CT HorrorFest kicks off the Halloween season in Connecticut. Here are some scary shows, concerts and haunted houses to get your fright fix.

The nights are getting longer and darker. The new Stephen King novel has arrived. Halloween may be six weeks away but the frights start now. It’s officially the scary season.

The unofficial kickoff is the CT HorrorFest on Sept. 23 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sept. 24 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the XL Center in Hartford.

One of the many special guests is Elliott Fullam, who is part of a panel discussion about the highly regarded 2022 horror flick “Terrifier 2.” Besides his acting career, which also includes voicing a rooster on Apple TV’s kid series “Get Rolling With Otis,” Fullam also has a popular YouTube page, “Little Punk People.” He’s also a singer/songwriter whose new album “End of Ways” was just released this month on the prestigious Kill Rock Stars label.

As a singer and musician, he greatly resembled the ‘90s indie icon Elliott Smith, whom his parents named him after. You could call “End of Ways” creepy if you wanted to connect it to the season or to “Terrifier 2,” but it’s really a deeply moving introspective, existential musing on how slowly life can move when you don’t know what direction you are going in.

Fullam isn’t performing in Connecticut just now. “My live appearances are mostly horrorcons,” he said. “That movie (“Terrifier 2”) blew up. Stephen King was talking about it on Twitter. Mike Flanagan, too. It was a phenomenon for a horror movie.”

He said he was a fan of the first “Terrifier” before he even auditioned for the sequel. His favorite horror film of all time? The original “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”

The “Terrifier 2” panel also features Art the Clown himself, David Howard Thornton and director Damien Leone. Other hot names at the CT HorrorFest include Cassandra Peterson aka Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, P.J. Soles from “Carrie” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School” and a slew of other stars who’ve appeared in everything from “Halloween” to “The Nun.” Besides the panels and appearances, there are costume contests, vendors and much more. Admission is $34 on Saturday, $29 for Sunday or $63 for a two-day pass. More info is at horrornewsnetwork.net/ct-horror.

Here’s a list of some of the top Halloween-themed shows, events and attractions in Connecticut.

Haunted attractions

Phantom Fall Fest at Lake Compounce in Bristol features the new attractions “Sinister Circus” and “Deadsville.” Sept. 23 through Oct. 29. lakecompounce.com.

Legends of Fear Haunted Hayride and Trail in Shelton finds thrills and chills off the beaten path. Sept. 23 through Nov. 4. legendsoffear.com.

The Dark Manor in Baltic has a classic haunted house feel. Sept. 29 through Oct. 29. thedarkmanor.com.

Haunting at the Ridge is what the Powder Ridge ski area in Middlefield morphs into at this time of year. Sept. 29 through Oct. 29. powderridgepark.com.

Terror at Quassy gives a new definition to “amusement” at the Quassy amusement park in Middlebury. Oct. 6-29. quassy.com.

The Forsaken Lands in Goshen evokes the horrors of desolate farm communities. What’s behind the barn? Sept. 29 through Oct. 29. forsakenlandshaunt.com.

The day-long Halloween Spooktacular is a creative holiday happening at the Whiting Mills artist community. Oct. 7 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. whitingmills.com.

Drag and burlesque

The fabulously freaky witch comedy “Hocus Pocus” is irresistible to drag artists. There is a “Witch Perfect” tribute to the film on Sept. 28 at Troupe429 in Norwalk with two shows at 6 and 9 p.m. (troupe429.com), as well as “Hocus Pocus Live,” a full-length theatrical rendition of the film, Sept. 30 at the Warner Theatre in Torrington (warnertheatre.org). The queens who do “Hocus Pocus Live,” known as the Sanderson Sisters, are also at Quassy in Middlebury for the amusement park’s Terror at Quassy.

A Halloween-friendly tour of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” stars (including Angeria, Denali, Icesis Couture, Jaida Essence Hall, Jorgeous, Plastique, Rose, Tayce and Yvie Oddly) titled “Night of the Living Drag” is at the Waterbury Palace Theater on Sept. 29. palacetheaterct.org.

The nationally touring LaLas striptease and dance troupe have a special Halloween edition of their burlesque show coming to Mohegan Sun on Oct. 14. mohegansun.com.

Plays and musicals

The true crime story of Lizzie Borden is the basis of a new pop musical, “Lizzie,” at TheaterWorks Hartford from Sept. 29 through Oct. 22. twhartford.org.

HerStory Theatre and Playland Productions is presenting an evening of original spooky one-act plays by local writers, “Howl of a Night,” Oct. 5-8 at Cheney Hall in Manchester. cheneyhall.org.

