Ellington

If you're stumped for a family-friendly Halloween event, check out Halloween Happenings, which lists no less than nine area events for family fun. Sweet and Safe provides guidelines for keeping the little ones safe, too.

Tonight, join the Jackson Bike Advocates' first Critical Mass Ride beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Rainbow Co-Op. For more grownup Halloween tastes, check out Salsa Mississippi's swing lesson at 7:30 p.m. and stick around for the Fondren Corner rooftop salsa party, Halloween edition, at 8 p.m. The place to start your weekend planning is the JFP Best Bets listings.

Saturday is jam-packed with goings-on starting at 8 a.m. with the Heather's T.R.E.E. dualathon benefiting domestic-violence prevention on Jackson Street in Ridgeland. Also at 8 a.m. is the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5k at the Mississippi State Capitol, and the BET Foundation National Women's Health Symposium at Jackson State University. At 10 a.m., grab the kids and head to "Slither, Crawl and Fly" at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, where visitors can touch a snake, examine a bat specimen and observe a spider. You'll find all the details for these and dozens more options on the JFP Events Calendar.

Put your dancing shoes on Saturday night, but first head to the JFP Music Listings to find your favorite bands and DJs. Or take a flyer on finding a new favorite. There are plenty to choose from: Jackie Bell sings the blues at the Halloween Blocktober Party on Congress Street; Scott Albert Johnson gives you roots rock at Underground 119 until late into the night; Schimmel's features Eclectik Soul; and that's just a tiny sample. Also, don't forget that the Fondren Theatre Workshop presentation of "The Monster Monologues" closes tonight. The last show starts at 10 p.m. at The Cedars.

Treat yourself and your honey to dinner this weekend. The current issue of the JFP included the all new Fall 2009 Menu Guide. If you didn't get your copy, check out the JFP Restaurant Listings and the online Menu Guide for ideas on the perfect dinner or Sunday brunch. And speaking of Sunday, it's a great time for a movie, don't you think? Read our review of "The Stepfather" before you make a selection from the JFP Movie Finder.

Oh, and as you settle in for bed after the festivities late Saturday or early Sunday, don't forget to set your alarm clock back an hour. Daylight savings time ends at 2:00 a.m. on November 1 -- it's time to"fall back" for an extra hour of snooze.

Is something missing? To make sure your event is listed on the JFP calendars, send the information to [e-mail missing] or [e-mail missing], or add your event yourself. It's easy!