If you can't swing a party because of budget or time, a number of area Halloween events will surely please the kiddies. Many are free or low cost.

Pumpkin Decorating Contest, 3:30 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Jackson-Madison County Library, 433 E. Lafayette St., Jackson. Age categories: 6-10, 11-17 and family or adults. Judging categories: most beautiful, scariest, most creative, funniest, smallest, biggest and best story book character. Pumpkins must be delivered to the library by 5 p.m. today; judging is Wednesday. Entries may not be carved in any way, but they may be painted, colored or clothed. Pumpkin entries must be accompanied by an entry form, available at the library's front desk or on the library Web site at www.jmcl.tn.org . The pumpkin scavenger hunt, ages 5-11, will be at Rotary Park, next to the library. Candy will be given out until the supply runs out. Children younger than 10 must be accompanied by an adult or sibling older than 12. Children are welcome to come in costume with ribbons for most creative, best storybook character and most beautiful; 425-8600.

Halloween Swamp Party, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Cypress Grove Nature Park, 866 Airways Blvd. (U.S. 70 W.), Jackson. Fee: $5 adults, $3 children. Come dressed as your favorite "swamp thing" for ghoulish games, a scavenger hunt, fortune-telling, refreshments and more. Reservations required, call 425-8382.

Downtown Ghost Tour, sundown Thursday in front of City Hall on Main Street, Jackson. Free. Explore the haunts with host d.n. english. The event lasts about an hour, and will offer stories about legendary ghosts of the downtown area with guest storytellers and new stories for all ages. Maps will be available; 424-0305.

Halloween Lock-In, 8:30 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday, Jackson Family YMCA, 1515 Campbell St. For children kindergarten to 12. Cost: $15 each for non-members, $12 for YMCA members ($2 off for each sibling). Bring sleeping bag, towel and bathing suit. Costumes encouraged. All children must be registered by 6 p.m. Friday; 424-0912.

Green Acres Fall Festival, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Green Acres Farm, U.S. 45, Milan. Family fun includes hayride, animals and pumpkin patch. Costumes welcome. Admission: $5, free for children 12 months or younger; (731) 613-8843 or (731) 686-1403.

Great Pumpkin Festival, 11 a.m. until dark Saturday, front grounds of Lambuth University, off Lambuth Boulevard, Jackson. Presented by Lambuth Area Neighborhood Association. Craft demonstrations, games, pumpkin pie contests, pumpkin carving, costume contest, face painting, live music, dance performances, ghost stories, a German supper and finale that will include a lighting of the pumpkins with a talent show. Family Album photography shop will offer photo packages, with $10 of each package purchase benefitting Love a Neighbor Action. For vendor or general information, call 422-4448.

McNairy County Alumni Association Octoberfest, 1 p.m. Saturday, McNairy County Alumni Building, 500 Lipford Road, Selmer. Games, food, movies, music, pool tournament. Monetary gifts accepted. Raising money to pave the parking lot; (731) 239-2788 or (731) 645-5133.

Halloween Extravaganza, Non-scary Halloween House, 4:30 p.m. Saturday, downtown Jackson. Presented by Charter Communications, Jackson Downtown Development and Discovery Children's Museum. Outside movie shown at 6:30 p.m., weather permitting. Trick-or-treat at downtown businesses, enjoy games and activities such as a costume contest. Trick-or-treat bags will be available at the Discovery Children's Museum on Lafayette between North Cumberland and North Church streets. Inside the museum, a non-scary Halloween house will welcome young visitors; 988-4303.

Masquerade Halloween Party, 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Huntingdon Civic Center, Huntingdon. Free. Costume contests, pumpkin painting contest, face painting, cake walks, door prizes and more. Benefits Carroll County Humane Society; (731) 986-5242.

Christian Masquerade Party for Youth, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Sunday at Carnegie Center for Arts and History, 305 E. College St., Jackson. Free. Presented by Fellowship Bible Church; 668-5800.

Family Fall Festival, 5:30 to 8 p.m. Monday, Family Life Center, Brownsville Baptist Church, Main at Wilson, Brownsville. Games, door prizes, bouncing castle, candy contests and more. Food at reasonable prices. Children may wear non-scary costumes. Admission: 50 cents per person (maximum of $2 per family); (731) 772-9753.

Trunk 'n' Treat, 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, McKenzie Church of Christ, 16300 N. Highland Drive, McKenzie. For infant to fifth grade. Free; (731) 352-2106.

Wildflower Farm, 2459 U.S. 70 E, Jackson. Includes hayrides, wiener and marshmallow roasts for school, church and civic groups. Nominal fee. By appointments, 422-6829.

Crenshaw Christmas Tree Farm & Barn Inc., 314 Poplar Corner Road, Trenton. Pumpkin patch, haunted maze cut through old Christmas trees, interactive farm museum with 108-year-old sawmill demonstration, corn grinder, cotton sacks. By reservations, (731) 855-3853.

Green Frog Village, U.S. 412, Alamo. Village is a collection of buildings being restored as the Cotton Museum of the South. Admission: $4. Includes hayride, visit to corn, cotton and pumpkin patches. Visitors can shell the corn they pick. Open through mid-November. By reservations, (731) 663-3319 or (731) 695-4758.

Scary music: Select Halloween CDs with scary sounds, ghost tales or music for less than $10. Check with your library; there may be some you can borrow.

Personalized invitations: Make your own. Be sure to include names, time, place, phone number and a request for an RSVP, with a deadline. Ask guests to bring a pumpkin for carving.

Haunted house: Remember your audience and don't make it too scary. A bowl of cooked spaghetti can feel like brains and peeled grapes like eyeballs - at least they can if you plant that seed in young minds and have guests close their eyes or reach into a bowl to feel them. Make tunnels using wood, tarps or pillows and have the kids crawl through them. Have someone there to grab a leg or jump out and scare them.

Carving contest: If you have enough adults to help each child, have a pumpkin-carving contest. If carving is too risky, have the children paint their pumpkins. Then vote by secret ballot and award prizes for the most creative, most scary, most friendly. Guests will then get to take their pumpkins home with them.

Shrunken heads: About a week before the party, make shrunken heads out of apples. Peel them and then carve faces in them. You can set them on a windowsill or hang them from the ceiling if you leave the stems on.

Creative twist: Gourds are fun to paint and are in season. If you opt for unusual shapes, guests can be more creative and make them look like animals or ghosts.

Memories to take home: Find a 2-foot-by-4-foot piece of plywood and paint a pumpkin patch or ghost on it. Cut a head-size hole in it and get out the camera. As the guests arrive, take their pictures with a Polaroid and give them the picture before they leave. If you use a digital camera, you can e-mail the pictures to the parents, who can then forward them to their family and friends. If you have a film camera, have an adult take the film to a one-hour developer and have the pictures back before the end of the party.

Game: After the photo session, use the backdrop board as a ball toss. Have the kids throw a football or tennis ball through the hole. Save the board for future parties; it can be repainted for Christmas, Easter, birthdays, etc.

Bobbing for apples: This traditional activity can be fun for kids of all ages. If there's a chill in the air, fill the bucket with warm water. Be sure to have plenty of towels on hand to dry off wet heads.

This is cache, read story here