Photo: shutterstock.com

Sadly for the little kiddles, Halloween falls on a Monday this year. That means all the little ghosts and goblins will have to cut their trick-or-treating short because of homework, baths, and bedtimes. Darn school nights!

Tell the tots not to fret. There’s a whole heap of Halloween fun happening this weekend that’s waaay better than a plastic pumpkin full of Smarties and Laffy Taffy.

Here’s a fun size sampling of what you can find in our neck of the woods.

Pick a live one at the coffin races. photo: Ed Steele Photography

Looking for a devilishly good time that’s a little out of the ordinary? Then be sure to check out Denton’s annual  Day of the Dead Festival. The quirky, community get-together is described by the organizers as “little harvest fest, a little Dia de los Muertos, a little Halloween, and a lot of Denton magic.” There will be games and food vendors plus a variety of entertainment on hand including music, dancing, a salsa tasting competition and coffin races which are sure to please monsters of all ages.

Trick or treat with the ‘Star Wars’ gang. Photo: Frontiers of Flight Museum

You don’t have to go to a galaxy far, far away to see your favorite ‘Star Wars’ characters this Halloween. Just head to the Frontiers of Flight Museum this Saturday for Star Wars Day. Kids can meet members of the world renowned Star Wars Imperial costuming organization, 501st LEGION” and  the Rebel Legion “good guys.” The Mandalorian Mercs “bounty hunters” and the R2-D2 and BB-8 Astromech Droids will also be there. Besides trick or treating with Stormtroopers, kids can go exploring on the ‘Star Wars’ desert planets in a rover, blast a Stormtrooper, create and color their favorite Astromech Droid, and enter a galaxy far, far, away through the museum’s planetarium.

They’re too pretty to eat. Then again . . . maybe just a bite. Photo: CocoAndre Chocolatier

Coco Andre Chocolatier will be hosting a sweet and spooky Dia de los Muertos Workshop to honor the dearly departed at the the Oak Cliff Cultural Center. Participants will learn about the significance of calaveras (or skulls), and then create a traditional Day of the Dead calavera out of chocolate and colorful icing. The creations can be taken home or given to the center for display at the community altar. The workshop is free, but space is limited so get there early.

Make some spooky friends at SPARK! this Halloween weekend. Photo: SPARK!

Burn off the crazy candy energy at SPARK!. In case you’re not familiar, SPARK! is a creative environment for kids located in the sub-basement of the South Side on Lamar building, In addition to hands-on art activities it also features a climb, crawl, and slide sculpture that spans over 6,000 feet and climbs 26 feet toward the ceiling. At their Halloween Spooktacular this Saturday kids can explore the Creepy Crawl, play a game of Witch Golf, decorate trick-or-treat bags and stop by 13 different treat stations. The event is open to children in 2nd grade through high school and chaperones are required. Costumes are discouraged for safety reasons.

Symphony Musicians from Fort Worth are ready to entertain you with a free concert! Photo: Musicians of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra

The musicians of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra are putting on a Halloween Concert this Sunday night at Arborlawn United Methodist Church. Besides spooky music, kids can also enjoy an instrument “petting zoo” and a costume contest with prizes. Best of all, donations will be taken for the Musicians of the FWSO fund.

Go fly a kite this weekend. photo: trinityrivercorridor.com

Okay, this event really isn’t all that Halloweeny, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the Trinity River Wind Festival that happens this Saturday. The annual outdoor fest usually happens in May, but torrential rain and flooding last spring forced its cancellation. Lucky for us organizers re-scheduled this sweet, unassuming, outdoor event for this Saturday. The wide open space along the river makes the perfect backdrop for both kite flying or kite watching. You can bring one of your own kites to fly or watch one of the many spectacular show or stunt kites. Kids can also take part in a wildflower planting, see the Frisbee Dogs show, play in the kids zone, watch Japanese kite makers at work and even make their own kites.