Northfield’s newest sensation, the Riverwalk Market Fair, will be hosting the Fall Festival this Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., in and around Bridge Square.  This will be a family-friendly event with plenty of hands-on activities for all ages: gourd and pumpkin painting, pine cone birdfeeder making, wool spinning demo, scarecrow making, Just Food Coop seasonal hotdish table, and of course the pick of the harvest for sale from local growers.  As usual, artisan bakers will be vending their goodies, some of the best fine art/fine craft vendors in the region will be well represented, and musicians will add a festive air to the day.  So come on down(town) to the Market Fair’s Fall Festival.

Oh, but there’s a whole lot more going on in downtown Northfield this weekend.  We’ve been doing these weekend updates for about five years now and it’s hard to remember one that had so much music being offered downtown.  And, as is so often the case , it all starts tonight…

Thursday, October 14th: Jacob Hendrick and Ah-Hem, 8 to 11 p.m., Tavern Lounge and Matt Arthur and Friends, 8 to 11 p.m., Contented Cow.

Friday, October 15th: Patrick Dwyer Wolf, 5 p.m., Contented Cow, Tim Freeland, 6 to 8 p.m., Butler’s Steak & Ale, Community Services Movie: Coraline, 7 p.m., Northfield High School Auditorium, Norwegian Cowboy, 8 to 11 p.m., Tavern Lounge, and Bonnie & the Clydes, 8 to 11 p.m., Contented Cow.

Saturday, October 16th: Riverwalk Market Fair, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Riverwalk, Fall Flea Market, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Studio Elements, Wendy Russell, 6 p.m., Butler’s Steak & Ale, Steve Howard, 8 p.m., Contented Cow, Burning Chrome, 8:30 to 10:30 p.m., Butler’s Steak & Ale, and Bohemian Duo, 9 p.m., Rueb’N’Stein.

Sunday, October 17th: Mid America Print Council Conference does Northfield, including Doug Foxgrover “Paper Trail” at the Northfield Arts Guild and Printing on an Ancient Litho Press at the ArtOrg Printmaking Studios, Politics and a Pint, 6 p.m., Northern Roots Session, 7:30 p.m., and Quiz Night, 8 p.m., at the Contented Cow.

Photo courtesy of Mary Ellen Frame.