Halloween is getting into full swing and there are plenty of events taking place in the central San Joaquin Valley this week for the whole family.
Here are seven things you won’t want to miss.
Fresno Philharmonic – “A New Era Begins” as conductor Rei Hotoda begins her tenure as music director with a program featuring Aaron Jay Kernis’ “New Era Dance” and Grieg’s “Piano Concerto in A minor,” with Natasha Paremski as piano soloist; Debussy’s “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun;” and Respighi’s “Pines of Rome,” featuring music students from Fresno State performing in the offstage brass section. Details: 3 p.m. Sunday. Saroyan Theatre. $29-$79. 559-261-0600, www.fresnophil.org.
The Walking Dead – One night a year, the living dead return to roam the streets of Fresno, searching for the one thing to keep them “alive:” delicious drink specials to quench their thirst. Grab your friends, see who can transform into the ultimate walker and head out for the eighth annual Fresno Zombie Crawl. Get your wrist band in the Bank of America parking lot and hop from local bars and clubs, enjoying drinks, contests and games. The event attracted over 2,000 zombies last year. Details: 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Tower District. $10. www.facebook.com/events/1187841284694653.
Evil Dead: The Musical – It’s opening weekend for the musical based on Sam Raimi’s 1980s cult classic film series that became an off-Broadway hit in 2006. In this horror film parody, five college students travel to an abandoned cabin in the woods where they accidentally unleash an evil force and one boy fights to survive until dawn after his friends turn into Candarian Demons. Hilarious numbers include “Look Who’s Evil Now” and “Do the Necronomicon.” Performances continue through October, with a special Halloween closing night performance. Details: 7:30 p.m. Friday. Playhouse Merced. $15-$22. 209-725-8587, www.playhousemerced.com.
‘Lucky’ – Fresno Filmworks presents this film that follows the spiritual journey of a 90-year-old atheist as he realizes death is just around the corner. Harry Dean Stanton stars in one of his most acclaimed performances as Lucky, the town curmudgeon who discovers the true path to enlightenment is a brutally honest and, at times, an uncomfortable look at life. The indie film was the directorial debut of actor John Carroll Lynch and also stars David Lynch, Ron Livingston, Ed Begley Jr. and Tom Skerritt. Details: 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Friday. Tower Theatre. $10, $8 seniors and students. 559-485-9050, fresnofilmworks.org.
Trash to Treasure – Glorious Junk Days Vintage Market will take over the streets of Old Town Clovis offering visitors the chance to browse through antiques and vintage goods not normally seen at regular antiques and collectibles fairs. Do-it-yourself crafters and anyone looking for interior decorating ideas will find inspiration from repurposed and refurbished items, handcrafted goods, shabby chic and architectural items. Find out if any of your “junk” is worth anything with Kathy Osterberg Sobelman as she offers free appraisals from 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. Details: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Old Town Clovis. oldtownclovis.org.
Building Bridges – As the former president of Mexico, Vicente Fox has fought corruption, expanded benefits and education for the poor and worked closely with former president George W. Bush to reform immigration between the United States and Mexico. Today he promotes social and economic development along with education and public accountability through his foundation, Centro Fox. As a guest speaker for the San Joaquin Valley Town Hall Lecture Series, Mr. Fox will speak on “Building Bridges: Fixing the Immigration Issue and Strengthening U.S.-Mexico Relations.” Details: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. Saroyan Theatre. $40. 559-444-2180, valleytownhall.com/speakers/vicente-fox-profile.
Former Eagle soars – Don Felder was an influential member of the Eagles as their lead guitarist from 1974 to 2001 and is responsible for writing the music for the band’s most successful hit, “Hotel California.” He’s also known for what is considered to be one of the best guitar duos heard on that track, featuring Felder and former bandmate Joe Walsh. After the 1980 breakup of the band, the guitarist embarked on a solo career and made special appearances on albums by artists including Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, the Bee Gees and Stevie Nicks. 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Tachi Palace. $25-$55. 800-942-6886, www.tachipalace.com.
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