Give the kids some free Halloween fun from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at The Harvard Coop, 1400 Massachusetts Ave., Harvard Square; from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the New School of Music, 25 Lowell St.
The Coop’s Kids Halloween Carnival gives kids 8 and under plenty to do aside from the ubiquitous face painting, including games, pumpkin decorating and the chance to make their own trick or treat bag and take it down the “Trick or Treat Trail” around Palmer Street (or, if there’s rain Saturday, inside the lower-level book building). Costumes are welcome, of course, and the same costumes can be used the next day at the New School of Music’s Musical Halloween Open House, called “Trick or Treat to the Beat.” The family-friendly musical activities for all ages include the chance to trick-or-treat in the historic building’s music studios, try an instrument in the “petting zoo” and join a sing-along along the way.
Hear The Interrobang end its residency with a regular if glorious bang at 8 p.m. Saturday at Radio, 381 Somerville Ave., Union Square, Somerville.
The Cambridge-based aggressive alternative quintet The Interrobang started their residency in May with an additional three great bands on the bill, and it’s ending the residency even bigger: It’s a five-band bill with the value of 10, as The Interrobang slips on its Halloween costume to perform as Radiohead; The Deep North gets creepy as The Dead North; Await Rescue performs as The Foo Fighters; When Particles Collide performs as Green Day – doing “Dookie” in its entirety; and the Steve Walther Orchestra performs as The Muppets, playing tunes from “The Muppet Show,” “The Muppet Movie,” “The Great Muppet Caper,” “The Muppets” and “Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas.” Sorry, kids, this show is 21-plus. Entry is $10.
Take to the ice at LGBT Halloween Skate Night from 8 to 10 p.m. Saturday at Veteran’s Memorial Rink, 570 Somerville Ave.
If you’ve never thought to celebrate Halloween by skating, well … now you can. Get in costume and take to the ice at this second annual event co-sponsored by the LGBT Liaison to the City of Somerville, Shape Up Somerville and the Somerville Council on Aging. All ages and allies are welcome, and costume prizes will be awarded. The $10 cost of entry includes skate rentals. (Play it Again Sports in Stoneham is offering 10 percent off new and used ice skates to anyone who mentions LGBT Halloween Skate Night.)
Get deep into the art of storytelling with 1st Person, Plural at 4:30 p.m. Sunday at Passim, 47 Palmer St., Harvard Square.
This series gives accomplished storytellers who’ve honed their craft at area five-minute story slams a chance to stretch out and tell more elaborate tales. The event also brings in talented out-of-town tellers and includes a performer who’s not a traditional, oral-tradition storyteller, such as a writer, musician or comedian. Expect three storytellers. “The variety can be electrifying,” host and co-curator H.R. Britton says. Michael Mack and Jannelle Codianni are the local talent; Allison Downey visits. “The art of storytelling goes deep and wide into our human imaginations. The five-minute slam stories are but a gateway drug. And we aim to addict for life,” co-producer Norah Dooley says. Tickets are $12 general admission or $6 for students and seniors.
Hear free classical in your choice of instrument and time at 3 or 7 p.m. Sunday at Distler Performance Hall in the Tufts University Granoff Music Center, 20 Talbot Ave., Somerville.
If you can get away earlier in the day and have a hankering for 17th century music for viols and harpsichord, performance faculty viol player Jane Hershey and harpsichordist Frances Conover Fitch are playing your tune, along with with violists Marcy Brenner, Bob Eisenstein and Alice Robbins. They’re playing works by Lawes, Purcell, Locke, Legrenzi and Charpentier at 3 p.m.
On the other hand, if you’re feeling brassy, stop by at 7 p.m. to hear faculty members Dana Russian, on trumpet; Anne Howarth, on horn; Robert Couture, on trombone; and Michael Milnarik on tuba; as well as the combined brass sections of the ensemble and Tufts Symphony Orchestra, all supported by The Tufts Wind Ensemble under the direction of John McCann. Works to be performed include solo and ensemble pieces by Mozart, Strauss and Kalinnikov. It’s presented as part of the Medford on the Mystic Arts Festival.
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