October Treats

Feeling blue about our lack of red and gold? Don’t let it get you down. Even through the local trees don’t put on a big fall show, there’s a bushel basket full of performances, exhibits and festivals to put some color in your family’s life. So, cheer up, put down that jumbo bag of Halloween candy and take note of these October treats.

* Saturday

11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Balboa Family Festival offers children’s activities, crafts, music and food, and the chance to dabble your toes in the shiny blue Pacific at Peninsula Park, at the foot of Balboa Pier. Free. (949) 644-3151.

* Saturday

10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Peltzer Farms opens its old-fashioned pumpkin patch today, featuring a tractor-pulled hay ride, a mountain of hay, pony rides and a sunflower maze to explore. And, yes, loads of pumpkins to buy. Admission is free; a fee of about $2 is charged for some activities. 8415 E. Chapman Ave., Orange. Continues daily through Oct. 31. (714) 289-1129.

* Sunday

4 p.m.

Dean-o and the Dynamos will sing for food, literally, at KidPower ’98. The Aliso Viejo concert features the children’s Christian pop-rock group. Admission is a nonperishable food or toiletry item for the Coast Hills Community Church Food Pantry. At Grand Park, Aliso Creek Road and Pacific Park. (949) 362-8551.

* Sunday

2 p.m.

Children’s pop band Parachute Express performs a free mini-concert at the recently opened Zany Brainy children’s store in Corona del Mar Plaza, 900 Avocado Ave. The store also will host a performance by singer Dave Kinnoin on Oct. 10 at 10 a.m. (949) 640-5131.

* Oct. 9

7:30 p.m.

Oh, those wacky March girls. Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” comes to life in a stage version presented by the Kennedy Center Imagination Celebration on Tour. The one-hour show is recommended for children 6-11. 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine. $9 to $11. (949) 854-4646.

* Oct. 9

6:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Speaking of stories, the Once Upon a Story Storytelling Festival has a million of ‘em, from old-time folk tales to multicultural yarns to ghost stories, all told by some of the nation’s top yarn-spinners. The eighth annual event offers more than a dozen performances and workshops for a variety of ages, plus music, comedy and a story-swap breakfast on Saturday (8:30 a.m.). At Historic Town Center Park and Camino Real Playhouse in downtown San Juan Capistrano. Also, Oct. 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Oct. 11 from 2 to 3:15 p.m. Events range in price from free to $10. All-weekend passes are $15 to $30. Advance purchase recommended. (949) 768-1916.

* Oct. 10

11 a.m.

The Shanghai Quartet, known for its performances of works by European and Asian composers, launches the Orange County Performing Arts Center’s Saturdays at the Center series. The child-friendly concert is designed to introduce young audiences to classical music. OCPAC’s Founders Hall, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. $20 for five-show series; single tickets are $6. (714) 556-2787.

* Oct. 10

2 p.m.

Scads of local youths join professional actors from the touring Missoula Children’s Theatre in an adaptation of “Rumpelstiltskin.” At Orange Coast College’s Robert B. Moore Theatre, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa. $9-$12 advance; $11 to $15 at the door. (714) 432-5880.

* Oct. 10 and 11

Noon and 3 p.m.

Art imitates life imitating TV? In “Gullah Gullah Island Live,” a musical based on the popular Nickelodeon children’s show, Ron, Natalie and Binyah-Binyah Polliwog share songs and stories that celebrate the West African heritage of the South Carolina coast. Suggested for ages 3 to 7. $12 to $17. (949) 854-4646.

* Oct. 10

Noon, 2 and 4 p.m.

Ballet Pacifica opens its 1998-99 Ballet for Children series with artistic director Molly Lynch’s ballet, “Hansel and Gretel,” and “Three Ring Circus,” choreographed by Kathy Kahn. At the Festival Forum Theatre, 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. $8 to $11; season subscriptions are $32 to $42. Also Oct. 11 at 10 a.m., noon, 2 and 4 p.m. (949) 851-9930.

* Oct. 10

Noon to 5 p.m.

Mission San Juan Capistrano hosts its Russian Heritage Celebration, offering food, informational booths, art exhibits, music and dancing from the old country. Off the Ortega Highway exit of Interstate 5. Free with mission admission: $4-$5. (949) 248-2048.

* Oct. 11

1 and 3 p.m.

Magic, comedy and balloon stunts come together in Majiloon, part of the Kids Culture Club series at the Curtis Theatre. Brea Civic Center, 1 Civic Center Circle. $6. (714) 990-7722.

* Oct. 16

7:30 p.m.

That adventurous amphibian Mr. Toad kicks the Laguna Playhouse Youth Theater season into high gear with “The Wind in the Willows.” Adapted by Moses Goldberg from the book by Kenneth Grahame. 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. $11-$14; four-play season subscriptions are $38-$50. Continues Oct. 17, 18, 23, 24, 25; performance times vary. (949) 497-2787.

* Oct. 17

11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“Gold Rush to Pop,” an exhibit tracing the history of California through its art, opens at the Orange County Museum of Art. The exhibit, which promises to be particularly helpful to fourth-graders studying California history, will feature several educational programs for youth during its run. 850 San Clemente Drive, Newport Beach. $5 gallery admission. Continues through Jan. 24. (949) 759-1122.

* Oct. 24

11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for thee? If so, Mission San Juan Capistrano has an event for you: a reenactment of the 1818 attack on the mission by pirates, staged by musket-bearing actors (4 p.m.). Also part of the festivities: Dancing, music, food and children’s activities for the little mateys, arrgh. Visitors are encouraged to dress in related costumes. Prizes awarded. At Mission San Juan Capistrano, off Interstate 5 at Ortega Highway. Free with mission admission: $4-$5. (949) 248-2048.

* Oct. 24

10 and 11:30 a.m.

“Presto Chango” is the theme for the upcoming six-concert Mervyn’s Musical Mornings series presented by the Pacific Symphony. The family-friendly series, which includes music, informal chats with conductor Elizabeth Stoyanovich and the musicians, and a preconcert treasure hunt, begins with a program of spooky music titled “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” Audience members are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes. $10-$12; season subscriptions are $51 to $63. In OCPAC’s Segerstrom Hall, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. (714) 740-7878.