The Portsmouth Gas Light Co. is one of the many local venues hosting Halloween festivities this weekend.

Top 12 things to do: Oct. 28-30

A roundup of weekend entertainment on the Seacoast

The Portsmouth Halloween Parade is Monday, so you’ve got the whole weekend to get into the spirit!

Two co-bill concerts at The Word Barn

The Word Barn hosts two great co-bill shows in Exeter this weekend. American roots groups The Wildmans and Honeysuckle share the stage on Friday from 7-9 p.m. ($20). Pete Bernhard (of The Devil Makes Three) and The Huntress and Holder of Hands (MorganEve Swain) split the bill on Sunday from 7-9 p.m. ($25). Learn more here.

Annie & The Fur Trappers at The Dance Hall

annie fur trappers

Boston-based band Annie & The Fur Trappers will bring an instrumental arsenal featuring clarinet, trumpet, trombone, bass, banjo, guitar, washboard, and violin to The Dance Hall in Kittery on Friday from 7:30-9:30 p.m. to play traditional jazz, delta blues, ragtime, and swing music from the 1920s and ’30s.  Tickets are $15-$20. Learn more here.

‘A Safe Passage’ at the Ring

safe passage players ring

A lonely Irish lighthouse keeper rescues a young woman from the sea — but she is not what she seems. That’s the premise of “A Safe Passage,” on stage Oct. 28 to Nov. 13 at The Players’ Ring in Portsmouth. Show times are Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $24-$27. Learn more here.

Joe Matarese at McCue’s

joe matarese mccues portsmouth

Comedian Joe Matarese, known for his appearances on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “America’s Got Talent,” and Comedy Central, as well as for his seven standup albums, will headline shows on back-to-back nights at McCue’s Comedy Club in Portsmouth on Friday and Saturday from 8-10 p.m. Tickets are $20. Learn more here.

Stone Dead Halloween Jam

stone dead halloween church

What a long, strange trip it’ll be at The Stone Church in Newmarket. Stone Dead, a Grateful Dead tribute with members hailing from legendary Seacoast bands like Percy Hill, Groove Child, Thanks to Gravity, The Amorphous Band, and Trade, headlines two Halloween Jam Nights on Friday and Saturday at 9 p.m. Tickets are $20. Learn more here.

Dover Zombie Walk

dover zombie walk

Zombies in various states of decay will shamble through downtown Dover on Saturday, and you’re invited to join them. The annual Dover Zombie Walk leaves the Dover Chamber of Commerce at 2 p.m. and staggers down Central Avenue, ending at the Rotary Arts Pavilion in Henry Law Park. Participants get goodies! Learn more here.

Art : Beat Jazz in Exeter

marcus rabb trio

The opening reception for the “Art : Beat” exhibit at Foundation Art Space in Exeter will feature a performance by the Marcus Rabb Jazz Trio, plus spontaneous poetry by Raisa Tolchinsky and artwork by Bruce and Tracy Jones. Presented by TEAM (Town Exeter Arts Music), the event is on Oct. 29 from 6-8 p.m. Tickets are $10. Learn more here.

Futuristic Costume Ball at Green Acre

To mark the closing of the “Afrofuturism 2022 Exhibit,” the Green Acre Baha’i Center of Learning in Eliot is throwing a family-friendly Futuristic Costume Ball with dancing and light refreshments on Saturday from 6:30-9 p.m. Guests are invited to create an outfit that represents the future. Tickets are on a sliding scale up to $10. Learn more here.

Halloween Party at the Ballroom

rockingham ballroom halloween party

The Rockingham Ballroom in Newmarket is inviting guests to “dance and be one with the spirits” during a Halloween costume dance and party on Saturday from 7-11 p.m. The dance floor will be “tripped out and spooky” for the occasion, which will also offer various prizes, games, drinks, and treats. Tickets are $15. Learn more here.

Gas Light in Wonderland

The Portsmouth Gas Light Co. invites you to “fall down the rabbit hole and celebrate Halloween with a night full of madness” in its Third Floor Nightclub on Saturday at 8 p.m. The Gas Light in Wonderland event will feature a costume contest and live beats from the Seacoast’s own DJ Koko P. Tickets are $20-$25 ($50 VIP). Learn more here.

Halloween Extravaganza at Newburyport Brewing

das pintos

Newburyport Brewing Co.’s owners will provide the entertainment at their own Halloween Extravaganza this weekend. Das Pintos, a seven-piece funk band started by Brewery cofounders Chris Webb and Bill Fisher, will perform on Saturday from 8-11 p.m. Tickets are $10, with proceeds supporting Our Neighbor’s Table. Learn more here.

Aliento Chamber Players: Rhapsodica

aliento chamber players rhapsodica

The Aliento Chamber Players kick off a music series at the First United Methodist Church in Rochester with a glimpse into 20th century wartime Russia on Sunday from 3-4 p.m. A trio of musicians will perform works by Rachmaninov and Shostakovich with accompaniment from poet Claire Conroy. Tickets are $17-$20 (free for kids). Learn more here.

See the full calendar for more local events.