Fright or Fun? Take Your Pick

From ghoulish graveyards to carnivals, there is something in every community this week for the stout-hearted as well as the lily-livered. Listed below are some of the Halloween goings-on in North County:

OCEANSIDE

* Carnival: The city of Oceanside will sponsor a carnival, including a costume contest and pumpkin carving, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday at the new park on 1st Street and the Strand.

* Teen Dance: A dance and costume party for ages 12-17 will be held from 7-10 p.m. Sunday at Balderrama Community Center. The event is free to those in costume, or $1 for others. A party for children 6-12 will be held from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Balderrama Park.

* Carnival: Games, food, a costume parade and a caricaturist will be part of a carnival from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday at South Oceanside Elementary School, 1806 S. Horne St.

* Party: A party and costume contest for kids 6-15 will be held at 2:30 p.m. Halloween day at John Landes Park.

* Penny Carnival: The Oceanside Boys and Girls Club and the Kiwanis Club is sponsoring a carnival on Halloween night from 5:30-8 at 401 Country Lane. Open to children ages 7-12, the carnival features a costume contest, games, prizes and a cupcake walk. For information, call 433-8920.

ENCINITAS

* Family Halloween: The lawns and field of the Self-Realization Fellowship become regions of both darkness and light; foggy graveyards, spooks and witches co-exist with clowns, elves and a beautiful Fairy Queen, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Self-Realization Fellowship, Old Highway 101. Skits, puppet show and magic will also be featured. Admission is free.

* Pumpkin Party: Open to children 5-12, this party sponsored by the city of Encinitas will feature jack-o’-lantern carving, crafts, games and a costume contest, from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Friday at the Glen Park Scout House, 2149 Orinda Drive. Cost is $5. For reservations, call 944-3382.

* Halloween Sleep Over: The Boys and Girls Club of Encinitas will hold a sleep over from 7 p.m. Saturday to 9 a.m. Sunday. The festivities will include a costume contest, a haunted house, pumpkin decorating, apple bobbing, a scavenger hunt, dancing and breakfast. Children should bring a sleeping bag, a change of clothes and a costume. Cost is $18 for club members, $25 for others. To register, call 753-6351.

* YMCA Sleep Over: The Magdalena Ecke YMCA is hosting a sleep over for kids 5-12 from 7:30 p.m. Friday to 8:30 a.m. Saturday at the Y, 200 Saxony Road. A carnival, costumes and swimming will be featured. Children should bring a sleeping bag, swimsuit, towel, clothes to sleep in and a costume. Cost is $17 for Y members, $20 for others. To register, call 942-9622.

VISTA

* Street Fest: The fourth annual Safe Trick or Treat Nite at the Main Street Festival & Farmers Market will be from 6-9 p.m. today, on East Vista Way between Citrus and Santa Fe. Main Street vendors and farmers will have treats for children up to age 14. A pumpkin pie eating contest and other contests will be featured. As part of the festivities, the Avo Theater will open at 7 p.m. for a 7:30 p.m. costume contest for children 3-14.

* Haunted House: The Vista Parks and Recreation Department has an evening of fun planned for children 5-11 with a haunted house, carnival and costume contest, from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Brengle Terrace Park, 1200 Vale Terrace Drive. For kids 12-18, there will be a Monster Mash Dance-Video Experience at Moonlight Amphitheater from 7:30-10 p.m. Those in costume will have a chance to be in a live video. Admission is $5, $4 if in costume. For information, call 758-7570.

* Penny Carnival: There will be a Penny Carnival from 3-7 p.m. on Halloween at the Vista Boys and Girls Club, 410 W. California Ave. For information, call 724-6606.

* Downtown Carnival: The Boys and Girls Club is also holding a fall carnival today through Sunday in downtown Vista, corner of Escondido and Eucalyptus Avenues. Hours are 5-10 p.m. today; 5 to midnight Friday; 1 p.m. to midnight Saturday, and 1-10 p.m. Sunday. Discount tickets are available at the Vista Boys and Girls Club. For information, call 724-6606.

ESCONDIDO

* Haunted House: The Escondido Parks and Recreation Department’s haunted house will be open from 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Tuesday and Halloween night. It is by the center courtyard of the Vineyard Shopping Center, at East Valley Parkway and Rose Street. Admission is $2; children under 10 should be accompanied by an adult.

