5 things

It’s Halloween weekend, y’all! Here are 5 things to make the most of it, including a couple fun events that will give you a break from all that spooky-scary business, should you be so inclined.

October 28, 2010; 6:00 AM • by Valerie Catrow

It’s Halloween weekend, y’all! Here are 5 things to make the most of it, including a couple fun events that will give you a break from all that spooky-scary business, should you be so inclined.

1. An American Tail Sing-A-Long

Imagine, if you will, a theater full of children and their parents singing this in unison:

What’s wrong, buddy? Got something in your eye there? Once you’ve pulled yourself together, consider this: proceeds from this event go to ChildSavers, a Richmond organization dedicated to the well-being of our city’s kids.

• Saturday, October 30 (10:30am and 1:30pm)
• Byrd Theatre (2908 W. Cary Street)
• $8 for adults, $5 for kids 12 and under (purchase tickets online)

2. 2010 Richmond Zombie Walk

Come in your most disgusting zombie gear andGLUGGHGHGHG UHHNNNNNN BRAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIINS. (Check out images from last year’s walk.)

• Saturday, October 30 (1pm)
• Zombies should meet in Byrd Park; the walk will take place in Carytown
• Free, but $5 donations are suggested from those taking part (benefits the American Cancer Society)

3. Scarytown

Halloween in Carytown, get it? Trick-or-treating, costume contests, and cash prizes — fun for the whole fam!

• Saturday, October 30 (sales and specials all day; costume contest starts at 3pm; trick-or-treating from 4pm to 6pm)
• Carytown
• Free!

4. Bootleg Shakespeare: Titus Andronicus

The circumstances of this event give me an anxiety attack, but I find it fascinating nonetheless. A few weeks ago, Henley Street cast the actors for their production of Titus Adronicus. The actors have been off memorizing their lines since then, and on Saturday they’ll reconvene (with their own costumes and props) to put on a production of the show…WITHOUT EVER REHEARSING IT.

• Saturday, October 30 (box office opens at 6:30pm)
• Barksdale Theatre at Willow Lawn (1601 Willow Lawn Drive)
• Free, but tickets are first come, first served.

5. Erie Canal Boat Rides

Drift down the Kanawha Canal as costumed guides share the spooky sights and stories of one of Richmond’s oldest (and supposedly most haunted) districts. We’ve been assured by the folks in charge that it will be just fine for the kids — they’ll even get a little candy treat!

• Sunday, October 31 (tours run 6pm to 9pm and should last 30 minutes; boats leave on the hour and half-hour)
• Canal Turning Basin (Dock and 14th Streets)
• Free!

For more fun Halloween goings-on this weekend, stop by the RVANews Halloween Guide. And don’t forget that Restaurant Week runs through Sunday — we’ve got all kinds of information on that for you as well.

As the editor of RVANews, Valerie Catrow spends most of her time wrangling people over email and muttering to herself about the content calendar. She also contributes to our parenting column while maintaining her own blog, Made in Richmond. It should be noted that she loves tots, both the potato and child varieties.

October 28, 2010 6:00 AM 2