It’s October in Salem, where history and Halloween converge. Peabody Essex Museum curator-at-large Paula Richter joins The Culture Show to talk about the Ropes Mansion — its role as “Allison’s House” in Hocus Pocus, and how the museum brings it to life each October. Starting October 23 and continuing through Halloween, the mansion’s exterior will once again be decorated in full “Hocus Pocus” style, drawing crowds to its front steps and gardens. To learn more about all things PEM, go here. Then, pastry chef and author Gesine Bullock-Prado on her new cookbook “My Harvest Kitchen: 100+ Recipes to Savor the Seasons.”  From Hollywood lawyer to Vermont baker, she shares how cooking with what’s close at hand — and in season — can feed both body and spirit. Tonight she'll be at Trillium Fort Point in Boston’s Seaport at 6 p.m.for a Q&A and signing. To learn more go here.