THROUGH OCT. 1

“Sensory Overload: Light, Motion, Sound and the Optical Art Since 1945”

MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM
Bright lights, shiny materials and optical illusions will guide you through this chronological tour of multimedia art. Don’t miss interactive displays like the Walk-In Infinity Chamber.
www.mam.org

SEPT. 25-28

River City Roundup

OMAHA
This Western festival centers around the Ak-Sar-Ben Rodeo—the biggest indoor rodeo in the state—and the ProRodeo Playoff Three. Other diversions include a fair and performances by Larry the Cable Guy and Jessica Simpson.
www.rivercity.roundup.org

SEPT. 27-OCT. 12

Heart of America Quilt Show

KANSAS CITY
Get cozy at this crafty event, which is in its 32nd year. Intricate quilts that are handmade by the Quilters Guild of Greater Kansas City may just inspire you to learn a new hobby—or to change your home décor.
www.quiltguildofgkc.org

Seattle, through Oct. 26

“Robots: A Designer’s Collection of Miniature Mechanical Marvels”

Toy Stories
Experience Music Project|Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame
www.empsfm.org

These mini mechanical marvels are more than meet the eye.

TOM GEISMAR IS a renowned graphic designer, but an exhibit at Seattle’s Experience Music Project|Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame is a showcase for a more playful obsession: his robot collection.

These aren’t androids bent on world domination or electronic servants fulfilling our every need; they’re miniatures, which Geismar began collecting during a visit to Japan in the 1970s.

“The imaginative creativity of these small sculptural wonders first appealed to me as a designer and eventually helped me to make cross-cultural connections,” he says.

From antique tin and wooden toys to mid-20th-century Japanese film characters and modern-day Transformers, more than 125 of Geismar’s robots—which he picked up from specialty stores all over the world—are on display.

OCT. 2-5

Oktoberfest by the Bay

SAN FRANCISCO
One of the largest Oktoberfest celebrations in the country, this has all the traditional German trimmings: Bavarian music, bratwurst and, of course, plenty of tasty beer to try.
www.oktoberfestbythebay.com

OCT. 18-19

Head of the Charles Regatta

BOSTON
The largest two-day rowing event in the world attracts die-hard fans of the sport and leaf-peepers alike. When you’re not watching one of the 55 events, shop for everything from rowing machines to regatta banners.
www.hocr.org

OCT. 21-25

CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival

NEW YORK
This is where next big things are discovered. More than 100,000 music and film aficionados and industry insiders scatter to venues all over the city to discover emerging bands and independent films.
www.cmj.com

Spooky Spots

These Halloween destinations are not for the faint of heart.

LIGHTS OUT!

Eastern State Penitentiary was once home to Al Capone, and it’s been on The Travel Channel’s “Most Haunted Live USA,” Fox Television’s “World’s Scariest Places,” TLC’s “America’s Ghost Hunters” and MTV’s “FEAR.” It’s a scary place, even without the impressive haunted house that’s open on select nights throughout the fall. The New York Times called it “perfect for Halloween.”

Being left to wander an abandoned cellblock with only the light of a flashlight and the experiments of a crazy prison doctor are sure to scare you straight. Animatronics in the Intake section make getting fingerprinted and having your mug shot taken as creepy as the ghosts you might see on the harrowing tour.

“Terror Behind the Walls: Halloween at Eastern State Penitentiary”

Philadelphia, Sept. 19-Nov. 2
www..easternstate.org/halloween

FILM SCREAMINGS

Billed as “The Nation’s Largest Horror Film Festival,” Screamfest has screened scary flicks like 30 Days of Night, Dawn of the Dead and Return to the House on Haunted Hill. And you might just get a chance to mix it up with some not-so-spooky celebs: The David Arquette-directed film The Tripper premiered here in 2006, so Arquette and Courtney Cox Arquette walked the red carpet. Horror movie legend Wes Craven has also been known to show up.

But Screamfest is primarily an opportunity for upand-coming fright mongers to strut their stuff. Shorts and low-budget horror flicks are screened for audiences looking to be scared out of their skin.

Screamfest

Los Angeles, Oct. 10-19
www. screamfestla.com