Halloween activities abound in the Albert Lea area this weekend for both young and old alike.

Downtown Albert Lea businesses will host trick-or-treaters from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Once children receive stamps or signatures from at least 10 participating businesses, they can gather at The Interchange Wine & Coffee Bistro for a prize and a picture in their Halloween costume.

Participating businesses include Adams Originals, Addie’s Floral & Gifts, Between Friends Boutique, Brick Furniture, Celebrations Party & Gifts, The Color Wheel, Copper Kitchen, Expressions Salon & Spa, Fisher’s Fine Jewelers, Frames R Us, Meraki Studios, Plymouth Shoe Store, Stadheim Jewelers, The Marketing Plant, Tiger City Sports and West End Architectural Salvage.

From noon to 7 p.m., The Chapel Comics & Collectibles Shoppe, 115 S. Broadway, will host its third annual Halloween celebration.

There will be a costume contest, a pumpkin-painting contest, free food, face painting, a photo booth, free caricatures and drawings for signed art prints. Grab bags instead of candy will be handed out to children in costumes.

The following is a roundup of all of the other events this weekend, including several more activities for Halloween:

 

Friday

• An American Red Cross blood drive will be from 2 to 7 p.m. at St. Theodore Catholic Church.

 

Saturday

The Albert Lea Farmers Market will be open from 9 a.m. to noon at Northbridge Mall, 2510 Bridge Ave.

Marketplace Foods will host pumpkin painting from 10 a.m. to noon.

Live in HD: The Metropolitan Opera will present Richard Wagner’s “Tannhauser” at 11 a.m. in a live stream at the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center.

The opera is inspired by German medieval and Renaissance literature.

The title character, Tannhauser, was a 13th century troubadour, who wrote mainly erotic love poetry but also a notable poem of penance. His legend, under the spell of Venus, the goddess of love, provides the framework to the opera’s story.

The opera runs four and a half hours with two intermissions.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $12 for students. A five-opera flex ticket is available for $90.

People interested in learning fun facts about the opera, the stars and the synopsis are invited to attend Meet the Met at 10:30 a.m.

Ranch & Pet Supply, 2014 E. Main St., will host a Halloween party from noon to 3 p.m. There will be games, food and prizes. Pets are welcome.

Magician Mike Prestby will present a magic and illusion show at 1 p.m. at Northbridge Mall. After the show will be a Halloween costume contest at 2:30 p.m., followed by the Albert Lea Community Band at 3 p.m. and trick-or-treating at 4 p.m.

A children’s Halloween Party will be from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Eagles Club, 205 W. William St. There will be games, prizes and treats.

The Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office will host trick-or-treaters from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Law Enforcement Center, 411 S. Broadway. Children can stop by for a goody bag and to get a look at squad cars.

 

Sunday

The Alden American Legion will host a breakfast from 8 a.m. to noon. Menu includes pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage links, milk, juice and coffee. All veterans attending eat free. Cost for other adults is $5, and children 6 and under are free.

First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea will host a Dad’s Belgian waffles meal from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Cost is $7 per person, and children 5 and under are free. Proceeds go toward the National TTT Society, a nonprofit, philanthropic organization of women. Chapters focus on providing an educational camping experience for girls who might not have otherwise had the opportunity.

St. Marys Catholic Church north of Maple Island will host a soup and pie supper from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Menu includes chili, vegetable beef soup, chicken noodle soup, and ham and bean soup. Donations will be accepted.

Bolshoi Ballet presents “Giselle” at 5 p.m. at the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center.