BOO! Halloween is sneaking up behind you.

For weeks, you’ve been tuning out your children’s pleas for the most expensive costume on the rack – or avoiding the creative energy required to dream up one for yourself – but the time for stalling is over.

The tiniest ghouls and goblins won’t appear on front porches until Monday night, but there are plenty of festivities to keep the whole family occupied until then.

We offer this guide to maximize your Halloween fun.

The art of Halloween

Storytelling, concerts and plays are among the holiday-themed options on the weekend entertainment bill.

¢ Staff at the Watkins Community Museum of History will tell local ghost stories passed on by residents during a program called “True Ghost Stories.” The event is from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the museum, 1047 Mass. Donations are suggested.

¢ “The Witch of Lok Island,” a Nordic family tale about a little boy who is swept away to the land of the Sea Witch and a young girl goes on a quest to save him, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Lawrence Arts Center, 940 N.H., 843-2787.

¢ Lawrence storyteller Priscilla Howe will perform Halloween stories for all ages at 2 p.m. Sunday at The Raven Bookstore, 6 E. Seventh St.

¢ The Baroque quartet Red Priest will

perform “Nightmare in Venice,” a ghoulish, Baroque fantasy featuring Vivaldi’s famous Nightmare Concerto, at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the Lied Center. Audience members are encouraged to wear spooky, gothic, Baroque-era costumes for a contest; the winner will receive two tickets to an upcoming Lied Center Series performance.

¢ Halloween concert and costume contest with the Seem-To-Be Players, 4:30 p.m. Monday, Lawrence Arts Center, 940 N.H., 843-2787. Just before downtown trick-or-treating, kids can show off their inventive get-ups in a costume parade and contest with prizes. They’ll also be invited onstage to star in their own play (the players will make up scary stories based on their costumes), and to sing Halloween songs. Cost is $5.

Haunt these houses

¢ Castle of Fear: A long-time haunt enthusiast, Chris Brooks took his passion for scaring to the professional level by attending national conferences and seminars to learn the tricks of the trade. The Castle of Fear is open from 8 p.m. to midnight today through Monday at the Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds. Cost is $10.

¢ The Beast: Billed as “America’s largest haunted house,” 1401 W. 13th St., Kansas City, Mo., open 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, cost is $15, (816) 842-0320 or www.kcbeast.com.

¢ Catacombs Extreme Scream: Two haunted houses joined together for a journey through more than 40 rooms, 1100 Santa Fe, Kansas City, Mo., opens at 7:30 p.m. today through Monday. Cost is $20, (816) 4-SCREAM.

Safety, etiquette

The National Safety Council offers these suggestions to keep trick-or-treating from really being scary:

¢ Send an adult with children under 12.

¢ Teach children to stop only at well-lighted houses and never to enter a stranger’s home.

¢ Set a route and a return time.

¢ Make sure costumes are made of fire-retardant materials and aren’t so long they’ll be tripping hazards.

¢ Use strips of reflective tape to make children visible.

¢ Remind kids not to eat any treats until they get home and you can inspect their goodies. When in doubt, throw treats out.

¢ Send trick-or-treaters out with flashlights so they can see and be seen.

And these simple tips can make the holiday more pleasant for everyone:

For trick-or-treaters:

¢ Only trick-or-treat during reasonable hours, generally before 8:30 p.m.

¢ Don’t hoard the whole bowl of candy. Let the homeowner drop a treat in your bag, unless they ask you to take your pick.

¢ Don’t complain about the candy you get.

¢ Say “thank you.”

¢ Once you’re out of junior high, you’re too old to trick-or-treat. Don’t push it.

For homeowners:

¢ Turn on your porch light and make your home look inviting.

¢ Don’t force shy children to say “trick-or-treat.” If they dressed up and rang your doorbell, they deserve a treat.

J-W film critic Jon Niccum’s best scary video picks

¢ “The Shining” (1980): All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

¢ “The Brood” (1979): They’re waiting for you.

¢ “Session 9” (2001): Fear is a place, and in this case it’s an abandoned state hospital.

¢ “The Thing” (1982): Man is the warmest place to hide.

¢ “Phantasm” (1979): If this one doesn’t scare you, you’re already dead!