Fear is the secret to happy marriages, key to lasting friendships, and final ingredient in numerous madman-created serums. Spice up cauldron contents with today’s deal: for $20, you get two tickets to Theatricum BOO-tanicum at The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga on Friday, October 28, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. (up to a $40 value). Kids ages 5–12 get in for $5, teen admission is $15, and children younger than 5 get in for free.

Just before Halloween, Theatricum BOO-tanicum stocks its wooded grounds in the heart of Topanga Canyon with ghosties friendly to all ages. Throughout the evening, spooky guides weave stories about things that go bump or hiss in the night while teaching the basics of carving pumpkins and how to avoid accidentally granting them consciousness. Costumed thespians, many of whom can be seen on stage in less ghastly roles during the Theatricum Botanicum’s regular season, staff a haunted house and game booths, and live musicians including Tommy Santee Klaws, Peter Alsop, and the Matt Van Winkle Band perform ghoulish hits. Guests can attempt to outscare the pros at a costume contest, and for an additional $10, help themselves to a portion of chicken and waffles from Bon Mélange Catering.