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Fun & Free Activities for LA Kids this Weekend: Make Your Mark, Swap-o-Rama-Rama, and Space Shuttle on the Move! Oct 13 - 14

10/10/12 - By Toby B

It’s hee..eere. The orange and black color schemes. The sudden emergence of pumpkin as the number one vegetable. The punny and playful neologisms like spooktacular and fright-tastic. We have begun the month-long observance of the most child-centric of holidays: Halloween. No worries if you're not ready to hit the ground screaming on this one: our Halloween Guide can point you to all the best shrieks and giggles around Los Angeles.

It would really take something out of this world to overshadow All Hallow's this weekend. Out of this world? Ha! Try been there and back! It brought our entire city to a halt a few weeks back as we tilted our heads skyward to catch its final glorious flight. Now it pulls a Carmageddon, closing some roads,  but instead of grumbling, we want to line up to see it pass. The Space Shuttle Endeavour is traversing our surface streets en route to its new home at the California Science Center, and we've got the lowdown.

Oh, and there's a few other things going on too, involving the circus, antique tractors, The Next BIG Thing, Indiana Jones, free pumpkins, and more more more!

Keep reading for our favorite picks for this weekend!

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

ALL WEEKEND

Antique Tractor Weekend at Underwood Farms - Moorpark
The Fall Festival continues at Underwood Family Farms. This weekend antique tractors are the stars of the show.

Opening Weekend of the Indiana Jones Exhibit - Santa Ana
Grab your bullwhip and fedora and head over to the Discovery Science Center to learn about the archaelogy behind the Indiana Jones movies.

Camp Spooky - Buena Park
The fun at Knott's Berry Farm’s child-friendly Halloween celebration includes a Spooky Ookie Scavenger Hunt, Peanuts' Halloween Spooktacular, The Great Pumpkin Hay Bale Maze, and Snoopy's Costume Contest & Parade.

Pumpkinliner - Fillmore
All aboard! A vintage train takes you to the pumpkin patch where Jolly Jumps, a carousel, crafts, and the perfect pumpkin await!

Bob Baker’s Halloween Hoop-Dee-Do - Downtown
Halloween season marks the return Bob Baker’s Halloween Hoop-Dee-Do, featuring a fantastical cast of more than 100 Halloween themed puppets, from the Purple People Eater and the Invisible Man to a gaggle of dancing Roaring 20s skeletons.

Circus Vargas   - Canoga Park
Who hasn’t wanted to run away to the circus, if only for a little while?  This week the animal-free Circus Vargas can be found at Westfield Topanga.

Halloween Ghost Train - Griffith Park
Los Angeles Live Steamers take a turn for the spooky as the small scale ride-on trains play dress-up for Halloween.

SATURDAY OCTOBER  13

Space Shuttle Celebration and Viewing - Inglewood
The Forum hosts one of the official viewing spots for the Space Shuttle Endeavour as it makes its way to its new permanent home at the California Science Center. Stop by to cheer it on (along with a few thousand of your friends).

Great Pumpkin Giveaway with Radio Disney 1110 AM - Fairfax District
The  Original Farmer's Market partners with Radio Disney to bring on the Halloween fun with music, games, and free pumpkins!

Wake Up with the Waves: World Beat Rhythms - Santa Monica
The Drum Workshop leads kids on a rhythmic journey jam through World Beat styles, in this interactive concert on Santa Monica Pier.

Anaheim Harvest Festival Original Art & Craft Show - Anaheim
Forget Halloween; you can get an early start on Christmas shopping at the Harvest Festival Art & Craft show at the Anaheim Convention Center, with over 24,000 crafts that are made in America.

National Fossil Day - Mid-Wilshire
Come seen the skeletal remains of ancient creatures, but don’t be afraid. It’s not a Halloween horror; it’s National Fossil Day at the Page Museum.

Sandra Sandia Mini-Concert - West LA
Sandra Sandia performs her original songs in Spanish at Children's Book World.

Target Free Family Saturday: Marvelous Masks - Downtown
Masks are the theme at this free, day-long event at the Japanese American National Museum.

Celebration and Performance for the Space Shuttle - Baldwin Hills
You know you’re a big deal when Debbie Allen choreographs a dance in your honor. Public viewing is at Martin Luther King Blvd, but space is limited!

Harry Potter Halloween Party - Santa Monica & the Grove
Barnes & Noble helps Muggles get into the Halloween spirit with a Harry Potter-themed party.

Headless Horseman Dinner Train - Fillmore
The search for the Headless Horseman is under way via a spooktacular vintage train via the Fillmore & Western Railway. (Rumor has it he was spotted in the pumpkin patch).

SUNDAY OCTOBER 14

Mythical Playground: Greece - Santa Monica
Kids can discover their muse (and their Greek Gods) at this inspiring tale at the Broad designed for the youngest audiences.

Halloween Swap-O-Rama-Rama -  Venice/ Mar Vista
The reDiscover Center’s clothing swap has a Halloween twist: volunteer sewers and crafters can help turn newfound treasures into costumes.

Make Your Mark in the Park - Downtown
Grab your drawing implement of choice and contribute to the 5 block-long panoramic mural at Downtown’s Grand Park.

Andell Family Sundays - Glass Works - Mid-Wilshire
LACMA’s fun family program gets a late start this month. The theme is glass, and kids can create their own glass-inspired works.

Sunday Funday at Bubbles - Santa Monica
Kids can enjoy playtime at Bubbles while parents learn about some of LA’s best birthday party resources.

Earthworm Ensemble - Santa Monica
McCabe's Guitar Shop’s bi-weekly children's concert series features The Earthworm Ensemble, an all-star band featuring some of LA's best country-folk musicians.

The Legends of King Arthur  - Topanga
In this retelling of the Arthurian Legend, audience members become lords and ladies, knights and villagers, as they explore themes of power and nobility at Theatricum Botanicum.

As always, there are many more activities listed on our daily events calendar. Whatever you choose to do this weekend, we hope you have a spooktacular, out-of-this-world time!