Make plans for a horrifying night out
Halloween may be on a Wednesday this year, but with so many events coming up over the next few days, it will be possible to wave your freak flag for much, much longer. Read on for a sample assortment.
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DAILY
The famed Boot Hill yard display at 16 Goldenrod, Irvine, is now in its 13th year. Residents turn the property into the Old West town of Bridgewood through Halloween, where the ghost of Jedediah Smith roams the old church and cemetery. Viewing is free; donations to Children’s Hospital of Orange County are accepted.
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Friday
Relive the couture horrors of the 1980s with an adults-only “Thriller” of a costume party at 8:30 p.m. at Hogue Barmichaels, 3950 Campus Drive, Newport Beach. Admission is $20 at the door. Deejays will celebrate the music of the decade while costume contests, giveaways and other entertainment will make the night fly by.
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SATURDAY
The free annual Irvine Community Church Harvest Festival is slated for 1 to 5 p.m. at 14804 Sand Canyon Ave., and includes a carnival, food, candy, live music, games, a bounce house, cake walk, face painting, bingo and other family entertainment.
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SUNDAY
Celebrate the Day of the Dead with a macabre local tradition: the 15th annual Trick or Treat Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa. A highlight will be the meet up of the Phantom Coaches Hearse Club. Local participants include “Wednesday Addams” from Costa Mesa, whose hearse is her daily driver to her job at a Mercedes Benz dealership, and Cheri Wilson, who is famous for her HURSULA-plated hearse. Also slated: sugar skull painting, face painting, folklorico and Aztec dancers, mariachi, and stilt calacas, along with free trick-or-treating, contests, a costume parade and more. Admission is $2 or free for kids 12 and younger.
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TUESDAY
The annual free Pumpkin Patch event at Torelli Realty is slated for 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at 1700 Adams Ave., Costa Mesa. Kids will receive free pumpkins, decorate them, and take part in tractor rides, a petting zoo and pony rides; a pie eating contest for kids 12 and younger boasts a $100 prize. Concessions will be for sale to support area schools.
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WEDNESDAY
For a ghoulish gourmet alternative to trick or treating, the Halloween Foodtacular at Food Truck Fare runs from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa. Admission and parking are free; food and beverage prices will vary. Gourmet food trucks will serve up Halloween-themed goodies, while the Urban DJ Academy will spin seasonal favorites, a cash bar will be set up, and kids will have the chance to trick-or-treat from truck to truck.
The annual Fall Fest hosted by Compass Bible Church runs from 5 to 9 p.m. at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, 8808 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine. The free event includes food like hot dogs, In-N-Out and Chick-fil-A; rides; games; and what the church bills as a literal ton of candy for kids to enjoy. Family singer-songwriter Rob Biagi will perform.
Those seeking a laughter-filled night out on Halloween should consider the HA HA Halloween event starting at 8 p.m. at Irvine Improv, 71 Fortune Drive in the Irvine Spectrum. Admission is $20, and includes comedians Omid Singh of Irvine, Friendly Frank and Grant Cotter, as well as a costume contest, raffle and prizes.
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