Costumes and Carnivals

Boo! Did you know Halloween traditions were brought to these shores by the Scots and Irish? Or that the pumpkin usurped the turnip as the choice for carved jack-o’-lanterns? What’s it all mean? Not much, except to offer a bit of seasonal trivia to introduce a list of Valley-area haunted houses.

MALLS

The following shopping centers will offer free trick-or-treating and other Halloween activities Friday:

CityWalk (Lankershim Boulevard at the Hollywood Freeway, Universal City, [818] 622-4455). 4-7 p.m. $6 parking fee.

Fallbrook Mall (6507 Fallbrook Ave., West Hills, [818] 340-5871). 6-8 p.m. Bring two cans of food for the homeless and receive a gift.

Glendale Galleria (the corner of Central Avenue and Broadway Boulevard, [818] 240-9481). 5-7 p.m.

Media City Center (201 E. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, [818] 566-8556). 5-8:30 p.m.

Northridge Fashion Center (9301 Tampa Ave., [818] 885-9700). 4-7 p.m.

The Promenade at Woodland Hills (6100 Topanga Canyon Blvd., [818] 884-7090). 3:30-6:30 p.m.

Sherman Oaks Fashion Square (14006 Riverside Drive, Sherman Oaks, [818] 783-0550). 4-6 p.m.

Topanga Plaza (6600 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Canoga Park, [818] 594-8740). 5:30-8:30 p.m.

COMMUNITY CENTERS

Agoura Hills Department of Community Services will have a Halloween Carnival from 4:30-7 p.m. Friday at Mae Boyar Park, 130 N. Kanan Road, Agoura Hills. Admission is $2. The park will also have a Halloween party for seniors at 1 p.m. Friday. Admission to the seniors’ party is free. (818) 597-7361.

Branford Recreation Center (13310 Branford St., Arleta, [818] 893-4923) offers a free Halloween celebration, with games and prizes, 5-8 p.m Friday. Free.

Chatsworth Recreation Center (22360 Devonshire St., [818] 341-6595) sponsors a Halloween carnival with a costume contest, food, prizes and games from 4-8 p.m. Friday. Free admission.

Calabasas Community Services Department sponsors a Halloween carnival from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Friday at Grape Arbor Park at Canwood Street and Parkville Road, just north of the Ventura Freeway at the Lost Hills Road exit. Free admission. (818) 880-6461.

David M. Gonzalez Pacoima Recreation Center (10943 Herrick Ave., Pacoima, [818] 899-1950) plans a Halloween celebration with a pinata-breaking, games, a haunted room and a costume contest, 4-8 p.m. Friday. Free.

Delano Recreation Center (15100 Erwin St., Van Nuys, [818] 756-8529) sponsors a Halloween Carnival with contests, games, arts and crafts, a puppet show and food, 5-8:30 p.m. Friday. $1 children’s admission. Adults admitted free.

Encino Community Center (4935 Balboa Blvd., Encino, [818] 995-1690) will have a Halloween Carnival geared toward young children, ages 2-10, 4-8 p.m. Friday. Free admission.

Fernangeles Recreation Center (8851 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Sun Valley, [818] 767-4171) plans a Halloween carnival, 5-8 p.m. Friday. Free.

Hammack Activity Center (815 E. Avenue Q6, Palmdale, [805] 267-5663) hosts “Fright Night,” 5-7 p.m. Friday for ages 10-14. $2 admission.

Hubert Humphrey Recreation Center (12560 Filmore St., Pacoima, [818] 896-6510) sponsors a Halloween Carnival, 2:30-6 p.m. Friday. Free.

Lakeview Terrace Recreation Center (11075 Foothill Blvd., [818] 899-8087) plans a Halloween/Harvest Festival with games, trick-or-treat bags, a moon bounce and a costume parade, 5:30-9:30 p.m. Friday. Free admission.

Lanark Recreation Center (21816 Lanark Ave., Canoga Park, [818] 883-1503) sponsors a Halloween Carnival from 4-8 p.m. Friday with separate costume contests for all age groups. Free admission.

Mason Recreation Center (10500 Mason Ave., Chatsworth, [818] 998-6377) will have its annual Halloween Carnival featuring a costume parade, a haunted room, magic shows and other entertainment, games and prizes, from 5-9 p.m. Friday. $2 admission for kids, parents are free.

McCambridge Recreation Center (1515 N. Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank, [818] 238-5300) hosts Halloween parties Friday for preschoolers from 10 a.m.-noon and for elementary school children from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free.

North Hollywood Recreation Center (11430 Chandler Blvd., [818] 763-7651) plans a Halloween Carnival with games, a costume parade and other activities, 5 to 8 p.m. Friday. Free.

North Weddington Recreation Center (10844 Acama St., North Hollywood, [818] 506-1467) will have its Halloween Horror/Sci-Fi Videofest featuring original productions by local teens from 7-9 p.m. Friday. Free.

Northridge Recreation Center, (18300 Lemarsh St., [818] 349-7341) will have a Halloween Un-Haunted House, geared for children under 12, from 3:30-5:30 p.m. and 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday. Also, the center will have a Halloween Party for all ages, noon-4 p.m. Saturday.

Olive Recreation Center (1111 W. Olive Ave., Burbank, [818] 238-5300) hosts Halloween parties Friday for preschoolers from 10 a.m.-noon and for elementary school children from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free.

