Marionettes will get monstrously merry at this ‘Hallowe'en Spooktacular'

Strings are often seen when Halloween gets close.

Think of the stringy insides of a pumpkin, the gooey guts that must be scraped out just before you have a completed jack o'lantern.

Strings of caramel and other delicious confections are frequently drizzled atop autumn-inspired desserts, and spying some strings of orange lights on a porch as a fall night falls?

That, too, is a common and colorful sight.

But some of the best-known Halloween-y strings in town may be found on York Boulevard, the quaint home to the Bob Baker Marionette Theater.

The imagination-driven organization, which features thousands of fanciful puppets, including many characters that have been around for decades, always takes time to celebrate the spooky season.

And on Sept. 16, the troupe's "Hallowe'en Spooktacular" returns for a monstrously marvelous multi-week run (on select dates, we should note).

"From a tap-dancing Frankenstein's monster to newly updated Dracula's lair to a retro alien invasion, 'Hallowe'en Spooktacular' is now a certified fan favorite show for all ages and a wonderful way to welcome in Halloween festivities, including audience participation in Theater’s costume parades beginning in October!" promises the theater.

Over 100 adorable and sort-of-slightly eeky puppets will appear in the spectrally sweet show, a playful performance that inventively employs lights, music, narration, and, of course, the incredible talents of the on-stage puppeteers.

This event does sell out, and definitely around the weekends and close to Halloween. So no more stringing you along: You can find tickets here to one of Southern California's most charming, not-too-intense celebrations of the season.