Halloween fun: We're less than a week from All Hallow's Eve, and there are too many parties, festivals and hauntings not to celebrate at least once. The Little Monster's Pumpkin Patch & Promenade/The Big Monster's Bed Race takes over Seventh Avenue in Ybor before Guavaween 2015 (more info at facebook.com/fantasmafest). For a more stylish and swanky celebration, head to the Salvador Dali Museum for the 5th Annual Sueños de Dalí. Stone Chef, Sea Salt, Park Shore Grill and Mandarin Hide’s bartenders are participating. Fred Astaire Studio dancers, the Garden Fairies, and members from the Florida West Ballet will entertain with pop-up performances, along with performances from Erica DiCeglie Band, the St. Petersburg Opera, Japanese Drums by Tampa Taiko, and dancing led by DJ Franky G. (Saturday, 8 p.m. thedali.org). On Sunday, bring your pup to Fodder and Shine's Howl-o-Ween Yappy Hour. The event celebrates Halloween with a Four-Legged Friend Costume Contest, specials and more. For more Halloween events, click here.
Clearwater Beach Chalk Walk: Forty-plus artists will create masterpieces on the sidewalks and promenades in a juried competition. Take the family to enjoy a kid's zone, arts and crafts vendors, music and a silent auction. Proceeds go to the Visual Arts Scholarship. Click here for the event's Facebook page.
Tampa Bay Times Festival of Reading: The free event is an annual nirvana for book lovers, and this year's headliner is perhaps the most beloved young adult author of the Gen-X generation. Judy Blume (pictured right), will give a free talk and sign of her latest novel, In the Unlikely Event, during 10 a.m. at the University Student Center of USF St. Pete. Other appearances and events include Pulitzer winners Margo Jefferson (Negroland) and columnist Leonard Pitts Jr. (Grant Park). Actor Amber Tamblyn (Joan of Arcadia, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) baseball broadcaster Dewayne Staats and the story of Bern's restaurant. Click here for schedule.
Localicious Week's In the Deep Eating & Drinking Festival on The Deuces: Taking place on National Food Day, the event offers a delightful cross-section of eats and drinks in St. Pete's Midtown Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Artisanal food and drink vendors, food trucks, local craft beer from St. Pete’s breweries, live bands, free workshops, a bounce castle for the kids, Bluebird Books Bus, an open house at the Carter G. Woodson Museum and more. 22nd Street South and Sixth Avenue, across from the Manhattan Casino, St. Petersburg. Click here for updates.
Eating Someone Else's Leftovers: QUAID is hosting an opening reception for its new show Saturday night, 7-10 p.m. The solo installation by Lauren Moradi explores just what is personal space and our feelings about trespassing on others. Due to the highly detailed, yet delicate nature of the pieces in this exhibition, the artist is allowing people to get and up close and gently examine the work. There will be hand sanitizer available as a requirement for people to use before to keep the pieces intact, and the artist requests that children are not permitted to touch the pieces. 4636 N. Florida Ave., Tampa. Info and updates here.
Tarpon Springs Greek Festival: Opa down at the community center of the majestic St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral in downtown Tarpon Springs, 348 N Pinellas Ave., which will host its annual celebration of Greek culture with Greek folk dancing, live music, a DJ, Greek food, sweets and a full bar. $2, 12 and younger free. tarponspringschamber.com.
Seafood fests: Florida's crustacean delicacies are back and ready to be eaten in mass quantities at Frenchy's Stone Crab Festival on Clearwater Beach. Great companion event to the Chalk Walk (see above for info) taking place Friday and Saturday. John's Pass Seafood Festival, in its 34th year, offers than 100 seafood items plus a fishing tournament, Halloween block party, costume contests, crab races, 'World's Largest Bloody Mary Toast' attempt, arts and crafts and live music throughout. Free (food/drink additional). johnspassvillage.net.
Cyclovia takes over Kennedy again: Walk, bike, run, skate, dance, and sing on Kennedy Blvd this Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The City of Tampa's open-streets initiative, funded by the usually disappointing Florida Department of Transportation and community partners, gets its inspiration from a Bogotá urban tradition named for the Spanish word for "cycle path." The event temporarily closes major city streets to car traffic and converts them into fun and safe recreational areas. Click here for more info.
Tour de SHINE: If you haven't seen all the new murals in downtown St. Pete but love bike events, join SHINE for a lively, two-wheeled tour of St. Pete's murals on Sunday, hosted by some of the artists who created them. There are two tours: one at 10 am and another at noon. All proceeds will be used as seed money for next year's festival. After-party at the Amsterdam featuring music, drink specials, Commune & Co. nitro coffee on tap, and give-aways. Click here for tickets.
This article appears in Oct 22-28, 2015.