SALT LAKE CITY — It's October, and Halloween festivities are now upon us. But if you're not quite ready to be scared — Halloween is still a few weeks away, after all — don't worry, there are plenty of activities this weekend to keep things, er, not so scary. This includes a night of ska music with The Aquabats, listening to Kristin Chenoweth sing Broadway tunes and enjoying a night at the opera.
Boolights
It's the first week of October, and that means the aisles at Smith's and WalMart are now teeming with pumpkin-shaped Reese's peanut butter cups. It also means that Halloween festivities and celebrations can now unashamedly commence! Hogle Zoo has embraced the season with a display of Halloween cheer called Boolights. Families can now see animals up close against the backdrop of Halloween-themed decorations starting Oct. 6, dates vary, 6:30-9:30 p.m., Hogle Zoo, 2600 Sunnyside Ave., $10.95-$12.95 for adults, $8.95-$10.95 for seniors, $7.95-$9.95 for children ages 3-12 (801-584-1700 or hoglezoo.org).
The Aquabats
If you’re looking to have a delightfully unusual evening in Salt Lake City, you need not look further than the music venue The Depot. Taking the stage this weekend is ska band The Aquabats — a group that incorporates superhero personas and comedic stunts in their shows. At the helm of this band is Christian Jacobs, whose stage name is The MC Bat Commander. It’ll certainly be a night to remember, as the band’s live performances are also known for featuring battles with villains and monsters. If you really want to get pumped for this concert, you can listen to the band’s big hit from 1997 “Super Rad.” The Aquabats take The Depot stage Oct. 6, 7 p.m., 400 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City, $23 in advance and $25 day of show (smithstix.com).
Kristin Chenoweth and Gentri
Brigham Young University’s homecoming festivities are about to change “for good” with the arrival of “Wicked” star Kristin Chenoweth. The singer, who originated the role of Glinda in the musical, will headline the BYU spectacular and perform an array of Broadway tunes. The show will also feature the Utah-based trio of tenors Gentri known for their intricate harmonies. The concert takes place Oct. 7, 2 and 7:30 p.m., Marriott Center, BYU, Provo, $11-$60 (801-422-2981 or arts.byu.edu).
'La Boheme'
Did you know that the 1996 rock musical “Rent” is loosely based on Giacomo Puccini’s opera “La Boheme”? You won’t hear the opera cast singing about how you measure a year — which is 525,600 minutes, by the way — but you will get to see a group of young, struggling bohemians navigate life and love in 19th-century Paris. And if that’s not enough, in the movie “Moonstruck,” Cher and Nicolas Cage went to the Met together to see “La Boheme” and fell in love, so Puccini’s opera holds a lot of promise. Come see Utah Opera’s production of “La Boheme,” Oct. 7-15, dates and times vary, Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South, $25-$120 (801-533-6683 or utahopera.org).