The best ticket in Hollywood this week lands on a Tuesday: The Doobie Brothers play Hard Rock Live on October 20. The rest of the week is mostly free. There is a costume parade and outdoor movie at ArtsPark on Friday, live bands on the beach five nights a week, and a month of Halloween cocktails on the Intracoastal.

Tuesday, Oct. 20: The Doobie Brothers at Hard Rock Live

A school night is an odd slot for a band with this catalog, which is why it is worth circling. Seminole Hard Rock lists the show for Tuesday, October 20, at 8 p.m. at Hard Rock Live, 1 Seminole Way, with tickets starting at $75. The venue's own write-up gives the scale: more than 48 million albums sold, four Grammys, a 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, and a 2025 Songwriters Hall of Fame nod. The current lineup brings back Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald, Pat Simmons and John McFee, the same four who reunited for the band's 50th anniversary run and who appear on the new studio album, Walk This Road.

The real point for a Hollywood resident is the McDonald factor. A show with both Johnston and McDonald on one stage means you get both halves of the band's history in a single night. That covers the early road songs and the later soft rock hits that still fill every South Florida oldies station. Weeknight shows at Hard Rock Live also tend to be easier on parking and on the drive home along State Road 7 than the Saturday crowds. If you have been waiting for a big name you can catch without burning a weekend, this is it. For comparison, the venue's next big draw is Blake Shelton on Saturday the 24th.

Wednesday through Sunday: free bands at the Hollywood Beach Theatre

The bandshell at the foot of Johnson Street rarely gets talked about because it never stops. According to the City of Hollywood calendar, the Hollywood Beach Theatre at 200 Johnson St. hosts free concerts every Wednesday through Sunday from 7 to 9 p.m. This week that means Saturday and Sunday nights, then Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort programs the music, and the resort's events calendar posts the nightly lineup.

Why go on a random weeknight: it is the cheapest good evening on the Broadwalk. There is space in front of the stage to dance and the ocean is a few steps away. Since the city lists every show as free, the only thing you are spending is whatever you pick up at the Broadwalk cafes on the way. It also makes a smart pairing with an early dinner on the beach before the October sunset.

Weekends in October: Halloween on the dock at 5 o'Clock Somewhere

Over on the Intracoastal side of the same resort, 5 o'Clock Somewhere Bar and Grill runs a Halloween menu every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through October 31. The resort sits at 1111 N. Ocean Drive. The specials lean playful. There is a fried chicken sandwich called the Boozy Bird for $18, Cajun shrimp tacos for $20, and a bacon cheddar burger for $20. Dessert means churros with caramel and chocolate sauces for $9 or almond butter cookies shaped like witch fingers for $9.

The cocktail list runs $14 to $16, from a tequila and pineapple Zombies' Last Rita to a Haunted Rum Runner built on Goslings and Cruzan. None of it is subtle, and that is the appeal. It is a dockside table on the waterway with a seasonal menu that disappears at the end of the month. That gives you this weekend and next to try it.

Friday, Oct. 23: Boo Bash and a free movie at ArtsPark

For families, Friday is the night. The city's Boo Bash takes over ArtsPark at Young Circle in downtown Hollywood from 5 to 9 p.m. Music and kids' activities start at 5, a costume fashion show follows at 7, and the regular ArtsPark Movie Night screens Hotel Transylvania 2 on the amphitheater lawn at 8. Admission is free and food is sold on site.

Two practical notes from the city save you a headache. First, bring a blanket or beach chair for the lawn. Second, leave the plastic water bottles at home, because city parks are plastic and foam free and single use items are not allowed on the grounds. Parking is in the city's Radius Garage at 250 N. 19th Ave. or the Van Buren Garage at 251 S. 20th Ave. at standard rates. The Radius Garage is limited to residents and pass holders from October 19 through November 3, so plan on Van Buren. The costume show is the reason to arrive early. It gives kids a chance to wear the outfit a full week before Halloween, and to do it in front of a crowd.

How to stack the week

The smart play is to treat Hollywood as two separate nights out. One is a Tuesday night splurge at Hard Rock Live for a band most of us have been singing along to for decades. The other is a nearly free Friday that starts with costumes downtown and can end with a 7 p.m. set at the beach theater. Fill the gaps with a weekend drink on the Intracoastal. You can do the whole week without leaving the city line, and most of it without opening your wallet.