Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.

 EAT

Oct. 28: Dovecote Café’s Two-Year Communiversary & Afrofuturistic Halloween Party

Dovecote Café, 2501 Madison Ave. 4-9 p.m. Free. 443-961-8677.

Nestled in the historically African-American neighborhood of Reservoir Hill, Dovecote Café has become known both locally and nationally (hello, recent Food & Wine feature!) for its mouthwatering baked goods, heavenly cups of coffee, and dedication to supporting the local community—especially Baltimore’s younger generation. This Saturday, the café is celebrating its second anniversary with an Afrofuturistic-themed Halloween party featuring Dovecote’s homemade eats, candy crafted by Glasshouse Goods, and live entertainment by local DJs Trillnatured and Butch Siggers. Don your best space-age apparel and be one of the first 100 attendants to receive a special thank you gift.

 DRINK

Oct. 27-29: Greek Food, Wine, & Culture Festival

Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation, 24 W. Preston St. Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sun. 12-6 p.m. Free-$10. 410-727-1831.

Forty-six years ago, the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation launched a festival to celebrate their community’s Grecian heritage and the greater city of Baltimore. Since then, the party has evolved into an annual go-to event, headlining all things Greek—from traditional food and drink to live music and dances—and this year, the historical church is mixing things up with new attractions. Sip your way through the “Wines of Greece,” a vino-tasting program for those who want to experience the Greek isle’s more than 6,000 years of winemaking history. For $10, sample five Greek wines along with an assortment of Greek cheeses, olives, and other snacks that will have you yelling Opa! in no time.

 SEE

Oct. 28: The Great Halloween Lantern Parade

Patterson Park, Eastern & Linwood Aves. Festival: 3:30 p.m.; Parade: 7 p.m.; After party: 9:30 p.m. Free. 410-276-1651.

Every Halloween weekend, the hills of Patterson Park transform into a chilling spectacle as it becomes illuminated by a procession of spooky lights. But fear not: the glowing objects aren’t ghosts or ghouls but rather the little homemade lanterns of the Great Halloween Lantern Parade. For the 16th year, join or ogle the eclectic caravan as local puppeteers, marching bands, and costumed families and friends weave their way through Highlandtown carrying artist-made floats and glowing lanterns in celebration of All Hallow’s Eve. Before the dark creeps in, swing by the park for a pre-parade festival where you can imbibe in a beer garden and feast on food truck favorites as your kids compete in a costume contest and hitch a hayride. After you’ve passed the finish line, hop over to the Creative Alliance for a festive Glow Ball dance party to keep the supernatural festivities going.

 HEAR

Oct. 28: Believe in Music & Maryland Science Center’s Halloween

Maryland Science Center, 601 Light St. 8 p.m.-1 a.m. $35-70. 410-685-2370.

Leave trick-or-treating to the kiddos—this all-night music and dance party is for adults only. Now in its sixth year, the Maryland Science Center’s Halloween bash boasts lots of live, local music across several stages with a costume contest and access to all of the center’s exhibitions. Whether you’re dressed as a witch, wizard, or mummy, “Thriller” the night away to an impressive lineup. On the main stage, boogie down to the James Brown Dance Party, plus the funky Litz and the feel-good Electric Love Machine. On the rooftop, bump hips with Baltimore’s best DJs, featuring James Nasty on the ones and twos, and Rob Macy of Save Your Soul, and at the Charm City Bluegrass tribute stage, get down to the tunes of the Allman Brothers and Rolling Stones. We’re personally most excited about the Friends Records stage, where you can celebrate the local indie label with its top talents, like the bombastic Bond St. District, the sultry Blacksage, the fearless Hexgirlfriends, and the highly-anticipated Celebration-Aborteum collab, Rolled Gold. If monster mashing isn’t your thing, watch the IMAX 3D movie Wild Ocean with a live soundtrack of spooky synths and eerie bass lines by Deltanine and Pristine. Best of all, proceeds benefit Believe in Music’s non-profit education programs. 

 DO

Oct. 28: Star Wars Cosmic Cantina Party

Showroom, The Motor House, 120 W. North Ave. 6 p.m.-1 a.m. 410-637-8300.

If you missed the Game of Thrones pop-up bar in D.C. this summer, don’t fret. This Halloweekend, a Star Wars-themed party is coming to a galaxy near you at the brand-new Showroom café and bar at the Motor House in Station North. Grab your lightsabers and show up in your finest Darth Vader or Princess Leia. Channel the force as you dance to electro-grooves and funky beats by DJs Isabejja and Alexander Jorman, plus a special performance by local R&B queen Cas Mackenzie. Don’t miss out on the spacey drinks either—for one night only, Showroom’s bartender is making Luke’s Lightsaber (spicy margarita with Epsolon Tequila, orange liqueur, lime, agave, and habanero shrub), The Dark Side (vodka, grapefruit, fennel, activated charcoal, and soda water), and Ewok Party (whiskey, allspice, lemon, and bitters). 

