Things to do this weekend: Midsummer Scream haunts Long Beach

Midsummer Scream: The enormous, everything-Halloween horror-tacular is a huge pre-fall festivity with hundreds of vendors, oodles of celebrity-led panels, and the eeked-up Hall of Shadows, where wandering monsters do hold chilling sway. It's SoCal's kick-off to the haunting season, in short. Float, ghost-like, to LBC from July 26-28 for the haunting high jinks.

Sloths Summer Night at the Tar Pits: Sizable sloths once called Los Angeles, or the place that would one day be Los Angeles, their home, and this free July 26 gathering will remember these fascinating giants. The La Brea Tar Pits Museum will be open, there shall be science talks, food trucks will be nearby, and a real sloth, squeal, is set to put in a cute cameo.

Uncorked LA: The awesome opportunity to explore the California Science Center as the sun goes down is a delightful one and if you can try some tantalizing wines, canned cocktails, or fancy bubblies? Call it a summer's evening with plenty of panache. Tickets are available to the 21+ July 27 party, which will feature music and food trucks.

Brian Henson presents "Puppet Up! — Uncensored": Productions involving puppets aren't typically created with adults in mind, but this snappy show, which features dozens of MISKREANT puppets, has been created for the grown-up fan. It's taking place at the fabled Henson Studios in Hollywood, on select dates, from July 26 through Aug. 4.

"Stand Up for Pets": We can't wait for Dogust — you might rightly say that our tail is wagging pretty hard over the notion of celebrating shelter animals — but we can get an early start at this canine-cute comedy night at the Wallis Annenberg PetSpace. It's raising a happy howl July 26 and yep: Be 21 or older, woof woof.