Eat it up, revelers: Denver’s 2009 Halloween parties are the biggest yet.

How does Halloween go down in Denver? Well, too often it snows, but that may not be the case this year. With any luck, the children of Colorado will be able to trick-or-treat without parkas obscuring their cute costumes. The bags of candy will come home dry and safe, not snowy and half-frozen. That’s the good news for the kids.

For grown-ups, there are always plenty of ways to howl at the moon on Halloween. Every year, the parties seem to get bigger and more widespread. There’s a scary number of activities this weekend.

And if it’s not snowing, all the skimpy-costume wearers will be extra-happy as they trot from party to party. See below for some ideas for a super-spooky Halloween, complete with adult tricks and treats.

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The definition of a good neighborhood restaurant? Annie’s Cafe and Bar, of course.

A first-rate neighborhood eatery, the sort of casual place where the friendliness is as important as the food, is a fine and comforting thing.

Denver has a number of good ones, but for many diners, Annie’s Cafe and Bar at 3100 E. Colfax Ave. enjoys a special place in their hearts and bellies.

Annie’s is chockablock with whimsy, its two dining rooms adorned with vintage advertisements, movie posters, toys and kids’ lunchboxes. The retro vibe extends to the television sets, which are typically tuned to the Turner Classic Movies channel.

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Vic Alejandro performs at Comedy Works South in March.

Aurora’s cozy Fox Theatre is better known as a venue for drama (the stage kind, not the soap operatic kind), but this weekend promoter Robert Michael Sanders is bringing stand-up comedy there — part of an attempt to diversify the venue’s cultural offerings. If all goes well, expect more comedy and live music to follow.

But first things first: Denver comic Vic Alejandro will tape his new DVD at the Fox on Saturday, Oct. 24, and if his name sounds familiar, there’s a reason. Besides appearing in the book “The Complete Idiots Guide to Jokes,” alongside Jay Leno, Patton Oswalt and others, Alejandro has popped up at international comedy festivals, won comedy face-offs (including at Denver’s prestigious Comedy Works) and appeared on TV (“The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” various Animal Planet shows, etc.).

We chatted via e-mail with Alejandro in advance of his “A Punch to Da Throat” set, which kicks off at 8 p.m. Saturday with openers Troy Walker and Elliot Woolsey.

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Classic, unassuming and very un-Boulder-like, the Red Lion inn is proudly antithetical to everything associated with progressive dining.

The Red Lion’s most obvious charms echo an era that came, and for the most part, went years ago. From the stuffed wildlife on the walls to the wild game on the menu, this place is about as far away from Boulder’s forward-thinking dining scene as a restaurant can get.

Who would even think to prepare steak Diane tableside anymore?

Well, the Red Lion does, and it’s one of the things that make this sprawling culinary adventureland an enduring tradition for local anniversary and birthday celebrations. A high-end eatery off the beaten path next to a bubbly creek? That’s timeless. So is solid service, and the Red Lion works hard to make its guests feel welcome from the minute they place their reservation.

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Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter: Brothers, of a sort, and damn feisty ones. Photo courtesy of Comedy Central.

“Michael and Michael Have Issues” is the latest Comedy Central vehicle for longtime cohorts and “The State” veterans Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black, whose testy, absurdist wit works well in their meta-sitcom format. The pair have toured their stand-up together in Denver before at the Gothic Theatre (see our review), and Showalter has performed with Eugene Mirman at the Bluebird Theater, but this is their most collaborative stage effort yet.

Since the pair isn’t exactly credited with influencing the larger comedy world of the past decade, expect lots of hardcore fans and indie rock kids at the show. Although, both have also had success at non-traditional comedy venues in the past, so this venue isn’t a stretch for either of them.

We chatted via e-mail with the Michaels in advance of the show about their working relationship, their fans and the future of their Comedy Central sitcom.

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