Baltimore, Maryland Events: Fun in October

Something is always afoot in Baltimore. If you are looking to dance, take in a concert or a festival, celebrate any number of annual festivals and events, you'll find it in Baltimore. Start planning your October in Baltimore, incorporating some of the following events:

Thru Oct. 31, Urban Pirates, an adult, bring your own grog, cruise. South Ann Street Pier, 915 S. Ann St. 7 p.m.-midnight. http://urbanpirates.com/web/

Thru Oct. 31, Star Spangled Banner Trails and Tours. Inner Harbor Visitor Center, 400 S. Light St., 10 a.m.-1 p.m. National Park Service members lead guided tours of the area that is home to the Star Spangled Banner and Fort McHenry. http://www.starspangledtrails.org/

Thru Nov. 27, The Original Fell's Point GhostWalk. Take in the neighborhood architecture while you go ghost hunting with the locals and hear some of the best urban lore of the area, 7-9 p.m. Starting point is the sidewalk outside of Max's Sidebar, 731 S. Broadway. http://www.baltimoreghosttours.com/

Oct. 1-Oct. 31, Free Fall Baltimore. The 5^th-Annual Free Fall Baltimore will include more than 300 events such as a treasure hunt and free family Sundays at the Baltimore Museum of Art. For a full schedule, see www.freefallbaltimore.com.

Oct. 2, Milkshake at the Family Fun Fest, B&O Museum, Noon. www.milkshakemusic.com/shows.cfm.

Oct. 13, Nursing Spectrum, Maryland Career Fair. 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Free event to check out the types of nursing job opportunities in Baltimore. Includes seminars. Meet recruiters face to face. Martin's West. http://nursingspectrum-baltimore.eventbrite.com/#top.

October 15-17, Russian Festival, part of Baltimore's annual Festival of Nations. This celebration of the Russian community runs Fri. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sat., noon-9 p.m. and Sun., noon-6 p.m. Held at the Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church, 1723 E. Fairmount Ave. 410-276-6171. www.holytrinityorthodox.com/festival.

Oct. 16,The Under Armor Baltimore Marathon. The half marathon starts at Russell and Camden Sts. at 8 a.m. Runners will travel through the diverse neighborhoods, including Federal Hill, Fells Point and the Inner Harbor. To see a map of the course, go to http://www.thebaltimoremarathon.com/Assets/09+Balt+Merged+Map.pdf. Winners get cash prizes, including $23,000 for first place in the open division. For more info., see http://www.thebaltimoremarathon.com/Race_Info/Marathon.htm.

Oct. 17, First Annual Beer Festival. $35 in advance, $40 at the door. Canton Waterfront Park. Unlimited 4oz beer tastings. Music and big screen TVs showing the Ravens game. www.baltiorebeerfestival.com.

Oct. 18, Stoop Storytelling. Visit Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St., to hear seven people tell original, real stories of ghosts, their personal lore and regrets. $20. Features cocktails at 7 p.m. with live music. Show starts at 8 p.m 410-332-0033. http://www.creativealliance.org/events/eventItem2308.html

Oct. 19, Do Something! Growing Up Baltimore. Do you want to make a difference in your community? Business Volunteers Unlimited is sponsoring an event that will feature area non profits in a sort of speed volunteering adventure. If you've been thinking of volunteering, here's a one-stop shop to finding a match for your talents. For more info., see http://www.volunteercentral.net/volunteers.htm. 410-366-6030.

Oct. 27, First Annual Art Auction, sponsored by Baltimore Green Works to promote environment sustainability in Baltimore City. The event runs 6-9 p.m. at the Church of the Redeemer, 5603 North Charles St., Balto., 21211. Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 at the door. http://baltimoregreenworks.com/events/.