Art

Venice Art Center. Showing here through Oct. 8: the all-media show Anything and Everything. Opening Oct. 16 to run through Nov. 5: an exhibition of Flora and Fauna. 485-7136.

Selby Gallery. Continuing on view at this Ringling College space through Oct. 23: Mind Over Matter, a retrospective of 40 years of work by New York artist Alan Scarritt. Photograms, sculptures, drawings, video and sound pieces are included. Opening with a reception at 5 p.m. Oct. 29: Part I of the annual Ringling College Faculty & Staff Exhibitions, to run through Nov. 13. 359-7563.

Art Center Sarasota. Outside Looking In, a members-only juried exhibition, continues through Oct. 23. Also on view: A Survey of Gees Bend Quilts and a Latin American Outsiders exhibition. 365-2032.

Ringling Museum of Art. Continuing here through Oct. 24 is Yinka Shonibare MBE: Mother and Father Worked Hard So I Can Play, featuring headless mannequins costumed in 18th-century styles, as the British-Nigerian artist comments on colonialism. Then, opening Oct. 9 to run through Jan. 2, comes Threads of Gold: Renaissance Tapestries from the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Taking place in the museum courtyard Oct. 17: Sunday sARTée Soiree, a celebration of the Sarasota-Manatee cultural community featuring a range of live performances and more. 359-5700.

Museum of Fine Arts. The St. Petersburg museum continues its current exhibition, Transcending Vision: American Impressionism 1870-1940 through Jan. 9. Featuring mainly oil paintings from the Hudson River School, with works by George Inness, Thomas Moran, Childe Hassam, John Sloan and others. (727) 896-2667.

Sarasota Chalk Festival. The third annual Burns Square chalk fest, welcoming more than 50 artists, has a Halloween theme and takes place Oct. 30 and 31 along South Pineapple Avenue. On the bill: a pumpkin carving contest, vampire fashion show, spooky movies and live music. Go to chalkfestival.com for more.

Children

Pinocchio. The classic tale of the puppet who wanted to become a real boy plays on Florida Studio Theatre’s Gompertz stage, in a new version by Beth Duda and Adam Ratner. Starts at the beginning of the month; for exact dates call 366-9000.

Comedy

McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre. There’s a full lineup of laughs at the North Trail club this month, from comics Jim Brick (Oct. 1-3), Amy Schumer (Oct. 6-10), Josh Sneed (Oct. 13-17) and Philadelphia (Oct. 20-23). 925-3869.

Dance

Sarasota Ballet. The ballet company opens its season with a reprise of choreographer James Buckley’s interpretation of the famous diaries of Anne Frank, Oct. 29, 30 and 31 at the FSU Performing Arts Center. 351-8000.

Miscellaneous

Your Private Resort. Enjoy a seminar on coastal resort living—and how to achieve that feeling in your own home and landscape—at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 6 at Robb & Stucky Interiors showroom, 7557 S. Tamiami Trail. You’ll get trade secrets from designer Ellen Hauth Barry, plus peeks at luxury outdoor furnishings displays. Co-sponsored by Sarasota Magazine. RSVP at 922-2274 ext. 178.

Festival sARTée. Artists, arts organizations and other groups present a host of events related to the visual arts, dance, food, poetry, the circus and more Oct. 8-24 in a variety of venues. For up-to-the-minute info, call 955-0991 ext. 103 or go to sarasotafl.org/festival-sartee/.

Ringling International Arts Festival. Violinist Tim Fain, the Forman Brothers Theatre, dance troupes John Jasperse Company, Les Slovaks Dance Collective and Rubberbandance Group, cabaret singer Sanda Weigl, jazz musician Kate Davis, theater artist Andrew Dawson, a new play by Nilo Cruz, and oh, yes, Mikhail Baryshnikov are among the enticements at this second annual festival, taking place Oct. 13-17 on the grounds of the Ringling Museum. 360-7399 or ringlingartsfestival.org.

Pumpkin Festival/Pumpkin Ball. Ready for Halloween? The second annual pumpkin festival, benefiting All Children’s Hospital, takes place Oct. 29-31 at the Sarasota Fairgrounds, offering live entertainment, vendors, rides, games, a pumpkin patch and more. The third annual Pumpkin Ball is downtown Sarasota’s Halloween Street Party, set for Oct. 30. For more info, call 706-3102.

