Halloween is a dangerous night for pedestrians, but you can plan a safe trick-or-treat experience for your little ghosts, goblins and princesses by attending festivities at local malls and shopping centers.

Most shopping centers are distributing treats to costumed keiki at events this weekend and on Halloween night. And malls keep parents at ease by providing a safe haven with no worries about unlit areas, sidewalks or weather. Festivities at Kapolei Shopping Center include decorating your own mini pumpkin. Hawaii Kai Towne Center hosts a haunted snow cave with real snow. And, rides in a Cinderella horse and carriage are among the highlights at Salt Lake Shopping Center.

Here are more options:

TODAY

» A Halloween Spooktacular: 5 to 8 p.m. at Hawaii Kai Towne Center. Highlights include trick-or-treating, a keiki costume contest, pet costume contest and pumpkin-carving contest. Contestant registration near Panda Express from 4 to 4:45 p.m. All carved pumpkins must be submitted for competition by 5 p.m. Call 227-0988.

» Snowy Spooktacular: 5 to 8 p.m. Burger King Hawaii Kai will launch its new line of frozen desserts with free samples and goodie bags in conjunction with the mallwide Hawaii Kai Towne Center event, which includes a haunted snow cave with trucked-in snow, a trick-or-treat scarecrow zone, rock climbing and more.

» Halloween Festival: 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Wahiawa Shopping Center and Wahiawa Town Center. Highlights include a costume contest for kids 12 and under, a magic show by Craig the Illusionist, make-and-take mini-pumpkin decorating, a fall photo booth and Frisbee spin art. Call 221-2774.

» Annual Halloween Celebration: Trick-or-treating 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Salt Lake Shopping Center. A “Pirates of Salt Lake” booth has kids fishing for pirate treasures, princesses and princes can ride in a “Cinderella” horse and carriage, and Island Family Magazine hosts its “A Star is Born” magazine cover model search contest for keiki ages 6 months to 12 years old.

» Keiki Trick-or-Treat Parade and Costume Contest: Pearl City Shopping Center. At 10 a.m., Stevo the Clown leads children in a trick-or-treat parade through the shopping center. Parade begins and ends at Chuck E. Cheese. Registration for costume contest begins at 8 a.m. at Chuck E. Cheese for ages 12 and under. Twelve first-place winners in various themed categories will receive $50 gift certificates; and 12 second-place winners receive $25 gift certificates.

» Halloween Costume Parade: At 6:30 p.m., merchants at Market City Shopping Center will pass out treats to kids in costume as they march through the shopping center. Meet in the lobby next to Duck Lee Chinese Restaurant. Call 734-0282.

SUNDAY

» Ghoulish Halloween Fun: 4 to 6 p.m. Trick-or-treat at stores and restaurants, participate in the costume contest (contest registration starts at 3:30 p.m.), or watch Stevo the Clown perform. Call 922-2299.

MONDAY

» Ala Moana Center: 4 to 6 p.m. Costumed keiki collect treats. Call 955-9517.

» Kahala Mall: 5:30 to 7 p.m. Trick-or-treat at merchants with balloons at their doorways. Call 732-7736.

» Koko Marina Center: 5 to 7 p.m. Trick-or-treat at shops. Visit www.kokomarinacenter.com.

» Marketplace at Kapolei: 5 to 7 p.m. Trick-or-treat at participating merchants. A pumpkin patch will be near Safeway where kids can pick out a free mini pumpkin to decorate, while supplies last. Call 523-8316.

» Mililani Shopping Center: 5 to 7 p.m. Trick-or-treat throughout the center.

» Pearlridge Center: 6 to 8 p.m. Chris da Clown kicks off the Halloween festivities with a show at 6 p.m., followed by trick-or-treating for costumed children at participating merchants from 7 to 8 p.m. Call 488-0981.

» Waikele Premium Outlets: 5 to 7 p.m. Dizanne the Mystical Sorceress of Fun performs tricks with critters in the courtyard at 5 p.m. From 6 to 7 p.m., children can collect treats from participating merchants and visit Balloon Monsoon for balloon animals. Call 676-1497.

» Ward Centers: 6 to 8 p.m. Kids can make thier way down Trick-or-Treat Street, stopping for goodies at Ward Warehouse, Ward Centre, Ward Village Shops and Ward Gateway Center. Participating merchants will have black bats hanging in their doorways. Call 591-8411.

» Windward Mall: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Trick or treat throughout the mall. Call 235-1143.

Kapolei Carnival features midway, the Maltese Family

The Kapolei Carnival will be your last chance this year to hit the E.K. Fernandez midway of rides and games.

The carnival takes place from 6 to 11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Nov. 5 and noon to 9 p.m. Nov. 6 at the corner of Farrington Highway and Fort Barrette Road in Kapolei.

Enjoy local entertainment and performances by the Maltese Family Circus Troupe.

Admission is $1 for adults and children; free for children less than 40 inches tall. Ten-ride wristbands are also available for $25 but must be purchased between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday only.

Visit www.ekfernandez.com/events/kapolei.asp.

Dentist will buy kids’ extra Halloween candy

If your keiki will rake in a big haul of Halloween candy, but you cringe at the thought of he or she eating it, let your little one trade it in for cash.

Downtown dentist Wilfred Miyasaki is offering to buy extra Halloween candy for $1 cash per pound (up to $15) this Halloween.

Both children and adults can sell their excess candy to the dentist’s office, which plans to send it in care packages to U.S. troops overseas as part of the Halloween Candy Buy-Back program. Children are encouraged to write a letter of appreciation to the troops. Kids will also receive a free toothbrush.

“Halloween should be about having fun, and we want kids to enjoy themselves,” Miyasaki said. “But realistically, most kids collect way more candy than they can or should even think about eating.”

The candy buy-back takes place from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday; and from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 5 at Miyasaki’s office at 1139 Bethel St.

For more information, call 533-0000.

Leeward Discovery Fair offers exhibits of the fascinating

CSI Leeward, a mock crime scene investigation, and OpTricks, where paper dinosaurs spring to life, are part of this year’s Leeward Discovery Fair.

Families can spend the day visiting interactive educational exhibits, a plant sale and food booths from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 5 at Leeward Community College.

Bug City will give kids the opportunity to create their own bugs and get a close-up look at creepy crawlers. The Chemistry Magic exhibit shows off some scientific tricks, like shrinking a balloon with liquid nitrogen and freezing a flower. Spaghetti Engineering lets keiki build structures and bridges using food. And, the Mad Hatter exhibit offers a crafty approach to making hats using recycled materials.

Admission and parking are free. Visit www.leeward.hawaii.edu/LeewardDiscoveryFair.