Safe tricks to celebrate Halloween

Before you take your little ghouls out for tricks and treats Tuesday night, the American Red Cross has some common-sense suggestions to make your Halloween a safe and happy one.

•Try using face paint instead of a mask. The eye holes in masks make it hard to see in dark neighborhoods.

•A grown-up should accompany the trick-or-treaters. If not, plan the route through the neighborhood and make sure everyone in the family knows that plan.

•Carry a flashlight to light your way. Reflective or light clothing is a good idea, too.

•Stick to the sidewalks. Don’t walk in the street. Look both ways before you cross the street, and only cross from the corners. Never hide or cross the street between parked cars.

•Only visit houses that have the porch light turned on.

•When kids are accepting candy, they should never go inside the houses. Stay on the porch.

•Costumes can be flammable. Keep away from open fires and candles.

•Two things to avoid on Halloween: strangers and strange animals. Both can be dangerous.

•And lastly, don’t eat any candy until a grown-up has inspected it. If the package of candy is open, don’t eat it. Small, hard candies can pose a choking hazard for small children.

Frightening activities

Ballet Spokane is presenting a Boo Bash on Tuesday at InterPlayers Theatre, 174 S. Howard St.

The evening will begin with a kids’ costume parade at 5:30 p.m.

There will be a ballet performance at 6 followed by balloon painting, frosting your own cookies and mask making at 6:30.

The cost per child is $5; parents accompanying their children will be admitted for free. Tickets are available through TicketsWest at (509) 325-SEAT, or at the door.

For more information, call Janet Wilder or Michael Muzatko at (509) 922-3023.

If a haunted house is more your kid’s style, The Arts Alliance of Sandpoint is presenting a maze of theatrical scenes about the history of the Granary, the tallest building in Sandpoint, on the corner of Sixth and Church streets.

The cost is $3 per person and the haunted building will be open from 6 to 10 p.m. today and Tuesday.

For more information, call (208) 255-5273, or visit www.artsalliance.info.

For information about the many other creepy activities happening, visit www.spokane7.com.

Ice Palace

The arrival of cold weather means that the Riverfront Park Ice Palace is now officially open.

Skaters should bundle up and visit Mondays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. or 7 to 8:30 p.m. On Fridays, Saturdays and holidays, the rink is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 to 10 p.m., and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The cost of admission is $4.25 for adults and teens, $3.25 for children, seniors and military personnel, $2.75 for skate rental, or $34.99 plus tax for a season ticket.

For more information, call the park at (509) 456-4FUN.