The leaves aren’t all off the trees yet, which means it’s probably a good time for a few outdoor activities. There’s still plenty of biking, hiking and sight seeing to be had. A trip down Highway 56 just outside of Austin should be a good start.

—It’s the Shooting Star Scenic Byway fall festival, which kicks off today with varied hours of entertainment in neighboring Rose Creek, Adams and LeRoy. Hop on your bike in Rose Creek and head toward rummage sales, farmers’ markets and colorful sights before the season shuts the door on all the fun. The festival will continue from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

—Friday night has even more outdoor surprises, with a Halloween warm-up at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center (1304 21st St. NE). Along the numerous trails throughout the Nature Center, kids can enjoy skits and scares from 6:50 to 9 p.m. The walks are one hour each, and tickets can be purchased at Jim’s Superfresh in Austin (2101 Fourth St. NW).

—It’s easy to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather, but some people are yearning for the cold: hockey players. They don’t have to worry, though. A free girls hockey clinic will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Riverside Arena (501 Second Ave. NE). Girls of all ages are invited, equipment is provided and hot dogs and refreshments will be on hand, too.

—Things could get classically wild on Saturday night. Whatever that means, Tracy Silverman probably knows best — he plays an electric violin, after all. His show starts 7:30 p.m. at The Paramount Theatre (125 Fourth Ave. NE) and features Silverman recording a live compilation, which continuously stacks his electric sounds on top of themselves.

—Don’t get too stressed out just because the weekend has ended. “We’ve got some happy little trees to place, and we’re just gonna put those right there” … It’s a Bob Ross community painting class at Ellis Middle School (1700 Fourth Ave. SE) from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. Many remember watching the laid-back artist on public television, but who can say they’ve painted like him? Registration for the class is $70 … “and that’ll just be our little secret.”

 

For some reason, fall has arts galore. Among all these events, the Riverland presentation of “The Fantasticks” is showing for another week and a half, the Austin Area Art Center has several upcoming drawing and painting classes, and the Nature Center will add one more show to its repertoire with a little Canadian flair.

 

Look to Reporter Matt Peterson’s column every Friday for more about upcoming events in Austin. For even more, check out the calendar on the AustinDailyHerald.com homepage and on Page 4 every day in the print edition.