Fall favorites include a fringe fest and a spooky night at the orchestra this week for things to do and see in CT

Halloween falls on a Monday this year, so a lot of the spooky stuff hits a few days earlier. That includes everything from a scary symphony concert to a paranormal gathering at a casino to a live band accompanying “The Night of the Living Dead.”

Those unaware of ‘70s punk history might think the Dead Boys show in New Haven is somehow related to the Halloween festivities but no, that’s just a great and historic band that happens to have gotten back together. Other bands marking grand returns or anniversaries include prog-rock pioneers Renaissance and Connecticut’s own hardcore heroes Hatebreed.

For a spooktacular time, here are some of the top things to do and see this week in Connecticut arts.

Hartford Fringe Festival

Carriage House Theater, 360 Farmington Ave., Hartford

The third Hartford Festival — following a dormant year and a virtual year — takes place all this week, concluding with a “Best of the Fringe” bill on Oct. 30 that features repeat performances of the most popular entries as determined by audience votes and box office receipts.

There are several separate performances each night, from cabaret to sketch comedy to a one-act opera. Tickets are $13 per show, $10 for students and seniors. hartfordfringefestival.org.

Dead Boys

Café Nine, 250 State St., New Haven

Granted, Dead Boys weren’t even in the top five of the most famous bands that emerged from the New York club CBGB in the late ‘70s, but they earned major support from that historic club’s owner Hilly Kristal.

Some of the Ohio-rooted punk band’s fortunes are chronicled in the film “CBGB.” Frontman Stiv Bators died in a car accident over 30 years ago, but two founding members, guitarist Cheetah Chrome and drummer Johnny Blitz, reunited the band five years ago to remake their debut album “Young, Loud and Snotty,” and are now touring again, aided by vocalist Jake Hout, guitarist Jason “Ginchy” Kottwitz and bassist Ricky Rat.

They play Café Nine, where Chrome played in 2006 with a reunion of a different legendary band he co-founded, Rocket From the Tombs, on Monday at 8 p.m., with Suzi Moon opening. $25. cafenine.com.

Vir Das

The Bushnell, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford

After a decade as a TV, movie and comedy star in his native India, Vir Das wasted no time establishing himself in the U.S. and other countries, making five comedy specials for Netflix between 2017 and 2020. He’s performed at the Kennedy Center and hosted a comedy news show. This time, he will be performing his thought-provoking stand-up comedy at 8 p.m. on Oct. 28 in The Bushnell’s Belding Theater. $43-$56. bushnell.org.

Renaissance

Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge Rd., Ridgefield

The 1970s prog-pop band Renaissance is enjoying a renaissance (well, what else would you call it?) with its “Legacy Tour,” marking the 75th birthday (in June) of the band’s singular vocalist Annie Haslam. Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. $50-$57.50. ridgefieldplayhouse.org

Hatebreed

Webster Theater, 31 Webster St., Hartford

Hatebreed, the hardcore metal band founded in Bridgeport by Jamie Jasta in the mid-1990s, is marking the 20th anniversary of one of its defining albums, “Perseverance,” with a tour wisely titled “20 Years of Perseverance.” Hatebreed headlines at the Webster on Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. with opening acts Gatecreeper, Bodysnatcher and Dying Wish. $29. webstertheater.com.

Brent Cobb & Hayes Carll

Infinity Hall, 32 Front St., Hartford

Two rootsy Nashville alt-country singer-songwriters have gotten together for the “Gettin’ Together” tour. “No Place Left to Leave” meets “She Left Me for Jesus” as Georgia-born Brent Cobb — whose songs have been covered by the likes of Luke Bryan and Miranda Lambert — and Hayes Carll — known for his sardonic, down-on-his-luck lyrics — team up for a few songs and also perform separately. Oct. 28 at the Hartford Infinity Hall. 8 p.m. $28-$38. infinityhall.com.

Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn

The Bushnell, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford

Two banjo virtuosos who happen to be married to each other share the Bushnell Stage on Oct. 29 at 7:30 p.m. Béla Fleck revolutionized bluegrass and helped the banjo make inroads into the pop/rock realm. Washburn, who’s also a fine vocalist, used the clawhammer banjo to experiment with Chinese folk influences. $47-$70. bushnell.org

Morricone Youth

Warner Theatre, 68 Main St., Torrington

The New York instrumental band Morricone Youth has made their name playing brash new scores for cult films, anything from “Eraserhead” to “Foxy Brown” to “Mad Max” to the silent adventure “The Adventures of Prince Achmed.” (The band name is a hip allusion to both the Sonic Youth side project Ciccone Youth and the Italian film composer Ennio Morricone.)

Morricone Youth created an original score for the George Romero zombie classic “Night of the Living Dead” years ago and released a recording of it in 2016. The band will perform it live on Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. in the Warner Theater’s Oneglia Auditorium with a pre-show cocktail hour starting at 6 p.m. warnertheatre.org

Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s ‘Tales of Halloween’

The Bushnell, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford

Hartford Symphony Orchestra October “pops” concert naturally sets its sights on Halloween but also makes it a rousing community event by involving Connecticut-born composer John Jesensky and his new work “Tales of Halloween.”

The performance, for which the audience is invited to dress up in spooky costumes, will feature interactive illustrations by Connecticut artists.

Jesensky, now based in Los Angeles, has worked with the symphony several times as the conductor of some of the Harry Potter and Star Trek orchestra-accompanied film screenings at The Bushnell. “Tales of Halloween” will be told on Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. in The Bushnell’s Mortensen Hall. $38-$64. bushnell.org

Reach reporter Christopher Arnott at carnott@courant.com.