A Night of Exchanges

25 October. Free. Avant Garde, 34 King Street, Glasgow.

Linda Jackson – founder of poetry books imprint Seahorse Muse – will host writers from across Scotland for a night of poetry readings. Among the readers will be popular writer Hugh McMillan, among many others. This event will allow poets, poetry groups and audiences to mingle, share information and enjoy readings from the huge talent on display.

An Orchestral Interpretation of Dr Dre

23 October. Tickets from £18.90. SWG3, 100 Eastvale Place, Glasgow, G3 8QG.

Two things that perhaps you would never put together – Dr Dre and an orchestra. Join No Strings Attached for their orchestral rendition of Dr Dre: 2001. Accompanied by DJs, singers and lyricists this is certainly not your average night of orchestral music.

https://www.ticketweb.uk

Glasgow School of Yarn

23-24 October. Tickets from £8.50. Trades Hall of Glasgow, 85 Glassford Street, G1 1UH.

Join the Glasgow School of Yarn this weekend for two days of yarn squishing and socialising. Alongside their marketplace, there’s various craft classes throughout the weekend. There’s also a pop-up cafe so you can really make a day of it.

https://www.glasgowschoolofyarn.co.uk

Oktoberfest at Festival Village

23-31 October. Entry Free. Candleriggs Square, Wilson Street, Glasgow, G1 1SS.

Back with an Oktoberfest themed version of the popular food market, Festival Village takes over Glasgow’s Candleriggs Square. There will be a range of German beers, alongside wines and spirits as well as a host of great food.

https://www.facebook.com/FestivalVillageMerchantCity/

The Firebird

23 October. Tickets from £15. The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3NY.

Opening the RSNO’s new season is music director Thomas Sondergard, above, directing Stravinsky’s Firebird. The evening starts with Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations, followed by Matthew Rooke’s salute to the joy of music – it’s the perfect start to the new orchestral season.

https://www.rsno.org.uk

From Her Cave

23-31 October. Free. Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1SR.

This exhibition from award-winning illustrator Miren Asiain Lora is on display at the Scottish Storytelling Centre until the end of the month. This exhibition includes a selection of some of her most remarkable works from the last six years, with illustrations, book-albums and film and record covers for visitors to explore.

https://sisf.online.red61.co.uk

Gaia

23 October - 7 November. Free. Dynamic Earth, 112-116 Holyrood Gait, Edinburgh, EH8 8AS.

Discover Luke Jerram’s Gaia, a spectacular sculpture of Earth, floating majestically in the main entrance area of Dynamic Earth, marking its first appearance in Edinburgh. The sculpture was created from NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface and seeks to provide the opportunity to see our planet floating in three dimensions.

https://www.dynamicearth.co.uk

Alpaca Trekking

23, 24, 30 October. Tickets from £23. Ardgowan Estate, Inverkip, PA16 0DW.

Just outside Greenock you can take a pet alpaca for a walk around Ardgowan Estate. The weekly alpaca treks let you take one of the fluffy creatures on reins through the beautiful parkland grounds.

https://www.tickettailor.com

Galoshans Festival

23 October - 12 November. Ticket prices vary (see event website for details). Locations across Inverclyde.

This year’s Galoshans festival is back in person, bringing art installations, film, theatre, live music and many more events to the heart of the community. The theme for this year’s festival is Climate to coincide with the COP26 summit.

https://www.galoshansfestival.com/

UFO Walk

23-24 October. Tickets from £12. Glasgow West End.

One in four Glaswegians have apparently spotted a UFO. The first notable sighting took place on the Clydeside and this is where the tour begins. UFO enthusiasts will be guided through the past, present and future of the UFO phenomenon as well as the scientific search for extraterrestrial life.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk

Charlotte Cohen