Best Bets

The spooky day has gone away, and it’s time to gear up for the weeks of winter and holiday events ahead! Life might be slowing down for most of you year-rounders here in town, but that just means you have more time to take part in fun opportunities open to the community. Get some tips on planning next year’s garden, learn some neat things about marine mammals, take in a romantic guitar recital, or enjoy one or more of the numerous art calls and shows coming up on the calendar! For all that and more, check out these Best Bets.

BEST GARDEN PLANNING BET: Join Kachemak Bay Campus on Thursday, Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. for some great tips on planning a garden that will provide plenty of healthy, delicious food for you and your family! Monica Kopp and Carey Restino will share tools and tips for garden planning to set you up for success this coming growing season, including how to estimate yield, what crops won’t let you down, and how to create an awesome garden plan to grow some serious food next year! This event takes place in person in KBC’s Pioneer Hall and virtually via Zoom at https://alaska.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEqcuGvrT0rGtQp_9PlqRX5qgi9koYhaWvf#/registration. For more information on KBC’s new Grower’s School, visit www.kbcgrows.com or call 907-235-1674. 533 E Pioneer Ave.

BEST SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM BET: Join Kachemak Bay Campus on Friday, Nov. 3 for a marine mammal biology symposium by this year’s Semester By the Bay students. From noon to 4 p.m., Dr. Debbie Tobin and Marc Webber‘s students will present research and highlight their field studies in oral presentations on polar bear thermoregulation, migration patterns and mating; dive physiology of elephant seals; the biomechanics of lunge-feeding in blue whales; and more. A poster session will follow from 5-7 p.m. and include documenting the marine mammals in Kenai Fjords National Park, monitoring critically endangered Cook Inlet Beluga whales, understanding the harbor porpoises in Kachemak Bay, Outer Bay/Lower Cook Inlet marine mammal surveys including Steller sea lion monitoring at Flat Island, and more. This program is free and open to the public. For more information, call 907-235-1674. 533 E Pioneer Ave.

BEST GUITAR RECITAL BET: Homer Council On the Arts presents “A Romantic Guitar Recital: Golden Age of Guitar,” featuring Aurora Guitar Duo Armin Abdihodzic and Thomas Tallant. Enjoy an intimate evening concert of 19th century classical guitar music on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m., featuring works by Giuliani, Diabelli, Haydn, Doisy and more. The concert will be held in the HCOA Gallery. A $15 donation is suggested. For more information, visit www.homerart.org or call 907-235-4288. 355 W Pioneer Ave.

BEST ART INSTALLATION BET: Join Bunnell Street Arts Center, the City of Homer and Homer Drawdown for a public reception to dedicate the artwork of Kim McNett into the city’s permanent public art collection at the Homer Airport Terminal. The reception will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 8 from 5-7 p.m. and feature an artist’s talk, remarks and refreshments. Kim McNett is a naturalist, adventurer, artist and educator living in Homer. McNett’s art installation, “The Peatlands,” is a celebration of the ecosystems that surround the Homer airport and local peatland conservation efforts. For more information on the artist, visit www.kimsnaturedrawings.com. For more information on the event, visit http://www.bunnellarts.org or call 907-235-2662. 3720 Faa Street.

BEST LIVE HEALTH TALK BET: Join South Peninsula Hospital on Thursday, Nov. 9 at 5 p.m. for a monthly “Down with Downey: Live at Five” talk on COVID-19 and Long-COVID. Explore practical tips and strategies to safeguard yourself from COVID-19 and learn how to minimize the risk of developing long COVID. Stay informed and empowered about your health and well-being. Dr. Rob Downey, MD is an IFM-certified practitioner at Seaworthy Functional Medicine Clinic. “Down with Downey” is a monthly series held on Facebook Live where participants can hear Dr. Downey’s insights on health, wellness and functional medicine, followed by a live Q&A. For more information, 907-435-3070 or fmc@sphosp.org.

BEST CALL FOR FESTIVAL ART BET: The Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival is seeking applications for the 2024 Festival Artist! Each year, a unique piece is commissioned to be auctioned during the Festival. The design will be featured on posters, programs and merchandise. Additionally, the selected artist has the opportunity to show their work in Homer and/or host workshops, and will receive compensation for their piece and involvement in the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival. To be considered as the 2024 Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival Artist, please submit 4-6 samples of your previous work electronically to KachemakShorebird@gmail.com by Nov. 3.

BEST TIME ON THE ICE BET: Public ice skating at the Kevin Bell Arena opens in November, with Friday Night Lights starting on Nov. 3 at 5 p.m. Other open skate sessions are on Saturdays from 2:45-4:45 p.m. and Sundays from 1:45-3:45 p.m. Admission is $7, skate rental is $3. Get in free with a Homer Hockey Association membership — for more information on programs and fees, visit www.kevinbellarena.org/. 3150 Homer Spit Rd.

BEST SISTER CITY ART BET: Attention Homer artists! The Consular Office of Japan in Anchorage, in an effort to support the activities of local citizens and cultural groups, is holding the “Japan-Alaska Sister Cities Town Pride Festa,” where a wide range of original “town pride” works from the sister cities can be submitted. The theme is “Works by citizens and organizations of the Japan-Alaska, that emphasize ‘town pride’ and introduce shopping streets, tourist attractions, traditional arts, culture, etc. of the town they live in,” and there are no restrictions on the medium of the work. The application period is open until Jan. 19, 2024. For more information or to submit your work, visit https://www.anchorage.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/sistercity_okunijiman.html.

Community members enter the Homer Chamber of Commerce building for face painting and “Spooky Storytime” during the Fall Fest on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023 in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)

Community members vote for their favorite carved pumpkin at the Fall Fest at the Homer Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023 in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)