Calendar of events

Visit the likes of Jurassic Park without getting eaten by a T-rex as the BBC documentary series Walking With Dinosaurs comes to life in a theatrical event with 15 life-sized dinosaurs, 7 p.m. at the St. Pete Times Forum, 401 Channelside Drive. The show runs through Sunday. Tickets are $17-$62. Recommended for ages 4 and up. Call (813) 301-2500 or visit dinosaurlive.com for more information.

16 Today

Boat show: Ahoy Mates! The Tampa Bay Boat Show showcases a three-day event of area dealers and manufacturers, supplies and exhibits, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Florida State Fairgrounds, 4800 U.S. 301 N. Free. Visit tampabayboatshows.com.

Brad Paisley: The Grammy Award-winning country music singer-songwriter brings his "American Saturday Night Tour 2009" to the Ford Amphitheatre with opening acts Dierks Bentley and Jimmy Wayne, 7:30 p.m. at 4802 U.S. 301 N. Tickets are $47.75 and $57.75 for reserved seats, $29.75 for the lawn or $99 for a lawn four-pack. Call (813) 740-2446.

Movie Night: Grass Root Organic Restaurant invites the community for a showing of Fresh, a documentary about the farmers, thinkers and business people across America re-inventing the food system, 8:30 p.m. at 2702 N Florida Ave. The cost is $5, or $10 to include refreshments. Limited menu available. Call (813) 221-7668 or visit thegrassrootlife.com.

ZooBoo: Lowry Park hosts its family-friendly Halloween event, 7 to 11 p.m. at 1101 W Sligh Ave. Haunted houses, trails, a foam factory and boo houses cater to kids of all ages. Most rides are unlimited. Children age 11 and younger can dress up, but ages 12 and older must leave their costumes at home. No toy weapons allowed. Tickets are $17, $14 ages 3 to 11. Call (813) 935-8552.

Howl-O-Scream: Haunted houses, spooky live shows, scare zones and roller coasters in the dark. Busch Gardens opens up to the night crawlers with Howl-O-Scream, 7:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. today and Saturday at 3605 Bougainvillea Ave. The event is not recommended for small children. Ticket prices are $69.95 or $29.95 to $44.95 in advance online. For event hours through October, call toll-free, 1-888-800-5447 or visit howloscream.com.

17 Saturday

Fall festival: A family event with pumpkins, activities and live entertainment, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Hyde Park Village, 1622 Snow Ave. Free. Call (813) 251-3500.

Oktoberfest: The Irish have gone German! This festival combines German beers, food and attire with contemporary music by area artists, noon to 3 a.m. at the Dubliner, 2307 W Azeele St. Call (813) 258-2257.

Car show: Cars and trucks from 1984 and older will assemble from 4 to 9 p.m. at McCall Park, 100 N Collins St., Plant City, for the monthly Classic Car Show. Admission and registration are free. Call (813) 754-3707 or toll-free, 1-800-760-2315.

Monster's Ball art show: In celebration of its two-year anniversary, Cafe Hey hosts an art show featuring local artists, refreshments, music and visual performances including fire spinning, 8 p.m. to midnight at 1540 N Franklin St. Free. Call (813) 221-5150.

18 Sunday

Film festival: The Tampa Theatre shows the last day of films for the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival at 711 Franklin St. The movies are Prodigal Sons at 1 p.m., Fig Trees at 3 p.m., And Then Came Lola at 5 p.m. and Big Gay Musical at 7 p.m. Screenings are $9.50 per film and $7 for students. Visit cliptampabay.com or call (813) 879-4220.

Pawstock: Join Martha Murray, the Pet Lady from ABC Action News, for the first annual Pawstock, a concert to collect supplies for animals in need, 5 p.m. at Skippers Smokehouse, 910 Skipper Road, Tampa. The lineup includes Emily Roff, Speakeasy Band and Julie Black. Items needed are dog and cat food, bottled water, collars, leashes and pet toys. Tickets are $10. Call (813) 971-0666.

Swing dance: Swing Gang Tampa Bay hosts a dance from 8 p.m. to midnight at Zendah Grotto, 4109 N Lauber Way in the Drew Park area. Billed as the Tampa Bay area's biggest swing dance, the all-ages party costs $7, or $6 for students with ID. Arrive at 6 p.m. for free dance classes and learn the jitterbug and the Lindy hop. Visit swingang.com.

19 Monday

Leonard Cohen: The 75-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter tours the United States for the first time in 15 years and includes a stop at Carol Morsani Hall, 7:30 p.m., 1010 N MacInnes Place. Tickets start at $19.50. Call (813) 229-7827 or visit tbpac.org.

20 Tuesday

Robin Williams: The actor and comedian returns to Tampa from a rescheduled March performance. Tickets sold for the earlier event will be honored for this performance, 8 p.m. at the USF Sun Dome, 4202 E Fowler Ave. Tickets are $45 to $85. Call (813) 974-3002.

21 Wednesday

Live jazz: Bungalow Bistro features Denise Moore and Then Some on the veranda rooftop at 7:30 p.m. at 5137 N Florida Ave., Tampa. Visit bungalowbistrotampa.com.

Scandinavian dance: Learn Swedish and Norwegian dance from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Kate Jackson Community Center, 821 S Rome Ave. The class costs $3. Call (813) 254-3350 or e-mail judithbaizan@juno.com.

22 Thursday

Fall festival: Fun for the whole family and community at South Tampa's 45th Annual Fall Festival from 5 to 10 p.m. at St. Patrick's Church, 4520 S Manhattan Ave. The event runs through Sunday with rides, music and beer. Call (813) 839-5337 or visit stpatricktampa.org.

Zombie theatre: Jobsite Theater presents the classic Night of the Living Dead at the Shimberg Playhouse, 1010 N MacInnes Place. The play runs through Nov. 8. Tickets are $24.50. Call (813) 229-7827 or visit tbpac.org.

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