Concerts, costumes and pumpkins Concerts, costumes and pumpkins (October 21, 2005)

Spooky organ show in Palo Alto is just one of many local Halloween events planned

by Rebecca Wallace

An irregular heartbeat is frightening enough. But when the sound comes from a sonorous pipe organ, the results can be spine-tingling.

That's the sensation James Welch, the organist at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Palo Alto, hopes to send through an audience during his 13th annual Halloween concert on Oct. 29. It's one of the many Halloween events planned in the Palo Alto area; others include costume contests, a Peninsula Pops Orchestra "Spooktacular" concert, and kids' festivities (see below).

Welch likes to challenge the perception that the organ is just for church and funerals. For this concert, he chooses music that is eerie, humorous and sometimes odd.

For the first time, he'll play "Dysrhythmia: An abnormal heart rhythm," by New Mexico physician Frank Ashdown. It comes from a suite called "Scenes from the Life of a Doctor," and is full of unusual rhythm.

"You can hear this ba-dum, ba-dum like 'Jaws' in the background," Welch said. "I can't say that I've ever heard of a classical piece on this subject before."

Welch will also play music from "Phantom of the Opera," an Alfred Hitchcock theme and Gothic compositions. He'll also play an organ classic, Bach's "Toccata in D minor."

Families and costumes typically abound at the event. Attendees can get a close look at what goes into playing a four-keyboard, 4,568-pipe organ. The concert is set for 8 p.m. at the church at 600 Colorado Ave. Tickets are $10; call (650) 856-9700.

Here are just some of the many other local Halloween events coming up:

Parents and students are building an elaborate haunted house at Fairmeadow Elementary School at 500 East Meadow Drive in Palo Alto. (Parent Allen Hall said the endeavor takes 750 man hours.) The 10-room house will include a haunted forest, a torture chamber and music. It may be too scary for kids under 8. Tickets are $3, and the house is open Oct. 22 from noon to 4 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. Call 814-7496.

The Peninsula Pops Orchestra plays its "Spooktacular" concert at 3 p.m. Oct. 23 at Spangenberg Theatre at 780 Arastradero Road in Palo Alto. Music will come from "Harry Potter," "Lord of the Rings," "Fantasia," "Wicked" and others. Many people -- including the musicians -- get dolled up in Halloween finery. Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors and $10 for students. Children ages 5 and under are free. Call (650) 856-8432 or go to www.peninsulapops.org.

At the Palo Alto Children's Library at 1276 Harriet St., Viola Swamp will spin Halloween stories at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 26. Library folks promise the tales will be "not-so-scary" and appropriate for grades kindergarten through fifth. Call (650) 329-2134.

Witches' brew in the park? That's the plan for Palo Alto's Foothills Park, which is hosting music, crafts, storytelling and food -- as well as a "haunted lake" -- on Oct. 28 and 29. The event goes from 6 to 9:30 p.m. and is meant for grades kindergarten through sixth, though all ages are welcome. Tickets are $7 for Palo Alto residents and $8 for nonresidents; pre-register at enjoyonline.cityofpaloalto.org or call (650) 463-4900.

Pumpkin Days at the Allied Arts Guild at 75 Arbor Road in Menlo Park mean pumpkins, haystacks and commemorative photos of families, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 28 and 29. Attendees can bring unwrapped gifts to donate to Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford. Call (650) 322-2405.

A costume party for kids and young adults will be held from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Oct. 28 at the East Palo Alto Library at 2415 University Ave. Call (650) 321-7712.

A Jerry Garcia-themed Halloween party is on tap for the ART21 gallery at 539 Alma St. in Palo Alto from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Oct. 29. Besides hosting a costume competition and live music, the gallery will display lithographs by Garcia. Call (650) 566-1381.

The city of Menlo Park hosts its annual family Halloween hoopla on Oct. 29. A costume parade begins at 11:45 a.m. at the Burgess Recreation Center, and youngsters can go trick-or-treating from 1 to 3 p.m. at participating downtown businesses. A carnival is planned from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at Burgess; tickets are $3 for kids (adults are free). Call (650) 330-2200.

On California Avenue in Palo Alto, 34 area shops will host trick-or-treating for children ages 10 and younger from noon to 4 p.m. on Oct. 31. Call (650) 354-1100, extension 114.

A "Halloween Spooktacular" takes over the courtyard at 319 State St. in Los Altos from 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 31, including pumpkins, a petting zoo, ghosts and goblins. Call (650) 949-5282.

"Hogwart's Halloween" means various Harry Potter-themed activities from 3 to 4 p.m. at the East Palo Alto Library at 2415 University Ave. Call (650) 321-7712.

The Stanford University Department of Music hosts its annual Halloween concert at 8 p.m. in Dinkelspiel Auditorium on Oct. 31, featuring the Wind Ensemble playing spooky tunes. The winner of the costume contest gets to conduct the concert finale. Tickets are $10 general, $9 for seniors and $5 for students. Call (650) 725-2787.

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