ATTRACTIONS

The Pomander Tea Dances. The 1920s tradition will feature the Paul Price Society Orchestra and ballroom dancing, tea and light refreshments, 4 to 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Palo Alto Masonic Center, 461 Florence St. Cost is $10 for members of the Art Deco Society of California and $12.50 for others. For more information, call the Art Deco Society of California at (415) 982-3326.

Poetry reading. ``Authentic Imaginations,'' an evening with Jym Marks, will include a special introduction by Cecil Reed, narration by Jim Crawford and special guests, Al Young and Jon Eckels, 7:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Burgess Recreation Center, 700 Alma St., Palo Alto. (650) 325-5257.

Little Women's Tea. The semi-formal event for girls, age 6 to 12, will include tea, sandwiches, dessert and a ``Reader's Theatre'' presentation, including songs from ``The Lion King,'' ``The Little Mermaid'' and ``Pocahontas,'' 3 to 5 p.m. Nov. 2 in the Ralston Hall Mansion at Notre Dame de Namur University, 1500 Ralston Ave., Belmont. Cost is $45 per child and her host. (650) 508-3515.

EDUCATIONAL

Community Law Night. Free one-on-one advice related to landlord/tenant rights, debt and bankruptcy, employment, wills and trusts, consumer rights, family law, immigration and more will be offered by attorneys from the Palo Alto Area Bar Association, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday at Lucie Stern Community Center, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. (650) 326-8322.

HALLOWEEN EVENTS

Halloween Fun. The city of Menlo Park's annual event today will include a costumed parade beginning at 11:45 a.m. at Burgess Park, 701 Laurel St., followed by trick-or-treating in downtown Menlo Park from 1 to 3 p.m. and a carnival for children age 12 and younger, 1:30 to 4 p.m. at Burgess Recreation Center, 700 Alma St. Tickets are $1 for adults and $4 for children. (650) 330-2200.

Halloween Festival. A family event featuring a mad scientist's lab, entertainment, games, crafts, face painting and refreshments will be hosted by the city of Mountain View, noon to 3 p.m. Sunday at Rengstorff Park, 201 S. Rengstorff Ave. Small fees apply to games, face painting, crafts and food. (650) 903-6331.

Ghost Tour. The Friends of ``R'' House and ``the dearly departed'' will host a nighttime tour of the Rengstorff House during which stories about apparitions and unexplained sounds will be shared, 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday at Rengstorff, 3070 Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View. Tickets are $10. For reservations, call (650) 903-6073.

Halloween Horse Ride. Westwind 4-H Riding Institute for the Handicapped will host a costumed trick-or-treat horseback ride starting at 4 p.m. Thursday at Westwind Barn, 27210 Altamont Road, Los Altos Hills. (650) 947-8680.

Redwood City Haunted House. Brave visitors will be exposed to nightmarish scenes, including hungry beasts, gnashing implements of torture and ghostly creatures, 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday at Fair Oaks Community Center, 2600 Middlefield Road. The event is recommended for children age 10 and older. Admission is $5 and $3 for children. (650) 780-7250.

Halloween Spooktacular. The free event sponsored by the Village in downtown Los Altos on Friday at Community Plaza will include trick-or-treating in Village stores from noon to 3:30 p.m., photo opportunities from 1 to 4 p.m., a special performance by members of Egan Intermediate School's music department and a costume parade at 3:30 p.m. (650) 949-5282.

LECTURES

Tom Peters. The author, provocateur and business visionary will deliver a talk, ``Re-imagine! Business Excellence in a Disruptive Age,'' at a program sponsored by the Commonwealth Club of California, 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Mediterranean Room at Crowne Plaza Cabana, 4290 El Camino Real, Palo Alto. Cost is $15 for members and $30 for others. (415) 597-6712.

MUSIC

Stanford Mendicants. A reunion concert celebrating the 40th anniversary of Stanford University's oldest a cappella singing group will be presented at 7:30 p.m. today in Dinkelspiel Auditorium at Stanford University. Admission is $12 and $8 for students. (650) 725-2787.

Valparaiso Singers. A benefit to aid missions to hospitals, orphanages and other charities in Voronezh, Russia, will be performed at 7:30 p.m. today at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1105 Valparaiso Ave., Menlo Park. Suggested donation is $10. (650) 854-3079.

Manzanita Piano Quartet. Works by the rarely performed Bohuslav Martinu and others by Mozart and Schumann will be performed 8 p.m. today at Unitarian Universalist Church, 505 E. Charleston Road, Palo Alto. A $10 donation is requested. (650) 326-0159.

Peninsula Pops Orchestra. ``The Pops Spooktacular,'' a Halloween show full of witches and wizards, bats and broomsticks and spooky music will be performed 2:30 p.m. Sunday in Spangenberg Theatre at Gunn High School, 780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto. Admission is $12, $10 for seniors and $8 for students and free for children 11 and younger when accompanied by a an adult. (650) 856-8432.

Soli Deo Gloria. ``And David Sang . . .'' choral settings of the Psalms by Brahms, Scarlatti, Purcell, Mendelssohn, Hassler, Jewish Renaissance composer Salomone Rossi and others will be performed 3 p.m. Sunday at First Lutheran Church, Homer Avenue and Webster Street, Palo Alto. Tickets are $10 to $15 and free for children age 12 and younger. (415) 982-7341.

Halloween concert. James Welch's 11th annual concert will feature monumental organ works and an entertaining assortment of jazz, swing, pop, rock and country-western creations based on the music of Bach, 8 p.m. Friday at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 600 Colorado Ave., Palo Alto. Donation at the door is $8. (650) 856-9700.

SPECIAL OCCASIONS

Anniversary party. Creek walks, hands-on exhibits and children's activities will be offered at San Francisquito Watershed Council's 10th anniversary celebration, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at Palo Alto Baylands Athletic Center fields, 1900 Geng Road, Palo Alto. For reservations, call (650) 962-9876, extension 305.

Founders Day. The 30th anniversary celebration at Keys School will include student performances, tours, demonstrations, talks by school founders and author Hal Urban, a barbecue lunch and children's activities, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. today at the school, 2890 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. Lunch is $6. (650) 328-1711.

THEATER

Los Altos Youth Theatre. ``The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,'' a holiday play for children, age 7 and older, about the spooky and crazy world of Ichabod Crane, will continue with matinee and evening performances through Nov. 8 at Los Altos Youth Theatre, Los Altos Recreation Department, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos. Tickets are $10 or $7 for seniors, students and children. (650) 947-2796.

TheatreWorks. ``A Little Night Music,'' Stephen Sondheim's Tony Award-winning tour de force, will continue with matinee and evening performances through Nov. 2 at Mountain View Center for Performing Arts, 500 Castro St. Tickets are $20 to $48. (650) 903-6000.

-- Compiled by Sue Chenoweth