & Hats |
Fall Foliage Cruises from Boston
When: Departures throughout October
Where: Departing from Boston's CruisePort - heading up along the New England and Canadian coast
Cost: Varies according to length of tour and cruise line
More information: Fall foliage cruises
Want to see some gorgeous fall foliage along the New England and Eastern Canadian coastlines - and enjoy a few days relaxation and touring? Fall foliage cruises depart throughout October from Boston's Black Falcon Cruise Terminal located in the convenient South Boston Waterfront neighborhood.
Or, check out other cruises from Boston.
Combine fall foliage with your trip to Boston
No need to leave the city to find fall foliage - you'll see plenty of gorgeous fall color near these hotels in leafy central Boston neighborhoods:
More about where to see Boston fall foliage
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Rocky Horror Picture Show
Saturdays at midnight - AMC Harvard Square Theatre
11 Church Street, Cambridge; nearest T station: Harvard Square; 617-864-4581
Rocky Horror Picture Show has been screening here at midnight on most Saturday nights since 1984. It's become a Boston tradition - even though it's across the river in Cambridge.
You've probably seen this R-rated cult classic one or many times before . . . but the fun here is dressing up in your favorite over-the-edge goth attire and joining fellow RHPS fans in Harvard Square at midnight.
Warning - this is a "participatory" production, with Full Body Cast providing a "cast" (mostly local college students) devoted to being as outrageous, tasteless, and over-the-edge as possible. This is most definitely NOT a family-friendly event.
Clothing, makeup, and hair becomes even more outre as Halloween draws near.
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Celtics Basketball at TD Garden
Where: TD Garden
Stay: Hotels near TD Garden
Park: Garages near TD Garden
Celebrate: Nightlife near Celtics Games
Tickets for Boston Celtics Games
Only 2 Boston Celtics home games at TD Garden in October as the Fall Schedule gets underway - so be sure to get tickets, wear green, and cheer our home team!
Boston Celtics Home Game Schedule at TD Garden for October 2012 is TBD
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Fort Point Open Studios - Fall 2012 Boston Event
When:
Oct 19 Preview from 4pm-7pm
Oct 20 and 21 from 11am - 6pm
Where: Fort Point area of the South Boston Waterfront
Nearest T station: Red Line/South Station; walk across the Congress Street bridge
Parking: Free, in the lot across from 249 A Street (access from Binford Street)
Cost: Free...unless you buy some art!
More information: Fort Point Arts Community website; 617-423-4299
Stop by the FPAC Gallery at 300 Congress Street, pick up a map showing the more than 150 open studios in 10+ buildings, and then stroll around this area of former warehouses and explore the art studios, chat with the artists, and if you're unable to resist, buy a piece or two of memorable art from some of the area's emerging or well-known artists.
Next Artwalk: May
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Opening Our Doors Day 2012 in Fenway
Fenway Alliance presents "Opening Our Doors," Boston's biggest single day of FREE arts, cultural, and educational events when its 21 members invite you to performances, tours, games, and even free rides (10:30 - 4:30) on the Old Towne Trolley.
Attend free open houses at the Museum of Fine Arts, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Fenway Studios, Huntington Theatre Company, and Diablo Glass Studio. With concerts, workshops (check out the visual arts workshop at House of Blues), and entertainment going on throughout the day, choosing which events to attend will involve difficult choices!
When: Monday, October 8, 10am - 4pm
Where: Multiple locations in Fenway
Cost: Free
More information: Fenway Alliance website - Brochure with complete events schedule for Boston's Fenway neighborhood
HONK! Festival
When: TBD for 2012
Where: Davis Square, Somerville
Cost: Free
More information: www.honkfest.org
The 7th HONK! Festival of Activist Street Bands fills streets in Cambridge and Somerville with celebratory music, colorful attire, and lots of fun during Memorial Day weekend. Participants come from around the U.S. and other parts of the world. Expect to hear a cacaphony of sounds reminiscent of New Orleans brass bands, European Klezmer, Brazilian-Afro music, Romani and Balkan music, and much more.
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Photo credit: Jeremy Goldstein
4rd Annual Boston Book Festival in Copley Square
When: TBD
Where: Copley Square
Nearest T Station: Green Line/Copley Square or Commuter Line/Orange Line/Back Bay
Cost: Free
More information: website
A huge array of 100+ renowned and mostly local writers, scholars, NPR hosts, publishers, and thought leaders including Nobel Prize, Newbury, and Pulitzer Prize winners converge in dozens of forums, presentations, and discussions, making the Boston Book Festival the largest literary event in New England. In addition to exhibitions, discussions, and presentations, you'll find live music, booksellers, food, and kids activities.
Get your own copy of Boston Book Festival books - just enter the name of the book you want into this Amazon search box.
Bring your book with you to the Festival to get it autographed by the author!
You can even participate in the Festival's all-city read of a short story by Richard Russo, to be distributed in farmers' markets, T stations, bookstores, libraries, and on line.
The Boston Book Festival is the city's fastest growing new event - a must-not-miss!
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Quick Links: Boston events calendars: September l November | Other Months
Want to tell others about a Boston Event for October?
Tell us where it's being held, dates, times, cost, and who's sponsoring it. Most important, tell us why others will enjoy it.
Where to get more information about it (phone # and web address) helps others find it.
Please include your name and location on the submission form, and at least 1 photo or image to represent the event. Submissions without your name and one or more photos or images will not be accepted.
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October 2011 Events
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Although these October 2011 Boston events occurred in the past, they will give you a good idea about possible 2012 October events in Boston
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Boston Halloween Events
Fun Boston Events Year Round!
More Things to Do in Boston in October
Want to tell others about a Boston Event for October?
Tell us where it's being held, dates, times, cost, and who's sponsoring it. Most important, tell us why others will enjoy it.
Where to get more information about it (phone # and web address) helps others find it.
Please include your name and location on the submission form, and at least 1 photo or image to represent the event. Submissions without your name and one or more photos or images will not be accepted.
What Other Visitors Have Said
Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
October 2011 Events
Not rated yet
Although these October 2011 Boston events occurred in the past, they will give you a good idea about possible 2012 October events in Boston
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