* Terror in the Dark: RIP Productions presents a haunted house from 6 p.m. to midnight today through Halloween at 1004 East Valley Parkway (across from See’s Candies). Admission is $5.

* Safety Fair: A free Halloween Safety Fair for children 5-10, designed to teach them how to celebrate Halloween safely, will be held from 5-6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Health Concern, 2429 S. Centre City Parkway, Escondido. Carnival events and refreshments will also be featured, and children should come in costume. For reservations, call 746-0700.

POWAY

* Pumpkin Carving: Poway’s Community Services Department is hosting pumpkin carving and costume contests from 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday at Lake Poway. Pumpkin carvers can bring their own pumpkins or buy them at the event. The carving contest is for children 6-12, but the costume competition is open to teen-agers and adults.

* Haunted House: The Poway Teen Council is staging a haunted house from 6-10 p.m. Tuesday and Halloween at Poway Community Park.

FALLBROOK

* Party: The Boys and Girls Club of Fallbrook will hold a Halloween party from 2-8 p.m. Wednesday at 445 E. Ivy Street. For information, call 728-5871.

* Haunted House: The Boys and Girls Club of Fallbrook, along with Fallbrook schools, will sponsor a haunted house and carnival Saturday at Fallbrook Union High School football field, 2400 S. Stagecoach Lane. For information, call 728-5871.

RAMONA

* Carnival: A Halloween carnival will be held from 2-8 p.m. Saturday at Ramona Elementary School, 415 8th St. For information, call 788-5010.

* Carnival: James Dukes Elementary School will host a Halloween carnival from 2-8 p.m. Saturday at the school, 24908 Abalar Way. For information, call 788-5060.

RANCHO BERNARDO

* Carnival: A carnival and talent show will be held from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Westwood Club, 17394 West Bernardo Drive. For information, call 485-6300.

RANCHO PENASQUITOS

* Graveyard Walk: The second annual Halloween Graveyard Walk for kids will be held from 6:30-8 p.m. Monday at the Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve. Walkers will visit a grave in the preserve and perhaps encounter the Ghoul of Penasquitos Past. Admission is free, but reservations are necessary and may be made by calling 484-3219. Kids must be accompanied by an adult.

CARLSBAD

* Carnival: The Carlsbad Parks and Recreation will present the fourth annual Halloween carnival from 5-8:30 p.m. Friday at Calavera Gymnasium, and again on Halloween night at the Stagecoach Park Gymnasium. Cost is $3 per child, and $1 for the Haunted House. All ages welcome. For information, call 434-2838.

* Carnival: A spirited haunted house will be one of the highlights of this carnival from noon-5 p.m. Saturday at La Costa Meadows Elementary School, 6889 El Fuerte St. Game and activity booths, as well as children’s rides, a raffle and food will be featured.

SAN MARCOS

* Musical Comedy: San Marcos’ Community Services Department and Theatre West of San Marcos will present “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Monday and Wednesday, with matinees at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, at The Barn, 149 E. San Marcos Blvd. Tickets are $5 at the door. For information, call 744-1875.

* Country Halloween: A country Halloween party with costume contest, dancing, games and food begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Leo’s Little Bit O’ Country, 680 W. San Marcos Blvd. There is a $3 cover charge.

DEL MAR

* Blood Party: The Del Mar Plaza and the San Diego Blood Bank Bone Marrow Program will sponsor a party from 2-6 p.m. Sunday at Del Mar Plaza, 1555 Camino Del Mar. For information, call 296-6393 Ext. 268.

LA JOLLA

* Mystery Museum: The mystery museum will feature The Haunted High-Rise, Dr. Frankenstein’s Laboratory, Davy Jones’ Locker, and Arachnoweb, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Activities take place at the Children’s Museum of San Diego, 8657 Villa La Jolla Drive, Suite 113. Kids in or out of costume may also participate in mask making, face painting, singing and storytelling. Admission is $2.75; children under 2 are free. For information, call 450-0767.

* Film: “Don’t Look Now,” directed by Nicholas Roeg, will screen at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art, 700 Prospect St. This film was adapted from Daphne du Maurier’s occult thriller and stars Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie as parents of a drowned child who follow clairvoyant leads to the canals and back streets of Venice. Admission is $3 for museum members, $4 for others.