Well folks, the snow has begun to fly. Forget the rain gear — seems like it’s time for the snowpants, boots and gloves to be dug out of the closet. Thankfully, there’s quite a few community events coming up this month that don’t require an outdoor presence. Have some fun and stay warm with educational events through SVT or South Peninsula Hospital, a live and live-broadcast concert hosted by Bunnell and KBBI, or a barn dance at Homer High. For that and more, check out these Best Bets.

BEST PLANT INFORMATION BET: Join SVT for another educational night learning about devil’s club and what you can do with this amazingly medicinal plant on Thursday, Oct. 19 from 6-7:30 p.m. Mel Mutterspaugh will present on identification, harvest practices and the medicinal properties of devil’s club, and walk participants through making an infused oil to take home. This event is part of SVT’s series of Thrive! Classes, hosted by Jenifer Dickson in the Wellness Wing. All supplies for this workshop are provided by SVT. Participate in person or via Zoom. For more information, call 907-226-2228 or visit svt.org/events/thrive. 880 East End Road.

BEST ARTS BY AIR BET: Bunnell Street Arts Center and KBBI AM890 present “Bunnell Arts by Air” with Peter Mulvey, in concert, on Friday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. Join the live studio audience at Bunnell or listen on the radio! In-person audiences must be seated at 6:45 p.m. Tickets for this event are $15-30 on a sliding scale. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.bunnellarts.org/. 106 W Bunnell Ave.

BEST COMMUNITY DANCE BET: Get out your dancing shoes — City of Homer community recreation presents a Barn Dance in the Homer High Commons on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. Live music will be provided by the Quicker Pickers, and the dance will be called by David Stutzer. All ages and skill levels are welcome. There is a $10 fee for this event for adults, payable to Homer Community Recreation. Youth in 12th grade and younger may join for free. For more information, call 907-399-8731. 600 E Fairview Ave.

BEST BREAST HEALTH AWARENESS BET: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Homer is still hosting events to spread awareness and support community members! 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/.

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.