October at SCM: Halloween, Harvest Fest, and More!

Dear Friends and Members,

October is jam-packed at SCM! In addition to our special offerings, our Metz Exhibition Hall is decked out once again in its Halloween finery, including two never-before-displayed Halloween costumes. If you’d like to see the Metz in all its spooky glory, make sure to plan your visit before our last day of the regular season on October 17th. We’ll be closed to drop-in visits after that, though we’ll have Saturday events and classes running all the way through December.

Did you miss your chance at our paper folding class on September 26th? It had to be rescheduled due to the nor’easter and will now be running this Saturday, the 10th, instead! Click here for more info and to register - there’s still time!

Our final Reading New England class will meet Wednesday October 14 to discuss “Young Goodman Brown,” perhaps Hawthorne’s most haunting short story. Salem, 1692: witchcraft is in the air, and Goodman Brown is setting off into the dark woods on a mysterious errand. Click here for more information and to join us!

On Saturday October 17th, our Harvest Festival returns from 11-4! Stroll our grounds, browse a pop-up antique sale, learn about cider pressing, and make your own cornhusk doll ornaments. Enjoy a vintage car show courtesy of the Westerly Pawcatuck Region Antique Automobile Club and hot dogs from WILDdogs. The South County Jammers will play from 11-1, and at 1:30 Graduate Research Fellow Maggie Harrison will present a combined lecture and performance of Scottish Gaelic folk songs. It’ll be a wonderful celebration - come join us! Admission is $12 for adults, $5 for children. 

Our first off-season event will celebrate the Art of the Letter from 11-2 on Saturday October 24. Computers and phones have made communication effortless, but deep down, don’t you daydream about penning a heartfelt missive to your loved ones, quill pen scratching across the page? From letterpress printing to stitched monograms, come celebrate the joys of the handcrafted word! Kids and adults alike can practice penmanship, learn Victorian letter-writing etiquette, and write some

letters to friends and family. Thanks to a generous grant from the Rhode Island Foundation, this event is free to one and all.

Finally, our Halloween Party returns from 1-3 on Saturday October 31. Come in costume and bring the kids to trick or treat across our campus! Enjoy crafts, coloring, scavenger hunts, and a few magical surprises among our Halloween decor.