TALE AS OLD AS TIME
Friends, villains, life lessons and love: “Beauty and the Beast” has it all. Oglebay Institute’s Youth Ballet Company dances the journey of Belle, a caring, intelligent, beautiful, young woman who attempts to rescue her father and is captured by the Beast, a grisly and fearsome monster, who was long ago trapped in his gruesome form by an enchantress. There are six chances to see the performance: 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, and Saturday, Oct. 20; and 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14, and Sunday, Oct. 21, at Towngate Theatre. In addition to the show, children also can enjoy a tea party with the cast of “Beauty and the Beast” prior to the matinee shows Oct. 14 and 21. Oglebay Institute’s team of seven choreographers based its ballet on the traditional 18th-century story by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve but weaved in elements from modern-day versions. To purchase tickets for “Beauty and the Beast” and for the tea party with the cast, visit OIonline.com or call 304-242-7700. Towngate Theatre is located at 2118 Market St. in Wheeling. Some tickets may be available at the door, but many shows will sell out.
BOO!
Ghouls and goblins of all ages can enjoy nine nights of family fun at Boo at the Zoo, the annual Halloween event at the Oglebay Good Zoo in Wheeling. Boo at the Zoo kicks off on Friday, Oct. 12, with a special Freaky First Friday event from 6- 8:30 p.m. featuring reduced admission rates of $7.45 per person and train rides priced at $1.95 per person. Boo at the Zoo takes place Oct. 12-14, Oct. 19-21 and Oct. 26-28. It is held from 6-8:30 p.m. on Friday nights and 4-8:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday nights. Children are encouraged to dress in costume as they experience trick-or-treat stations, a spooky train ride, zoo animals and other family-friendly entertainment. Admission also includes access to an eight-minute, scare-free LASER show at the zoo’s Benedum Theater every night of Boo at the Zoo. This must-see show features the music of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” Bobby Pickett’s “Monster Mash” and Oingo Boingo’s “Dead Man’s Party.” This year, a new Haunted Hayride attraction will take guests on a spooky journey through the Good Zoo’s haunted scarecrow patch! Limited seats are available for this new experience, and Haunted Hayride tickets are sold exclusively online. Boo at the Zoo admission and train ride tickets can be purchased online.
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS THE SANTA MARIA?
The Nina and the Pinta, replicas of Columbus’ ships, will visit Wheeling’s Heritage Port from Friday, Oct. 12, through Tuesday, Oct. 16. The ships will be docked at Heritage Port until their departure early Wednesday morning, Oct. 17. Both ships tour together as a new and enhanced sailing museum for the purpose of educating the public and school children on the caravel, a Portuguese ship used by Columbus and many early explorers to discover the world. The public is invited to visit the ships for a walk-aboard, self-guided tour while the ships are in port. Admission is $8.50 for adults, $7.50 for seniors and $6.50 for students 5-16. Children 4 and under are admitted for free. The ships are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Teachers or organizations who want to schedule a 30-minute guided tour with a crew member can call 787-672-2152 or email ninapintatour@gmail.com; www.ninapinta.org.
SILENT CITIES OF THE DEAD
Wheeling Area Genealogical Society’s Silent Cities of the Dead series welcomes Jay Frey speaking on Stone Church Cemetery, 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, Ohio County Public Library, 52 16th St., Wheeling; 304-232-0244; www.ohiocountylibrary.org
DUNGEONS OF HORRORS
More than 100,000 are scared out of their wits every year at one of the scariest places behind bars. Get lost in a maze and experience the terror of an eerie walk through the Dungeon of Horrors at the West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville. Dungeons of Horrors, North Walk and Kids’ Night. 304-845-6200; wvpentours.com/events/halloween-specials/dungeon-of-horrors
JAZZ IT UP
Jazz at the Stifel presents Roger Hoard Quartet, 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 13, at the Stifel Fine Arts Center. $20. 304-242-7700. Purchase tickets online.
GET THE BLUES
Bluesman John Nemeth has taken on a last-minute tour of the east coast through October and November, and his first stop is right here at BluesDays at River City, presented by Heritage Music. Nemeth and his band, the Blue Dreamers, will perform at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16. Nemeth had already established himself among the very top ranks of blues musicians and modern soul singers when he decided to break the mold with his new record, “Feelin’ Freaky.” Nemeth fearlessly crushes all barriers of style and genre with an album of original songs that defies all the usual pigeonholes. Drawing from his strong influences in blues and rhythm and blues, as well as contemporary sounds in hip-hop and rock and roll, Nemeth creates music that is personal as well as universal. River City is located at 1400 Main St., Wheeling. Advance tickets ($20) are available online.
SWEET MUSIC
Skyflight Productions presents an evening with The Honey Dewdrops at 8 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 11, at the Albert S. George Youth Center at Barnesville Memorial Park in Barnesville. Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish are celebrating their ninth year of touring full time as The Honey Dewdrops, having played stages and festivals far and wide in North America and Europe. With tight harmonies and a musical ensemble that includes clawhammer banjo, mandolin and guitars, the effect is to leave listeners with only what matters: the heart of the song and clarity over ornamentation. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. $10. 423-276-2653 or find Skyflight Productions on Facebook.
LUNCHTIME WSO on the GO
Wheeling Symphony Orchestra will present a WSO on the GO event, featuring food trucks, a meet-and-greet with music director finalist candidate, Timothy Hankewich, and a performance from the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra woodwind quintet. The event is presented in coordination with The Health Plan and starts at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17, at The Health Plan’s outdoor amphitheater in downtown Wheeling. It is free and open to the public. Wood Fired Pizza Company and Ideal Provisions will be on site with food available for purchase. At 11:45 a.m., meet Hankewich, who will conduct the WSO’s opening Masterwork’s concert, Tchaikovsky’s Pathetique, on Friday, Oct. 19. At noon, WSO’s woodwind quintet will play, featuring musicians Tom Godfrey (flute), Robert Driscoll Jr. (oboe), Roi Mezare (clarinet), Linda Morton Fisher (bassoon) and Emily Shelley (horn). wheelingsymphony.com.
TEA TIME
The Eckhart House will host a Harvest Tea Luncheon at noon on Saturday, Oct. 13. The menu includes assorted tea sandwiches/savories, scones with sweet cream and jam, seasonal fruit, confections and gourmet tea selections. The event is open to the public. For more information or reservations (required) call 304-232-5439 or www.EckhartHouse.com.
THE BIG GREEK
Author George Fetherling’s new biography on Wheeling’s most notorious crime boss, “The Big Greek — The Rise and Fall of Big Bill Lias,” will be the topic of Lunch With Books, at noon on Tuesday, Oct. 16, at the Ohio County Public Library. This is the first book published under the Friends of Wheeling Publishing Loan program for authors of books of relevance to Wheeling. George Fetherling, born in Wheeling in 1949, is an international author of fiction, poetry and cultural criticism. The program is free and open to the public. It will be held in the library’s auditorium on the lower level. Complimentary refreshments will be served. 304-232-0244; www.ohiocountylibrary.org
THE BIG ITALIAN
Italy’s revered and food-friendly red — Chianti — will be featured at Good Mansion Wines wine tasting, 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12. We all are familiar with Chianti Classico, from the Sangiovese grape — one of the world’s most beloved wines. But, there are actually six other sub-zones of Chianti around Tuscany that are made with Sangiovese that are less imported to the U.S. Guests will taste all kinds of Chianti to explore similarities and differences. The wines, served with aged Italian cheeses and baguettes, will be presented by the staff at Good Mansion Wines. $15 at the door, no reservations needed. www.goodmansionwines.com