Haunted houses, on stage fright on tap in Galveston, Bay Area

Beyond the opportunities to collect goodies this Halloween are a wealth of community activities that celebrate the season, from haunted dwellings to costume contests. Following The Galveston Hurricane of 1900, thousands of bodies were stored in downtown Galveston buildings. [...] Galveston has been described as one of the most haunted cities in America. Kemah Boardwalk will host goblins, ghosts, games and a great big pumpkin for this year's Boo on the Boardwalk Halloween festival. The festival includes the Dungeon of Doom Haunted House, costume contests, pumpkin decorating, trick-or-treating at retail stores, coloring contests, music and prizes. Admission to Dungeon of Doom is $13, but during student nights 6-10 p.m. Tuesdays, students with ID pay $11. Children age 12 and younger can visit Little Boo Haunted Fun House inside Joe's Crab Shack 6-10 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and 1-10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. On weekends, Boardwalk attendees will enjoy a full day of free activities and entertainment including music from the Boogie Man Band and Rolling Bones Band, and such shows as the Graveyard Revue and Dracula's Monster Magic Show. Pirates will be out and about as guests make their way through 18 holes of miniature golf, Halloween décor, special effects, trick-or-treating and more. Cars Under the Stars in League City will feature a Halloween costume contest for children ages 12 and younger at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. Moody Gardens will host a monster day for children with free trick-or-treating, crafts, face painting and other activities 2-4 p.m. Oct. 30. The evening will feature a deejay, appetizers, entrees, desserts, a cash bar, costume contest, celebrity judges, fortune teller, silent and live auctions Bay Area Community Center's Sunshine Club for ages 50 and older will host a Halloween Costume Contest at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, at the center, 5002 E. NASA Parkway, Seabrook. Clear Creek Community Theatre, 18091 Upper Bay Road, offers is Arthur Miller's The Crucible, a dramatization of the Salem witch trials. Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre's Dracula is on stage Friday through Sunday, Oct. 21-23, at UH-Clear Lake , Bayou Theater Bayou Building, second floor, 2700 Bay Area Blvd., Houston.