If the costs of costumes and candy feel like toil and trouble, here are activities that are fun and free — rather than frightful. From a very zen spacetime exploration to a crafty pumpkin crawl to fighting a zombie apocalypse, here are several ways to get into the Hallo-day spirit this week, without sending your budget into the afterlife.
HARVARD HALLOWEEN Every Thursday, one of Harvard’s museums, organizations, or institutions stays open past closing for a night of learning and culture. This week, the theme is O’Ween, and attendees are encouraged to come to the Harvard Museum of Natural History and Peabody Museum in costume. Check out its exhibits on creepy crawlies, including ones on velvet worms, parasitic fungi, and the mythology of sea monsters. Additionally, attendees can enter a raffle to win a gift bag with Halloween-themed goods or a year-long household membership to the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture. Free parking will be provided at 52 Oxford Street Garage after 4:30 p.m. Oct. 23, 5-9 p.m. Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge. hmnh.harvard.edu
ZOMBIE PREP The disease research organization Broad Institute, in partnership with Operation Outbreak, invites community members join a live experiment with their interactive zombie outbreak game. In the simulation, participants visit booths around the institute to simulate activities that fight the spread of disease agents, while the app tracks if unlucky participants are “infected” through a spreading zombie pathogen. Free popcorn will be provided to all, infected or otherwise. After the game, disease experts from the Broad Institute will discuss the science of outbreak prevention that informs the game. Oct. 23, 6-8 p.m. Broad Institute, 415 Main St., Cambridge. broadinstitute.org
ASTRONOMER FOR A DAY Visit an open house at the Center for Astrophysics, one of the largest astronomical research institutes in the world. Meet experts in a science fair-like environment and learn about various aspects of the institute’s research, try out high-power telescopes, and visit an inflatable planetarium, all while resident composer David Ibbett provides mellow acoustic tunes. Oct. 25, 12-4 p.m. Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden St., Cambridge. cfa.harvard.edu
IT’S THE GREAT PUMPKIN Take a stroll down the Rose Kennedy Greenway on a search for colorful pumpkins. The path leads to the Boston Public Market, where travelers who can note the color of each of the six pumpkins earn a pumpkin decorating kit. Once at the Market, pop-ups will host free activities like cookie decorating, painting, spoon monster puppets, and other crafts. Plus, don’t miss the giant 2,500 pound pumpkin on display — well, it might actually be impossible to miss it. Oct. 26, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Down the Rose Kennedy Greenway to the Boston Public Market, 100 Hanover St. bostonpublicmarket.org
Deals and Steals
SUNDAY STUDENT DISCOUNT At the 88 Club, a piano bar in the Back Bay, students with a valid college ID can order a free appetizer between 6 and 8 p.m. for their new Songwriter Sundays, which are 18+. Local singer-songwriters perform for the first half of the night, followed by live piano. Sundays, 5-10 p.m. The 88 Club, 50 Dalton St. 88club.boston
FREE TRIVIA NIGHTS
Many bars and venues in the Boston area host free trivia events weekly. See locations and times below:
Monday
The Haven, 284 Amory St., Jamaica Plain. 7 p.m.
The Burren, 247 Elm St., Somerville. 8 p.m.
Tuesday
High Street Place, 100 High St. 6 p.m.
Satellite, 877 Cambridge St., Cambridge. 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday
Bleacher Bar, 82A Lansdowne St. 7 p.m.
Charlie’s Kitchen, 10 Eliot St., Cambridge. 8 p.m.
Thursday
Samuel Adams Boston Brewery, 30 Germania St. 6 p.m.
Park-9 Dog Bar, 48 Waters Ave., Everett.
Friday
Boston Public Market, 100 Hanover St. 6 p.m.
Trident Booksellers & Cafe, 338 Newbury St. 7 p.m.
Check individual event websites for the most up-to-date information.
Send info on free events and special offers at least 10 days in advance to ryan.yau@globe.com.
Ryan Yau can be reached at ryan.yau@globe.com.
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