Reseda Recreation Center (18411 Victory Blvd., [818] 881-3882) plans a Halloween Carnival, 5-8:30 p.m. Friday. Free.

Ritchie Valens Recreation Center (10736 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Pacoima, [818] 834-5172) sponsors a Halloween festival with an astro-jump, live music and games, 5-8 p.m. Friday. Free.

Sepulveda Recreation Center (8801 Kester Ave., Panorama City, [818] 893-3700) will have a Halloween celebration, 5-8 p.m. Friday, featuring trick-or-treating, games and a haunted house. Free admission.

Shadow Ranch Recreation Center (22633 Vanowen St., West Hills, [818] 883-3637) plans a Halloween Carnival, featuring rides, food and fun, 5-10 p.m. Friday, noon-9:30 p.m. Saturday and noon-8:30 p.m Sunday. Free admission.

Stonehurst Recreation Center (9901 Dronfield Ave., Sun Valley, [818] 767-0314) plans a Halloween carnival, 5-8 p.m. Friday. Free.

Studio City Recreation Center (12621 Rye St., [818] 769-4415) will have a Halloween carnival, a haunted hayride, a costume contest, graveyard games, food, monsters and more, 5:30-8 p.m. Friday. Free admission.

Sun Valley Recreation Center (8133 Vineland Ave., [818] 767-6151) sponsors a Halloween carnival with costume parade and games, 5-8 p.m. Friday. Free.

Sunland Recreation Center (8651 Foothill Blvd., [818] 352-5282) plans Halloween activities Friday: a costume contest, 6-7 p.m., and “Fun Night” with carnival games, 7-8:30 p.m. Free.

Sylmar Recreation Center (13109 Borden Ave., [818] 367-5656) presents a Halloween party with games, trick-or-treating and a costume parade, 5-8 p.m. Friday. Free.

Tarzana Recreation Center (5655 Vanalden Ave., [818] 343-5946) will have a Halloween Carnival with a costume parade, puppet show, games and prizes, 5-8 p.m. Friday. Free.

Valley Plaza Recreation Center (12240 Archwood, North Hollywood, [818] 765-5885) sponsors a Halloween Haunted House, 5:30-9 p.m. Friday. 50-cent admission.

Van Nuys Recreation Center (14301 Vanowen St., [818] 756 8131) plans a Halloween party, 4-8 p.m. Friday, activities, costume and other contests, scary movie, free hot dogs and refreshments. Free admission.

Van Nuys/Sherman Oaks Recreation Center (14201 Huston St., Sherman Oaks, [818] 783-5121) plans a Halloween carnival, 5:30-8 p.m. Friday. Free.

Verdugo Recreation Center (3201 W. Verdugo Ave., Burbank, [818] 238-5300) hosts Halloween parties Friday for preschoolers from 10 a.m.-noon and for elementary school children from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free. Also, the center hosts a dance for teenagers, grades 6-8, 7:30-10:30 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $4 and teens must present recent Burbank middle school ID.

Victory-Vineland Recreation Center (11117 Victory Blvd., North Hollywood, [818] 985-9516) sponsors a Halloween Carnival with games, rides, costume contests for different age groups, 5-10 p.m. Friday. The carnival will continue all weekend Sat.-Sun., 1-10 p.m. Free admission.

Vickroy Park (2300 Monterey Place, Burbank, [818] 238-5300) hosts a Halloween party Friday for preschoolers from 10 a.m.-noon. Free.

Winnetka Recreation Center (8401 Winnetka Ave., [818] 756-7876) plans a Halloween Carnival, 5-9 p.m. Friday. $2 admission includes 10 free game tickets for children 3 and older. Kids under 3 and adults are free.

Woodland Hills Recreation Center (5858 Shoup Ave., [818] 883-9370) will have a Halloween Carnival featuring games, a costume contest and food, 6-9 p.m. Friday. $1 admission includes 10 game tickets.

OTHERS

Granada Hills Branch Library (10640 Petit Ave., Granada Hills, [818] 363-3556) with the Granada Hills Recreation Center, will have a Halloween program, 4-6 p.m. Friday in the library. Featured will be a Jim Gamble Marionette production at 4 p.m., followed by costume parades and other activities. Free.

North Hollywood Regional Branch Library (5211 Tujunga Ave., [818] 766-7185) will have a Halloween storytelling and craft program at 3:30 p.m. Friday. Free.

The Spooky House (Valley Indoor Swap Meet parking lot, 6701 Variel Ave., Woodland Hills, [818] 888-8570) featuring more than 8,000 square feet of state-of-the-art thrills, runs tonight, 6-10; Fri., 3 p.m. to midnight; Sat., 1 p.m.- midnight; Sun., 1-10 p.m. $5.50-$7.50.

Valley College (5800 Fulton Ave., Van Nuys, [818] 848-1431, Ext. 4) hosts a Halloween Family Fun Festival, sponsored by the Beta Delta Sigma chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, 6-10 p.m. Friday in Monarch Hall. $1 admission.

Platt Library (23600 Victory Blvd., Woodland Hills, [818] 340-9386) will have a Halloween program with scary stories and crafts at 3:30 today. Free.

Six Flags Magic Mountain (Magic Mountain Parkway, Valencia, [805] 255-4100) offers “Fright Fest,” a ghouly ghost zone for the entire family, featuring the Creepy Crawly Pet Show, Willoughby’s Haunted Mansion and other attractions for all ages. Open Friday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. $35 general, $20 seniors, $17 children, children 2 and younger are admitted free.