Right off the top, I need to thank those who reached out after last week’s announcement of our need to postpone the inaugural haunted hayrides to 2026. I very much appreciated you all checking on me (knowing how hard I would take it) and for those who committed to being a part of it in 2026. In that spirit, pun intended, there are plenty of other wicked adventures happening in the Midcoast this October that are not to be missed. Here are six I want to highlight, a bit out of chronological order, because the first one has an attendance limit:

Women and Wheels, Oct. 21

Women and Wheels has been around since 2011, and this incredible event returns at Darling’s Brunswick Ford from 5-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21. With a limit of around 125 women and about half of the spots already spoken for, now is the time to reserve your spot and to invite your girlfriends to join you as Women and Wheels is back. Anyone who attended the last one in 2022 will tell you that the night is a great chance to meet and network with other women, but also, it’s a tremendous opportunity to talk to experts to get your questions answered.

The whole idea is that typically more men grow up in “car culture” than women, so this event focuses on helping women get informed to feel empowered to get the most out of their vehicle. During this event, you will get your car-buying questions answered by sales agents, gets tips about the questions you should ask when buying a vehicle and then take a step out back to get under the hood, literally, to get specific questions answered on how your vehicle runs. Maintenance questions, seasonal car care, what packages are worth the extra money in your car lease — all topics are up for discussion.

To RSVP, visit darlings.com/community/darlings-women-and-wheels.htm or darlings.com and type “Women & Wheels” into the search bar. 

Corn maze and pumpkin patch

Fairwinds Farm invites you and your family for a morning or afternoon of family fun as they have cut their first ever corn maze! Located at 555 Brown’s Point Road in Bowdoinham, the corn maze opened on Sept. 14 and runs every weekend right through the end of October — Fridays noon to 6 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  There’s a $5 admission fee (free for children 2 and under), and you get $2 off if you buy a pumpkin (which are only $5) from their pumpkin patch. Check out fairwindsfarmmaine.com for more details. 

Theater Project Haunted Lab, Oct. 24 and 25

The Theater Project in Brunswick is continuing with its annual haunted house series, but with a twist, as this year it will be the Haunted Lab!  As you may know, “Frankenstein” is their November show this year, so the connection is obvious. The Haunted Lab will be happening from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, and three times on Saturday, Oct. 25. The 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. times on Saturday are more toned-down, family-friendly experiences for those who may scare easily, while the nighttime slot will continue all the scares from Friday night and run from 6-8:30 p.m. No advance tickets, just at the door, and the cost is a $5 suggested donation.  Check out theaterproject.com for more information.

Maine Maritime Museum’s Dead Reckoning Walking Tour, 6 nights in October

A very cool, one-hour walking tour is back at Maine Maritime Museum as “Dead Reckoning: Shipyard Deaths and Disturbances” returns. This adventure is BYOF (bring your own flashlight) as they turn the lights off and explore the museum, including areas not typically accessible to the public, by guided flashlight tour. This tour does include two flights of stairs, so be aware of that.  You will hear stories of shipyard deaths, haunted tales and unexplained disturbances.

Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door for this special experience. Each night, there are two tours, one starting at 6:15 p.m. and the other at 7:30 p.m. The tours begin Thursday, Oct. 23, and run through Sunday, Oct. 26, and then pick up for the two nights before Halloween, Wednesday, Oct. 29, and Thursday, Oct. 30. For more information, check out mainemaritimemuseum.org/event/dead-reckoning.

Two Networking Events: 12 @ 12 and Drinks with Neighbors

OK, so these should be the least scary of them all, as we have two great networking events this month with the chamber. Our monthly 12 @ 12 networking lunch takes us to Union + Co. as 12 businesspeople will have lunch at noon. This is a great series and is open to members who want to share their story with 11 other business leaders. This is a free, preregistration event, as we only have so many seats, so please email cory@midcoastmaine.com if you are interested. The 12 @ 12 will be next Wednesday, Oct. 15.

As for our Chamber After Hours series, we have a slight adjustment this month as our host-to-be was Islebrook Village in Wiscasset.  However, they had some construction delays, and the planned event was going to be during their first week open. Collectively, we decided to push to another date this winter once they have had time get into a good flow of the new space and just have a few moments to collect themselves. Therefore, we will head that way for a Chamber After Hours in February or March.

This actually works out, as our once-annual Drinks with Neighbors event (now in it’s fourth year) is booked for Oct. 28 at Olive Pit Brewing in Lisbon. For this event, our membership, along with members of the L/A Metro Chamber, are invited by Lisbon Community and Economic Development to come to town and meet Lisbon businesses to make connections. Though not technically a Chamber After Hours, it will seem very much like it for those that attend. Any member or non-member business who wants to mingle, meet us there at 5 p.m. 

Cory King is executive director of the Bath-Brunswick-Topsham Regional Chamber of Commerce.