HARTFORD, CT — Hartford goes full gothic for Halloween weekend. Hartford Stage's "Dracula" takes its final bows, the Mark Twain House opens its rooms for ghost tours, and character actors lead lantern-lit walks through Cedar Hill Cemetery. Downtown, Black-eyed Sally's has blues both nights and the Elks are throwing an adults-only costume party.
This Weekend's Arts & Entertainment
"Dracula" — Thursday, Oct. 29, and Friday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 31, at 2 and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Nov. 1, at 2 p.m. It's the final weekend for Morgan Lloyd Malcolm's reimagining of the gothic tale, directed by Jackson Gay. The show runs 90 minutes with no intermission and includes frightening imagery and gore, fog, strobe lighting, and simulated gunshots; Saturday's matinee is audio-described. Hartford Stage, 50 Church St.
"Little Bear Ridge Road" — Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday at noon and 4 p.m.; Sunday at 2:30 p.m.. Samuel D. Hunter's play continues through Nov. 8; it runs 100 minutes with no intermission. Note the special Halloween schedule, with Saturday shows at noon and 4 p.m. TheaterWorks Hartford, 233 Pearl St.
Date Night: Chills and Treats — Thursday, Oct. 29, 6 to 7:30 p.m.. Get a behind-the-scenes look at some of the weirdest items in the museum's vaults — a corpse preserver, a devil puppet and a haunted painting among them — then make a Halloween craft over a themed cocktail and snacks. Tickets are $20, or $15 for members. Connecticut Museum of Culture and History, 1 Elizabeth St.
Hallowed History Lantern Tour — Friday, Oct. 30, 6 to 9 p.m.. Character actors share true stories of Cedar Hill's notable and not-so-notable residents on lantern-led tours that leave every 15 minutes starting at 6 p.m. Admission is $20, and reservations are required. Cedar Hill Cemetery, 453 Fairfield Ave.
Ghost Tours of the Mark Twain House — Friday, Oct. 30, and Saturday, Oct. 31, 6 to 10 p.m.. Tour the author's home through its haunted history, dark tales, and Victorian seance traditions. The house has been featured on Syfy's "Ghost Hunters" and the Biography Channel's "My Ghost Story," and the museum warns that the tour discusses real people and stories of death and dying. The Mark Twain House & Museum, 351 Farmington Ave.
This Weekend's Restaurants & Bars
Mark Nomad Band — Friday, Oct. 30, 8 to 11 p.m.. Mark Nomad, a veteran performer whose résumé includes the legendary Little Village and the Arizona Maid Band, brings the latest edition of his band back to Hartford. Cover is $5; tickets don't include a table, so call ahead for dinner seating. Black-eyed Sally's, 350 Asylum St.
Darrell Nulisch Band — Saturday, Oct. 31, 8 to 11 p.m.. The Darrell Nulisch Band headlines Halloween night. Tickets are $20 and don't include a seat or table; Black-eyed Sally's says to call 860-278-7427 or use OpenTable to reserve a dinner table with a view of the show. Black-eyed Sally's, 350 Asylum St.
The Haunted Herd Halloween Party — Friday, Oct. 30, 7:30 to 11:30 p.m.. Hartford Elks Lodge No. 19 hosts an adults-only evening of food, music, costumes and raffles, with psychic-medium Karen Hollis on hand. Tickets, which must be bought in advance, run $25 to $40; parking in the Elks garage is free, and guests are asked to bring a canned good for the Hartford Food Bank. Hartford Elks Lodge No. 19, 34 Prospect St.
Catch Count Dracula before he's gone for good, walk Cedar Hill by lantern or tour Mark Twain's haunted house and then settle in at Black-eyed Sally's for blues on Friday and Halloween night — the capital city's spookiest weekend of the year is a full one.