University District:

Heidegger and a Hippo Walk Through Those Pearly Gates: Using Philosophy (and Jokes!) to Explore Life, Death, the Afterlife, and Everything in Between

Tom Cathcart and Daniel Klein, bestselling authors of the contemporary, lighthearted look at philosophy stop by the U-bookstore for a reading and book signing.

Thursday, Oct. 29, 7 p.m.

University Bookstore

Spookshow Spectacular

Presented by the Sprocket Society, viewers will encounter a wide range of horror films to usher in the Halloween Spirit.

Friday, Oct. 30, 8 p.m.

Students $7, General Admission $8

Grand Illusion

1403 NE 50th St.

Phi Kappa Tau Haunted House

Enjoy the shrieks and screams that come with one of the best haunted houses in the U-district.

Oct. 28-29, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Oct. 30-31, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.

$3 with Husky Card / $5 General Admission

Phi Kappa Tau House

Northeast 47th Street & 18th Avenue Northeast

Hansee Haunted House

The biggest haunted house on campus opens its doors once again. The UW’s Swing Kids will also be present and giving out free dance lessons throughout the evening. Free and open to all students with a Husky Card.

Friday, Oct. 30, 7:30 p.m.

Hansee Hall

Capitol Hill:

Shorts: David Lindsay-Abaire

Though awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his 2006 Broadway production Rabbit Hole and possibly best known as the author of Shrek, the writer proves his strength and versatility by focusing on the one-act play.

Thursday, Oct. 29 @ 8 p.m.

$12­–14

VoxBox

1205 E. Pike St.

Have a Rotten Halloween

Film clips that will be sure to get you in the proper mood for this particular holiday support a preview of the new zombie-cowboy comic book created by Everett Herald critic Robert Horton and The Seattle Times’ Mark Rahner.

Thursday, Oct. 29 @ 8 p.m.

$6–9

Northwest Film Forum

1515 12th Ave.

Zombie Apocolypse!

The city’s electro-hop scene, Mad Rad and Champagne Champagne, lead the way into Halloween with a pre-party complete with costumes and one of the best dance floors in Seattle.

Friday, Oct. 30 @ 9 p.m.

$10

The War Room

722 E. Pike St.

Let the Right One In

This is no Twilight; Swedish, indie producer John Ajvide Lindqvist’s 2008 vampire flick shuns blood and fangs in favor of a compelling portrayal of alienation and love through the eyes of children.

Friday and Saturday, Oct. 30 and 31 @ midnight

$7–9.50

The Egyptian

805 E. Pike St.

Broadcast

A Halloween excursion for the faint of heart — or those who don’t feel the need for costumes — the U.K. duo creates a beautifully lonely soundscape with dreamy electronic melodies and ghostly vocals that wash over subdued percussion.

Saturday, Oct. 31 @ 8 p.m.

$13.50

Neumos

925 E. Pike St.

I Heart Rummage

Hosted each First Sunday and supported by a live DJ, more than 40 innovative Northwest indie designers and urban crafters display their unique and functional art.

Sunday, Nov. 1 @ noon

Free

Chop Suey

1325 E. Madison

Seattle Pianist Collective

Featuring music by Slavic composers Arvo Pärt, Dmitri Shoshtakovich, Erwin Schulhoff and many others, some of the city’s finest tickle the ivories in a special Day of the Dead concert.

Sunday, Nov. 1 @2 p.m.

$10–15

Seattle Asian Art Museum

1400 E. Prospect St.

Joshua Radin

Best known for his sparkling indie-acoustic songs like, “Star Mile” and “I’d Rather Be With You,” that have been featured in friend Zach Braff’s projects (Scrubs, The Last Kiss), the New York singer-songwriter hasn’t slowed down since his 2006 debut.

Sunday, Nov. 1 @ 7 p.m.

$18

Neumos

925 E. Pike St.

Fremont/Ballard:

Scary-Ween

The Secret Garden Bookshop in Ballard is holding a special event for young-adult readers this Friday. Five writers who specialize in teen-themed fantasy and horror novels will read from their work for a few hours. The expected authors are Heather Davis (Never Cry Werewolf), Kevin Emerson (the Oliver Nocturne series), Liz Gallagher (The Opposite of Invisible), Amber Kizer (Meridian), and Cherie Priest (Boneshaker).

Friday, Oct. 30 @ 7 p.m.