Music

Sarasota Orchestra Journeys to Genius. "Tchaikovsky: Twist of Fate" is the topic for this month’s look at the life and music—specifically, the Fourth Symphony—of the troubled but talented composer. At 4 and 8 p.m. Oct. 9 at the Sarasota Opera House. 953-3434.

Artist Series of Sarasota. The season’s Soiree Series kicks off Oct. 10 and 12 with performances by soprano Abla Harnz and pianist Laurent Philippe on works by Liszt, Verdi and Puccini. Then pianist Panos Karan plays Debussy and Chopin Oct. 24 and 26. Locations TBA; call 388-1188.

Sarasota Orchestra Great Escapes. Dirk Meyer leads the orchestra in a concert devoted to "Million Dollar Memories"—everything from the Beatles to Barry Manilow to Disney movie tunes. Oct. 13-16 at Holley Hall. 953-3434.

Key Chorale. The choral ensemble kicks off a "new era" in its history with a 25th anniversary CD launch at Dolphin Aviation, on Oct. 17. Invocations: Prayers for the Earth is the title. 921-4845.

Gloria Musicae. "Rolling in the Aisles" looks at humor in music in a performance by this choral company, at 4 p.m. Oct. 24 at Holley Hall. 925-3183.

Sarasota Orchestra Chamber Soiree. The Sarasota Wind Quintet presents a concert of "Baroque to Brahms," including works by Purcell and Scarlatti, at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 28 at Holley Hall. 953-3434.

La Cenerentola. The Sarasota Opera kicks off its fall season with this Rossini version of the Cinderella story, Oct. 29 through Nov. 10 at the Opera House. 366-8450 ext. 1.

Theater

Sunday in the Park with George. Stephen Sondheim’s musical look at artist Georges Seurat runs through Oct. 10 at the Manatee Players Riverfront Theatre. 748-5875.

Greater Tuna. Venice Theatre mainstays Murray Chase and Allan Kollar team once more on this perennially popular comedy, which brings to life the entire population of Tuna, Texas. Through Oct. 17. 488-1115.

The Merry Widow. The Golden Apple reprises its adaptation of the operetta about a wealthy woman courted by her needy country and her onetime true love, through Oct. 31. 366-5454.

Ladies of the Camellias. A comedy about legendary actresses Sarah Bernhardt and Eleonora Duse and a Russian terrorist who’s trying to sabotage their latest stage efforts. Running Oct. 7-17 at the Island Players. 778-5755.

Antigone Now. A modern retelling of Sophocles’ classic Greek tragedy of a young woman defying a powerful uncle to bury her brother with dignity, performed by the third-year class of the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. Opening Oct. 8 in the Cook Theatre and slated to tour area schools and communities. 351-8000.

The Wanderers. Florida Studio Theatre’s Goldstein Cabaret stage kicks off another season with this salute to ’50s and ’60s music, fashioned by Richard Hopkins, Rebecca Langford and Jim Prosser. Stay tuned for songs like The Great Pretender and Under the Boardwalk. Oct. 15 through Jan. 1. 366-9000.

Oklahoma! The wind is sweeping down the plain once more in this Rodgers and Hammerstein classic about farmers, cowboys, love, villainy and the thrill of becoming a state. At the Players Theatre Oct. 21-31. 365-2494.

Rabbit Hole. Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire’s poignant play tells the story of a family dealing with the aftermath of a tragedy, running Oct. 21 through Nov. 7 at Venice Theatre’s Stage II. 488-1115.

Two Gentlemen of Verona. Shakespeare’s early romantic comedy opens the FSU/Asolo Conservatory season, Oct. 26 through Nov. 14 in the Cook Theatre. 351-8000.

Nunsensations. You just can’t keep those Little Sisters of Hoboken down. In Dan Goggin’s sixth show featuring the toe-tapping nuns, they’re in "Sin City" Las Vegas, performing at the Pump Room Lounge. Holy rollers, indeed. Oct. 28 through Nov. 14 at the Manatee Players. 748-5875.