October has arrived, and with it comes the crisp autumn air and changing colors of local nature. Besides all that, there’s also a calendar’s worth of great community events taking place this month. For environmental monitoring, community and personal health, and family-friendly and spooky fun, check out these Best Bets!

BEST COASTWALK CLEANUP BET: Join Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies for a short hike to the beach at the mouth of Diamond Creek to clean up marine debris and collect environmental data! Cleaning marine debris from the beach and collecting data can help the crew see how trash moves through Kachemak Bay, and how beach access affects what they find. Transportation is available from CACS headquarters at 708 Smoky Bay Way; otherwise, meet at the Diamond Creek trailhead off the Sterling Highway at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7. Make sure to bring water, warm clothes, rain gear, and your best mud boots. For more information or to sign-up in advance, contact Henry at 907-235-6741 or henry@akcoastalstudies.org.

BEST LIVE HEALTH TALK BET: Join South Peninsula Hospital on Thursday, Oct. 12 at 5 p.m. for a monthly “Down with Downey: Live at Five” talk on puzzling gut problems. If you’re having gut issues and your medical workup has failed, this presentation is for you! Dr. Downey will help you identify sensitivities, stress factors, and interventions for relief. 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. No Facebook? No problem! Doors open at 4:30 p.m. for a live watch party at Kachemak Bay Campus. For more information, 907-435-3070 or fmc@sphosp.org.

BEST CHANGE IN HOMER PANEL BET: Join Guiding Growth for a public discussion on why and how the greater Homer area is changing. On Thursday, Oct. 12 from 6-8 p.m. at the Homer Public Library, a panel discussion will include key Homer figures diving into this topic. Moderated by Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic’s community education and outreach coordinator Jane Rohr, panelists will include realtor Sarah Richardson, City of Homer economic development manager Julie Engebretsen, South Peninsula Hospital’s director of public relations Derotha Ferraro, Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies program director Katie Gavenus, and Homer Chamber of Commerce executive director Brad Anderson. The public is invited to this free event to share perspectives and help add value to this conversation. 500 Hazel Ave.

BEST COMMUNITY HEALTH MEETING BET: Join MAPP of the Southern Kenai Peninsula for a community health improvement planning session on Friday, Oct. 13. Hosted at Kachemak Bay Campus, this event will take place from 9 a.m. to noon, with a lunch break from noon to 1 p.m., before an input session from 5-7 p.m. The results of the 2023 Community Health Needs Assessment help tell our story, now it’s up to us to shape our future. Remote participation is available for this event. For more information, call 907-317-2050 or email mappofskp@gmail.com. 533 E Pioneer Ave.

BEST BREAST HEALTH AWARENESS BET: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Homer is hosting a number of events to spread awareness and support community members! Grace Ridge Brewing will hold a fundraiser to bring the mobile mammogram bus to the southern Kenai Peninsula on Friday, Oct. 6 from 5-7 p.m. There will be a Wellness Wednesday event sponsored by South Peninsula Hospital’s West Wing at Kachemak Bay Campus on Oct. 11 from 5-7 p.m. The South Peninsula Hospital imaging department will host a Mammos and Mocktails Open House on Thursday, Oct. 19 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Kachemak Bay Campus will also host a breast health panel discussion on Tuesday, Oct. 24 from 6-7:30 p.m. For event details and more information, visit www.homeralaska.org/event/breast-health-awareness-month/1231/.

BEST CALL FOR ART BET: Homer Council on the Arts has opened a call for art for their annual 5×7 show! Open to all ages and abilities, community members may submit work online through Saturday, Oct. 21. This small works show is about experimenting, trying something new, and camaraderie among the South Peninsula arts community and challenges artists to think inside the box. Artists may submit up to three entries, all mediums included, and all submitted works must be for sale. For more information, visit homerart.org or call 907-235-4288. 355 W Pioneer Ave.

BEST COMMUNITY SUPPORTED ART BET: Applications for Bunnell Street Arts Center’s 7th annual Community Supported Art (CSA) program are open through Oct. 31. Alaska-based Bunnell member artists are encouraged to apply to create 30 unique pieces of art curated with five other artists. Six artists are selected by competitive application based on quality, contrast and compatibility for the CSA collection. Semi-finalists will be asked to provide a prototype by Dec. 1. All thirty pieces of art are due to Bunnell Street Arts Center by May 1, 2024. Shares go on sale June 1, 2024. For more information or to apply, visit www.bunnellarts.org/csa-program/. Additional questions can be directed to b.lee@bunnellarts.org

BEST FALL FESTIVAL BET: Mark your calendars for the 2023 Homer Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 28! The Homer Chamber of Commerce is gearing up for a day of family-friendly festivities. Plan to celebrate the enchanting colors and crisp air of fall with a variety of exciting activities that will delight both young and young-at-heart. HCOC is looking for vendors, food trucks and folks to host games and events; booth space is free to HCOC members. For more information, contact Silas Firth at membership@homeralaska.org. 201 Sterling Highway.

BEST HALLOWEEN FUN BET: Pioneer Avenue Trick or Treat will make a grand return on Tuesday, Oct. 31 from 4-6 p.m.! After the success of the First Annual Trick or Treat in 2022, the Homer Chamber of Commerce is gearing up to make this year’s event even more thrilling—so get your costumes ready, gather your little ghouls and goblins, and prepare for a day of delightful scares and sweet treasures. If you would like your business put on the walking map or would like to set up a pop-up along Pioneer Ave, contact Silas at membership@homeralaska.org. For more information, visit www.homeralaska.org/events/annual-events/pioneer-ave-trick-or-treat.