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There are always a dizzying array of Halloween events each year for both small children and adults — especially in Maine, the home of Stephen King, creepy old houses and mysterious forests.

We’ve combed through community listings and social media to find the best stuff to do this spooky season.

Many towns have their own Halloween events at schools, libraries and fire stations, and there are too many to list them all here — check with your town office to make sure you’re not missing out on anything super local to you.

Don’t see your favorite event? Leave a comment below or on Bangor Daily News social media with your suggestions for the best stuff to do this Halloween season, and if we get enough responses we’ll write another story.

Fright at the Fort and Ghostport

Fright at the Fort at Fort Knox State Historic Site in Prospect returns for its 22nd year, with five nights set for Oct. 14, 21, 22, 27 and 28. The first hour, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., is “chicken hour,” without jump scares. The rest of the night is not for the faint of heart, and each year, thousands of people line up to get freaked out. Tickets are $15 and available by online reservation only. During the day Oct. 21-22 and Oct. 27-28, there will be all-ages scavenger hunts at the Fort from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Oct. 21, the neighboring town of Bucksport hosts Ghostport, a free, annual all-day Halloween festival along the Bucksport waterfront walkway.

Pumpkins in the Park

This long-running Bangor event is geared towards the littlest ghouls and goblins, offering a scare-free Halloween event for families. United Cerebral Palsy of Maine’s annual event is set for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 22 at the Anah Shriners Temple at 1404 Broadway in Bangor. There will be costumes, clowns, face painting, bounce houses and tons of jack-o’-lanterns. Admission is $5 per person, $15 for a family and free for kids three and under. The first hour will be sensory-friendly.

Maineiac Manor

If the Bangor Mall wasn’t scary enough, now the former Hollister store has been taken over by killer clowns, zombies and mad scientists. Maineiac Manor at the Bangor Mall is open every weekend through Halloween, with a cast of local characters offering up some serious screams all afternoon and evening. Check times and buy tickets online at maineiacmanor.com, and if you’re hesitant, don’t worry — the weekend of Oct. 7-8 is no-scare.

Pumpkin Express at Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad

A ride on the delightful Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad in Waldo County is nice enough as it is — add to it fall foliage and pumpkins and you’ll attain autumnal nirvana. On Oct. 21 and 22, there are two trips each day at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., leaving from the Unity station and arriving at a pumpkin patch, where riders can pick their pumpkin before heading back to the station. Tickets are available on the B&ML website, and are $25 for adults and $12 for kids 12 and under.

Monsters at the Museum at the Maine Discovery Museum

Another option for folks looking for a more calm and family-friendly experience, the Maine Discovery Museum in Bangor will host a monster-themed Halloween party from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21. It’s a costume party that includes museum admission, pizza and all activities with the cost of your ticket ($10 presale for members, $20 for non-members).

Kenduskeag Haunted House

Equal parts heartwarming community effort and truly terrifying scare-fest, the town of Kenduskeag each year marshals a small army of volunteers to turn its town ballfield into a haunted house. This year the event is set for 7 p.m. to midnight Oct. 27 and 28 at the Cole Memorial Ballfield, located at 536 Kenduskeag-Levant Road. Admission is $10, and all proceeds help fund the town’s recreation program. It’s not recommended for kids under 12, or for people who don’t want to be touched.

Ghost tours in Bangor and Bar Harbor

If you like to learn while also getting creeped out, both Bangor and Bar Harbor have ghost tours around their historic downtowns. In Bangor, the Ghostly Bangor walking tours start at the Bangor Historical Society’s Hill House on Union Street, and lead people through a 90-minute history of Bangor’s biggest mysteries; tours are $12 and are at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays through Oct. 26, as well as on Oct. 30. In Bar Harbor, there are ghost tours leaving from the Abbe Museum parking lot at 8 p.m. every day throughout October, and tickets are $24 for adults.

