Kids briefs: National Aviary gets into the spirit with Owl-o-Ween
The National Aviary will celebrate Halloween in a bird style the next two Saturdays with Owl-o-Ween, an annual October event that focuses on the North Side aviary's owls. Visitors are encouraged to wear costumes and bring cameras to the event, where they will get candy, make crafts and get close encounters with many owls.
Activities and features — from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 18 and 25 — include a story time with a screech owl, a hay pile with hidden goodies, and a bug station. Activities are included with general admission of $14, $13 for senior citizens, and $12 for ages 2 to 12.
Details: 412-323-7235 or aviary.org
ZooBoo returns to Highland Park
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is inviting kids to come trick-or-treating at the Highland Park zoo the next two weekends for the annual Eat'n Park ZooBoo event.
Kids can dress in their costumes and collect candy at stations throughout the zoo, while checking out the animals. ZooBoo includes a less-scary haunted house, along with costume contests and Halloween parades.
Activities will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 18, 19, 25 and 26, and are included with general admission of $15, $14 for senior citizens, and $13 for ages 2 to 13.
Details: 412-665-3640 or pittsburghzoo.org
HallowBoo! back at Idlewild
Idlewild & SoakZone will have its annual HallowBoo! weekends in October, when kids can celebrate the Halloween season in a less-spooky environment. Visitors can wear costumes and go trick-or-treating in the Ligonier park's Story Book Forest, walk through the Corn-fusing Hay Maze and Little Ghoul's & Boo's Hay Maze, ride the “HallowBoo!” Express Railroad, and watch four Halloween-themed shows.
The event will run from noon to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 26. Admission is $33.99 for age 3 and older, and $29.99 for senior citizens.
Details: 724-238-3666 or idlewild.com
First Fiddlesticks of the season
Fiddlesticks, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra kids ambassador, will be at Heinz Hall to celebrate fall with the first Family Concert of the season Oct. 18.
Guest vocalist Katy Shackleton Williams and resident conductor Fawzi Haimor will join the Pittsburgh Symphony in performing works such as Modest Mussorgsky's “Night on Bald Mountain” and “Harry's Wondrous World” from “Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone.”
Before the concert, Discovery Time Adventures will allow kids and parents to meet symphony musicians, learn songs and take part in activities, such as painting with Baron Batch, creating fall crafts and the Carnegie Science Center's “Science on the Road” program.
Discovery Time will be at 10 a.m. and the concert begin at 11:15 a.m. Admission ranges from $12 to $22.25.
Details: 412-392-4900 or pittsburghsymphony.org
