Fall

Haunted Happenings is buzzing with excitement in Salem this year and the weather is perfect today to attend the Pumpkin Festival on Salem Common. Enjoy a display of pumpkins decorated by area school children and see if your little ones can find their way through a hay bale maze that's just their size! Sure to be a great adventure for the kids.

The Carnival on Derby Street in Salem and it's another good reason to get your family to Salem before the end of the month. Fiesta Shows Carnival moved from Topsfield Fair into a vacant lot on Derby Street in Salem, across the street from the Pirate Museum.

Take a spin on the rides and test your skill with the games.

The Winnekenni Foundation and Little Sprouts Child Enrichment - Haverhill is hosting a Children's Halloween Castle Day. Don't miss a great family event and regional tradition with games, treats, refreshments and a family hayride. Arts, crafts and other activities provided by Little Sprouts Child Enrichment. A friendly photo spot inside the Castle with be available for family pictures. The day will conclude with a children's costume parade. The Winnekenni Foundationa and Little Sprouts Child Enrichment do a great job with this event and it's become a favorite family event for B. We meet up with friends from that area of the north shore and it's become an annual tradition for us and a fun way to have lots of laughs with friends. 

This years Haunted Happenings in Salem is a nicely family-focused set of events. Among the special events for children are the annual Children's Day, set for Saturday, Oct. 16, which will include a costume parade, children's music and storytelling; and the Children's Costume Party and Parade, sponsored by the Phoenix School, on Sunday, Oct. 17, at Salem Common.

Here is a list of happening this weekend in Salem for families:

The Rockport Festival Kickoff Harvest Community Picnic will be held under the big tent on T-Whaft in downtown Rockport.

Bring a dish celebrating the bounty of the harvest season and begin the festival with friends and neighbors. Don't forget to bring your own tableware. Coffee & Water provided by Rockport Festivals.

Enjoy live music by Alek Razdan & The Polygroove Orchestra as they play everything from ballads to blues and follow the picnic with a screening of the movie "Fresh" at 8 o'clock at the Old Firehouse Trust. Fresh is an upbeat documentary about a celebration of the joy of food.

Art and nature story time with When the Wind Stops, Charlotte Zolotow's story of the seasons. Make prints with real leaves and create a leaf ornament for the fall equinox. For children ages 3-6. Make reservations by Sept. 17.