Twilight Tours at Penobscot Marine Museum

One of the most unique Halloween events in Maine is held at the Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport, which hosts its annual Twilight Tour event. Guests visit stations inside one of the historic homes on the museum campus, in which “ghosts” tell their stories from Searsport’s seafaring past. It’s an atmospheric and fascinating way to learn about Maine’s maritime history. It’s set for 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13, and admission is $10.

Center Theatre’s Halloween events

The Center Theatre in Dover-Foxcroft pulls out all the stops for Halloween. This year, events include a Halloween drag show on Oct. 20, a screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” with full shadowcast on Oct. 28, a kid’s costume dance party on Oct. 29 featuring Bee Parks and the Hornets, and screenings of the Damnationland Film Festival of Maine horror shorts, Oct. 28-Nov. 2. For more info and tickets, visit the Center Theatre website.

Grab your melted butter and a bib because September 25 is National Lobster Day!

The day recognizes the cultural, economic and environmental importance of the iconic species, which is a foundational part of Maine’s economy.

Senators Susan Collins and Angus King are among those celebrating after the Senate unanimously passed their bipartisan resolution designating September 25 as National Lobster Day.

They say in 2022 the industry brought in over $388 million for Maine.

And it’s perfect timing because it’s Maine Lobster Week!

You'll find lobster shacks, food trucks, and fine dining with all kinds of lobster dishes.

Maine lobster week runs through Saturday.

A Maine man caught a rare sight on camera over the weekend.

Ken Kantro tells WMTW he was walking on Pine Point Beach in Scarborough when he came upon a large Atlantic Sturgeon that had washed up with the tide.

He said the roughly six-foot-long fish appeared to have been hit by a propellor.

"It was awe-inspiring, but sad to see this "living fossil," Kantro said.

He told WMTW he's been living in Maine for 60 years.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries sector, Atlantic Sturgeon can weigh up to 800 pounds and 14 feet in length, over a lifespan that can reach up to 60 years.

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/atlantic-sturgeon

A Maine corn maze has been voted as the best in the country for the second year in a row.

Treworgy’s in Levant was voted the best maze in the country in the USA Today 10 Best Readers Choice Awards.

The theme for the maze this year was for the 40th anniversary.

The maze is open until Nov. 4.

https://treworgyorchards.com/cornmaze

After Lee brought wind and rain to the area Saturday, the sun came out just in time for Maine Apple Sunday.

Maine Apple Sunday is the perfect opportunity for an end-of-summer slow down. Families were out in full force at Conant Orchards in Etna to do some picking.

“We’re celebrating Maine Apple Sunday. It’s a very, very busy day,” said Hannah Hegarty, manager, Conant Apple Orchards. “We encourage a lot people to come out, celebrate, and go apple picking.”

“Our friends actually own Conant’s Orchard so we’re really excited to come out and support them,” said Samantha Pangburn of Brewer. “They have yummy drinks and signs and we love it here!”

Hegarty says this is a day they plan for as soon as apple season starts.

“It’s very meaningful because this orchard has been around since 1945 so we have a lot of generations come out. A lot of the same families come out every year and we love to see the kids grow up here and be a part of the family,” Hegarty said.

Orchards across the area spent the week bracing for Hurricane Lee’s arrival, not knowing what it would mean for their trees and fruit growing on them.

At least in Etna, Sunday brought a sigh of relief.

“It was not bad at all. We went up in the orchard, we didn’t have many [trees] damaged and we’re so glad today turned out to be good,” Hegarty said.

“It looks like it’s in great shape! There are some puddles here and there that you walk around, but it looks great. Apples are still on the trees, so it’s a great day to be out doing this,” Pangburn said.

And if apples aren’t your thing, Conant’s has plenty of other offerings including their famous fall drinks.

“We have our two specialty drinks which brings a lot of people in,” said Hegarty.

After Saturday’s mess, Sunday turned out to be a picture perfect day.