[KHTS] – Halloween is finally here! As a parent we are rarely scared of ghosts and goblins, but we do find sending our kids out trick-or-treating about as frightening as watching a “Friday the 13th” marathon in the dark at an old abandoned lake house all by ourselves.

So here are some family fun things in Santa Clarita to try  this weekend, as well as some safe Halloween alternatives to traditional trick-or-treating:

Santa Clarita Trick-Or-Treating on Halloween

No need to send your kids out to roam the streets with only a small flashlight for protection on All Hallow’s Eve, try some of these local options for your little ones:

• Westfield Valencia Town Center has a “Spooktacular” good time hosting trick or treating from 4-6pm with some puppet shows thrown in for good measure.

• The Old Town Newhall Library has their Halloween Family Movie showing at 3:30 and is followed by a costume parade at 5 pm through the safe and well-lit library.

• Candyland SCV at the Church on the Way is from 5-8pm and is all about the games, costumes, and (um, hello!) CANDY!!!

All events are free and family friendly. So go and enjoy a worry-free evening.

Smudde Advance Cosmetic Dentistry’s Halloween Candy Buyback

So, you went to some of the events above, or went out on your own, and now have more Tootsie Rolls and Smarties than anyone should see in a lifetime.

Well, your kids can bring by their leftover candy to Smudde Advanced Cosmetic Dentistry and trade in those extra goodies for actual dollars.

They will give you $1 per pound of unwrapped candy you bring in between 2-5pm on November 1st to 27450 Tourney Rd, Suite 250 in Valencia, and send the candy in care packages to our troops overseas. There will also be fun, games, gifts and more.

I know, it sounds challenging to get your kids to give away some of their hard-earned candy. But the only thing kids like more than candy? Cash. So the odds are totally in your favor on this one.

Santa Clarita Marathon

So now you have eaten as much, if not more, sweets than your kids. You might want to take the opportunity to run off that sugar at the Santa Clarita Marathon. It’s Sunday, Nov. 2, and has a full line-up of courses including the Kids Fun Run.

Online registration is closed, but you can register by visiting the equally fun Health and Fitness Expo on Nov. 1 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Valencia. Even if you don’t want to run, have your kids give it a go.

You may want to have them run off all that Halloween hyperactivity in a safe, non-fragile environment. Click here for info.

Hart Rampage Marching Band & Colorguard Tournament

In your younger days, the going out and “partying” all Halloween night would have had you wincing at the idea of spending the following day listening to marching bands, but that was before kids.

Face it, you were in bed by 9 p.m. and up by 6:30 a.m., and the only substance in your bloodstream is sugar.

So take your kids to the super fun Hart Rampage Marching Band & Colorguard Tournament at the College of the Canyons Cougar Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 1 and introduce them to the musical fun! Tickets are affordable and the spectacle will last all day starting at 9:45 am. Click here for more details.

Party on parents, party on.

Dia De Los Muertos

The “Dia De Los Muertos” or “Day of the Dead” celebration can sound a little…morbid. But this tradition from Mexico is a day for remembering those we have lost and celebrating life, and it can be a great night with the whole family.

This Saturday, November 1^st, you can join in the fun at the Dia De Los Muertos festival at Eternal Valley, 23287 N. Sierra Hwy, Newhall, 91321. It’s from 5-8pm and will have performances by Ballet Folklorico, Danza Azteca, and a Mariachi band, plus family activities and more. Call 299-7684 with your questions.

It will be the most fun you have ever had at a cemetery, guaranteed.