FRIDAY, October 13

Pasadena boasts 14 cultural institutions. Is that why Pasadenans are so snooty about their precious Craftsman-endowed enclave? That discussion is for another time. Today, the city opens all 14 doors to the public — yes, outsiders from 323 and beyond are invited — for ArtNight Pasadena. Included will be such offerings as a slide show of haunted houses, a Buddhist-temple ceiling and even rare kindergarten artifacts that educator Friderich Froebel used in his visionary 19th-century teaching. The Armory Center, Art Center of Design, Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena Conservatory of Music, Pasadena Playhouse, the 35er Bar (okay, not that one, but it’s a great dive for a beer break), plus loads more, will be waiting for you. Various locations in Pasadena; Fri., Oct. 13, 6-10 p.m.; free. (626) 744-7887 or www.artnightpasadena.org.

SATURDAY, October 14

If you just can’t wait to hallo your ween, you can get an early start at Halloween Horror Nights. For the first time in the park’s 93 years, you can prowl the back lot of Universal Studios and get your scary fill on a journey that features the original Psycho House and Bates Motel, along with such horror zones as the Asylum, SlaughterWorld, Chucky’s Insult Emporium and tons more. Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal City; Oct. 13-14, 20-21, 27-28 & 31; $34 & $39. www.­universalstudioshollywood.com.

Afterward, you can head over to the L.A. Derby Dolls Banked Track Roller Derby Bout: Sirens vs. Fight Crew. Yep, you’ll find chicks skating while pretending to be mean. Hip enough for ya? Oddly enough, Pleasant Gehman is not involved in any way. Little Tokyo Shopping Center, 333 S. Alameda St., Top Floor, downtown; Sat., Oct. 14, 8 p.m.; bands, including Go Betty Go, play at 7 p.m.; $15, $35 VIP. www.derbydolls.com.

SUNDAY, October 15

More from the Eating Your Way to a Better World Department: This is the first year for The World Cuisine Event, which benefits the Los Angeles Mission. Master (aren’t they all?) chefs from top restaurants will demonstrate their talents every hour, and you, the attendee, can sample dishes from many corners of the world. Your $25 ticket includes food and adult beverages, so it’s possible to eat and drink this thing from ever having another chance at happening next year. Kitchen Academy, 6370 Sunset Blvd., Hlywd.; Sun., Oct. 15, 2-6 p.m.; $25. (323) 993-7211.

MONDAY, October 16

Though he did cut quite a rug in Summer Lovers, who knew actor Peter Gallagher was such a song-and-dance man? Apparently a whole lot of people, including the ones who nominated him for a Tony for Guys and Dolls. Gallagher headlines Musical Mondays, singing his heart out for the Actors’ Fund of America, which provides programs for needy members of the entertainment community. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres get everyone in the mood, and a dessert reception following the performance keeps the party vibe going. The Pantages Theater, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Hlywd.; Mon., Oct. 16, 8 p.m.; $150. (323) 933-9244, Ext. 54.

TUESDAY, October 17

Stress is when you wake up screaming and you realize you weren’t asleep. Does this describe you? Do you own a T-shirt that says, “I’m not tense, just terribly, terribly alert”? Then you need a copy of American Mania: More Is Not Enough by Peter Whybrow, M.D. He’s the director of UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, and he’s here to discuss “how we can step off the treadmill of stress, anxiety and depression and start living a more healthful life.” Then maybe you won’t be so freaked out about not having Pogues tickets, unlike me. Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., L.A.; Tues., Oct. 17, 2 p.m.; $5. (310) 794-0679.

WEDNESDAY, October 18

Whatever happened to Mario Joyner is a question that even Mario Joyner has asked lately. In What Happened to Mario Joyner?, the comic, best known for The Chris Rock Show and MTV’s Half-Hour Comedy Hour, shares the cross-country trip he made to deal with his many family members, some of whom are less than pillars of society. Promenade Playhouse, 1404 Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica; Wed., 8 p.m.; thru Oct. 25; $20. (310) 656-8070.

THURSDAY, October 19

The second of three nights of Pogues shows at the Wiltern, and losers like me still don’t have a ticket. Those of us who are die-hard fans will be meeting outside the Wiltern while the show is in progress, where we will re-create, Pageant of the Masters–style, Théodore Géricault’s painting The Raft of the Medusa, used for the cover of Rum, Sodomy and the Lash. The Wiltern, Wilshire Blvd. & Western Ave., L.A.; Wed.-Fri., Oct. 18-20, 8:30 p.m.; $50 & $65 (yeah, right). (213) 480-3232. See Music Pick.

Later that same night, to nurse our wounds, we will proceed to the El Capitan Theatre, still in our Medusa/Géricault’s getups, to get in line for Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas in Disney Digital 3D, which opens tonight. El Capitan Theatre, 6838 Hollywood Blvd., Hlywd.; Oct. 19-Jan. 1; $11; filmmaker panel discussion on Thurs., Oct. 19, 7 & 9:45 p.m. (800) DISNEY6.?

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