Prelude Events

Events > October

This month’s roundup of cultural events across the country.

Renaissance Festival

Kansas City, until October 15

This event in the village of Canterbury began in 1977 with only 50 performers and 7,500 visitors. Now featuring more than 500 performers, the festival attracts crowds of 180,000, all of whom are invited to be a part of history. Learn to dance with the gypsies, taste the ale and watch noble knights joust. Enjoy games, rides and shows—there is also a six-course feast each day, with music, fi re eating and goblet toasts! www.kcrenfest.com

Contemporary Latin American Art Exhibit and Auction

Long Beach, until October 19 (exhibit) October 21–22 (auction)

We’ve all had the fantasy: You wander through an art museum, pick out your favorite painting and then you take it home. You can do just that at this event at the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, California. Throughout October, 120 pieces by Latin American artists will be exhibited—and come October 22 and 23, you can bid on the best ones in the auction. www.molaa.org

Village Halloween Parade

New York City, October 31

It’s time for the nation’s bigges t public Halloween celebration—so put on your best costume and head to Greenwich Village, where more than two million people will be ready to party, led by a menagerie of giant puppets. The fabulous parade is in its 33rd year—and as al ways it will feature a vast array of music, dance and colorful costumes. www.halloween-nyc.com

Scarecrow Festival

Atlanta, October 1-31

Little kids, green thumbs and Wizard of Oz fans alike will enjoy this wacky month-long festival called “Scarecrows in the Garden.” Local businesses create the creepy straw men, displayed in all their glory at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Planned weekend activities such as storytelling and scavenger hunts will keep the kids enthralled until the culmination of the festival—a Halloween party. www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org

World Beer Festival

Durham, NC, October 7

All About Beer magazine has organized this celebration of beer, so come and be a part of the ale-oriented fun. With 150 breweries participating in tastings, live music, food booths from local restaurants and plenty of entertainment for the kids, this is set to be a great day of alfresco fun. www.allaboutbeer.com

San Francisco Jazz Festival

San Francisco, October 20-November 12

This two-week celebration of jazz music presents a phenomenal array of concerts—a mixture of legends and rising stars in various locations around San Francisco and the Bay Area. This year’s highlights include saxophonist Sonny Rollins and renowned bebop pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi. www.sfjazz.org

Heartland Film Festival

Indianapolis, October 19–27

These days, almost every city has a fi lm festival. But the Heartland Film Festival manages to stand out from the rest. All the fi lms shown here have a positive and heartwarming message and aim to leave the audience uplifted and inspired. Expect moving pictures from all over the world to be included in the event, ranging from dramas and documentaries to animation, all of which exhibit high-quality fi lmmaking for an array of viewers. www.heartland.#64257; lmfestival.org