This weekend, celebrity chefs, authors, wine experts, mixologists and industry insiders will be coming together to bring us food and wine tastings, cooking demos, interactive classes, party planning tips and holiday inspiration. It’s the third annual COOK. EAT. DRINK. LIVE. festival - a big celebration of the little joys we find in cooking, eating, drinking and living well.

We’ll be there seeking great new holiday food and entertaining ideas to bring back and share with you. If you’re in the New York area, come taste for yourself! The event is open to all; why not spice up your weekend with an epic epicurean adventure?

What:       2009 Cook. Eat. Drink. Live.
When:      November 6-8, 2009.  Friday 6-9PM, Saturday 2-6PM, Sunday 2-6PM
Where:     The Tunnel/La.Venue, 608 West 28th Street, NY, NY
Agenda:   Interactive food festival featuring tastings, chef demos, wineries, cocktails, popular restaurants, and opportunities for early holiday shopping.

Tickets are $65.00 per day and can be purchased online (www.cookeatdrinklive.com) or by phone: 888-695-0888.

Halloween may still be a few weeks away, but all around the country haunted houses are already open for business. Get a jump start on All Hallow’s this weekend by heading to one of these spooky shacks for a good, old-fashioned, blood-pumping fright!

Dallas, TX
Event: RISE 3rd Annual Halloween Haunted House
When: Saturday, October 3rd 7:30-9:30 PM
What: A wheelchair-accessible spooky house, so everyone can have fun!

Minneapolis, MN
Event: Screamtown
When: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays 7-10 PM
What: Enjoy (or not!) 5 attractions, including Terror in the Corn (a 9-ft tall haunted cornmaze) and the Oak Blood Forest (haunted by the Blood family.)

Leesburg, VA
Event: Ghost Tour
When: Fridays and Saturdays at 9 PM (until October 20th)
What: Get a dose of history with a decidedly supernatural flair when you go ghost-hunting through this Virginia town.

Indianapolis, IN
Event: Fright Manor
When: Fridays and Saturdays at 7 PM
What: One of the scariest haunted houses in Indiana - expect visits from famous and frightening ghouls!

Photo courtesy of indyweekblogs.com

Why not rest your dancing feet this weekend and watch some dance instead? While going to the ballet may run you a pretty penny, this weekend boasts plenty of dance festivals where admission costs less than two drinks at a club. And no blisters at the end of the night!

Washington D.C.
Event: VelocityDC Dance Festival
When: Friday, October 2nd-Saturday, October 3rd
What: Enjoy panels, workshops, and performances a from the area’s most impressive dance troupes - all for $15 a ticket!

New York City
Event: Fall for Dance
When: Tuesday, September 22nd-Saturday, October 3rd
What: Experience whole nights of dance from companies like Alvin Ailey for only $10 a ticket. It can’t be beat!

Los Angeles
Event: The 2nd Annual J.U.i.C.E. Hip Hop Dance Festival
When: Saturday, October 3rd
What: Enjoy brand-new showcases from LA’s most creative street choreographers and help support J.U.i.C.E, a nonprofit that uses the hip hop arts to reach out to at-risk youth. Tickets are $30 ($5 for students and children.)

Wilmington, DE
Event: Fringe Wilmington Festival
When: Thursday, October 1st-Sunday, October 4th
What: Spend your weekend indulging in experimental art, theater, and dance. Best bets include Saturday and Sunday’s Capoeira show, which fuses dance and Brazilian martial arts. Ticket prices vary.

If you’re not going to Munich for Oktoberfest there’s no need to act like a bratwurst; plenty of bier-drinking festivals are in your own backyard. Here’s your excuse to sport that sexy little German girl costume, eat schnitzel and drink Pilsner and with the boys. Prost!

Philadelphia
Event: Brauhaus Schmitz Oktoberfest
When: Thursday, September 24 – Saturday, September 26
What: Bratwurst eating contest, sauerkraut, Kick the Keg Lottery for free beer, a pig roast, live music and giveaways.

Denver
Event: 40th Anniversary Oktoberfest Denver | 20th – 22nd Streets on Lamar Street
When: Friday, September 25 – Sunday, September 27
What: Chicken dance contest, German bands, a karneval and the Hustle Hoff - a 10k run for those who don’t consume too many pints of Dunkel Wiess.

Stowe, VT
Event: Stowe Oktoberfest | Jackson Arena
When: Friday, September 25 – Sunday, September 27
What: Oompah bands, the opening parade, freshly brewed Vermont beers, raffles, bands, Bavarian desserts and plenty of activities for the kinderplatz.

New York City
Event: Zum Schneider Indoor Bavarian Biergarten Oktoberfest
When: Saturday, September 26 – Sunday, October 11
What: Four different original Bavarian Oktoberfest beers on tap, Lederhosen, German band Mösl Franzi and the JaJaJas, giant sausage platters and Riesen Wies’n Brezen…whatever that is.

The Woodlands, TX
Event: The Woodlands Rotary Oktoberfest | Town Green Park
When: Saturday, September 26 – Sunday, September 27
What: Opening keg-tapping ceremony at 11AM, juggling, Cloggers Unlimited, a yodeling contest, German dancers, strudel and two-fisted Oktoberfest pretzels.

Photo courtesy of Telluriderealestate.com

There’s something for everyone this weekend, so roam your local streets for festivals, live music, fresh salmon and more.

Telluride, CO
Event: 16th Annual Blues and Brews Festival
When: Friday – Sunday, September 18 – 20
What: Sing the blues with legends Joe Cocker, Buddy Guy and Bonnie Raitt. On Saturday, enjoy a cold one (our six) of the 150 beers to try from the 53 microbreweries before heading to the Juke Joint for after-hours jams at night.

Plano, TX
Event: Life Poolside Music Series | NYLO Plano at Legacy
When: Friday, September 18, 8:30PM | Happy hour specials 4PM – 7PM
What: Take advantage of the warm Texas weather, sipping drinks by the pool and rocking to local bands. No cowboy gear required.

Grand Haven, MI
Event: Grand Haven Salmon Festival
When: Friday – Sunday, September 18 – 20
What: The salmon are migrating and what better way to enjoy this fishy occasion than a gourmet salmon cook-off? There’s plenty to do even if you’re not a salmon fan, including live music, an art fair, a grape-stomping competition, a Michigan wine tasting pavilion and more.

D.C.
Event: H Street Festival | H Street NE, between 12th and 14th Streets
When: Saturday, September 19, 12PM – 6PM
What: Gentrification is the new black. Celebrate the revival of the eastern end of H Street with music and dance, a D.C. Fashion Week preview, games, crafts, international food and a party inside the Rock & Roll Hotel.

Boston
Event: Allston Village Street Fair | Harvard Avenue at Brighton Avenue, Allston
When: Sunday, September 20, 12PM – 6PM
What: Skip lunch (and dinner for that matter) and sample food from dozens of local restaurants, including Yoma Burmese, Haley House and Grasshopper). When you’re not stuffing your face, enjoy music, activities and fun for the whole fam.