Fall in Salem, weekend by weekend

The best fall things to do in Salem NH fit into a few October weekends: haunted houses at Canobie Lake Park, free Italian festivals at Tuscan Village, a walk through the old burying ground on Main Street and a few miles of trail under the leaves. Here is the season, with 2026 dates wherever they are confirmed.

Screeemfest at Canobie Lake Park

Since 2008, Canobie Lake Park has turned into a Halloween night out on fall weekends. Screeemfest brings haunted houses, live shows and roaming monsters, and the rides keep running after dark. The Screeemfest page promises six haunted houses, including Pinecrest Sanitarium and Carnivus 2.

The 2026 run opened Sept. 26 and ends Saturday, Oct. 31. The park is open Friday through Sunday only, and closed Monday through Thursday:

• Fridays: 5–11 p.m.
• Saturdays: 3–11 p.m.
• Sundays: 1–9 p.m. The exception is Sunday, Oct. 11, which runs 3–11 p.m.
• Closing night: Saturday, Oct. 31, 3–11 p.m.

All tickets are sold online at canobie.com and must be bought before you go. Prices vary by date. A Screeem Express pass costs $35 online and puts you at the front of the line once at each haunted house; it does not include park admission. Guests may not wear costumes or character makeup. Our Screeemfest guide covers which nights to pick and how to time the houses.

Planning ahead? Canobie’s 2027 season passes are on sale now, and they cover the rest of 2026 Screeemfest. The Basic pass is not valid on Screeemfest Saturdays; the Platinum pass has no blackout days.

October festivals at Tuscan Village

Tuscan Village fills its October weekends with free events around Lake Park, its pond and stage off I-93 Exit 1. The 2026 calendar opened with BarktoberFest, the Concorso Italiano car show and a Hocus Pocus movie night by the water. Still to come:

• Parmigiano Reggiano Festival, Oct. 10–11: whole wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano sampled in the street on Saturday from noon to 8 p.m., gondola rides, a Frank Sinatra tribute band at Lake Park and free cooking demos both days at the Cooking School inside Tuscan Market. Tuscan Market and Tuscan Kitchen run seasonal menus for the weekend.
• ToscanaFest, Sunday, Oct. 11, noon: more than 30 local vendors and Italian tribute bands. Free to attend.

Parking is free in the village’s lit lots. Our Tuscan Village visitor guide has the map, the restaurants and the shops. The village posts its calendar at tuscanvillagesalem.com.

Halloween events in Salem, NH for 2026

• Salem Soul Stroll, Sunday, Oct. 18, 3–5 p.m. The Salem Historical Society’s ninth annual guided walk through the Salem Burying Ground, where you meet the people who shaped the town. It starts at Old Town Hall, 310 Main St. The Salem Area Women’s Club serves refreshments. Costumes are welcome. The ground is natural terrain, not paved paths, and children under 13 need an adult.
• Trunk or Treat, Thursday, Oct. 22, 5:30–7:30 p.m. Salem Recreation’s annual night of decorated car trunks, treats and Halloween activities at the Ingram Senior Center, 1 Sally Sweet Way. More than 60 local businesses and vendors take part, and Friends of Salem Recreation runs a free costume contest. Register at salemnh.myrec.com. Park at the Rockingham County Courthouse or Town Hall.
• Salem Frights: a self-guided Halloween light tour of spooky home displays around town, seen from your car. The map is at salemfrights.com, and homeowners can add their own house to it.
• Haunted History at America’s Stonehenge: guided tours on October dates. Check stonehengeusa.com for any left this season.
• Trick-or-treat: Halloween falls on a Saturday in 2026. The Town announces trick-or-treat hours; watch news.salemnh.gov.

One thing Salem, NH does not have is witch-trial history. That, and the big October crowds that come with it, belong to Salem, Massachusetts. Here is how the two Salems differ.

Foliage walks and fall trails

• Salem Bike-Ped Corridor: 4.95 miles on the old Boston & Maine line. It is paved from the north end, at North Broadway and Range Street, to Main Street, and unpaved south of Main Street to Hampshire Road. The restored depot on Main Street is now the Salem Depot Transportation Museum, with restrooms and water for trail users. Our rail trail guide has parking and access points.
• Salem Town Forest: open daily from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. The trailhead is on Shadow Lake Road, next to the highway maintenance yard. Leashed dogs and bikes are allowed; camping and fires are not. Hunting follows state rules, so wear something bright in the fall.
• America’s Stonehenge: a half-mile loop past stone chambers and walls takes about an hour on uneven ground. There are also nature trails, a pollinator garden and the Susan M. Hodge Bluebird Sanctuary. Open daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m., with last admission at 4 p.m.; adults $19, children 4–12 $12. More in our America’s Stonehenge guide.
• Hedgehog Park: an ADA walking path circles Hedgehog Pond at 53 Lowell Road.

More fall things to do in Salem NH

• Salem NH Farmers Market: Sundays 10 a.m.–2 p.m. through October at The Mall at Rockingham Park, next to The Field at DICK’S House of Sport. From November it moves indoors to the Fisk School, 14 Main St., Sundays 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
• Campbell’s Scottish Highlands Golf Course: a public 18-hole, links-style course with a driving range, built on 135 acres of former farmland at 79 Brady Ave. The 2026 season ends Sunday, Nov. 22.
• Kelley Library: classical guitarist Scott Ouellette plays Oct. 15. The library at 234 Main St. is closed Oct. 12 for Columbus/Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
• Dinner after the leaves: Tuscan Market, at 9 Via Toscana, serves house-made pasta and Neapolitan pizza inside and on a heated, enclosed patio. Tuscan Kitchen, on the ground floor of The Artisan hotel, runs a seasonal menu during the cheese festival.

A fall Saturday in Salem

Start with a morning walk on the rail trail or a loop at America’s Stonehenge while the light is low. Spend the afternoon at Tuscan Village, where October weekends usually bring a festival, a band at Lake Park or both. Eat early, then head to Canobie, which opens at 3 p.m. on Saturdays during Screeemfest and stays open until 11 p.m. On Sunday, the farmers market at the mall runs 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

When the leaves are down, the holidays start fast. The Holiday Shoppes at Tuscan Village open Nov. 6, and the 55th Salem Holiday Parade steps off Nov. 29. Our guide to Christmas in Salem has every date.