September 30-October 12
Fiesta de Exaltación del Marisco, O Grove, Spain
Galicia is one of Europe's best places for seafood and this festival attracts more than 220,000 visitors with a fortnight-long food frenzy. There are separate fiestas dedicated to the turbot and mussels. Clams, oysters, lobsters, langoustines, scallops, goose barnacles and seaspiders should also be wary.
Details: Tourist office: 00 34 986 73 14 15; galinor.es/ogrove.
October 4-15
La Veillée des Abysses, London
A follow up to his worldwide hit Junebug Symphony, Charlie Chaplin's grandson James Thiérrée returns to London with this extraordinary show full of contortionism, acrobatics, mysterious transformations, music and dance.
Where: Peacock Theatre, off Kingsway, London WC2. Details: 0870 7377737, sadlerswells.com.
How much: £15-£32.
October 6-20
Chicago International Film Festival
Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst in Cameron Crowe's Elizabethtown open the two-week programme which ends with Nicholas Cage's latest, The Weatherman, directed by Gore Verbinski. The full programme is revealed September 23.
Details: 00 44 1 312 332 3456; chicagofilmfestival.org.
How much: Various.
October 7-16
Festival of Literature, Cheltenham
This sleepy Cotswold town welcomes 400 wordsmiths, politicians, artists and filmmakers for 10 days of talks, workshops, screenings and readings. Headlining this year are Maya Angelou, Alice Walker, Alan Bennett and Salman Rushdie, while 'What does it mean to be free?' is debated by Chris Patten, John Pilger, Tony Benn and others.
Where: Town Hall, Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham.
Details: 01242 227979, cheltenhamfestivals.com.
How much: £6-7 per event.
October 8-10
Autumn Festival of Tuscan Food
Local cooks compete in the main square of the medieval town of Abbadia San Salvatore, while lucky visitors get to try the local chestnut and mushroom delicacies. There are dances to live music, arts and crafts and street games.
Details: Info Pro Loco, 00 39 0577 778 324.
How much: Free.
October 12-29
The Coral's UK tour
Launching in Norwich, before heading across the country and ending up for two nights on home territory in Liverpool, Hoylake's finest bring their distinctive mix of sounds and off-beat lyrics, gleeful virtuosic abandon and imaginative improvisation.
Where: Norwich (12), Cardiff (13), Exeter (14), Leeds (16), Derby (17), Southampton (18), London (20), Manchester (21), Glasgow (24), Newcastle (25), Birmingham (26), Liverpool (28-29)
Details: thecoral.co.uk.
How much: Various.
October 18- January 8
Goya: Prophet of Modernity, Vienna
Tracing the master's long career from young hopeful in Zaragoza to court painter in Madrid, this exhibition features the disturbing etching series, Caprichos, which evoke the terror of war, the famous Maja paintings and his terrifying late Black Paintings and uncommissioned works on paper - dark visions of a world peopled by spirits and witches.
Where: Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.
Details: 00 43 1 525 240, khm.at.
How much: €10.
October 19
The White Stripes play Barcelona
The Detroit duo showcase their new album, Get Behind Me Satan.
Where: Razzmatazz, Calle Almogàvers.
Details: Razzmatazz: 00 34 93 320 8200, salarazzmatazz.com. whitestripes.com.
How much: €29.72.
October 27-30
White Air Extreme Sports Festival, Isle of Wight
Up to 800 competitors vie for the title of 'Britain's most extreme' with a white-knuckle week of windsurfing, kitesurfing, surfing, skate boarding, BMX, inline and mountain biking.
Where: Yaverland, nr Sandown.
Details: White Air Event Management, 01983 760553, whiteair.co.uk.
How much: Free to watch.
October 31
Village Halloween Parade, NYC
This is America's largest Halloween celebration, which is saying something. Over two million head for Greenwich Village to watch the mile-long parade where 50,000 costumed participants juggle, break dance, stilt walk and march in bands.
Details: 00 1 845 758 5519, halloween-nyc.com.
How much: Free to watch.
November 5-13
Toulouse Antiques Fair
Browse over a glass of wine, rub shoulders with some knowledgeable dealers, or get your cheque book out and part with some serious money for a piece of the Sun King's furniture.
Where: Parc des Expositions de Toulouse, Rond point Michel Bénech.
Details: 00 33 5 61 21 93 25, salon-antiquaires-toulouse.com.
How much: €10; €6 concessions.
October 6-10
FIAC Contemporary Art Fair, Paris
With 219 galleries invited from 26 countries (including New York's Antik and Copenhagen's Dansk Moebelkunst), contemporary design and multimedia, the choice is wide. Discuss at Le Forum debate and admire design classic, the Citroën DS (Citroën is this year's sponsor).
Where: Halls 4 and 5.1, Porte de Versailles.
Details: 0033 1 4190 4780, fiacparis.com.
How much: €17 per day, €8 students; €45 admission and catalogue.
November 12-13
Giocco dell'Oca, Italy
This real life game of snakes and ladders take place in Mirano's town square. Except that the Italians, like the French, substitute geese for snakes. Six teams fight it out in traditional costume, climbing up ladders, jumping over geese, through the 63 squares and over multiple obstacles.
Details: 00 39 041 432 433, giocodelloca.it/.
How much: Fair is free; Game €5-€13; concessions €2.50- €9.
