Barney's Big Surprise: Barney the Dinosaur, the king of public-television kiddy fare, is joined by his cohorts BJ and Baby Bop and special guests Mother Goose, Little Miss Muffett, Little Boy Blue and others in this musical extravaganza, produced by the man behind the Rolling Stones' Voodoo Lounge World Tour (!). Performances are at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 24; 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Friday, October 25; 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Saturday, October 26; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, October 27, at America West Arena, First Street and Jefferson; Friday's matinee is for groups only. Regular tickets range from $10 to $25, available at the arena and Dillard's; proceeds benefit the Starbright Foundation. Call 379-7800 or 678-2222.
orange crush
"Boo Bash!" and "Boo! At the Zoo": The former is a costume party for junior-high kids, scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, October 25, and featuring the Phoenix Roadrunners Slapshot Cage, entertainment by a deejay and more; admission is $4. The seventh annual "Boo! At the Zoo" is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, October 26; and the same hours Sunday, October 27. Highlights include the "Mascot Parade," featuring Bashas' Bear, Phoenix Clean and Beautiful's Recyclesaurus and others; entertainment by Greasepaint Scottsdale Youtheatre; and a trick-or-treat lane. Both events take place at Phoenix Zoo, 455 North Galvin Parkway, in Papago Park. Regular admission: $8.50, $7.50 for seniors, $4.25 for kids ages 3 to 12, free for younger children. Call 273-1341 or 273-7771.
Fiesta Bowl Halloween Fest: This second annual event is scheduled from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday, October 26, in conjunction with the Fiesta Bowl Duck Race (see Pic Hits). On the agenda: a haunted house, pumpkin and face painting, costume contests, games and more. The scene is PERA Park, 68th Street and Continental in Tempe. Admission is free; the haunted-house entrance fee is $3. For details call 350-0900.
Frankenstein Follies and "Spooktacular Carnival": Greasepaint Scottsdale Youtheatre performs the Follies, starring the title monster, his bride and his frankly spooky pals Dracula and Vampira, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, October 25; 2 and 4 p.m. Saturday, October 26; and 2 and 4 p.m. Sunday, October 27, at Stagebrush Theatre, 7020 East Second Street in Scottsdale. Tickets are $4, which include free coupons for the carnival, planned for 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the same location; admission to the carnival only is 25 cents. Proceeds benefit the troupe. For details call 990-7646.
"Haunted Museum": In this sixth annual event, the Southwest Archaeology Team presents a program of scary tales and characters taken directly from the Arizona history books. It's scheduled Thursday, October 24; Friday, October 25; Saturday, October 26; and Sunday, October 27, at Mesa Southwest Museum, 53 North Macdonald. Hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Admission is $5, with proceeds benefiting the team. For details call 644-2230 or 986-6300.
Halloween Extra: For details about other fun and spooky Valley happenings planned in conjunction with the upcoming Allhallows Eve, see the special subsection in the Events listing.
at the fair
"The Disney Fair": The nationally touring, special-effects-laden show fills up about two acres at this year's Arizona State Fair, and features some of the studio's biggest stars, including Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Captain Hook. Shows are scheduled at 12:15, 1:30, 3, 5:30 and 7 p.m. daily, through Sunday, November 3. Specially priced advance tickets allowing admission to both the Disney extravaganza and the fair proper range from $8 to $21, available at Dillard's and Ticketmaster; call 678-2222 or 784-4444. For general fair information, see Thursday in Pic Hits or the At the Fair listing in Thrills or call 268-3247 or 252-6771.
Kiddieland Pay-One-Price Day: After forking over the regular fair gate fee (see Thursday in Pic Hits), kids age 13 and under can pay $10 more and get a wristband good for unlimited access to all Kiddieland rides and to those marked with "Kids POP Day" signs. The wristbands go on sale at 1 p.m. Thursday, October 24, and are in effect from 2 p.m. until Kiddieland closing time. Call 268-3247 or 252-6771.
Laser Light Spectacular: Augmented by an upbeat soundtrack, cool and weird special effects are projected onto the world's largest inflatable screen, which stands about six stories tall and is located at Grandstand Arena. A show for young kids is scheduled at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 24. The shows are included in the price of the regular fair admission (see Thursday in Pic Hits). Call 268-3247 or 252-6771.
Literacy Day: "Drop Everything and Read!" is the theme of this sixth annual day at the fair, which takes place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, October 26. Highlights include book giveaways, celebrity appearances and readings, library-card sign-ups and more. Participation is free with regular fair admission (see Thursday in Pic Hits). Call 268-3247 or 252-6771.