(WSB photo of the 2008 crowd trick-or-treating in The Junction)
If you can’t scare up something to do today and tonight, you’re not trying. Here’s some of what’s happening around the peninsula today, from the WSB West Seattle Events calendar:

GARAGE SALE/RAFFLE WITH A TWIST: Garage Sale and Raffle for the West Seattle Food Bank, sponsored by Life Learning Center & Life Preschool in the Community Hall in the main building of Life Church. 3420 SW Cloverdale, now through 4 pm. Accepting canned food or money for purchases of the many treasures that are for sale. Bake sale too!

IT’S JUST A DRILL: If you come across a group of people with radios, maps, charts, sounding like something serious is going on – it’s just emergency-preparedness practice as West Seattle Emergency Communications Hubs join in a drill, 9 am-noon.

BOOK SALE BONANZA: Huge used-book sale at Tibbetts United Methodist Church (WSB sponsor), 3940 41st Ave SW, 10 am – 1 pm. Early holiday shopping – or hey, get books to give to trick-or-treaters.

DESIGN WORKSHOP FOR MURRAY PUMP STATION CSO CONTROL FACILITY: Daylong design workshop at Gatewood Elementary‘s cafeteria, 4320 SW Myrtle, 9:30 am-3 pm. The purpose of this meeting is for the project team and community to work in small groups to brainstorm ideas on ways to design the storage facility planned across the street from Lowman Beach Park to reduce combined-sewer overflows into Puget Sound.

PRESCRIPTION DRUG TAKE-BACK DAY: Clean out your medicine cabinet, where unused/unneeded/expired prescription drugs are a potential danger in multiple ways. Drop them off at the Southwest Precinct (Webster/Delridge), 10 am-2 pm. (Dropoff box last time was in the lobby, so if you don’t see anyone outside, just go in – door is on the west side of the building, next to the parking lot.)

200-POUND PUMPKIN: Barton Street P-Patch (34th/Barton) invites you to stop by 10 am-2 pm as they’ll be offering pumpkin-carving, plus they’ll raffle off a nearly 200-pound pumpkin! Details here (including a coupon for a discount on pumpkins at nearby Tony’s Produce so you can buy one and bring it over for carving)

HALLOWEEN ON THE RUN: West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) hosts a registration event and packet pickup for tomorrow’s Run Scared 5K and 4K Walk from 10-7 today. Anyone who registers gets 10% everything in the store. Shelly Aaron from West Seattle Bodyworks will also be on site to offer free massage. The Run Scared 5K is held in Seward Park and all proceeds go to benefit the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society.

OPEN HOUSE AT THE KENNEY: You’re invited to The Kenney (WSB sponsor)’s Fall Open House! 10:30-2:30 p.m.
Buffet Lunch 11:30 am-1 pm. Come and experience what life at The Kenney is all about! Hear about the benefits of moving into a CCRC, tour the beautiful campus and join us for a delicious lunch! The Kenney is West Seattle’s only Continuing Care Retirement Community.

FOOD TRUCKS: Not in Highland Park today – there’s a festival downtown.

HIGH-SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL: Playoff games today at West Seattle High School – both Chief Sealth International High School and WSHS have games at 11 am; winners of those games face off Saturday evening. Concessions today/tonight benefit WSHS Volleyball Team.

THRIFTWAY’S HALLOWEEN PARTY: West Seattle Thriftway Halloween party for kids, 11 am-1 pm for ages 1-10, deli area.

‘DAY OF THE DEAD’ SAND SCULPTING: At Village Green Perennial Nursery, lower driveway, noon-dusk today and tomorrow – more here.

‘LIFE IN THE GUTTER’: Uncover the world of urban rainfall and trace its travels from the clouds to the city’s streets, homes and businesses and the sewer lines below in Stormwater: Life in the Gutter, a one-man performance written and performed by Stokley Towles, part performance, part exhibition offering a gutter’s eye view of Seattle’s drainage system and the Seattle Public Utilities’ (SPU) employees who guide, monitor and maintain stormwater flow in the city. Free. Noon, High Point Library, 35th/Raymond.

