On the weekend before Halloween, there's plenty to do in Philadelphia.
Friday, all along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway there will be food, drink, music and fun. A museum filled with skeletons and weird things in jars also is hosting a Halloween party that night.
Then on Saturday, there will be trick-or-treating in Rittenhouse, Halloween fun at the Franklin Institute and a Day of the Dead party.
Check out our weekend picks below.
There's going to be a huge block party on the Parkway's 100th birthday
Friday marks 100 years to the day when the Benjamin Franklin Parkway opened completely for the first time. To celebrate, there's going to be a birthday bash from 5 to 10 p.m.
The Parkway Soirée will include a mini Night Market at Logan Square, live music at Sister Cities Park and Moore College of Art & Design, birthday cake at the Franklin Institute, fall beer gardens at the Academy of Natural Sciences and Free Library, and special programming at parkway museums.
The fourth annual Mischief at the Mütter promises spooky surprises
Friday night is the Mütter's annual Halloween party, one of the museum of medical oddities' most popular events. There will be kegs, a DJ and a tarot card reader, plus attendees will have full access to the exhibits.
If you go, make sure to wear a Halloween costume – you could win a prize.
More Halloween events for the 21-plus crowd can be found here.
Families can explore the spooky side of science during Franklin Institute's Halloween weekend
The Franklin Fright will take place in the afternoon on Saturday and Sunday. There will be hands-on activities, like make your own slime, a live science show featuring eye dissection and a costume parade. The Giant Heart will also turn into a haunted house with cobwebs and eerie music.
All of the Halloween-themed activities will be free with museum admission.
Penn Museum celebrating Day of the Dead on Saturday
For the seventh year, the Penn Museum will celebrate Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. Make sure to check out a traditional ofrenda (altar) created for the celebration.
During the day, there will be music, storytelling and face painting in the museum. Then in the evening, there will be an outdoor dance party with a cash bar.
Go trick-or-treating in Rittenhouse
Saturday, all ages are invited to go trick-or-treating at the businesses by Rittenhouse Square Park. To spot a participant, look for an orange sign with a black cat in the window. If you want to plan ahead, check out the list here.
Some places you may want to stop at include The Dandelion, where there will be caramel apples and complimentary hot apple cider; SoulCycle, where adults accompanying little trick-or-treaters will get a pass for a free ride at the Rittenhouse studio; and Paper-Source, where there will be a photo booth.
UPDATE: The evening costume parade in Rittenhouse Square Park has been rescheduled. It will take place Sunday at 3 p.m.
More family-friendly Halloween events can be found here.
Weckerly's has created a Halloween-themed ice cream sandwich
This weekend, make time to go out for ice cream. Once again, Weckerly's has created a limited-edition treat for Halloween.
The Thing from Outer Space ice cream sandwich was inspired by the movie "Alien" and includes toasted marshmallow ice cream with malt balls and chocolate cookies.
Beginning Friday, you'll be able to purchase the treat at the Weckerly’s shop in Fishtown, and anywhere else that Weckerly’s is sold.
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