Welcome to October, but not yet. I said not yet. Hang on to the rest of September with a few of these events. Then “owl” tell you how to kick off October.

Homecoming 2012

1. There’s no place like home, right Austin alumni? So come home for 2012 homecoming at Wescott Field 7 p.m. Friday and see if your Packers can snag another win. The Packers, coming off a 22-game skid, take on the Mayo Spartans.

Women Our Way

2. It’s not too cold for one more 5K. Women Our Way is sponsoring a 5K race Saturday starting at The Hormel Institute. The race begins at 8:30 a.m. with a fun run/walk following at 9:30 a.m. The cost is $50 per family, $20 per adult and $10 for 12 and younger.

Fall church sales

3. Get your grub on at local churches this weekend, too. Both Crane Community Chapel (1111 Ninth St. NE) and Grace Lutheran (2001 Sixth Ave. SE) are catering to that crowd on Saturday. Crane will hold its fall rummage, bake and craft sale with $3 soup lunch from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day while Grace will hold its annual harvest supper from 4:30-7 p.m. where tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for ages 6 to 12 and free for younger.

Austin’s Got Talent

4.) They say Austin has talent. Well, we’ll find out soon enough at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Paramount Theatre, 125 Fourth Ave. NE. Tickets to Austin’s Got Talent are $10, $5 for students and $2 more at the door.

Owls at the Nature Center

5.) And then it was October. Norwegian zoologist and owl expert Roar Solheim will speak about Norwegian wildlife and various owls Monday night at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center 1304 21st St. NE. The show is hosted by the Izaak Walton League. Please RSVP at 437-7519. Nothing screams October like an owl, I say.

Other events

October also opens early with the fall used book sale at the Austin Public Library, 323 Fourth Ave. NE. Thursday presale begins at 6:30 p.m. for members of the Friends of the Library, and general sale is Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the public. Don’t forget, Farmer John’s Pumpkin Patch is open for the season, too, with free horse-drawn rides on Sundays through Oct. 21.

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