From the traditional prowls of ghoulies and ghosties to animal awareness festivities, Malibuites will have plenty of Halloween celebrations to choose from this week.
A holiday event with a serious undertone is the Malibu Halloween Carnival for UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) that will feature booths, baked goods, T-shirt and pumpkin decorating, tattooing and face painting. There will also be a display of artwork from local second-graders and a drawing for prizes such as a scooter, a surfboard, a DVD player and gift certificates from many local merchants and restaurants, including Granita.
The benefit-carnival will take place Saturday, Oct. 26, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Malibu Country Mart, 3835 Cross Creek Rd. It is presented by local merchants 98% Angel and Toy Crazy, where you may purchase tickets for the drawing. One hundred percent of the proceeds raised by the booths at the carnival will go to UNICEF’s general fund. For more information, call 310.456.0069.
The carnival will also mark the culmination of the 2002 Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF Challenge, a yearly Halloween tradition when costumed children go door-to-door with orange collection boxes for donations. These boxes will be available at the carnival for those interested in participating, and also at retailers such as Ralph’s, Food 4 Less, IKEA, Sears Portrait Studios and McDonalds.
Later Saturday evening, a ranger will tell spooky stories in the Malibu Creek State Park campground amphitheater at 6 p.m. Bring a flashlight. Reservations are required by calling 818.880.0363.
For animal lovers, Vital Zuman Organic Farm is the place to be for trick-or-treating.
“Come as your favorite animal,” says Alan Cunningham, owner of Vital Zuman Organic Farm, where the First Animal Awareness and Halloween Harvest Festival will take place Saturday, Oct. 26, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Participating organizations, which will be offering information about four-legged and feathered friends, include the California Wildlife Center, Malibu Pet Companions, Pet Orphans Fund, Tortoise Rescue and Saving Wildlife International, which will bring some wild animals to share. Pet adoptions will also be available.
Billed as “a day of exciting musical entertainment, fun, food and surprise celebrity guests (vampires welcome),” the festival will include a costume showcase/contest with prizes and feature live music by Karling Abbeygate and The Monks Of Love, Smash Cut and Invisible Cinema.
Vital Zuman Organic Farm is located at 29127 Pacific Coast Hwy.
The Halloween Haunt and Great Pumpkin Contest, presented by the Optimist Club and the Malibu Community Center, will take place Sunday, Oct. 27, on the playground at Point Dume Marine Science Elementary School at 6955 Fernhill Dr., from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Festivities will include a pumpkin carving/decorating contest, a haunted house, tattoo parlor, hayrides, games, food.
On Oct. 30, St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church will host a Halloween party at 11:45 a.m. The church is located at 28211 PCH.
Cornucopia Farms is having a fundraising holiday event with a costume party on Thursday, Oct. 31, at 7:30 p.m. at 730 Cavalleri Rd. For more information call 310.457.4537.
Halloween shenanigans in surrounding areas include the Dream Halloween benefit for the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation, hosted by actor Jamie Lee Curtis. The fundraiser will take place Saturday, Oct. 26, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Barker Hanger at the Santa Monica Airport. Each child at the event will collect a bag of treats and gifts, and a second bag of treats will be sent to a child somewhere in the country who is affected by AIDS. Other activities will include a fun house, a collectibles auction, celebrity appearances, arts and crafts, and feasting on delectables from Los Angeles-area restaurants. Tickets are $300 for adults and $250 for children under 13 years old. To obtain tickets, call 310.201.5033.
Marquez Charter School in Pacific Palisades will present a Halloween festival Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a haunted house built and operated by the school’s fifth-graders, booths, a costume contest, a raffle and entertainment. The school is located at 16821 Marquez Ave.
And now for something completely different … Santa Monica College will present a Halloween alternative-a screening of the horror classic “Night of the Living Dead,” accompanied by some scary electronic music. The event is free and will take place on Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. at the college’s Academy of Entertainment & Technology, 1660 Stewart St., Santa Monica.