BOO!  Did I frighten you?  The scariest Halloween costume we’ve seen is someone dressed up as a 2020 Calendar!  Are you sling shotting candy from your porch or handing out individual bags of treats? Or maybe just staying home and watching Spooktacular films. However, you “celebrate”, stay present and enjoy the moment! We have a few unusual ideas for you to help your get in the mood. We found a new local meal delivery platform that gets 5 stars. Catch an old-fashioned audio play put on by Magic Theatre. And, yes, it’s almost time for the other holidays so #shoplocal in the East Bay. Happy Haunting and act like a kid – this is the year to costume up…. why not? We need a little levity. And check out this week’s Happy Hour Podcast with great tips for Zoom.

SPOOKTACULAR events are everywhere.

Have some fun and partake.

Get spooked at The Academy’s Haunted Clubhouse, benefiting the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and featuring plenty of ghoulish surprises; 5-7pm and 8-10pm Thursday through Saturday, and 2-4pm and 5-7pm Sunday.  Tickets on Eventbrite

Celebrate Halloween with a pumpkin beer or your favorite lager at the Zeitgeist beer garden. Catch a double-feature cult classic movie screening. The first film starts at 7 pm. Get there by 6:30 pm to ensure you have a seat for dinner and a movie, or two. They can seat parties of 2, 4, 6 or 8 (of the same household). Costumes strongly encouraged. Movie details will be released when you register! Zeitgeistsf.com

San Francisco’s historic 1886 Haas-Lilienthal House will once again be transformed into Mayhem Mansion, a haunted house style attraction. Set in a Spooktacular Queen Anne   Victorian-era house museum, let the spirits guide you through dimly lit parlors and passages on a “twisted tour of terror.” Through Halloween night. 7 – 11 p.m.
The Haas-Lilienthal House. 2007 Franklin St. at Jackson, SF

Drive in Movies

Pier 70 Dinner and A Drive-In brings outdoor movie magic to historic Pier 70 in Dogpatch, Saturday evening is the last chance to enjoy and benefit La Cocina. You will be helping low-income food entrepreneurs grow their businesses with your price of entry.

Tickets are $65 per vehicle and include two meal packages. The always terrorizing “TheInvasion ofthe Body Snatchers” will be screened on Saturday.The portable powerhouse screen for the shows is ninety times brighter than a standard movie theater projection. Attendees tune in to a radio station for the audio.

Moviegoers’ health and safety is a priority. Each show will belimited to 46 vehicles parked in marked socially distanced spots. Ticket holders are required to wear face coverings and encouraged to remain in their vehicles. Meals will be delivered by La Cocina to cars through contactless delivery. Pier70sf.com

What an informative (and fun) conversation we had with nine-time Emmy Award winning TV journalist Jane Hanson. An NBC anchor for years, and now a communications consultant and host of Curious Jane, she shares some priceless advice we have not heard anywhere else on how to not only look your best on zoom, but even more importantly how to connect and communicate effectively. LISTEN IN.

Meal Delivery from Bay Area Restaurants

Check this out a -meal delivery platform created by our local bay area restaurateurs. You can get prepared dishes and meal kits from the likes of Ladle and Leaf (fresh local food and very reasonable!), Che Fico, Atelier Crenn, Crumble and Whisk – the most amazing cheesecake and Palette Tea House, as well as grocery staples, coffee and even cocktails delivered to your door. The best part? The restaurants are charged zero fees or commissions, making it the most restaurant-friendly platform in the biz. Order and see the menu on feastin.com.

Audio Theatre

Magic Theatre – the innovative company has come up with an audio play version of ESCAPED ALONE. Originally part of their live season, they have transitioned this UK Playwright’s timely work for us to listen to as we gather around our devices. Caryl Churchill, the author is a writer who has been innovating and exploding the theatrical form for five decades.

Featuring four mature women, the play represents the human need for connection, for storytelling, the yearning for and comfort in each other inside of a cataclysm. In ESCAPED ALONE, three old friends and a neighbor spend a summer of afternoons in their English backyard. Entwined histories, laughter, and song abound over tea and catastrophe. The play runs 45 minutes and is streaming now through November 15^th. Tickets are $10. www.magictheatre.org

Shop Time

I know, it seems early, but we really need something positive to focus on. And giving to others will lift your spirits. Let’s all try to shop local this season and support small businesses. You can start at the Holiday Gift Collective that brings together seven East Bay female artisans in Lafayette, CA. The artisans and women behind Holiday Gift Collective are thrilled at the opportunity to safely showcase their goods and boost their local economy just in time for the holidays.

The women featured will offer home goods, jewelry, gourmet foods, and more. To learn more about the women behind Holiday Gift  , visit their sites: Anne Morrison Rabe Photography, Annie Chrietzberg, Hofssi Chocolates, Hollie’s Homegrown, Manjusha Jewels, Planet Renu, and SIP (Seriously Imbibed Products).
Located at 3539 Plaza Way, Lafayette, CA, the pop-up will run Sunday, Nov. 1 through the end of the holiday season from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Get the details.

Join Us Sunday Night at 4 PM for a LIVE Book Celebration

We’re so excited to announce the release of our latest author, Carol Ostrow’s wonderful book of poems. Join us this Sunday night, November 1^st at 4 PM EST for a celebration and a chance to meet Carol and hear her read some of her poems. WATCH LIVE ON FACEBOOK OR YOUTUBE.