As the leaves turn in October, Baltimore is alive with plenty to do.
||Chocolate Festival at Lexington Market||
October 1-3, 2009, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Live music, magic, a chocolate-eating contest and a guest appearance by Miss Maryland 2009, Nicole Ortiz. Held at the East Market Arcade, 400 W. Lexington St.
||Fells Point Fun Festival||
October 3-4, 2009, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Fells Point Fest in Baltimore began as a small neighborhood festival more than 40 years ago as a way to raise money to keep the waterfront neighborhood from being sliced and diced by a planned interstate. Today, Fells Point Fun Festival is one of Baltimore's biggest events, attracting more than 700,000 for a weekend of music, food and drink.
||Final Orioles Game of the 2009 Season||
October 4, 2009, 1:35 p.m.
The Birds close the book on a 12th-straight losing season at Camden Yards against the Toronto Blue Jays. Tickets are available online, but something tells me you won't have a problem just getting one at the window a few minutes before the first pitch. While the O's lost 90-plus games for the fourth-straight year, the cavalry of exciting young players means that for the first time in recent memory there is hope for the future.
||Edgar Allan Poe: A Baltimore Icon Opens at the Baltimore Museum of Art||
October 4, 2009 (through January 17, 2010)
In celebration of the 200th anniversary of Poe's birth, the BMA hosts this exhibit of prints, drawings, and illustrated books inspired by the Baltimore (claimed) author.
||Baltimore Running Festival||
October 10, 2009, 8 a.m.
The annual marathon, half-marathon, 5k, and kids fun run wind through the city. Celebration Village is located near the finish line near M&T Bank Stadium. It features live music, interactive games, food and drink on race day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The village is free and open to the public.
||Maryland Home, Garden, and Living Show||
October 16-18, 2009, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium hosts this annual showcase featuring more than 400 exhibitors, a display of Man Caves, the fall crafts show, and daily seminars. Tickets are $9 for adults, $6 for seniors, $3 for children ages 6-12, and free for kids under 6.
||Russian Festival||
October 16-18, 2009, 5-9 p.m. on the 16th, Noon-9 p.m. on the 17th, Noon to 5 p.m. on the 18th
Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church at 1723 E. Fairmount Ave. is the setting for the 36th-annual festival. Food, music, dancing and more is on the schedule. Admission is free on the 16th, and $2 on the 17th and 18th. Parking is free.
||Zoo Boo at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore||
October 23-25, 2009, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Now in its 26th year, Zoo Boo features trick-or-treating, a costume contest, games, crafts, pumpkin painting, and of course, all the zoo's regular attractions. Held in the Waterfowl Lake Pavilion, regular admission prices apply.
||Great Halloween Lantern Parade in Patterson Park||
October 24, 2009, 7:30 p.m.
The 10th-annual event cosponsored by the Creative Alliance features a Haunted Hamlet Festival from 3 to 7 p.m., followed by the parade and lantern show at 7:30. Both are free. This year's festivities include the first-ever pre-Parade party-fest with hay rides, hot cider, last minute lantern making, spooky storytelling, great food and live music.
||Jay-Z at 1st Mariner Arena||
October 27, 2009, 8 p.m.
The hip-hop performer visits Baltimore. Tickets start at $29.50 and are available online.
