WEST END POETRY FESTIVAL: Carrboro Center Center, 100 N. Greensboro St., Carrboro. Oct. 20: Poetry readings, open mics, dinner and discussion, and more.

COWPARADE NC: UNC campus. Through January 2013: Artist-rendered cow sculptures on display. Cows will be auctioned Jan. 26, 2013. Proceeds benefit the N.C. Children’s Hospital. cowparadenc.com

IN FOCUS: Through Nov. 1: Town-wide festival of photography presented by Frank Gallery. Oct. 18: “Taming Technology for the Photographic Creative Process,” 6 pm., Frank Gallery. Oct. 26: George Stuart Opening Reception, 6 p.m., FedEx Global Center, UNC campus. Oct. 30: Photonight, 7:30 p.m., Carroll Hall, UNC campus. Nov. 1: “Documentary Storytelling and Social Change,” 7 p.m., Frank Gallery. frankisart.com

MORGAN CREEK FESTIVAL: North Carolina Botanical Garden, Old Mason Farm Road. Oct. 20: Music by Tim Stambaugh and Friends, guided hikes, presentations and more, morgancreek.org

SAXAPAHAW OKTOBERFEST: Saxapahaw Road. Oct. 20: Fall festival with farmers market, food trucks, live music by Sarah Shook and the Devil, Gasoline Stove and The Morning After. hawriverballroom.com

MUSIC

ARTSCENTER: 300-G E. Main St., Carrboro. Oct. 17: Los Lonely Boys, The Onyx Club Boys. Oct. 19: John Jorgenson Quintet. Oct. 20: Tinariwen, Kishi Bashi. Oct. 24: Ben Taylor. Oct. 26: Steve Forbert, Jon Shain. Oct. 27: Sam Bush Band. Nov. 1: Shamekia Copeland. Nov. 2: Tim O’Brien. artscenterlive.org, 929-2787.

CAFFE DRIADE: 1215-A E. Franklin St. Oct. 20: Magnolia Klezmer Band. caffedriade.com

CAT’S CRADLE: 300 E. Main St., Carrboro. Oct. 19: Father John Misty, La Sera, Jeffertitti’s Nile. Oct. 20: Langhorne Slim & The Law, The Last Bison, Wylie Hunter & The Cazadores. Oct. 21: Afghan Whigs, Wussy. Oct. 23: State Radio. Oct. 24: Lagwagon, Fat Wreck Chords Tour, Dead To Me, Flatliners, Useless ID. Oct. 25: The Sea and Cake, Matthew Friedberger. Oct. 26: Sharon Van Etten, Damien Jurado. Oct. 27: Old 97s. Oct. 28: Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers. Oct. 29: Aesop Rock with Rob Sonic and DJ Big Whiz, Dark Time Sunshine. Oct. 30: Nouvelle Vague, Yasmine Hamdan. Nov. 1: Electric Six, Little Hurricane. Nov. 3: Mipso, Plume Giant, David Childers and the Overmountain Men. Nov. 6: Barstool Blackout Tour. Nov. 7: JD McPherson. mcatscradle.com

THE CAVE: 452 1/2 W. Franklin St. Oct. 18: Greg Burroughs Band, Jeremy Goodwin. Oct. 19: Criaturas, Joint D, No Power. Oct. 21: Sinners & Saints, The Piedmontsmen. Oct. 22: Elk Attack, Hyrocco. Oct. 23: Purple. Oct. 24: The Phuss, Eureka California, Bam!Bam! Oct. 25: The Charlie Garrett Band. Oct. 26: Cottontail, No More Fake Labels Showcase. Oct. 27: Red Threads, Mecankill. Oct. 28: Wilhelm McKay, Charley Orlando. Oct. 29: Kiernan McMullan. Oct. 30: Doug Largent Trio, Radar’s Clowns of Sedation, Eno Mountain Boys. Oct. 31: Hwyl-o-ween, Left Outlet. 919-968-9308, caverntavern.com

CRUNKLETON: 320 W. Franklin St. First Thursdays: Jazzbeau. 919-969-1125

EAST CHAPEL HILL HIGH SCHOOL: Weaver Dairy Road. Oct. 18: ECHHS Bands Concert, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23: ECHHS Orchestra Concert, 7:30 p.m.

FIVE OAKS CLUBHOUSE: Oct. 27: Chris Smither. Nov. 17: Nora Jane Struthers. Dec. 8: Onyx Club Boys. fortyacres.org

HAW RIVER BALLROOM: Saxapahaw. Oct. 31: Heartless Bastards. hawriverballroom.com

KENAN MUSIC BUILDING: UNC campus. Oct. 21: “The Three B’s: Bach, Beethoven and Brahms,” Chapel Hill Philharmonia Concert For and With Children. 3 p.m. Free.

