Jordan Grey rocked hesitantly at the edge of the garage while the sound of electricity pulsed up a Jacob’s ladder in the corner.

“Dad? Can we go now?”

The 6-year-old didn’t quite know what to make of Rick Feuerstein’s demented horror lab last year on Halloween night – a 20-plus-year labor of love for the longtime medical instrument repair technician that grew up watching classic monster movies and still remembers painting his favorite ghoulish character models as a kid himself.

And even as Feuersten walked over – a pair of goggles and a stethoscope around his neck to complement the white lab coat that ties in to the overhauled garage that draws hundreds of visitors every year – with a bucket of candy in his hand the boy still didn’t want any part of the display.

“Alright,” said father Matt Grey. “Tell the Mad Scientist good-bye.”

“Bye,” he said, his eyes shifting towards the street.

The exchange certainly wasn’t something that Feuerstein hasn’t seen over the stretch of time that he’s spent accumulating and constructing the unique and occasionally creepy laboratory – a mish-mash of the things that he’s picked up from Halloween stores, a friend at UC Davis that tipped him off to items that were being liquidated and even his own company that was discarding a bunch of old equipment.

Jars with colored water bubble with brains and scorpions and eyeballs on shelves that are full of old electronic equipment, and a life-size Frankenstein is bolted down to a table in the middle of the garage – the centerpiece of Feuerstein’s display.

The “Mad Scientist” horror lab is located at 1373 Pajaro Avenue in North Manteca and is open Friday, Oct. 30, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 31, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. There is no charge.

Today

uDOWNTOWN SAFE HALLOWEEN:  The Manteca Unified School District Interact Club with the support of the Manteca Rotary is hosting the 17th annual downtown Safe Halloween today (Saturday, Oct. 2)4, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Young children 10 and younger are encouraged to don their costumes and trick or treat at the many participating merchants downtown. The Interacters will have free face painting along with several other games and booths at the Manteca Bedquarters parking lot located at the corner of Main Street and Yosemite Avenue. 

uHALLOWEEN CARNIVAL: The Manteca Boys & Girls Club (545 W. Alameda Street) will have a Halloween Carnival & Slightly Haunted House for ages preschool through 6th grade today (Saturday, Oct. 24), from noon to 4 p.m. There will be games, face painting, arts and crafts, treats and a costume contest at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 per child (parents are free) and $2 with the Boys & Girls Club member ID.

Thursday, Oct. 29

uHARVEST FESTIVAL: Shasta School at Edison Street and Powers Avenue is conducting a Harvest Festival on Thursday, Oct. 29, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 30

uTRUNK OR TREAT: Crossroads Grace Community Church presents the second annual Trunk or Treat on Friday, Oct. 30, from 6 to 9 p.m. at 1505 Moffat Blvd, Manteca. The free event for families and children features free candy, games, inflatables, petting zoo, and “trunks” with all the candy a child dreams about. Food vendors will supply family fuel and a band will create background environment. Families are welcome for an evening of fun. Go to  www.trunkortreat.church for information.

Saturday, Oct. 31

uHALLOWEEN CARNIVAL: St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, North Street and Powers Avenue, will have a traditional Halloween carnival on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 4 to 6 p.m., featuring games and food. Tickets are six for a dollar.

uHARVEST FESTIVAL: The First Baptist Church is conducting a Harvest Festival on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Sheridan Avenue and North Street.

uSAFE HALLOWEEN: St. Anthony’s School is having a Safe Halloween event featuring game, food and music on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the school gym, 323 N. Fremont Ave. Tickets are 25 cents each while prices vary. For questions, call 823.4513.



Today through Oct. 31

uBASS PRO SHOPS: Bass Pro Shops is hosting a free, fun, family-friendly Halloween event with the classic Peanuts characters, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Sally and Lucy Oct. 24-31.

The free event will feature activities including fun crafts for kids, a Halloween costume parade, trick-or-treating and much more at the Bass Pro location at the 120 Bypass and Union Road in Manteca.

The event includes:



Saturday, Oct. 24, and Sunday, Oct. 25:

uNoon to 5:30 p.m.  – Free 4x6 photo with life-size cutouts of Peanuts characters, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Sally and Lucy (photo packages also available for sale). First 100 kids to have a photo taken will receive a free LED flashing necklace.

uNoon to 5 p.m. – Free crafts for kids.  Kids will have the opportunity to color a free garden tips booklet on Saturday and to decorate a felt jack-o-lantern on Sunday.

Monday - Thursday, Oct. 26 through Oct. 28:

u 6 to 8 p.m. – Free 4x6 photo with life-size cutouts of Peanuts characters, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Sally and Lucy. The first 100 kids to have a photo taken will receive free LED flashing necklace.* (Photo packages also available for sale).

u5 to 8 p.m. – Free crafts for kids.  Kids will have the opportunity to create a Halloween decoration.

 Friday, Oct. 30:

u6 to 8 p.m. – Free 4x6 photo with life-size cutouts of Peanuts characters, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Sally and Lucy. The first 100 kids to have a photo taken will receive free LED flashing necklace. (Photo packages also available for sale).

u4 to 8 p.m. – Free crafts for kids.  Kids will have the opportunity create a Halloween decoration.

u6 to 8 p.m. – Halloween trick-or-treating. Kids will trick or treat throughout the store.

u6 to 8 p.m. Costume Parade. Kids 12 and under can line up at 6 p.m. to show off their Halloween costume and receive a free glow-in-the-dark bucket.

Bass Pro Shops Halloween event is a fun, safe and memorable way to spend one of the most eagerly anticipated holidays each year.  For more information about on Bass Pro Shops Halloween event visit your local store or visit http://www.basspro.com/halloween, for event details.