A happy Halloween is a scary Halloween. For that celebration formula to be complete, add safe to the ingredient to make the popular dress-up annual occasion a truly family-oriented entertainment.

Fortunately in the Area Code 209 area, there’s a smorgasbord of all of the above. Here are some of them in the South San Joaquin County cities of Manteca and Ripon alone.

Downtown Manteca

Safe Halloween

Annual Safe Halloween in the heart of downtown Manteca. Sponsored by the Interact Club of Manteca, a student group sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Manteca, this is a perennially popular event that is enjoyed multi-generational families, with children in colorful and creative costumes visiting participating merchants with “trick or treat!” greetings while holding out their decorative baskets for treats.

Safe Halloween will take place Saturday, Oct. 26, from 10:30 a.m. until noon. Children ages 10 and younger are encouraged to take part in the fun extravaganza wearing their costumes. Trick-and-treating will be just half of the fun though. There will be free face painting plus other games and booths offered courtesy of the members of Interact Club. These will be available in the parking lot next to the Manteca Bedquarters on the corner of North Main Street and Yosemite Avenue. For further details about Downtown Manteca Safe Halloween, call Interact advisor Tevani Liotard at 858-0876.

Halloween costume

contest, dancing at

Ripon VFW Hall

Dancing, salad bar with finger foods and a costume contest are the attractions of this annual Halloween party sponsored by the Men’s Auxiliary of the Ripon Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1051. The happy event, taking place this evening (Saturday, Oct. 19) at the Post Hall on West Ripon Road from 5 to 7 p.m., is also a fund-raiser with all proceeds being used to help veterans and their families, the Veterans Hospital in Livermore, and to send care packages to service men and women overseas. Guests are welcome and encouraged to wear their best Halloween costume. There will be cash awards given to those selected for the winning first-, second- and third-place costumes. Tickets are $10 each which includes food and dancing. The Post Hall is located at 12455 West Ripon Road. Call (209) 599-3536 for additional details.

St. Anthony of
Padua School’s

annual Safe Halloween

An evening of family fun is on tap at St. Anthony of Padua School on Thursday, Oct. 31, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the school gymnasium. This annual Safe Halloween, designed to “keep our children off the streets,” will feature age-appropriate fun for children from toddlers to 100-years-young guests. Admission is free and tickets may be purchased for just 25 cents each. Awaiting revelers will be a slew of games, attractions plus food. The school gym is located at 323 N. Fremont Ave. (corner Sutter Street). For further details, call the school office at 823-4513.

Original Haunted

Drive-thru

Manteca’s original Haunted Drive-thru returns this year on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 25-26, from 7 to 10 p.m. The location of this scary windshield entertainment is 1318 North Airport Way, corner of Louise Avenue. Donation is $10 per car with proceeds going to support the California State University, Stanislaus Nursing Class of Spring 2014. Bring friends and family for a scary treat of zombies, cannibals and more attractions.

Peanuts Halloween at

Bass Pro Shops in Manteca

This is a free event featuring crafts for kids, a Halloween costume parade, and tasty treats.

Bass Pro Shops is presenting the Great Pumpkin even with the classic Peanuts ™ characters – Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Sally and Lucy – for this Halloween holiday festivities that will run Oct. 19-31. The free event will feature activities including fun crafts for kids, a Halloween costume parade, trick-or-treating and more at the 55 Bass Pro Shops locations in the United States and Canada.

Below are the dates and event schedules at the Manteca Bass Pro Shops located at the Promenade Shops at Orchard valley next to the Hwy 120 Bypass on South Union Road.

Saturday, Oct. 19 and Oct. 26:

• Noon – 5 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).

• Noon – 5 p.m.  – Free coloring sheets.  Kids will receive free Peanuts themed coloring sheets*.

• 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. – Free crafts for kids.  Kids will have the opportunity to create a lollipop spider*.

• 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. – Halloween costume parade.  Kids 12 and under can line up at 4 p.m. to show off their Halloween costume and receive a flashing ghost, jack-o-lantern, or bat Halloween necklace*.

Sunday, Oct. 20 and Oct. 27:

• Noon – 5 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).

• Noon – 5 p.m.  – Free coloring sheets.  Kids will receive free Peanuts themed coloring sheets*.

• 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. – Free crafts for kids.  Kids will have the opportunity to create a lollipop spider*.

• 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. – Halloween scavenger hunt.  Kids who find all the Halloween items throughout the store will win a flashing spider.

Weeknights, Oct. 21 through Oct. 30:

• 5 p.m. – 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 a free Halloween wristband* and a Halloween pin*. (Photo packages also available for sale).

• 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. – Free coloring sheets.  Kids will receive free Peanuts themed coloring sheets*.

• 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. – Free crafts for kids.  Kids will have the opportunity to create a friendly monster craft*.

• 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. – Halloween trick-or-treating. Kids will trick or treat throughout the store.

Thursday, Oct. 31:

• 5 p.m. – 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 a free Halloween wristband*, a Halloween pin* and a flashing button*. (Photo packages also available for sale).

• 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. – Free coloring sheets.  Kids will receive free Peanuts themed coloring sheets*.

• 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. – Free crafts for kids.  Kids will have the opportunity to color a ceramic jack-o-lantern*.

• 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. – Halloween trick-or-treating. Kids will trick or treat throughout the store.

For more information about on Bass Pro Shops Great Pumpkin Halloween event visit your local store or visit our website http://www.basspro.com/halloween, for event details.