The Sane Person's Guide to a "Fear-Full" Weekend

Tens of thousands -- including many area residents -- are expected to descend upon Washington's National Mall on Saturday, October 30 for the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear with John Stewart and Stephen Colbert.

Comedy Central will broadcast the rally live and continue to give us the latest news about the event.  Their coverage offers interesting stories, such as the fact that the New York Times dedicated a crossword puzzle to the rally.

Giving readers the essentials, TBD.com provides a guide to the rally: where to sleep, eat, and party. TBD.com also offers helpful tips on how to get there by car, bike or public transportation.

In addition to Stewart and Colbert, The Roots, Sheryl Crow, Jeff Tweedy and Mavis Staples are scheduled to perform.  You can find out more about the schedule here.

For those who don't want to brave the crowds rallying on the Mall, there are many other activities taking place this Halloween weekend.  Here's a list of several events taking place in the neighborhood and elsewhere around town:

• The National Museum of the American Indian, 4th Street and Independence Avenue S.W., celebrates the "Days of the Dead/ Dias de los Muertos" from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 30 and Sunday, October 31.  Events will include food demonstrations, cultural presentations and hands-on activities, including painting your own plaster skulls.

• Forest Hills Playground at 32nd and Chesapeake Streets, N.W. will hold a free Halloween party with a costume parade, performances, arts and crafts, and a bake sale from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

• Rock Creek Nature Center at 5200 Glover Road will hold an educational program about bats for children ages 4 and older.  The event starts at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 30 and is free.

• As part of their annual "Halloween Spooktacular," merchants along the Chevy Chase corridor on Connecticut Avenue will welcome children trick-or-treating from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday.

• The 11th Annual Nightmare on M Street Bar Crawl takes place from 5:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m.  Tickets are $20 at the door.  This week, the Washington Post "Going Out Guide" selected it as an editor's pick event.

• The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) hosts a haunted house at the Parkview Recreation Center from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 30.  You can find more details about the event here, as well as Halloween safety tips from MPD.

• Georgetown holds its 14th annual Halloween bash on Saturday, October 30.  You can find more details here.

• Washington Walks offers a two-hour ghost tour of the city at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 30 and Sunday, October 31. Wear comfortable shoes!

And for something fearful for entirely different reasons: can the Washington Redskins avenge last year's loss to the Detroit Lions? We'll find out Sunday, October 31 at 1:00 p.m.  You can watch the game on Fox 5.

Also of note this weekend, the 35th Marine Corps Marathon takes place on Sunday, October 31 at 7:00 a.m. Metro will be opening early on Sunday.

Hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween!