Hot Takes: We love football, free candy and Sweetest Day

Here's a sampling of things we love this week:

Lions and Vikings and Packers ... oh, my!

As we head toward the mid-point of the NFL season, there's no doubt our own NFC North is the league's best division. Consider: It's the only one with all of its teams above .500 and — if the season ended today — three would advance to the playoffs. All of that makes Sunday's game, with the Detroit Lions visiting the Minnesota Vikings, a key rivalry matchup. The game airs noon Sunday on Fox. As for the Green Bay Packers? They have a tough game, too, hosting the Houston Texans at Lambeau Field. The Packers game also starts at noon Sunday, airing on CBS.

Downtown specials

Oct. 17 is another Third Thursday celebration in Downtown Kenosha. On the third Thursday of each month, Downtown venues offer activities, extended hours and special deals. For more details, log on at godowntownkenosha.com .

Free candy!

As we head ever closer to Oct. 31, trick-or-treating action is starting to heat up. The Big Candy Day is Halloween, of course, but before that, kids can collect candy during the Candy Crawl in Downtown Racine (offered on Oct. 19 and 26) and other free trick-or-treating and trunk-or-treat events. Go to Pages 6-8 to find out about more Halloween activities (and more FREE candy).

Things that go bump in the night

Cobwebs, chainsaws and werewolves. If you're daring enough, you can encounter all of this — plus terrifying clowns — at area haunted houses and other spooky places. Look on Page 8 for a roundup of where to find fields of screams near you.

Get your Irish on

Boston punk band the Dropkick Murphys — whose anthem "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" is heard in stadiums across the globe to pump up the crowd — is performing Oct. 22at Milwaukee's Pabst Theater. Tickets for the 7 p.m. Tuesday show are $40-$56 (plus fees) at pabsttheatergroup.com .

Be a sweetheart

Saturday is Sweetest Day, which is a great excuse to enjoy your favorite treats. An even better idea is to share those treats with someone. Whatever you do, be a sweetheart on Oct. 19 ... and every day.

Frosted cookies!

The Jerry Smith Farm in Somers is famous for its hand-painted pumpkin characters and other attractions, but the real draw for generations of area kids (and adults) is the farm's frosted cookies. Don't ask us how many we've eaten this month (we'd never tell the truth anyway). How sweet it is!

Crunch time

Oct. 21 is National Apple Day, which is perfect timing. Now is the time to enjoy the many varieties available at area orchards and farmers markets. And remember: There's no shame in getting your daily apples in the form of pies, tarts and turnovers. One of the most popular spots for apple picking every autumn is Apple Holler, which means cars stack up outside the venue, located off I-94 at Highway KR in Yorkville. Hint: If you can get there during the week, you might not have to park three states away. appleholler.com .

Classic hits

Singer/songwriter Richard Marx — who has has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide since the 1980s — performs Saturday night at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan, Illinois. He first had success as a songwriter for artists like Kenny Rogers before recording his own music. His hits include "Right Here Waiting," "Hold On to the Nights" and "Endless Summer Nights." Between 1987 and 1994, the Chicago native had 14 top 20 hits. Tickets are $45 and $59 (plus fees) for his 8 p.m. Oct. 19 show at geneseetheatre.com .

Features/GO Kenosha