Halloween is, at its heart, a children’s holiday. Despite the hugely popular and profitable businesses of haunted houses and adult costumes, it’s kids who get more out of October than anyone else. It does not memorialize a war and has little religious significance. Its the playful, secular traditions that have risen above its Christian and Gaelic ones.  

The Hall is full of surprises. It’s nestled along a quiet neighborhood street and is a charity haunt, both of which point to a born-to-be-mild haunted experience. But this is far from the truth. Tricks and devilish treats are released even as you wait in line. Is that a dummy or, no, that skeleton is chasing you.  

An ideal haunted house to take the whole family, this haunt is set next to a Catholic church in the parish center. That alone gives it a built in creep, but the whole package is more of an easygoing haunted tour.  

Clowns, chainsaw murderers and various grim reapers are loose in Newtown. The winding corn maze is home to other nasty folks including a giant furry man (Bigfoot with an angry streak) and various crazed hillbillies who are none too happy with you treading on their property.  

The Mount Healthy Haunted Hall is a terrifically orchestrated, old-school haunted house that packs a hell of punch for the money. Guests are ushered through a series of nasty rooms that include a plummeting elevator and a turntable that practically knocks you off your feet. If you survive the house, there’s still a zombie horde and a chainsaw murderer you must pass. And that’s all before you get to an unlit maze. Fridays-Sundays. Through Oct. 31.  

For most people, Music Hall conjures images of the Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Opera. It’s one of the city’s most refined and classy destinations. But Teri Casper sees it differently. “That is the site of an old mental institution, an orphan asylum and also a potters field where they buried the indigent and the people from the insane asylum,” Casper says.  

Cincinnati Tours offers guided bus tours of the city’s dead-but-not-yet-departed citizens. Participants are led to some of the area’s most haunted locales including Music Hall and Eden Park. The tour moves beyond the legends and historical reports, introducing guests to the art of ghost hunting. Night vision cameras, electromagnetic field meters and more are used to detect spirits and capture evidence. 8 p.m. Thursday; 6:30 and 10 p.m. Saturday.  

Darkness descends on the Hamilton County Fairgrounds with the second annual Halloween Bash. It’s a monster-sized value with dinner, drinks, beer, music and spooky spectacles, all included with admission. Adults get their fill of fear competing for prizes in a costume contest, bidding at a silent auction and dancing to live music. Little ghouls get ghastly face painting, spooky games and activities. Visitors can also venture into the Hair-Raising Haunted Trail if they dare. 6-11 p.m. Saturday.  

If someone is refused an apartment, a job or credit because he or she is gay, you might think that Cincinnati's Human Rights Ordinance offers some legal recourse. Not really, says local attorney Scott Knox. For gays and lesbians living throughout most of Ohio, there's no legal shield at all. A pending state bill, the Equal Housing and Employment Act, could change that.   

The eighth annual Paddlefest celebrates the natural splendor of the mighty Ohio with two days of ecology education, river-themed entertainment (lots of Bluegrass) and the nation's largest group paddling event. Friday features an outdoor expo for children from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with boat rides, water sport education, games and food at Coney Island. Saturday's races begin at Coney at 8:30 a.m. and end with a festival at Sawyer Point until 2:30 p.m.