On the road: A tour of artists' studios

Midwest

Enjoy the Blue Coast

Ever wish to chuck it all, move to the country and buy a used potter's wheel? Experience the creative process for a weekend at the 23rd annual Blue Coast Artists annual Fall Tour of Studios in western Michigan. The tour includes eight working artists' studios located between South Haven and Saugatuck and each site offers demonstrations, original artwork and hands-on art-making projects. Bring the family to enjoy fall's color cabaret , watch a piece of pottery form or metal hammered into a piece of jewelry.

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday to Sunday, Oct. 6-7. Free. (269) 236-9260 or bluecoastartists.com.

Apple of your eye

Spring and summer's odd weather didn't affect the apple crop in the Bayfield, Wis., area so the annual Bayfield Apple Festival will be full of apples and autumn colors. The 50th annual celebration takes place along historic streets lined with local orchard stands, fine art exhibitors, musicians, crafters and festival food booths throughout the three-day weekend. Expect to sample everything from caramel apples and dumplings to apple cider, apple bratwurst, mustard and butter.

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday to Sunday, Oct. 5-7. (800) 447-4094 or bayfield.org

Get a (ski) jump on winter fun

Ski and snowboarding buddies might want to consider Boyne Mountain's fourth annual Skitoberfest, a weekend that celebrates the coming winter season with a Snowsports Summit in a family Oktoberfest style setting. Meet and greet with four-time Olympian and World Cup winner A.J. Kitt. Watch an on-snow rail jam, let the kids run around new Burton Riglet Park and get some bargains at a ski swap. Other highlights include food vendors, Michigan beer, wine and spirits plus live music and performances, free scenic chairlift rides and a parade.

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, at Boyne Mountain Civic Center, Boyne Falls, Mich. Admission is free but some activities require fees. (800) 462-6963 or BOYNE.com

Chicago

Art march in October

This year's theme of Chicago Artists Month is “Art Block by Block“ when more than 200 events take place during the month of October. There will be open houses and studio tours, neighborhood art walks, informal discussions, workshops and exhibits throughout the city. More than 45 neighborhoods and some 5,000 artists who live and work in Chicago will participate this year. Events include a Bridgeport Block Party, innovative work by artists from across the Logan Square and Avondale areas and 30 large-scale sculptures on display in neighborhoods from Wicker Park/Bucktown, Lincoln Park, Lakeview and Edgewater.

Oct. 1-31. Various venues around Chicago. chicagoartists month.org

Designated knitter

Lovers of design and history alike will revel in the Field Museum's newest exhibition, “Fashion and the Field Museum Collection: Maria Pinto.” Explore the world of design through clothing hand-selected from the museum's collections by renowned Chicago fashion designer Maria Pinto, and contemporary pieces created by Pinto and exclusively displayed at the museum. Pinto chose 25 museum garments and adornments and drew connections between these pieces and her own designs, seven of which are featured. See a crocodile skin vest, a parka made of bird skins, a translucent rain coat made of seal intestines and a necklace made of woven monkey fur from the museum‘s collections.

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Sunday through June 16 at 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive. The exhibit is free with basic admission, which is $12-$15; $10 for kids ages 3-11. (312) 922-9410 or fieldmuseum.org.

Wanted: Dead and alive

Enjoy the 26th annual exhibition of one of Mexico's most important celebrations, and the largest annual Day of the Dead exhibition in the U.S. at the National Museum of Mexican Art. Works of art created by Mexican artists from both sides of the border celebrate life by glimpsing at death. Sugar skull demonstrations, family programs and free public tours are also scheduled during the exhibit's run.

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday through Dec. 16 at 1852 W. 19th St., Chicago. Free admission. (312) 738-1503 or nationalmuseum ofmexicanart.org.

Worth the trip

The Kennedy Center, in collaboration with the Grammy Museum, celebrates the life and work of folk singer Woody Guthrie with performances by artists including Arlo Guthrie, John Mellencamp, Jackson Browne, Rosanne Cash, Judy Collins, Ry Cooder, Ani DiFranco, Donovan, Dropkick Murphys, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Tom Morello, Old Crow Medicine Show, Rob Wasserman and others. During “This Land is Your Land — A Woody Guthrie Centennial Celebration Concert” hear songs such as “Pretty Boy Floyd,” “Pastures of Plenty,” “Hard Travelin',” “Deportee,” “Roll on Columbia,” “Vigilante Man,” and “This Land Is Your Land.”

7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street, NW Washington, D.C. Tickets range from $45-$175. (800) 444-1324 or washington.org.