Free

Secret Garden Bookshop

2214 NW Market St.

HalloQueen, 70 Proof

Queen fans who have grown bored with the laser show at the Seattle Science Center should stop by the Tractor Tavern Saturday. There, tribute band HalloQueen will be giving a special performance in honor of the legendary group from London. Be aware that the Tavern enforces a policy of 21 and over at all times.

Saturday, Oct. 31 @ 9:30 p.m.

$8

Tractor Tavern

5213 Ballard Ave. NW

A Halloween Costume Party with the Dudley Manlove Quartet

The Dudley Manlove Quartet, a band specializing in good, old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll, will be performing at the Sunset Tavern to a crowd of costumed swingers. There will be alcohol involved, so any Husky looking to join in on the fun should have a legitimate ID on them. Advanced tickets can be purchased at sunsettavern.com.

Saturday, Oct. 31 @ 10 p.m.

$10 online, $12 at the door

Sunset Tavern

5433 Ballard Ave. NW

Fremont:

Trolloween

Every year, Fremont celebrates the birthday of the famous Troll lurking under the Aurora Bridge. The festivities begin in the evening and are followed by a procession through the town. The theme this year is Dante’s Inferno, but Huskies looking to see the theme taken literally should know that children will be present.

Saturday, Oct. 31 @ 7 p.m.

Free

The Fremont Troll

N. 36th Street at Troll Avenue N.

The Process Church of the Final Judgment Sabbath Assembly

The Process Church of the Final Judgment was at one time a real cult. It existed in London in the ‘60s and ‘70s, and it has been claimed that singer/songwriter Marianne Faithfull and Rolling Stones front man Mick Jagger even visited the cult on occasion. On Halloween, a Sabbath in the style of the Process Church will be conducted and accompanied by music and a short documentary.

Saturday, Oct. 31 @ 7 p.m.

$12 to $15

Fremont Abbey Arts Center

4272 Fremont Ave. N.

Downtown:

Emilie Autumn

Cult phenomenon Emilie Autumn is known for her 19th-century English dress and inimitable live shows. Autumn is promoting her full-length album, The Asylum For Wayward Victorian Girls, an expected December release.

Oct. 31 @ 7 p.m.

Tickets: $25 adv / $28 DOS

El Corazón

The Damned

Celebrate Halloween with legendary punk rockers The Damned. Participate in a costume contest judged by the band. Opening acts are Danko Jones and Girl Trouble. For a few extra bucks, the 21-and-over crowd can purchase VIP tickets, which include access to the haunted VIP lounge and a meet and greet with the band. Visit showboxonline.com/sodo for more info.

Oct. 31 @ 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $20 adv / $23 DOS

$35 VIP package

Showbox Sodo

Freak Night

Dance Halloween out with Ferry Corsten, Billy Benassi and other major DJs. The 13th-annual rave promises to be an amalgam of unique mixes and sets. Get your tickets soon, however, as they are selling out fast.

Oct. 31 @ 8 p.m.

Tickets: $47

WaMu Theater

Día de los Muertos

The Seattle Art Museum is celebrating the Day of the Dead, a Mexican traditional holiday, with a display of a tapete — a colorful Mexican sand painting — that local artists spent a decade creating. The public can take part in the celebration by making Día de los Muertos art projects.

Nov. 1

Student Tickets: $9

Seattle Art Museum

Kwassa Kwassa

Attempting to bring world music to our humble corner of the United States, the weekly event hosts a slew of African-inspired beats. Host Kwasi Africa and resident DJs Selecta Jigsy and DJ Kuhnex take audiences on a musical journey through the genres of juju, afrobeat, dub, kwaito, soukas and more.

Nov. 2 @ 9 p.m.

The Triple Door

John Cleese: “A Final Wave at the World or the Alimony Tour, Year One.”

British comedian John Cleese, of Monty Python fame, is touring the west coast this fall. According to an official press release, “Cleese will be discussing his career in the zany and hilarious world of comedy, as well as his most pressing medical problems, his inability to find a suitable female companion, his mistrust of folk-dancing and his latest plan for world peace.”

Nov. 3 @ 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $45-55

Moore Theater

Regina Spektor

Spektor is touring to endorse her latest release, Far, a reportedly elaborate and evocative work of clever piano-pop. Often described as a child of the “anti-folk” movement, Spektor gained a following opening for The Strokes and Kings of Leon. Her daring poetry and soaring melodies are sure to make for a tremendous live show.

Nov. 3 @ 8 p.m.

Tickets: $24-32

Paramount Theater

Reach reporters Ashleen Aguilar, Nick Feldman, Robert Frankel & Weekender editor Ivan Vukovic at weekender@dailyuw.com