LOCAL 506: 506 W. Franklin St. Oct. 18: The Lighthouse and the Whaler, Ewert and The Two Dragons. Oct. 19: Milo Greene, Lucius. Oct. 20: Admiral Fallow, Erin Rae. Oct. 21: Generationals, Maus Haus, Brett Harris. Oct. 22: Ron Pope, Jesse Ruben, Alexis Babini. Oct. 23: Mono, Chris Brokaw. Oct. 24: Poor Moon, Some Army, Ryan Gustafson. Oct. 25: The Winter Sounds, The Camaraderie, Octopus Jones. Oct. 26: Joseph Vincent. Oct. 27: Hospitality, Teen, The Human Eyes. Oct. 28: A Place to Bury Strangers, Bleeding Rainbow. Oct. 30: Freelance Whales, Geographer. Oct. 31: Halloween with Dreads to Kill, Bloody Sabbath. 919-942-5506, local506.com.

MEMORIAL HALL: Cameron Ave., UNC campus. Oct. 25: Studio for New Music Ensemble from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory. Oct. 29-30: Mariinsky Orchestra of St. Petersburg. Nov. 2: Joshua Bell. 919-843-3333, carolinaperformingarts.org

NIGHTLIGHT: 405 1/2 W. Rosemary St. Oct. 17: 919 Noise Showcase with Felt Battery, Peter Aldrich, Small Life Form, I Am Just A Pupil. Oct. 19: Des Ark. Oct. 22: Horse Lords, The Home of Easy Credit. Oct. 24: MV & EE. Oct. 25: Fenster. Oct. 26: EP Release Party for Tow3rs, Jenny Besezt. Oct. 27: Stranger Spirits. nightlightclub.com

OPEN EYE CAFE: W. R101 S. Greensboro St., Carrboro. Oct. 19: Tango. Oct. 20: Jesse Beaman. 919-968-9410, openeyecafe.com

THE STATION: 201-C E. Main St., Carrboro. Oct. 17: Mark Holland. Oct. 18: Doug Largent Trio. Oct. 19: Alex Bowers and Friends. Oct. 20: Lee Gildersleeve and the Bad Dog Blues Band. Oct. 22: Open Mic. Oct. 26: Alex Bowers and Friends. Oct. 29: Open Mic. Oct. 31: Halloween Bash with London Dungeon and Ziggy Stardust. 919-967-1967, thestationcarrboro.com

RECEPTIONS/OPENINGS

ACKLAND ART MUSEUM: UNC campus. South Columbia and East Franklin streets. Oct. 18: Curator’s Clinic, 1-4 p.m.; Japanese Tea Tasting, 6-7:30 p.m. Oct 21: Music in the Galleries: Triangle Taiko. Oct. 28: Family Day. Some events have admission fees and limited attendance. 919-966-5736, ackland.org

FRANK: 109 E. Franklin St. Oct. 18: “Taming Technology for the Photographic Creative Process,” 6 pm., Frank Gallery. 919-636-4135, frankisart.com

HANES ART CENTER: UNC campus. Oct. 23: Hanes Visiting Artist Leture: Dread Scott. 6 p.m. art.unc.edu/index.htm

HIL

R/DANCE

ARTSCENTER: 300-G E. Main St., Oct. 20: Chuckle and Chortle Comedy Show. Oct. 21: “You Wouldn’t Expect,” Marilynn Barner Anselmi. Oct. 27: Sacrificial Poets Poetry Jam. Oct. 27: No Shame Theater. Oct. 28: Halloween Shorts presented by the Playwrights Roundtable. 919-929-2787, artscenterlive.org

DSI COMEDY THEATER: Carr Mill Mall, Carrboro. Oct. 18: The Most Races Show on Earth, Standup Comedy. Oct. 19: Improv Slam, Harold Night, Mister Diplomat. Oct. 20: Improv Slam, Fright Night, X Games. Oct. 25: Comedy Lottery, Standup Comedy. Oct. 26: Improv Slam, Harold Night, Mister Diplomat. Oct. 27: Improv Slam, Fright Night, X Games. 919-338-8150, dsicomedy.com

FRIDAY CENTER: 100 Friday Center Drive. Oct. 19: “Hemingway, His Way,” one-man play by Paul White. Sponsored by the East Chapel Hill Rotary Club. Tickets available at the Carolina Inn, Carolina Meadows and Sheraton Hotel on U.S. 15-501.

PLAYMAKERS: Center for Dramatic Art, UNC campus. Oct. 24-Nov. 11: “Imaginary Invalid.” Nov. 28-Dec. 16: “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.” Jan. 26-March 3: “A Raisin in the Sun” in rotating repertory with “Clybourne Park.” April 3-April 21: “Cabaret.” 962-PLAY, playmakersrep.org

PRC2: Center for Dramatic Art, UNC campus. Jan. 9-13: “And God Created Great Whales.” April 24-28: “Spring Training.” 919-962-PLAY, playmakersrep.org

VARSITY THEATRE: 123 E. Franklin St. Oct. 19: “The Zombie & Creature Double Horror Feature,” presenting the feature films “In the Devil’s Courthouse” and “One Last Sunset,” and shorts “Recalculating” and “The Horribly Horrible Horror Show.” devilscourthouse.com

FOR KIDS

ARTSCENTER: 300-G E. Main St., Carrboro. Nov. 3: Justin Roberts. 919-929-2787, artscenterlive.org