Weekend picks: Catch Barbra at the United Center

Barbra live

Here's your chance to catch Barbra Streisand in concert when she stops by the United Center, 1901 W. Madison St., Chicago. Tickets cost $90-$500. (800) 745-3000 or ticketmaster.com or livenation.com. 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26

Spooky tales

Storytellers like Megan Wells, Jim May, Bill Oberst Jr. and Charlotte Blake Alston gather to tell some spine-tingling tales for the seventh annual Ray Bradbury Storytelling Festival, which carries the theme of October Country this weekend at the Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. $17 evening session. (847) 782-2366 or geneseetheatre.com 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26

Sycamore Pumpkin Festival

The 51st annual Sycamore Pumpkin Festival includes hundreds of decorated pumpkins, a parade, teen and kiddie carnivals, a pie-eating contest, a craft market, a Sycamore Chamber Road Run, a giant pumpkin weigh-in and a golf scramble at various venues in Sycamore. Pumpkin Festival Parade at 1 p.m. Sunday. For full daily schedule, visit sycamorepumpkinfestival.com. 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26; events start at 7 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, and 9 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 28

Halloween Trick or Treat Path

Youngsters can trick-or-treat through Gurnee's Viking Park at the Halloween Trick or Treat Path. Get treats from nearly 50 popular children's characters, from Mickey and Minnie Mouse to SpongeBob SquarePants and Winnie the Pooh. Refreshments will be available for purchase. Children must be accompanied by a parent. Viking Park is at 4374 Old Grand Ave., Gurnee. $8 for resident; $10 for nonresidents at the door. Visit gurneeparkdistrict.com. 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26

Defying gravity

The amazing acrobatic actor Tobias Wegner deftly moves among video projections and other stage technologies in Circle of Eleven's award-winning Edinburgh Festival one-man show “LEO,” playing this weekend at Elgin Community College's Visual & Performing Arts Center, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin. $33; $20 kids ages 12 and younger. (847) 622-0300 or elgin.edu. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 26-27

Fall back in Elgin

The City of Elgin and the Elgin Cultural Arts Commission host the second annual free FallBack Arts Festival featuring storytelling, workshops, puppetry and performance at the Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division St., Elgin. The mini-fest includes the latest Page to Stage reading of the new play “Diorama” by Elgin native Jeff Whipple. Set in a natural-history museum, the play looks at how employees cope when technology threatens to eliminate their jobs. Also on tap are painting, writing and photography workshops held on Saturday. Free. See elginfallback.eventbrite.com. “Diorama” at 7:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday, Oct. 26-28. Events start at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 27

Hard-knock life

Before he found fame and success as a standup comic and a FOX sitcom star, Christopher Titus endured quite a lot of abuse and betrayals in life. See how he mines his life for great comic material when he returns this weekend to the The Improv Comedy Showcase, 5 Woodfield Road, Schaumburg. (847) 240-2001 or improv.com. 8 and 10:15 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26; 7 and 9:15 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27; and 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28

MTV faves

The Tubes, the outrageous rock band that scored hits such as “White Punks on Dope,” “Talk to Ya Later” and “She's a Beauty” in the 1970s and 1980s, will make a stop at Viper Alley, 275 Parkway Drive, Lincolnshire. The Tubes emerged out of California in the mid-1970s with a driving pop sound and a taste for flamboyant, theatrical live shows. In the 1980s, the band became MTV favorites with the “She's a Beauty” single, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts. The Tubes current lineup features four original members, and the band is at work on new material. Diving for Dynamite opens. Tickets start at $25. Go to viper-alley.com. 8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26

Alpacas on parade

More than 300 alpacas from across the country will appear at the Illinois Alpaca Show, a judged competition at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 1060 Peterson Road, Grayslake. Alpacas will be judged in various categories. Vendors will also be on hand, selling craft and gift items made from alpaca fiber. Free admission. Visit illinoisalpacashow.com. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28

Collecting collectibles

Search for baseball, football and hockey trading cards, along with collectible coins, celebrity autographs and more at the Collectible Show at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites, 495 Airport Road, Elgin. Free admission. For information, call Corky at (847) 658-4981, or send email to collectables2@yahoo.com. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27

Taste it all

Local restaurants, chefs, vendors and food trucks converge for the Culinary Tasting Expo this weekend at Arlington Park, 2200 W. Euclid Ave., Arlington Heights. $20-$25; $6 parking. (847) 385-7500 or chicagocookingexpo.com. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 27-28

Heritage Halloween Fun Fest

Family members of all ages (and their pets) can dress in costume and head out to the Heritage Halloween Fun Fest in downtown Bartlett. Follow a treasure map to various activities including contests, treats, a dance party, a haunted house, free pumpkins and more. Free admission. Visit bartlettheritagedays.com. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27. Costume parade begins at 10 a.m. at the Bartlett village hall, at 228 S. Main St., and ends at The Shoppes at Banbury Fair, at 211 W. Railroad St.