TRICK OR TREAT IN THE JUNCTION! Trick-or-treaters and businesspeople both get in the spirit for this big, free event – West Seattle Junction trick-or-treating, 1-3 pm at participating businesses, just go to The Junction and follow the crowds!

ZOMBIFY YOURSELF: Atomic Boys in the Admiral District is holding a special event with West Seattle artist Brendan Wenberg of Strange Child, Inc. He will be set up from 1-6 on Saturday, at Atomic Boys. There will be a full line of his t-shirt designs, special edition sculptures, and he will be able to create “Zombictures” of you….and your friends…and/or family (caricatures start at $30). 4311 SW Admiral Way.

HALLOWEEN PARTY AT THE LONGHOUSE: Duwamish Longhouse hosts a Halloween Party, 6-8 pm, 4705 W. Marginal Way. Lots of Halloween fun. Children of all ages. Family friendly event. Games, prizes & refreshments. $5 donation welcome.

COME AS YOU AREN’T: Annual “Come as You Aren’t” Battle of the Bands at Skylark Café and Club, 7 pm: All fourteen acts have 3 songs each to wow the crowd and judges, as they out-rock and glam each other for possession of the coveted Golden Cowbell™. Is that Clutch Douglass or Salt ‘n’ Pepa? Hotels or The Misfits? Behold the supergroup formed from Stevedore and Mannequin BBQ as they channel The Supremes, and shiver with fright as experimental duo Perish The Island entertains with selections from Goblin’s soundtrack to Suspiria. Diversity and virtuosity have always set this event apart, and this year’s lineup is no exception… KEXP DJ and founding member of the Young Evils Troy Nelson, two-time Golden Cowbell winner Lori Campion, and Skylark owner-booker Jessie SK will judge the bands. The Golden Cowbell™ and runner-up prizes will be awarded shortly following the last set. This event is free, 21+, 7 pm to get a seat, bands start at 8 pm.

(Photo courtesy Ron Dugdale)
‘WAR OF THE WORLDS’: Twelfth Night Productions presents “War of the Worlds, A Live Radio Play.” On a bleak autumn night in 1938, aliens from Mars invaded Earth, or rather, that was the tale brought to life by Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre over the airwaves. The radio broadcast was an unprecedented mix of dramatic “news reports” and science fiction inspired by the H.G. Wells novel which caused widespread panic and made Welles a celebrity. Shared bill with “Sorry, Wrong Number.” 7:30 pm, tickets available online at brownpapertickets.com/event/199850), and at the venue, Kenyon Hall, 7904 35th SW.

‘EVIL DEAD’: The blood-spattered musical hit at 7:30 pm at ArtsWest.

‘WINTERNACHT’: 7:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. Cabiri’s fifth-annual Ghost Game production. The eleven fearless acrobats, aerialists and dancers of their Cabiri performance troupe will step into a frozen wasteland in Winternacht, a collection of seven ancient tales from across the continents. More information at http://www.cabiri.org/ Purchase your ticket at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/188904

GRAVE DANGER HALLOWEEN PARTY: At Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), 8 pm, with a costume contest, drink specials, and more.

HELL’S BELLES AT ROCKSPORT: Join the Rocksport Bar & Grill for its 16th annual Halloween Costume Party bash featuring HELL’S BELLES, the ultimate all female tribute band to AC/DC. Doors at 8 pm. Tickets in advance on the Rocksport website.

‘ROCKY HORROR’ AT THE ADMIRAL: Admiral Theater usually hosts the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” extravaganza the first Saturday of the month, but this one’s “early” for Halloween. Midnight!

… and more (MANY Halloween parties tonight) … this is just what we received notices about … any time you want to contribute an event to the calendar, just send us a bit of info, editor@westseattleblog.com!