Cities, Stores Plan Colorful and Safe Halloween Affairs

As Halloween approaches, many South Bay communities are planning alternatives to potentially dangerous door-to-door trick-or-treating.

The city of Gardena is not only sponsoring a celebration for children but is offering incentives for them to go straight home afterward. Names of participants will be drawn, and any child who is home by 9:15 p.m. and receives a call from the parks department will win a dollar.

For those who want to trick-or-treat the old-fashioned way, free X-raying of candy will be available at Robert F. Kennedy Medical Center, 4500 W. 116th St., Hawthorne, from 7 to 11 p.m. Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday in the radiology department. The hospital will also hand out candy.

Here is a list of the city-sponsored events. Admission is free and open to all ages unless noted.

CARSON--Haunted houses will highlight the fun at Scott Park, 23410 Catskill Ave., and Del Amo Park, 703 E. Del Amo Blvd. There will also be carnival booths, food and rides. Senior citizens are sponsoring a face-painting booth. 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday.

EL SEGUNDO--Halloween Frolic begins at 4 p.m. Thursday at Recreation Park, 401 Sheldon St., with an all-ages costume parade, followed by games, pumpkin-carving judging, face-painting and booths. Game tickets are 12 for $1.

GARDENA--Six parks--Freeman, Rowley, Thornburg, Bell, South and Recreation--will have celebrations from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, including costume parades, cartoons, a haystack search for goodies, pie-eating and balloon-blowing contests and haunted houses.

HAWTHORNE--A Halloween Carnival will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Hawthorne Memorial Center, 3901 W. El Segundo Blvd. It will feature a costume contest divided into age groups for children 11 and under. There will be a witches cavern and separate games for children 5 and under.

INGLEWOOD--A celebration at Darby Park, 3400 W. Arbor Vitae St., will be held Tuesday and Wednesday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., featuring a carnival, haunted house and costume contests. On Thursday, the hours will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Similar events also will be held Thursday at Rogers Park, 400 W. Beach St., from 3:30 to 7 p.m. All activities are intended for children in sixth grade and under.

LAWNDALE--Jane Addams Park, 15114 Firmona Ave., will be the site of a program Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. Activities will include a costume parade, pumpkin carving and free candy distribution, followed by a bonfire.

LOMITA--A costume parade at Lomita Park, 24428 Eschelman Ave., will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, followed by free games booths at 7 and a haunted mansion at 7:30. Activities will end about 9 p.m.

MANHATTAN BEACH--Game booths, prizes and a costume carnival are planned for children under 12 at Manhattan Heights Park, 1600 Manhattan Beach Blvd., from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Thursday. Children under 6 must be accompanied by adults. All children must wear flame-retardant costumes.

RANCHO PALOS VERDES--A Halloween party will be at Ladera Linda Community Center, 32201 Forrestall Drive, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday. There will be dinner, games, costume and pumpkin-carving contests and “Dr. Frankenstein’s Lab” and “My Mummy’s House.” Admission is $4 per person or $7 for an adult and a child.

REDONDO BEACH--A Halloween Carnival co-sponsored by the Lions Club will feature pumpkin-carving and costume contests, a parade and free food at Perry Park, 2301 Grant Ave., from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday.

TORRANCE--Halloween Carnival runs from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday in the pavilion at Wilson Park, 2200 Crenshaw Blvd. It will include a costume parade at 5 p.m. followed by bubble-blowing, jelly-bean-guessing and pie-eating contests. Also planned are booths, food and a puppet show.

SAN PEDRO--Celebrations are planned at three parks. Peck Park, 560 N. Western Ave., will feature a haunted house today and Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m. and Thursday from 6 to 10 p.m. Admission is $3. San Pedro Park, 1920 Cumbre Drive, will have a carnival featuring a costume parade, puppet show and cakewalk from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday. Admission will be charged only for the puppet show. Anderson Center will host a senior citizens party at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday for members of the center, featuring prizes for prettiest, ugliest, funniest and most original costumes.

WILMINGTON--A costume parade, games and a puppet show highlight celebrations at Banning Recreation Center, 1331 Eubank Ave., from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. A preschool party with games, costumes and potluck will be held at the Teen Center, 325 Neptune Ave. from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday.

Shopping malls also are staging Halloween events. Among them:

- Carson Mall, Carson, 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday. Highlights include a costume contest, free face-painting and pumpkin-carving judging for children 12 and under. Trick-or-treating from 6 to 8 p.m.

- Courtyard Mall, Palos Verdes, 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday. The mall will sponsor a costume parade with prizes and treats.

- Del Amo Fashion Center, Torrance, 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday. Festivities will feature trick-or-treating for ages 10 and under, with mimes, clowns and musical groups.

- Hawthorne Mall, Hawthorne, 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday. The mall will sponsor a party and costume contest for children.

- Old Towne Mall, Torrance. A costume parade, pumpkin-carving contest and face-painting are planned today. Trick-or-treating from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday. The Torrance Jaycees are sponsoring a haunted house at the mall.

- Ports o’ Call, San Pedro, 5-8 p.m. Thursday. Trick-or-treating and costume contest for children under 12.

- Redondo Pier, Redondo Beach, 4:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday. Free trick-or-treating from pier merchants for children 12 and under.

- South Bay Galleria, Redondo Beach, 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday. Costumed children age 10 and under may trick-or-treat at each shop. Children must be accompanied by an adult.