Halloween for the whole damn family

Two upcoming events - one at Living History Farms and the other at Blank Park Zoo - will provide Halloween-time fun for the entire family - which means, of course, that it's aimed at children and the parents will be tugged along by their pant legs.

Family Halloween Nights at Living History Farms will start tonight and go through Sunday. From 5:30 to 8 p.m., storytellers, wagon rides, marshmallow roasts and treats for kids await visitors. Halloween costumes are optional. Bring a flashlight.

Also on tap in Des Moines is Blank Park Zoo's Night Eyes, when children and adults can travel the zoo's lit paths from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and from 1 to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays Oct. 20 through 23 and 27 through 30. Tickets are $3 in advance at the zoo and Dahl's Foods, or $4 at the gate.

Mardi Gras in Des Moines

The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs will host "Mardi Gras in the Museum" on Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m. at the State of Iowa Historical Building to raise funds for people affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The event will include free Cajun-inspired food from Central Iowa restaurants; free beverages; free music by the Party Gras Classic Jazz Band, the Heartland Youth Choir and Calle Sur; free mask-making, face-painting, pi–atas and other games for children; and a free historical program.

Admission is $25 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under. Proceeds go to Iowa's Gulf State Relief Fund, with funds managed by the American Red Cross.

Dracula wears tights

The Iowa Dance Theatre troupe is paying homage to the undead by way of tights and ballet, as "Dracula, A Comedy Noir" comes to the Scottish Rite Masonic Center, 519 Park St., on Saturday at 7 p.m. "Dracula" is a dark comedy ballet of romance. It follows Dracula, Lord of the Undead, traversing times and places on his quest for his bride, Marie. On the way, Dracula's befriended by bats and zombies, as he struggles between good and evil, life and death, and the pursuit of love.

Come early, dressed in costume, to participate in Dracula's costume contest and to win prizes from local businesses. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for children 12 and under. Tickets are available through Showbiz Dance Supply or the Lind Dance School. Call 334-0010.

Tweakin' at Stephens

The Season at Stephens continues at 3 p.m. on Sunday with The Tweaksters, a visual theater performance that includes fast-moving vignettes, including spinning globes and wildly manipulated loops of glowing wire dancing across the stage. These two performers are masters of hand-eye coordination, and mix athleticism with props to create performances that seemingly ignore the laws of physics.

Tickets are $16 for the public and $8 for ISU students and those 18 and under. Tickets are available at the Stephens Auditorium box office and through Ticketmaster. CV

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