Geli Ioannou remembers attending the very first festival at Midtown-Belvedere’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation 46 years ago.

“At the time, it was more of a pre-Christmas bazaar,” recalls Ioannou, 55, who is now the chairperson for the church’s annual event. “I must have been 8 or 9 years old, and I remember being in the social hall of the church putting up streamers and setting up tables.”

Throughout the years, the once small gathering contained to the social hall of the church has grown to utilize the facility’s Sunday school classrooms, outdoor courtyard, an 8,000-square-foot tent stationed along Maryland Avenue, and other venues in the neighborhood.

The community get-together—now dubbed the Greek Food, Wine, and Culture Festival—returns to the Annunciation Cathedral October 27-29, featuring its traditional eats and drinks, dancing, shopping, cathedral tours, and live music, as well as a few new spectacles for attendees look forward to.

“It’s not always easy to make a festival like this new,” says longtime parishioner Karen Philippou, who was brought on to help market the event this year. “But we try. We’re always open to new ideas to make it a full cultural experience.”

Among the new features to look forward to this year is a “Wines of Greece” program, which will be held at Preston Hall across the street from the church. For $10, festival-goers will be able to taste five different Greek wines and enjoy light food pairings.

Also new this year: organizers plan to livestream the event so that friends and family in Greece, and other parts of the world, can tune in to all of the festivities. 

“We want to create a connection,” says Ioannou, who owns Zissimos Bar in Hampden. “The festival is a celebration of our faith, but also for our love of Baltimore. The church has been in the neighborhood for more than 100 years, and, like any resident of the city, we’ve seen good times and bad. But we’re very blessed that our surrounding community is in a good healthy state right now. That’s something that we want to share.”

Though there are fresh attractions debuting this year, Ioannou assures that the fête won’t waver from tradition when it comes to the food. Regulars will recognize classic Greek staples including homemade spanakopita, lamb shanks, gyros, souvlaki, stuffed grape leaves, and flaky baklava.

“A lot of people don’t realize that everything is home cooked,” he says. “Whether you’re eating in the tent or the social hall, you can look directly at the steam tables and see that it’s all authentic, and it’s all prepared with a lot of love.”

Of course, throughout the weekend there will also be various performances by award-winning Greek musicians and dancers hailing from across the region.

Philippou, who volunteers to work at the festival along with her husband and children each year, says that the music is one of the many aspects that makes the event so joyful. 

“In Greek, we call it parea,” she explains. “I’m not sure how the word translates, but it’s when you go out with a group of friends and have a good time. It’s that feeling of being a part of the community. Hearing the music and smelling all of the food, you’re almost taken aback because it makes you feel like you’re in Greece.”

Before you start perfecting that turkey, mashing those potatoes, and baking more holiday cookies than you know what to do with, let the pros do the work for you. Let’s face it—you’ll be sick of your own cooking in no time, so treat yourself with these fall food fetes.

GREEK FOOD & CULTURAL FESTIVAL
11/6-8: Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation, 24 W. Preston St. Times vary. Free. 410-727-1831. Moussaka, baklava, and gyros all in one place? Yes, please. Indulge in Greek delights and celebrate Greece’s vibrant culture with live music, cathedral tours, and shopping.

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OYSTERJAM
11/7: Phillips Wharf Environmental Center, 6129 Tilghman Island Rd., Tilghman Island. 1-4 p.m. $10-50. 410-886-9200. Enjoy as many oysters as your heart desires with an all-you-can-eat buffet on the Eastern Shore, with live music, a silent auction, and educational exhibits in this quiet town.

MARYLAND IRISH FESTIVAL
11/6-8: Maryland State Fairgrounds, 2200 York Rd., Timonium. Times vary. Free-$20. Irish culinary culture isn’t all about Guinness, but don’t worry, there’ll be plenty flowing here. Embrace the Emerald Isle tradition, with music, dancing, and lots of traditional fare.

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EMPORIYUM D.C.
11/14-15: Union Market, Dock 5, 1309 5th St. NE, Washington D.C. Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. $15-40. This two-day market is foodie heaven, with over 80 regional and national vendors, including locals such as The Local Oyster, Dooby’s, Kinderhook, and Mouth Party Caramels.

HEAVY SEAS CHILI & CHEESE FESTIVAL
11/7: Heavy Seas Brewery, 4615 Hollins Ferry Rd., Halethorpe. 12-4 p.m. $39. 410-247-7822. If you missed Oktoberfest, make up for it with this perfect fall pairing. Try 10 versions of Baltimore’s best chili, nibble on cheese, and finish it off with more than 12 beers on tap.

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OYFEST
11/21: Union Craft Brewing, 1700 Union Ave. 12-5 p.m. $5 suggested donation. 410-467-0290. Enjoy all things oyster at this Hampden-Woodberry brewery with a great selection of craft beers, live music, and local oyster farms. Don’t get there too late—the shucks will sell out quick.