A Halloween Bag of Tricks

With a three-day Halloween spree ahead of us, the trick is to keep the kids’ costumes in working condition until Monday night’s trick-or-treating finale. That’s no mean feat, considering a weekend full of parades and storytellings and fairs--all calling for a costume.

Sunday at Kidspace Museum, 390 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena, kids who visit in Halloween costumes will receive balloons and favors. Spooky music will fill the museum, open noon to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $2.50. Information: (818) 449-9144.

At Long Beach Children’s Museum, 445 Long Beach Blvd., children can join Halloween parades and add to their costumes by making ghoulish masks at museum workshops Sunday, from noon to 4 p.m. Workshops and trick or treating will be in the center court at Long Beach Plaza. Admission is $2.50. Information: (213) 495-1163.

The Westside Arts Center, 2320 Arizona Ave., Santa Monica, has 80 pumpkins ready to carve at a special workshop, Sunday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. There will be safe carving tools, help from staff, and decorations--such as ribbons and paper--to spruce up the squashes. The workshop is suitable for ages 5 and up. Children may also participate in either Slightly Scary Stories, for ages 3 to 5 at 4:30 p.m., or Scary Stories, for ages 6 and older at 5:30 p.m. The pumpkin carving is $5; the story hours are $6. No reservations necessary. Information: (213) 453-3966.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Caltech inaugurates this fall’s Family Faire series today with a performance of folk dance and music by the Aman Folk Ensemble at 2 p.m. at the school’s Beckman Auditorium, Michigan Avenue and Del Mar Boulevard, Pasadena. The series will continue Saturdays in December, March and April. Reservations suggested. Admission: $5 for adults, $3 for children 12 and younger. Information: (818) 356-4652.

The PTA at Warner Avenue School, 615 Holmby Ave., Westwood, plans a Halloween carnival and country food fair Sunday, with kids encouraged to wear costumes. They can play at game booths, ride the moon bounce and other carnival games, and decorate costumes. Fair hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Information: (213) 398-1965.

Storyteller Jill Wright will no doubt mesmerize the kids sitting around the bonfire at tonight’s “Ghosttales” program at Happily Ever After Children’s Bookstore, 2640 Griffith Park Blvd., Los Angeles. Hot chocolate will be served to ward off the chilly night air at this free event. Children should be accompanied by adults and may wear costumes. Information: (213) 668-1996.

Children are expected to parade down Wilshire Boulevard in Sunday’s Parade of Masks in the two-day International Festival of Masks today and Sunday in Hancock Park, at Wilshire Boulevard and Curson Avenue. The kids have made their masks in workshops throughout the city for the past month. The parade begins at 11:30 a.m. at Wilshire and Crescent Heights boulevards, and proceeds east to the park.

Festival hours: noon to dusk today and Sunday. Information: (213) 934-8527.