Here are 5 spooky things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Oct. 24-26
Halloween is next week, so everyone is partying spooky-style the next few days. Hurry up and finish your costume, then hitch a ride on a broomstick to a few of these weekend events.
ZooBoo and Jack O’Lantern Extravaganza
The Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium is pulling out all the stops for its Halloween celebrations this weekend, with ZooBoo in the daytime and the Jack O’Lantern Extravaganza at night.
ZooBoo is a family-friendly experience that encompasses the whole zoo during the day, including trick-or-treating throughout the zoo, a costume contest, a parade and more. Guests are encouraged to wear costumes, as long as they are safe and unobtrusive. ZooBoo will take place between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and is included with regular zoo admission.
Then, when the sun goes down, the zoo will be lit by the flickering candlelight from thousands of carved pumpkins. The jack o’lanterns are made in stunning designs, from spooky icons to pop culture figures to beloved characters, all accented with lights and sound effects.
The event will also feature activities, seasonal food items and more. The Jack O’Lantern Extravaganza will be open each evening this weekend from 6 to 11 p.m. with the latest entry at 10 p.m. Tickets are available at pittsburghzoo.org.
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra plays ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’
The magical 1993 multi-holiday film “The Nightmare Before Christmas” has a fun and memorable score thanks to composer Danny Elfman. This weekend, take the chance to see the world-class Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra play its way through the now-classic songs.
The Orchestra will play along with the film, a stop-motion masterpiece directed by Henry Selick. Perfect for all ages, this film celebrates both the current Halloween season and the upcoming Christmas season.
Performances will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Heinz Hall in Downtown Pittsburgh. Get tickets at pittsburghsymphony.org.
Haunted History Center Halloween
What’s scarier than a real-life ghost story? Mix history with haunts at the Heinz History Center in the Strip District this Sunday. They’ve planned plenty of tricks, treats, fun and facts for this seasonal event.
Enjoy spooky storytime at designated times, a trick-or-treat scavenger hunt throughout the entire museum, face painting, temporary tattoos, mask-making activities and more. Come in costume, and don’t forget that kids under 17 get free admission to the History Center.
The event will be held starting at 10 a.m. on Sunday at the Heinz History Center. This event is included with museum admission. To learn more, visit heinzhistorycenter.org.
Plot Twist: 21+ Book Fair
We all looked forward to the Scholastic Book Fair as kids. Now, Pittsburghers can relive that magic as adults with this 21+ book fair, full of great reads, plot twists and literary fun.
Local authors and indie bookstores will be at the fair to help book lovers find their next favorite read. Vendors will be selling tons of bookish goods, as well. A live DJ will soundtrack the afternoon with great tunes, and don’t forget to mark your place with the bookmark creation station.
The event will be held at Velum Fermentation on the South Side from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday. To get your tickets, check out the Eventbrite page here.
Night of 1,000 Skulls at the Warhol
Accompanying the ethereal and creepy new “Andy Warhol: Vanitas” exhibition, this Halloween-themed event will give you a dose of legendary Pittsburgh pop artist Andy Warhol with a macabre theme.
Dress up in your Halloween best (though please avoid protruding props or costume pieces to preserve the art collection) and come out for tarot readings, aura photography, scary good music from a DJ and skull screenprinting. Plus, tour the new exhibition — a very on-theme selection of Warhol’s works.
The 21+ event will be held at the Andy Warhol Museum on the North Side on Friday from 8 p.m. to midnight. Learn more at warhol.org.
Alexis Papalia is a TribLive staff writer. She can be reached at apapalia@triblive.com.
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