Today's lineup of activities in the Casper area centers around craft fairs, reading, fundraisers and an early jump on Halloween festivities.

The Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale starts at 9 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. Sunday hours are noon to 5 p.m. All items for sale are located in one remodeled room in the lower level and all proceeds benefit the library. Prices start at less than $1 for a huge variety of reading, music and movies.

Craft fair locations include Sunrise Shopping Center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the Champagne Room of the Parkway Plaza Hotel from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring arts and crafts handmade in Wyoming; and Prince of Peace Church from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring Guatemalan crafts and clothing.

Kids 10 and under can try a new way to play tennis at a fundraiser for the Five Trails Rotary Club project "Ace Out Polio -- Kids Helping Kids," from 9 to 10:30 a.m., at the Wyoming Athletic Club. Cost is $5 per child or $10 per family and no previous tennis experience is necessary.

The Casper Family Aquatic Center invites toddlers and their parents to Toddler Time from 9:30 to 11 a.m. The special swim is for children age 5 and under and their parents - sorry, no older siblings allowed. Special swim price is $3 per adult, kids swim free.

A reading of playwright Arthur Giron's newest work, "St. Francis in Egypt," will take place in the Black Box Theatre at 10 a.m. on the Casper College campus. The reading is free and open to the public. The Black Box Theatre is located on the south side of the Gertrude Krampert Theatre Complex.

Jennifer Greenup, the Nicolaysen Art Museum & Discovery Center's Artist-of-the-Month for October, will present a workshop on basket weaving from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants will learn what is involved in making a basket from start to finish, and be able to take their completed 10 x 12 market basket home with them. The cost of the adult workshop, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., is $60 for museum members and $70 for nonmembers and supplies are included.

Blue Heron Books hosts a special event for National Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month from 1 to 3 p.m.

Lisa Craft, bookstore owner and organizer of the charitable Paws2Help, has invited organizations such as the Casper Humane Society and Rescue Rangers to her store to increase awareness of dogs needing homes. Local author and speaker Gayle Irwin, who writes books and stories about her adopted dogs, will autograph her new children's book.

The Wyoming Medical Center Foundation presents "Wine With a View: Looking Past the Pain," from 6 to 9 p.m., at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming, 1801 E. K St. Tickets are $30 each or two for $50 and available in advance at Poplar Wine & Spirits. Sample more than 200 wines, enjoy hors d'oeuvres and desserts from Gegi's, and bid on unique handmade jewelry and more than 20 pieces of original art by Wyoming artists using window panes as a theme.

All proceeds benefit the foundation's work with cancer patients through the Angels program, as well as Masterson Place home away from home for people seeking medical treatment and their families.

The 28th annual free Fall Carnival at the Casper Recreation Center is from 6 to 8 p.m. and will feature a wide variety of fall-themed games, treats, and events throughout the evening. Costumes are encouraged for the children, and a parade will be held at 7 p.m., to showcase all costumes worn to the event. The carnival is designed for children ages 12 and under and their parents.

The Annual Highland Cemetery tour takes place at 7:45 p.m., lasting about an hour and a half. The cost is $25 per person and reservations can be made by calling 267-7243.

Ghost Tours at Fort Caspar are scheduled tonight, starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are required and available on a first come, first serve basis at Fort Caspar Museum. Tour tickets are $3 each for ghost hunters of all ages but recommended for ages 10 and up. Ten spaces are available for each tour.

Tours are approximately one hour and start at the following times: 7 p.m., 7:20 p.m., 7:40 p.m., 8 p.m., 8:20 p.m., 8:40 p.m., 9 p.m., 9:20 p.m., 9:40 p.m., 10 p.m., 10:20 p.m., and 10:40 p.m.

Carving or painting pumpkins is an excellent way to ring in Halloween and the harvest season, and families are invited to do just that at the Natrona County Public Library. Families can enjoy the fun together during the final "Pumpkin Fun for Families" event at 10:30 a.m.

Poverty Resistance's 10th installment of Halloween fun and fear, Mayhem at the Mall, is open from 6 to 10 p.m. for older children and those who want a more intense experience. Admission for the evening sessions will be $10.

Matinee tours for younger and the more faint of heart are from 2 to 4 p.m. today for $7.

Vern and Rita Davis play music for dancing or listening at the Casper Senior Center, 1831 E. Fourth, from 7 to 10 p.m. Admission is $4 per person. Doors open at 6 p.m. No smoking, no alcohol. Free punch and coffee.

The nonprofit Casper Planetarium, 904 N. Poplar, shows "Astronomyths," at 7 p.m., and "Black Holes," at 8 p.m. Planetarium show admission is $2.50/person/show. For more info, call 577-0310.

Community News editor Sally Ann Shurmur can be reached at (307) 266-0520 or sallyann.shurmur@trib.com. Read Sal's blog at tribtown.trib.com/Sal/blog and follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WYOSAS