In the mood for Halloween? You’ll find a bunch of spooky and zany events around the Triangle this weekend plus your pick of pumpkin patches, hayrides and haunted houses close to your home.

On Saturday, enjoy a growlingly ghoulish fashion show put on by dogs available for adoption at the SPCA Howl-O-Ween, in Raleigh, from 2 to 5 p.m. Over in Durham on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., catch “Spooky Saturday” at Museum of Life and Science. You’ll find Joshua Lozoff, former actor for the hit TV series Cheers, performing his strolling magic show, and you can join in other Spooky Saturday events.

“Guests can meet a tarantula, and some of her other invertebrate friends up close, create masks and learn the science, history and cultural significance of this fascinating artistry and discover how to use simple kitchen ingredients to create hidden messages,” says Nancy Dragotta-Muhl, of the Museum.

Guest mad scientists, members of the RTP Professionals Branch of Alpha Chi Sigma Professional Chemistry Fraternity, plan to wow museum visitors with engaging lab experiments. Halloween Village, a delightful and engaging exhibit with a number of moving parts and a train will also be on display at the museum from Oct. 14 through Nov. 1.

In Cary, on Saturday at 11 a.m., check out the Halloween Storytime at the Barnes & Noble, at 760 S.E. Maynard Rd. Kids will be wearing their Halloween costumes and enjoying Halloween stories and activities. Call (919) 467-3866 or visit www.bn.com.

If you’re thinking of a day trip, head to the N.C. Zoo, in Asheboro, for a magical weekend. On both Saturday, and Sunday, the zoo will come alive with its annual Boo at the Zoo, featuring two magical days of family entertainment and Halloween fun with games, treats, costume parades and contests each day. All the weekend fun takes place during regular zoo hours of 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and is included in the regular zoo admission of $10 for adults, $8 for seniors (62+) and $6 for children (ages 2-12). Visit http://www.nczoo.org for details.

The Halloween train ride in Bonsal on the New Hope Valley Railway offers another day trip, this one to the spooky woodlands of North Carolina. You’re invited to wear a Halloween costume, and trains depart at 4 p.m., 5:15 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 7:45 p.m. Call (919) 362-5416 or visit www.nhvry.org for directions and fares.

If you’re looking for more upcoming harvest and Halloween fun, like pumpkin picking, leaf watching, or heading to corn mazes, hayrides and haunted houses, you’ll find a comprehensive listing in CarolinaParent.com’s Fall Fun Guide.

Prefer the homespun magic of an old-fashioned parade? Check out the 4th annual Raleigh Wide Open Celebration on Saturday. The festival will start at 10 a.m. with a parade of floats, local celebrities and marching bands along Fayetteville Street.

But if you simply want to relax at a movie theater, let Jean’s Movie Choices for Kids on CarolinaParent.com guide you to what’s appropriate for your tot, tween or teen. This week, she reviews "Where the Wild Things Are."