We’ve Got Spirits

ONGOING
Atchison, Kansas, once was known as the city that refused to die; apparently, many of its deceased residents are just as obstinate. The Haunted Atchison Trolley Tour, which runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Halloween, takes thrill seekers on narrated tours through the most active afterlife in all of Kansas. Along with tour standards such as Sallie, the young girl ghost who sets spontaneous fires and attacks men, and the Gargoyle House, where evil spirits wreak havoc, Atchison regales tourgoers with new tales. For example, there’s Eugenia Dennis, famous in the 1930s as the “psychic wonder girl from Kansas,” says Stan Lawson, one of the tour coordinators. Tickets cost $8, and the trolley runs hourly from 6 to 9 p.m. A couple of extra bucks buys admittance to one of the haunted Victorian mansions, where the owners tell ghost stories of their own. Reservations are required; call 800-234-1854 for tickets or more information. — Christopher Sebela

Das Booty

9/24-9/26
With modesty the new trend in fashion, we think the big designers should slip some lederhosen onto the racks of their fall collections. In addition to capturing a festive, alpine look, lederhosen, with their midriff-foiling high waist, cleavage-denying suspenders and impenetrable fly are veritable modesty, if not chastity, suits. There should be plenty of lederhosen on display this weekend at Oktoberfest on the Wasserfront at Berkley Riverfront Park (Riverfront Road and North Monroe Avenue); however, we fear that copious beer drinking might seriously jeopardize the moral restraint encouraged by the traditional German garb. So, be warned. Das fest begins at 4 p.m. Friday; Brave Combo, a band that claims to be able to turn any song into a polka, takes the stage at 9 p.m. The festival continues Saturday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at noon. Admission is $5; call 816-691-2140. — Jason Harper

They’re plant-alizing

9/24-9/26
This isn’t exactly the best time to plant perennials, with first frost just weeks away. But we’re still going to Powell Gardens’ annual plant sale. It’s the best garden between Denver and St. Louis, so there’s no better place to load up on sky-blue hydrangeas, fragrant shrubs or a new maple shade tree. Besides, there will be tons of bulbs available for next spring’s tulip and daffodil explosion. Deals go down from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, but Powell Gardens members can beat the crowd at a sneak preview from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday. Call 816-697-2600. — Joe Miller