THROUGH OCTOBER

Join the Portsmouth Halloween Parade at their annual Mask-arade art show hosted by the Press Room, opening on Friday, Oct. 4 and showing throughout the month of October. Leaping from the walls is a phantasmagorical exhibit of masks, props, costumes and other magical paraphernalia created for, inspired by the 19th annual Portsmouth Halloween Parade, a grassroots, all-volunteer parade that takes inspiration from the traditional roots of Halloween. (Continued below) 

This year's show features the wonderfully macabre spirit of monster-hunter Sara Odom, whose "Monster of the Week" column appears in The Wire. Selected prints of her work will be for sale to benefit the Parade, as will the first-ever "Monster of the Month" calendar for 2014. 

"We're excited to include this selection of artwork that inspires us. We truly believe that these are precisely what Halloween parades should be made of," says Portsmouth Halloween Parade committee organizer Trevor Bartlett. 

There will be an opening reception for the art show on Friday, Oct. 4 at 5 p.m. Odom will be on hand to talk about her unique universe of monsters that have sprung to life week by week in The Wire newspaper over the past year. The creatures come from ancient history and from science's latest discoveries. 

Odom, 29, of Kittery, uses a program called Manga Studio to draw each monster and its story after her shifts as kitchen manager at The Friendly Toast. Odom earned a degree in history at the University of New Hampshire, where she was drawn to study the classics and history of the ancient world. 

"When you study classics, there are these themes that keep popping up that have been themes in the human mind since time immemorial, the big, grand, sweeping question of trying to put into context the world around you," Odom says. "Even though now in the modern age we have answers and reason and logic so readily available, there's still unanswerable questions deep-seated in the brain that make you wonder if you really understand what's going on. All the science and facts and evidence are fine, but there's still something that nags at the back of your head that says maybe this is not what you think it is."

That spirit of mystery also haunts the Portsmouth Halloween Parade. Fundraising events include the return of several popular events, including the (I Gotta) Rock Show at The Coat of Arms on Oct. 7; Undead Beat Night at the Press Room on Oct. 10; the Pumpkin SMASH on Oct. 19 at the Portsmouth Farmers' Market; and a screening of the silent film "The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari" with a live score by Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys at The Music Hall on Oct. 24. There will also be numerous costume, dance and food events.

The Portsmouth Halloween Parade always takes place on Halloween night, Oct. 31, at 7 p.m. All are welcome to march, and wild creativity is encouraged within modest guidelines listed on the group's web site. Participants gather on Peirce Island at 6 p.m. The full route map and four-page Spirit Guide to this year's activities is published in The Wire edition ofOct. 2 and as always at www.spookyportsmouth.com.