A Good Scare

Like most holidays, Halloween is long on tradition.

According to Irish legend, there once lived a night watchman named Jack who ran into an unusual predicament when his time came to pass on: He was too much of a sinner to enter heaven, yet since he had played tricks on the devil, he was not permitted into hell either. Both sides eventually reached a compromise and forced Jack to walk the roads of the Earth until Judgment Day, carrying a lantern to make his infamy known to all those around him.

Thus was born the jack-o’-lantern. In Ireland and England for several centuries, those with a mind for celebration carved out turnips, beets and even potatoes to create demonic faces.

When the holiday caught on across the Atlantic in the 1800s, Americans opted for pumpkins, which were larger and looked more menacing from far away.

You’re not likely to see any carved turnips on your block in preparation for All Hallow’s Eve. But there’ll be plenty of opportunities to observe Halloween. If you can’t find a way to get scared at home, many places would be happy to do the job for you.

* The world’s self-proclaimed biggest Halloween party continues each weekend for the 26th straight year at Knott’s Berry Farm through Nov. 1.

Knott’s Scary Farm features mazes, monsters, sinister shows and other assorted terrors from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tickets are $34 in advance and may be ordered by phone at (213) 365-3535 or (714) 703-2555.

* For those who prefer candy and rubber masks, the Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park holds its ninth annual Boo at the Zoo Halloween Festival Friday through Sunday evenings.

From 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., there will be storytelling, trick-or-treating, animal encounters and a costume parade. Tickets are $4 in advance and $5 at the door. Santa Ana Zoo is at 1801 E. Chestnut Ave. (714) 953-8555.

To help out with festival decorations, children and adults can bring their own carved pumpkins to the zoo today between noon and 4 p.m. for a judging contest.

* On Sunday, South Coast Plaza’s Crystal Court will host a Pumpkins and Pancakes fund-raising festival, featuring the children’s pop group Craig ‘n Co. Benefits Court Appointed Special Advocates and the Child Abuse Services Team.

Breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m., accompanied by trick-or-treating, arts and crafts and carnival booths. For $15 reservations, call (714) 780-8733; admission is $20 at the door.

* Horror isn’t restricted to land, of course. The Queen Mary is getting into the act with Shipwreck ‘98, its annual Halloween festivities in Long Beach.

Open Friday through Nov. 1, and recommended for those over 13, visitors can wend their way through four horrific mazes in some of the most eerie parts of the ocean liner. No costumes are permitted, but you might want to carry a lucky charm in your pocket. Tickets are $17 for all ages. (562) 435-3511.

* Adults enamored of the truly horrific might enjoy the Hunger Artists theater troupe’s “Madame Guignol’s Macabre Theatre: Carnival of the Damned” today through Nov. 1 in Santa Ana.

The production consists of five spine-tingling original plays by local writers, beginning at 8:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 7:30 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $10 by phone at (714) 547-9100 or $12 at the theater at 204 E. 4th St., Suite 1 in Santa Ana. Recommended for mature audiences only.

* Just a few miles south is “Dracula,” the Costa Mesa Civic Playhouse’s production of Bram Stoker’s classic novel. This Gothic romance plays today, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. and at the same times Oct. 29-Nov. 1. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8.50 for students and seniors. Enter the playhouse at your own risk, at 661 Hamilton Ave. (949) 650-5269.

* If there is such a thing as a being a good Samaritan on Halloween, you can do it at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point on Saturday from 7 to 9 p.m. Come in costume and bring a can of food per person to join the Halloween Haunt festivities. (949) 496-2704.

* The Saddleback Symphony presents a free Fright Night concert Oct. 30 at 8 p.m. in the McKinney Theatre at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo. The macabre show includes “Danse Infernal,” “Night on Bald Mountain” and other chillers. (949) 582-4747.

On Halloween itself, there are a variety of activities, beginning in the morning and lasting well into the witching hours.

* If you think your kids are brave enough to make it through a state-of-the-art haunted house, take them to Heritage Park at the Irvine Youth Center, 14301 Yale Ave., where Irvine teens have created a frightful setup. On Oct. 30, the house will be open from 5:45-7 p.m. for 6- to 12-year-olds; on Halloween, it will be open from 4:30-5:30 p.m. for 2- to 5-year-olds. Admission: $1. (949) 724-6750.

* From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 31, the Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society will present a Tales From the Tomb Tour of Santa Ana Cemetery and Fairhaven Memorial Park.

Hear chilling yarns from across the Santa Ana Valley, including stories of haunted houses, lost corpses and shady dealings in City Hall. Children are welcome, but be warned: They may run into the ghost of the first Orange County marshal, murdered years ago and buried in an unmarked grave.

The tour begins at the Dr. Howe-Waffle House at 120 Civic Center Drive West. Tickets are $8 if bought before Monday and $10 at the door. (714) 547-9645.

* In a similar vein, the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society holds a spooky walking tour Oct. 31 beginning at the O’Neill Museum, 31831 Los Rios St. The city has its share of legends, from devil dogs to buried treasure, and tonight is your opportunity to hear them. Tours leave at 6:30, 7 and 7:30 p.m. and are $4 for adults and $3 for children. Reservations: (949) 493-8444.

* From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 31, the Bowers Kidseum will host Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festivities. This traditional Mexican celebration features art projects, calavera face painting, chilling Mexican folk tales and refreshments. All ages are welcome.

The Bowers Kidseum is at 2002 N. Main St. in Santa Ana. (714) 480-1520.

* At 10 a.m. on Oct. 31, costumed kids can join in Aliso Viejo’s Halloween Celebration and Parade, led by the Great Pumpkin through a maze full of surprises in Acorn Park.

Judges will select the best costumes, but everyone gets a participation ribbon and candy. For more information, call (949) 362-5890. The park is off Sanborn near Oak Grove Elementary School.

* From 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Garden Grove, children of all ages in costumes can join in a parade sponsored by the United Methodist Church.

Bring $1 and an unopened bag of treats for admission to the church at 12741 Main St., where festivities will include a jack-o’-lantern contest and trick-or-treating. (714) 534-1070.

* The Lab mall holds its annual Halloween bash from 5 to 8 p.m. at 2930 Bristol St. in Costa Mesa, featuring trick-or-treating, Gothic bands and a costume contest with prizes. (714) 966-6660.

* From 8 p.m. on Oct. 31 until well into the witching hour, social elite and culture mavens will gather in their costumed formal best for a Masquerade Ball for the Arts.at the Orange County Museum of Art, 850 San Clemente Drive, Newport Beach.

Tickets are $60, and proceeds will benefit four local groups’ efforts to promote the arts to under-40 audiences. (714) 556-2122.

* Beginning at 9 p.m. at the Beneath It All Club in Santa Ana, Jerec Savant’s production of “Underground Messiah” will be the highlight of the club’s second annual Halloween Masquerade Ball.

Besides the show, there will be prizes, dancing, food and drinks at the club in the basement of the Advertising Arts Building at 1058 E. 1st St. Tickets are $5 before the show, $10 at the door. (714) 542-9228.