Say 'Boo!'

Get into the spooky spirit of Halloween at the annual “Boo! at the Zoo” celebration at Brookfield Zoo, First Avenue and 31st Street, Brookfield. Family event features a costume parade and a judged costume contest; a 7,000-square-foot Crazed Maize, a haunted carousel, hayrides, zoo chats with zoo staff and more. Free with paid $10.50-$15 general zoo admission. Parking $10. (708) 688-8000 or CZS.org. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 27-28

'Monster Mayhem of the Midwest'

Historian and actor Terry Lynch discusses tales of ghosts in the Midwest, including the “Headless Horsemen of Illinois” and others, in the Monster Mayhem of the Midwest program at the DuPage County Historical Museum, 102 E. Wesley Ave., Wheaton. Free. Open to all ages. Registration is requested. Call (630) 510-4941, or visit dupagemuseum.org. 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27

Displaying talent

Top finalists from this past summer's Suburban Chicago's Got Talent contest, including Algonquin comedian AJ Lubecker and his brother yo-yo artist Shane Lubecker, are back in action Saturday as part of a Family Variety Hour at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. $7; $5 kids 12 and younger. (847) 577-2121 or metropolisarts.com. 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27

Prepare for battle

Up-and-coming metalcore band Attack Attack! will bring its punishing, pounding brand of rock to Durty Nellie's, 180 N. Smith St., Palatine. The band is touring behind “This Means War,” its recent album on Rise Records. $13. Go to durtynellies.com. 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27

Radio scares

The Improv Playhouse scares up some nostalgia with its original radio-play adaptation of Mary Shelley's “Frankenstein” at 735 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville. The play centers on scientist Victor Frankenstein who in effect “plays God” and creates his own creature who he then abandons because of the creature's hideous appearance. Hainesville's George Elliott plays the Creature. Dinner package available in conjunction with Libertyville's Mainstreet Smokehouse. $15, $10 in advance; $17.50, $12.50 at the door. (847) 968-4529 or improvplayhouse.com. 7:30 and 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27

Chicago Toy Show

Six hundred exhibitors in six buildings feature a variety of antique and collectible toys, dolls and holiday heirlooms at the Chicago Toy Show, at the Kane County Fairgrounds, 525 S. Randall Road, St. Charles. $8 adults; free for children, 12 and younger. Free parking. Visit chicagotoyshow.com. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28

Tricks as treats

The magic tricks of Dr. Mark Kaschube and the amazing “Quick Change” costume changing act of David Mass and Dania Kaseeva are just some of performers on the bill for “Halloween Magic 2,” a family-friendly show that also benefits the nonprofit Salute, Inc. that provides support for military families. Catch it Sunday at the Akoo Theatre at Rosemont, 5400 N. River Road, Rosemont. $15-$99. (800) 745-3000 or rosemonttheatre.com. 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28

'Creature' feature

Universal Pictures' digitally restored horror classic “The Creature From the Black Lagoon” (1954) will have its Chicago premiere when the Chicago Film Critics Association presents it at the Muvico Theaters Rosemont 18, 9701 Bryn Mawr Ave., Rosemont. CFCA member Lee Shoquist will host the event and conduct a post-screening Q&A. Chicago's Svengoolie will introduce the movie. Go to muvico.com for tickets. $15 for adults; $12.50 for children. 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28

'Eminent Expressions'

“Eminent Expressions,” the College of Lake County Fall Choral Concert, is showcased in the Lumber Center for the Performing Arts at College of Lake County, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake. Due to the quiet nature of songs in the program, the concert is not appropriate for children younger than 3. Tickets cost $4-$8. (847) 543-2300 or clcillinois.edu/tickets. 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28

Sara Evans

Country music artist Sara Evans headlines at Pfeiffer Hall at North Central College, 310 E. Benton Ave., Naperville. $55-$70. (630) 637-7469. 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28