OCTOBER 10
The Hilary Duff is at Barnes & Noble Tribeca. She has a new novel out!

OCTOBER 11
At Playing Mantis: “Getting Real About Child-Rearing, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Q&A with Nanny to the Stars”—I bet some of them could use a good spanking—”Marva Soogrim and The Luxury Spot.com founder Bryce Gruber. Learn how to bring calm to the chaos of parenting—from expanding food palates to countering meltdowns and traveling with ease. Free gift bags to the first 25 arrivals and 15% in-store discount until 1:30 p.m.”

OCTOBER 13–NOVEMBER 3
One Art Gallery has an exhibit by Thomas Dang Vu, who lives in Battery Park City: “Born Dang Vu Thuan in Saigon in 1970, he and his family found themselves threatened when Ho Chi Minh’s forces took control of Saigon on April 30, 1975. The Communists entered their compound, ransacked the home, and—in full view of the family—wrongly took his father away to prison. During his father’s absence, and facing severe hunger because of government restrictions, young Thomas began to roam the streets of Saigon stealing food and helping his mother sneak meat from the black market into the compound. On these outings, he would encounter things on the streets he has never forgotten. Eventually, the Dang Vu family was reunited. They made their way to the U.S., where Thomas graduated summa cum laude from the Savannah College of Art and Design. He has been a New York City resident ever since, and has firmly established himself in photography, design, music, and art. A full account of Mr. Dang Vu’s painful childhood experiences and his subsequent residence in the United States could fill several volumes, but the poetic and deeply introspective work of this Vietnamese-American artist transcends the story and allows the viewer to enter the artist’s heart. The paintings echo with ritual, tradition, and a courageous honesty. Visual remnants of the war, along with horrific and mundane daily experiences, lurk symbolically in this collection.”

OCTOBER 13–NOVEMBER 26
“Graffiti Error,” an exhibition by Brazilian artist Antonio Bokel, at FB Gallery: “In his first U.S. exhibition, Brazilian artist Antonio Bokel presents an eclectic mix of recent works. His bold, cryptic, expressive mixed media paintings evoke the idea of weathered graffiti walls typically found in the urban landscape. But upon closer assessment his work is an unabashed cacophony of images culled from both familiar and unlikely sources.”

THROUGH OCTOBER 16
At the Flea: “Based on Melville’s novel, Benito Cereno is set in 1770 and depicts the mysterious events that occur when an American merchant vessel comes upon a battered Spanish ship with its nearly all-black crew and a white captain.”

OCTOBER 18
Locanda Verde chef Andrew Carmellini promotes his new cookbook, American Flavor, at Barnes & Noble.

OPENING OCTOBER 26
At the Museum of Jewish Heritage: “Known for more than a century as the author of the lines “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…,” the poet Emma Lazarus gave voice to the Statue of Liberty and generations of newcomers to America. However, few people know her fascinating story, her Sephardic background, her American roots, and her work for Jewish causes and a Jewish homeland.”

OPENING OCTOBER 27
Photographer Evan Joseph has a show at Tachi Gallery: “The exhibit, inspired by his recently published book, New York City At Night, will include dramatically lit skyscrapers, twinkling bridges, neon lights, and yellow cabs streaking down Broadway. The huge prints feature never before seen perspectives of the most famous landmarks in the city.”

OCTOBER 29
“Please join us at M1-5 for Nightmare on Walker Street V where you will succumb to the sinister beats of DJ Lazor.”

OCTOBER 30
Get ready for the biggest day of the year around these parts: “The Friends of Washington Market Park Annual Halloween Costume Parade and Party is 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine. Join our line-up for parade at 12:45 p.m. at CitiGroup Plaza (Greenwich at N. Moore). The parade will travel down Greenwich to the park. Inside the park, Friends volunteers run a dozen events, from Penny in a Haystack to a Bone Dig in the sandbox to a Hay Maze on the lawn. Teachers from Church Street School of Music and Art run a crafts table, and Princess Katie and Racer Steve entertain the crowd from the gazebo with their fun blend of kids rock. (Strollers will not be permitted in the park during the event, but a stroller-check will be available at Duane and Greenwich streets.)” P.S. They’re looking for volunteers. Email halloweenWMP@gmail.com for info.

NOVEMBER 4–DECEMBER 23
She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen at the Flea: “When Agnes stumbles upon her deceased sister Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons notebook, she discovers her inner badass (& geek) in this high-octane comedy fraught with hostile fairies, randy ogres and ‘90s pop culture.”

OPENING NOVEMBER 5
From Canal Park Playhouse: “Less than a month until Jen Slaw Juggling and Michael Karas Juggling grace us with ‘Perfect Catch: A Throwmantic Comedy.’ It’s gonna be great show.”