The weekends of Oct. 20-22, Oct. 26-27, and Oct. 29-Oct. 31 are the dates for the Little Rock Zoo’s annual Boo at the Zoo. This annual scare affair includes food and entertainment each night, along with treat stations at various points around the grounds. Visitors young and old are encouraged to come in costume and enter the nightly costume contests where grand prizes for winners in three different age categories will be presented. They can also ride the Boo Express train, tour the haunted house and wind their way through the hay maze, and take a turn on carnival rides for both children and adults. The fun house and beauty shop of horrors are other ghostly destinations. Hours are 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and admission is $5. The zoo has more information at (501) 666-2406 or on http://littlerockzoo.com.

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   The 3rd Annual Downtown Blues & BBQ Festival will swing through downtown Texarkana Oct. 21. The festival is sanctioned by the Kansas City Blues Society and will feature nationally acclaimed blues artist, big screen football in the Pocket Park and plenty of barbecue.

   The lineup for this year will include Donnie Ray, the Reba Russell Band, Texas Slim and the Love Machine, The Cate Brothers Band, Jim Suhler and Monkey Beat, Curley Taylor and Zydeco Trouble, and the Michael Burks Band. The music is from 11a.m. to 11 p.m. and each band will play 1 hour and 15 min. with a 15 min. intermission between sets.

   For more information, call (870) 774-2120, e-mail anita@mainstreettexarkana.org or visit www.mainstreettexarkana.org

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   An illustrious night of mad hats, dining and dancing, the 4th annual Mad Hatter’s Ball is set for Oct. 27 at the historic Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs.

   The event includes outrageous hat contests, a gourmet dinner and live auction. One of the auction items is a package for an all-expense paid trip to the land of Lewis Carroll in London. A cash bar will be available. Hats are part of the required attire for the evening, but size, color, shape, decoration, and silliness is up to the individual. Proceeds will benefit the Eureka Springs School of the Arts.

   For more information, phone (479) 253-5384 or visit www.esartschool.com.

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   Enjoy the nighttime thrill of seeing lions, tigers, and bears as their eyes glow back at you at the 11th annual Howl-O-Ween Spooktacular on Oct. 28 at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Eureka Springs.

   Take a haunted hayride and go down the Trail of Terror while viewing more than 100 big cats. Additional activities will be a children’s costume parade and contest, and games. Concessions will be available.

   If you visit the refuge during the day of the event, admission to the Spooktacular is free. Otherwise, the cost is $15 for adults and $10 for children. Bring an item from the refuge’s wish list and receive a $1 off admission. For more information, phone (479) 253-5841 or visit www.tigers.tc.

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   Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park in Prairie Grove will offer Haunted Battlefield Tours at on Oct. 28.

   Join park staff for a spine-tingling, moon-lit walk around part of the Prairie Grove Battlefield where over two thousand soldiers were wounded, killed, or missing in action during the American Civil War. Tours will be offered at 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Admission is free.

   For more information, phone the park at (479) 846-2990 or visit www.ArkansasStateParks.com.

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   The sounds of some of the best known orchestral works of all time can be heard at the Pine Bluff Convention Center Auditorium in Pine Bluff Oct. 29 during Great Orchestral Masterpieces.

   The concert will feature selections written by Tchaikovsky, Mozart, in celebration of his 250th birthday, Barber, and Stravinsky. Ticket prices range from $20-25 for adults and $12-8 for students.

   With over 90,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space, the Convention Center is the fourth largest meeting facility in the state. This colossal center features an arena, auditorium/theater, several spacious meeting rooms, lobbies, ample parking, full camper hook-ups and a park perfect for outdoor receptions. For more information on the symphony, call (870) 536-7666 or e-mail pbsymphony@pbreynoldscenter.org

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   The Historic Arkansas Museum in downtown Little Rock pays homage to three Arkansas women photographers of note with the “Arkansas Artists: Nancy Nolan, Maxine Payne and Kat Wilson” exhibit, Oct. 5-Jan. 21

   The exhibit’s subject matter is ad diverse as the women who captured the images. Nancy Nolan is widely known for her up close and personal portraits of celebrities like Jermain Taylor, Bill Clinton and Billy Bob Thornton. Illustrating the rural Arkansas lifestyle through documentary-style black-and-white photography is Maxine Payne’s specialty. And Kat Wilson deftly poses both everyday and exotic household furnishings with her subjects as she captures them on film. Admission is free. Contact Ellen Korenblat at (501) 324-9351 or info@historicarkansas.org for more details. The museum is located at 200 East Third. Check www.historicarkansas.org for additional information on the museum and the exhibit.