Entertainment

<< Previous   of   Next >> Mutt Strut photo  (click to enlarge) A contestant vies for a prize at Whidbey Island's Apple Day Mutt Strut 2006. Imagine Children's Museum photo  (click to enlarge) Imagine Children's Museum staff members have fun at the 2006 Wild Things party.   ADVERTISEMENT   Related Stories • Halloween calendar 10/26/07   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Friday, October 26, 2007 Halloween fun-filled days ahead for all By Andrea McInnis Herald writer Ready, set, go! And down the Snohomish River they will float. But no, this race isn't for humans. It's for those unmistakable symbols of Halloween -- the pumpkins. The traditional Greatest Pumpkin River Race is just one family-friendly part of Snohomish's Festival of Pumpkins' Halloween fun from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. While most of the festivities will take place at the intersection of First Street and Avenue A, the pumpkin race will start at Maple Street's Snohomish River trestle and end at the Avenue D bridge. Throughout the day, festivalgoers can choose from a variety of other pumpkin activities, like painting them, tossing them, carving them and bowling with them. The annual event also features a wreath-making workshop, a pumpkin pie-eating contest and costume contests for pets and children. The pet costume contest begins at noon and the kids' contest begins at 12:30 p.m. Categories for both are funniest and most creative costumes, as well as best look-alike for pets and owners. A sidewalk parade of the costumed participants will take place at 12:30 p.m. In addition, visitors can stop in at The Arts of Snohomish gallery's fourth annual juried fine arts show, which runs through Wednesday at 105 Cedar Ave. Those interested in the river race, which takes place from 11:30 a.m. to noon and has a $5 per pumpkin fee, may purchase the required tickets from Blooming Hearts, Comserv Copies & More and the Chamber of Commerce office, all in downtown Snohomish. Prizes range from $50 for third place to $300 for first place. Another part of Snohomish's festivities is the Cell Phones for Soldiers drive. Visitors are asked to donate their old cell phones, printer ink cartridges, iPods or MP3 players so that proceeds can be put toward phone cards for soldiers stationed in Iraq and other parts of the world. For more information on any part of this event, call 360-568-2526 or visit www.cityofsnohomish.com. Apple Day and Mutt Strut: Bayview Corner's free rain-or-shine Apple Day and Mutt Strut event takes place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at 5603 Bayview Road, Langley. A canine costume contest begins with registration at 1 p.m. for those who want their pooches to have some Halloween fun, too. Costume categories range from best dog costume to best owner and dog costume combination. "Best tricks" are encouraged, as well. A parade of the dressed-up pets will begin at 2 p.m. Other activities at Bayview include a Halloween mask-making craft project put on by the high school's leadership students from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., a candy scramble at 1 p.m. and live bluegrass, folk and blues music performances all day long. Another sure sign that we have transitioned into fall comes as the Bayview Farmer's Market ends its 2007 season at the Apple Day event. The market will again be filled with produce and other fall items for visitors' perusal and purchase. Apple Day also will feature tasty fall treats for purchase, including grilled bratwursts and hot dogs, caramel apples and creepy chocolates. More information is available at 360-321-4145. Wild Things party: Everett's Imagine Children's Museum, 1502 Wall St., offers another festive outing, one that takes place on Halloween. "Halloween With the Lights On" will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, with chalk art activities, story telling and two separate Wild Things parties, from 11 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Staff members say the Wild Thing parties will include a dramatic reading of Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are," Monster Mash dancing, glow-in-the-dark games, dry ice bubble-blowing and more. Visitors are encouraged to wear costumes. These activities are included with admission, which is $7 for everyone over age 1, and free for those under age 1. The Imagine Children's Museum staff can be reached at 425-258-1006 or online at www.imaginecm.org. Frozen Fright Night: Comcast Arena at Everett events center's annual Frozen Fright Night offers trick-or-treaters a chance to enjoy treats and some icy fun without having to battle the weather. From 5:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, families with children up to age 12 are encouraged to come dressed in costume, ready to test their ice skating skills, participate in a costume contest, get their faces painted and more. Fright Night admission is $5 per person, including skate rental. The Comcast Community Ice Rink is located at 2000 Hewitt Ave., Everett. For more information, call the events center at 425-322-2600, the ticket office at 866-332-8499 or see www.­comcastarenaeverett.com.

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