Halloween Hijinks

Halloween Hijinks lands at Maurice Abravanel Hall on Saturday, October 31, with two performances—one at 11 AM and another at 12:30 PM. It's part of the Utah Symphony's Family Series, and the whole thing is built for families with young children and young listeners.

The program runs about 60 minutes and pairs ghostly melodies and hair-raising harmonies from spooky classics with witches, ghouls and creatures of the night appearing as characters. Kyle Dickson conducts, and Benjamin Young and Amona Faatau are the actors on stage. It's a short enough set that it doesn't overstay its welcome, which is usually the sweet spot for kids.

There's more to it than just the music, though. Before the concert starts, the lobby fills with spooky crafts and hands-on music activities, so it's worth arriving early to let the kids work through that energy. The day closes with a costume contest billed as one of the state's largest, so if you're already dressing up, you might as well bring the costumes along.

It's open to all ages: children in their own seat need a ticket, and babes in arms are admitted free. The hall is at 123 W South Temple in Salt Lake City, with those two morning slots on Halloween day.