Best bets for this weekend

It's tough not to get creeped out this time of year. Just about every weekend event has some sort of gruesome theme. So just go with the (blood)flow, we say. Today, we bring you a detailed directory of Halloween-themed events, from the warm and fuzzy (more school carnivals than you can shake a caramel apple at) to the wet-the-bed nightmarish (evil clowns in 3-D, in Bothell). Or you can just practice bellowing "brrraaains!" and join the zombies in Saturday's Thriller Dance. And still you need more ideas? Here's what else:

For more details on these events, search our Weekend Calendar.

Howling good times: What did we tell you? You don't have to be a brain surgeon ("brraaains!") to figure out what time of year it is if you go to the Hoot and Howl nighttime tram tour at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park (www.nwtrek.org), the Owl Prowl Party and Walk at Seward Park, the naturalist-led Skeletons and Skulls interpretive talk at Bellevue's Lewis Creek Park, Haunted Hikes at the Slough at Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center, Who Goes Bump in the Night? at Tacoma Nature Center (www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=20), or Bats of Seattle Super Saturday, also at Seward Park.

You're so literal: If people tell you that all the time, better head for Seattle Bookfest, with more than 100 authors, exhibits by 50 bookstores and publishers, and more. (Nothing weird and icky about that.) See www.seattlebookfest.com.

Only slightly scary: The Fall Norwegian Bazaar in Ballard features the Troll's Den Beer Garden. Not so worrisome once you've hoisted a few. But is there lutefisk?

Biggest fright of all?: Santa comes to Tacoma this weekend. The Tacoma Holiday Food and Gift Festival is today through Sunday. Brace yourself for the onslaught to come. See www.holidaygiftshows.com.