This weekend the Halloween gears grind into motion, and so here are just a few ideas for seekers of Halloween entertainment (return next weekend for our roundup of the area's haunted houses).
NOT-SO-SCARY NATURE NIGHT
River Bend Nature Center is offering a new creature feature this year. In addition to its menagerie of live creatures — the spiders, lizards, butterflies, fish, quails and the like — "We'll have two owls from
Wild Bird Rescue," said Jennica Howes, River Bend's administrative assistant.
The owls will add a bit of a Harry Potteresque feel to River Bend for its seventh Not-So-Scary Halloween, one in a series of Nature Nights designed to draw families to the center to experience nature nocturnal.
The event, usually about 600 nature-lovers strong, runs from 6 to 9 p.m. today.
Making a return will be activities like a costume contest, along with plenty of craft-making in the pavilion, and face painting, too. The center also will tout a pumpkin patch, despite the pumpkin shortage that has seen the unfortunate demise of at least one popular pumpkin patch, which did not appear this year.
"There's going to be a cake walk, and the (Ruby N. Priddy Butterfly and Nature) conservatory will be open too," said Howes.
As always, visitors are invited to come dressed in costume, since children dressed in costume are admitted for just $1 with a paid parent.
And look out for plenty of food, games and music.
nWhat: Not-So-Scary Halloween Where: River Bend Nature Center, 2200 Third St. When: 6 to 9 p.m. today Admission: $4 for those who are not members of the nature center; $1 for children in costume with a paid parent Information: 940-767-0843 or riverbendnaturecenter.org
LUCY PARK HALLOWEEN
Another popular family Halloween event, A Lucy Park Halloween, might not get a nocturnal boost from a few owl friends, but the specter of a fall carnival is sure enough.
Once upon a time, Lucy Park was the haunt of the Phantom of the Falls, when the park was haunted by the ghoulish phantasm, but over the past decade, the city's Parks and Recreation Department has tweaked its efforts and made the event much more family-friendly.
Saturday's A Lucy Park Halloween launches with a costume contest and parade that runs from 5 to 8 p.m. Registration begins at 4:30 p.m. in the Lucy Park Log Cabin, with the parade and judging following from 5 to 5:45 p.m. Thirteen awards will be presented.
Another popular activity is the Great Pumpkin Decorating Contest from 6 to 6:45 p.m. for those ages 10 and younger. Note that this is a pumpkin decorating contest and not a pumpkin carving contest, so leave the squash shapers, molders and graters at home.
Other activities from 5 to 8 p.m. will include face painting, a moonwalk, cake walk every half-hour beginning at 6 p.m., along with games like Clinko, a ring toss, the Happy Hopper Slide and more.
Food and drink concessions will be available.
nWhat: A Lucy Park Halloween Where: Lucy Park When: From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday Admission: Free, though some activities will require tickets that can be purchased at the event Information: 940-761-7490
'NOSFERATU'
One of the unique events that the Kell House Museum has scared up is its film presentation of "Nosferatu" tonight on the Kell House grounds.
"This is new for us," said Stacie Flood, Kell House curator. "We were inspired by the old traveling movie shows in the early 20th century and thought, why not have one here?"
The movie is a 1922 silent film classic. It is a German Expressionist horror film directed by F.W. Murnau based on Bram Stoker's Dracula.
In the film, Thomas Hutter is sent by his company to Transylvania to visit Count Orlok, a new client. But as he approaches Orlok's castle in the Carpathian Mountains, he senses from the townsfolk that something isn't quite right. It doesn't take long for Hutter to feel eerie about his visit — the way Orlok tries to suck his blood after he cuts his finger, the two puncture marks on his neck, and soon Hutter suspects Orlok is a nosferatu, or "bird of death."
Hutter escapes and returns home to his wife.
Orlok purchased property near his home and he suspects his wife may be in danger, and of course, he is right.
If you plan on cuddling up with "Nosferatu," be sure to bring a blanket or lawn chair for seating.
nWhat: Movies on the Lawn presentation of "Nosferatu" Where: Kell House Museum, 900 Bluff When: 7:30 p.m. today Admission: Free Information: 940-723-0623
LIVING WAX MUSEUM
Another distinctive event on the Halloween season landscape is the Wichita Theatre's first Living Wax Museum (for more details, see NEXT, Page 10), which opens next weekend.
It's like Madame Tussaud's, except the figures, set in various painted scenes, are not made of wax but are actors posing as still as possible. Many of the characters are Disney characters that the theater has brought to the stage in past productions, along with a few Halloween-inspired personas, too.
This is a family-friendly event made for plenty of picture-taking opportunities.
nWhat: Living Wax Museum Where: Wichita Theatre, 10th and Indiana, downtown When: 1-6 p.m. Oct. 29 Admission: $5. Information: 940-723-9037
PET COSTUME CONTESTS
Dressing up your dachshund like a hot dog or your Chihuahua like a Dalmatian?
It must be time for Halloween pet costume contests.
Atwoods Ranch and Home's pet costume contest is Oct. 30. Annually, Atwoods gives a nod to our pet friends, who may or may not be willing to don a costume to make their human friends happy. Either way, the results are usually precious.
The store is awarding $10,000 of prizes that have been donated by more than 15 pet supply sponsors. About 50 pets participated in 2010.
Also, Petco gets into the spirit of the season with its pet costume contest, which is coming up 2 p.m. Oct. 29.
nAtwoods Pet Costume Contest: 2 p.m. Oct. 30, 2047 Loop 11. 940-855-9100
nPetco Pet Costume Contest: 2 p.m. Oct. 29, 4319 Kemp. 940-692-7302.
SAFE KIDS HALLOWEEN
Finally, for parents seeking a safe trick-or-treating venue for their children, the Safe Kids Halloween event is an option.
A number of businesses, companies and other organizations participate and hand out candy at various stops in the Howard Johnson hotel.
nWhat: Safe Kids Halloween Where: Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel, 401 Broad When: 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 31 Admission: Free
© 2011 Times Record News
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