Looking to Scare Up Fun? Here Are the Likely Haunts

Having trouble deciding where to take that special date this weekend? An insane asylum, a graveyard or a swamp might be alternatives to that humdrum dinner-and-a-movie routine.

A bevy of bewitching goings-on and haunted happenings are scheduled this weekend for stouthearted souls looking for a little pre-Halloween terror.

Celebrating its 25th Halloween in the fright business, Scream in the Dark is haunting a new habitat this year at the Cajon Speedway in El Cajon. Students from several high schools have donned their most ghoulish garb and will lead terror seekers into Frankenstein’s Lab, The Mortuary, The Torture Chamber and The Graveyard, to name a few.

Chamber of Horrors

The not-so-meek can also venture this weekend to the Museum of Man in Balboa Park, where the rooms have been turned into a chamber of horrors, a mad doctor’s laboratory and a gruesome graveyard. In its 15th year, the haunted museum has added a jungle area with dinosaurs, as well as a carnival. The haunting begins each night at 7 through Monday.

The Children’s Museum of San Diego is transforming into a spooky spot this weekend with its first Mystery Museum. Geared for children between the ages of 2 and 12, mask-making, face-painting and fortune-telling will figure in the festivities.

Several monster bashes and balls are also scheduled. The American Cancer Society will host its third annual Halloween Ball from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. today at the Sea World Pavilion.

The first Broomstick Ball, sponsored by SERVE San Diego and XTRA NewsTalk Radio, will be held from 5 p.m. to midnight Monday at the Omni Hotel in downtown San Diego.

Local rock group The Beat Farmers will host KGB-FM’s 11th annual Halloween Ball from 7 p.m. to midnight Saturday at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The $10 admission will go to benefit the Child Abuse Prevention Foundation of San Diego County. Tickets are available at all TicketMaster locations.

Costume Parade

For North County revelers, a new house of horror has joined the ranks. The doors of the Poway City Haunted House, at 13094 Bowron Road, will creak open at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday. A costume parade for children 3 and older will be held at 7:30 p.m. Monday.

The Downtown Business Assn. of Escondido is readying a bewitching but safe Halloween weekend. More than 40 stores have been decorated, hoarded treats for pint-size trick-or-treaters and put together an elaborate haunted house. Trick or treating will be held from 5 to 6 tonight at Escondido Boulevard and Valley Parkway. The haunted house will be open from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Civic Center Shopping Plaza.

Game booths, cakewalks and a pumpkin patch will be featured at the 34th annual Solana Beach PTA carnival at Skyline School. The event kicks off with a costume contest at noon Saturday.

On a safety note, Alvarado Hospital, Mission Bay Hospital and Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group will offer free X-ray screening of candy Halloween night.

Free trick-or-treat bags containing safety hints for children and parents, fluorescent strips of tape and penlights will be distributed in the front lobby of Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla today through Monday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.