The Hole in the Wall Theater is staging Robert Louis Stevenson’s tale of good meeting evil in the same body, “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde,” Oct. 6-21. hitw.org.

In “An Hour (Or So) with the Poes: Edgar and Gary,” local actor Gary Allan Poe pays tribute to the literary genius who shares his middle name and surname, Edgar Allan Poe, with readings and recitations from a range of the pioneering horror writer’s works Oct. 6 at the LaGrua Art & Cultural Center in Stonington. lagruacenter.org.

The ever-popular musical “The Addams Family,” which has been performed at just about every high school in the state as well as numerous small theaters and community theaters, has a special resonance at this time of year. The Bradley Playhouse in Putnam is bringing Gomez, Morticia and the rest of the family to grisly life Oct. 6-22. thebradleyplayhouse.org.

Madison Lyric Stage in Madison pays soaring tribute to “Maidens, Witches and Femmes Fatales: The Women of Opera” Oct. 14-15. madisonlyricstage.org.

The national tour of “Monster High Live,” the theater component of the multi-faceted Monster High phenomenon (which started with dolls and led to TV series, books, movies and more) is at the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford Oct. 27-29. livenation.com.

Magic and illusion

The spiritual medium Patti Sinclair is at the Merryall Center in New Milford on Sept. 30. merryallcenter.org.

The mesmerizing juggler Michael Moschen — the only juggler to receive a MacArthur “genius” grant — is at the Ridgefield Playhouse on Oct. 1. ridgefieldplayhouse.org.

“Penn & Teller Present The Foolers,” Oct. 12 at the Stamford Palace doesn’t actually feature Penn & Teller but it does showcase several winners from their “Fool Us” TV magic show. palacestamford.org.

“Carbanaro Lies” with illusionist Michael Carbonaro will baffle you on Oct. 7 at the Warner Theatre in Torrington. warnertheatre.org.

Magician/comedian Justin Willman is doing a special UConn Family Weekend show on Oct. 14 at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts in Storrs. jorgensen.uconn.edu.

Rocky Horror

The stage musical “The Rocky Horror Show” and its famous film version “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” are a tribute to classic horror movies filtered through modern counterculture sensibilities. Its cult operates year-round but is particularly avid around Halloween.

This year, there are at least two live productions of “The Rocky Horror Show” — Oct. 6-28 at Landmark Community Theatre in the Thomaston Opera House (landmarkcommunitytheatre.org) and a single midnight performance on the night of Oct. 20-21 for adults only at Shoreline Theater Academy in Clinton (experienceclinton.com).

Patricia Quinn, who played Magenta in the film, is hosting a screening on Oct. 27 at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven (shubert.com).

There are also screenings of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” with live performers (known as “shadow casts”) dressed as and performing alongside the film Sept. 29-30 at Mansfield Drive-In (tickets.mansfielddrivein.com), Oct. 21 at the Strand Theater in Seymour (eventbrite.com/e/the-rocky-horror-picture-show-tickets-703459344837), Oct. 27 at Fairfield Theater Company (fairfieldtheatre.org) and Oct. 28 at the Rockwell Theater in Bristol (bristolallheart.com).

Other fun frights

Corinne and Sabrina, hosts of the “Two Girls, One Ghost” podcast, bring their “Cursed Ones” live show to The Stress Factory in Bridgeport on Oct. 6. bridgeport.stressfactory.com.

On Friday the 13th of October, Arts Center East in Vernon is making haunted houses the theme of its latest Urban Sketching art class. artscentereast.org.

Some of the biggest names in Connecticut ghosthunting are Ed and Lorraine Warren, the couple who became associated with the Amityville house, the Snedeker family and other famous hauntings. Both are deceased but their name lives on at the annual Warren’s Seekers of the Supernatural Phantasma-Con at Mohegan Sun. It’s a day-long event with talks, exhibits and demonstrations on Oct. 28 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., preceded by an Oct. 27 performance by paranormalist David Merlin. mohegansun.com.

Hartford Symphony Orchestra has a family-friendly, classically creepy “Tales of Halloween” concert Oct. 28 at 3 p.m. at The Bushnell featuring the Hartford Chorale and performing music from “Hocus Pocus,” “Nightmare Before Christmas” and other scary-yet-melodic movies. hartfordsymphony.org.

Another classical Halloween event, Eastern Connecticut Ballet’s “Ballet Spooktacular,” has six performances (including one that’s sensory-friendly) Oct. 28-29 at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook. thekate.org.