Palo Alto’s annual Jack-O-Jaunt brings a free pumpkin display to Lytton Plaza on Friday, Oct. 30, ahead of Halloween music and activities on California Avenue and a children’s library storytime Saturday.

The Jack-O-Jaunt runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at University Avenue and Emerson Street. Visitors can view the carved pumpkins and vote for the scariest, cutest and most creative entries.

A registered carving workshop is scheduled from 3 to 5 p.m. at the plaza. The city advertises a $25 registration fee, including a pumpkin and carving kit. Families should check current availability and applicable fees through the registration link on the event page.

The workshop does not include instructor-led lessons. Children 12 and younger must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Registered participants carving at home can deliver their entries between 3 and 5:30 p.m. All entries must use real pumpkins, although accessories may be made from other materials. The city supplies LED candles.

Workshop participants can retrieve their pumpkins between 8:30 and 8:45 p.m.

Halloween on California Avenue

Despite its name, Thursday Live on Cal Ave. holds a special Saturday event Oct. 31, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The free outdoor event takes place on the car-free section of California Avenue between El Camino Real and Birch Street. Programming includes live music, karaoke, dance performances, face painting and balloon twisting.

According to the city’s Halloween guide, Stanford Research Park is sponsoring a photo booth, orange drawstring bag giveaways and mini-pumpkin decorating.

Also Saturday, librarian Juliana Rios leads Family Storytime: Celebrate Halloween from 10:30 to 11 a.m. in the Midtown Room at Mitchell Park Library, 3700 Middlefield Road. The program includes stories, songs and rhymes for young children and families.

Halloween safety

The city’s Halloween guide recommends reflective costume decorations, flashlights or glow sticks, and familiar routes using sidewalks and crosswalks.

Parents should inspect treats before children eat them, discard unwrapped or homemade items from unknown sources, and check ingredient labels for allergies.

For older children going out independently, the guide recommends sharing routes and arranging regular check-ins.