The Bay Area always boasts a great Halloween spirit, and Los Gatos is certainly doing its part, with houses decked to the nines and ghoulish events galore.

If trick-or-treating sets your agenda for the evening, make sure to venture through the Almond Grove neighborhood. This local haunt has become so popular, Tait Avenue will be closed to cars this year. Be on the lookout for extravagantly decorated houses packed with spider webs, skeletons, and eerie lights.

New kids on the block Cassie Will and Esther Moomjian, on the corner of Tait and Almendra avenues, decided to join their neighbors in festive Halloween fun by creating a castle front on their home. Designed with four friends, the entire castle was hand painted, assembled, and sculpted over several months.

"Halloween is such a fun thing around here," Will says. "We moved in last year and were so impressed, we knew we wanted to do something big. It's incredible how much this neighborhood gets into it."

In addition to the castle, the lawn is littered with tombstones and skeleton henchman. On Halloween night, Will, Moomjian and friends will don dark costumes and use a fog machine to add to the fright.

Another house-turned-attraction is the home of Alan and Bonnie Aerts at 15050 Danielle Place in Monte Sereno. Filled with oversized werewolves, skeleton pirates, gigantic spider webs, and dozens of tombstones, the palatial front yard promises an eyeful, as well as full-size candy bars for young visitors.

One of the biggest draws for Los Gatos this year will be the Haunted Forest Walking Tour at Oak Meadow Park, sponsored by the Los Gatos­Monte Sereno Police Department.

Beginning at 7 p.m. on Oct. 30 and 31, the park will transform into the forest of Evernight, where the evil sisters Spider Queen and Witch Queen battle for control.

Visitors will become part of the action, as the sisters vie for volunteers to help them win. The quest to escape Evernight includes chance encounters with Godzilla, the family from Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and the Spider Queen herself.

Tickets for the tour are $9 for adults, $6 for children 12 years old and under. The additional spooky hollow or carousel trick-or-treat tours are $4 per ticket. Tickets may be purchased at the park or in advance at the Collector's Corner, located on 481 N. Santa Cruz Ave. For more information, call 408.354.6842 or visit www.hauntedforest.org.

The Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad at Oak Meadow Park also ventures into the underworld as it becomes the "Phantom Express," winding through the park as monsters and scary settings follow along the train route.

Halloween enthusiasts looking for a historical spookfest can head over to the Los Gatos Memorial Park with Sue Bruce. From 8 to 10 p.m. she will be leading a flashlight tour of local notables from the late 1800s. Bakers Square of Los Gatos will serve refreshments and pumpkin pie, while Alain Pinel Realtors help out with flashlights for tour-goers. Tickets are $15, with reservations required. A parent must accompany anyone under the age of 18. For more information or tickets, call 408.323.5333.

The Zone at Fisher Middle School will also be offering an event. "Scream Fest 2003" will feature a haunted house as well as treats for visitors on Oct. 30 and 31 from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $5 per person. The festival will be held on the corner of Nino and Fisher avenues. For more information, call 408.314.8184.

Dog lovers looking to become part of the Halloween revelry can head to the Los Gatos Town Plaza on Oct. 30 at 6:30 p.m. Society Dog has stationed a doggie trick-or-treat walk, encouraging owners and pets to dress up as the group goes to the doorsteps of local stores. The event ends with an outdoor film on the patio of Border's Bookstore in Old Town Plaza. For more information, call 408.671.3417 or visit http://www.societydog.com.