1. Fall outdoors
Columbia Springs and iQ Credit Union will host a day for families to explore the outdoors with Family Nature Fest. The event features live animal shows, guided nature walks, hatchery tours, pumpkin hunts and crafts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 22. There also will be activities from Friends of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Columbia Gorge Refuge Stewards, the Mount St. Helens Institute and more at Columbia Springs, 12208 S.E. Evergreen Highway, Vancouver. Admission is a $5 suggested donation per child. 360-882-0936 or www.columbiasprings.org/events
2. Arcade wizard
The annual Portland Retro Gaming Expo creates a huge arcade with arcade machines and pinball games all set to free-play, along with a variety of console games. There also will be individual and panel talks by video game designers, video game players and collectors. There will be game tournaments, a costume contest and a live auction. This year will feature a museum area where attendees can explore video game history, complete with rare games, prototypes and displays, along with curators to answer questions. The retro arcade opens from 3 p.m. to midnight Oct. 21, 10 a.m. to midnight Oct. 22 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 23 at the Oregon Convention Center, 777 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Portland. Admission is $10 for Oct. 21, $22 to $27 for Oct. 22 and $16 to $21 for Oct. 23. The event is free for two children ages 10 and younger, who are accompanied by an adult. There’s also a weekend pass for individuals for $30 to $35 and a weekend family pass for $120 to $140. www.retrogamingexpo.com
3. Music for books
The Southwest Washington Wind Symphony opens its 12th season with a Literary Notes concert. Discover how heroes such as Huckleberry Finn, Beowulf and John Wayne are portrayed in musical works inspired by literature and movies. The concert features the “Huckleberry Finn Suite” by Franco Cesarini, “The Cowboys” by John Williams, “Howl’s Moving Castle” by Joe Hisaishi and more. The concert begins at 3 p.m. Oct. 23 at Union High School’s Performing Arts Center, 6201 N.W. Friberg-Strunk St., Camas. Admission is free. 360-574-8386 or www.swwindsymphony.org
4. Fang fun
Hear the granddaddy of the Dracula tales brought to life in a new way by the Willamette Radio Workshop. Re-Imagined Radio brings historic radio dramas to life with voice actors, Foley sound artists, digital effects, music and visual backdrops. For this production, the cast will bring to life the 1938 broadcast of “Dracula,” directed and starring Orson Welles, which takes its inspiration from Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel. The performance begins at 7 p.m. Oct. 27 at Kiggins Theatre, 1011 Main St., Vancouver. Tickets are $5, and $3 for ages 12 and younger. www.kigginstheatre.net/events/re-imagined-radio
