Oktoberfest will be celebrated from 2 to 11 p.m. Sept. 24 at Town Center, 9288 Dorchester in Highlands Ranch.

At 3 p.m. the annual Dachshund Race will award first, second and third places and a Best Dressed prize (registration begins at 2:30 p.m.). Live German entertainment, beer, children’s attractions, food and dancing will fill the day, sponsored by the HRCAA and the HRCA. In conjunction, the annual Oktoberfest 5K run/walk and 100 yard dash will be at 12:30 p.m. Registration: $35/$40. Admission is free and food and children’s activities are on a cash basis. www.HRCAonline, 303-791-2500.

Michael A. Barnhouse, who has been fascinated by Denver’s 16th St. Mall since he met Santa there as a child, will talk and show historic photos of the Mile High City’s “Main Street” from 2 to 3 p.m. Monday, Sept. 26 at Bemis Library, 6014 S. Datura St., Littleton. Copies of his book, “Denver’s 16th Street,” will be available. 303-795-3061.

The Rocky Mountain Storytelling Festival is Sept 23-24. Daytime sessions are at the Philip S. Miller Library in Castle Rock and evenings at Castle Rock Middle School, where the featured storytellers will perform for the whole family. They are: Heather McNeil, former Littleton children’s librarian, from Bend, Ore.; Bernadette Nason, from England and Austin, Texas; Christopher Maier, Denver. See the Douglas County Library website for daytime schedules, geared to professionals. Admission is free. The event is hosted by the Douglas County Libraries Literacy Department.

“The Bad Seed,” based on a novel by William March about an 8-year-old girl with no conscience, will be performed by drama students at Rock Canyon High School, MacArthur Ranch Road and Quebec in Highlands Ranch. Performances: 7 p.m. Sept. 29-Oct. 1. Tickets: $8/$6. 303-387-3160.

“Robert Adams: The Place We Live, a Retrospective Selection of Photographs” opens Sept. 25 in the Gallegher Family Gallery at the Denver Art Museum and runs through Jan. 2, 2012. The exhibit will feature more than 200 black and white prints by the Western photographer. The exhibit was organized by Yale University’s Art Gallery, and Yale has published a three-volume collection of his photos and a paperback collection of 100 images. General admission. www.denverartmuseum.org, 720-865-5000.

The Heritage Fine Arts Club presents a watercolor workshop by Colorado artist Nancy Condit from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Madden Museum, 6363 Fiddler’s Green Circle, Greenwood Village. (Change of venue for this workshop only). Cost: $30. For material list, contact Condit at Sand Dollar Gallery, 303-871-8028, sanddollargallery @gmail.com.

“Collage Techniques for Kids” will be offered by Donna Martin of the Greater Castle Rock Arts Guild on Sept. 24 at the Imagine Arts Center (formerly Duke’s restaurant) in Castle Rock. Ages 6 to 12: 10:30 a.m. to noon; Ages 12 and up 12:30 to 2 p.m. Bring scrap papers, photos, etc., you would like to include in a collage. A supply list will be provided by Martin at saltlightwatercolors@yahoo.com. Cost is $15 per child, $10 for another from the same family. Contact Martin if interested.

Reminder: Oct. 7 is the deadline to enter the Lone Tree Art Exhibition and Sale, which will run Nov. 12 to Dec. 13 at the new Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St., Lone Tree. Search www.callforentry.org alphabetically for the Lone Tree Art Exhibition. See www.lonetreeartscenter.org for more information.

The Arapahoe Philharmonic Orchestra plays at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 30 at its new venue, Mission Hills Church, 620 South Park Dr. Littleton. “By Popular Request” is the name of the concert, which will include favorites by Respighi, with brass and cello solo plus Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 in C Minor. Tickets: $25-$10, 303-781-1892, www.arapahoe-phil.org.

Queen City Jazz will play for worship on Oct. 2 at Our Father Lutheran Church, 6335 S. Holly, Centennial. Wendy Harston will sing with the band. The service will be followed by the annual Octoberfest, when Queen City will become a Polka Band! The public is invited. Free-will offering. 303-779-1332.

The Aurora Fox Theatre is hosting a new series of staged play readings at 7 p.m. in the studio theater, 9900 E. Colfax. Tickets cost $5. No reservations needed. Details at www.aurorafox.org. On Monday, Sept. 26, the play will be Denver playwright Josh Hartwell’s “Nothing But Skin” about a dysfunctional African American family at their summer lake house. On Oct. 3, “Turquoise Wind “by Kurt Procter, artistic director of Utah Contemporary Theatre, is scheduled.

German Day will be celebrated from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Oct. 1 at Helga’s Deli, 14197 E. Exposition Ave. in Aurora (across from Aurora Mall, where there is ample parking). German dance bands, folk dance, food and drink. South metro residents Peter and Marily Kron are in the Edelsteiner German Dance Band and organizer Cara Meier is a retired LPS teacher. At 2 p.m. unique instruments such as the Alpenhorn, a harmonica band and a blockfloete (recorders of all sizes) band, zither and button accordion. Admission: $1, free 6 and under. A tent in the Kultur Garten will offer educational activities, including genealogy. www.germandayincolorado.org.

Colorado Ballet opens its season with “Swan Lake” on Oct. 7 through Oct. 23 at the Elie Caulkins Opera House in the Denver Performing Arts Complex. Choreography will be after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivankov, with original choreography by Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner, former principal dancers with the American Ballet Company. It was first set on Colorado Ballet in 2008 and attracted sold-out audiences. A full orchestra will accompany the dancers. Performances will be: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22; 2 p.m. Oct. 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23; 6:30 p.m. Oct. 19. Tickets: $20 to $140. www.coloradoballet.org.

Experience Your Brain at Unfinished# 41 (Grey Matter) on the final Friday, Sept. 30 at the Denver Art Museum. Offbeat art encounters, munchies, music, conversation about Cristo’s Over the River project, Buntport’s Joan and Charlie Discuss Tonight’s Theme in the third floor freight elevator and more. Admission is 2 for 1 with student ID. www.denverartmuseum.org.

A trip to our past for families: Harvest at the Homestead takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Plains Conservation Center, 21901 E. Hampden Ave., Aurora. Cider, wagon rides, heritage games and crafts, music, Cheyenne life at the teepees, Native American dancers and more … $7/$5 nonmembers. 303-693-3621, www .plainscenter.org.

The Lone Tree Symphony Orchestra’s “New Beginnings” concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Sept. 30 at the orchestra’s shiny new venue, the Lone Tree Arts Center, at 10075 Commons St., Lone Tree. The program includes: Paul Dukas: “Fanfare from LaPeri;” Ludwig Von Beethoven: “Consecration of the House;” Robert Russell Bennett: “Selections from Kiss Me Kate;” Antonin Dvorak: “Symphony No. 9 From the New World.” Tickets: $10/$5, www.lonetreeartscenter.org or 720-509-1000.

Call for artists: The 10th Annual Lone Tree Art Exhibition and Sale, scheduled Nov. 12 to Dec. 31, invites interested artists, age 18 and older, to enter by Oct. 7. Up to three pieces of art may be submitted via café, www.callforentry.org, (search for Lone Tree Art Exhibition). Create a profile and upload digital images. Categories: Water Media, Pastels, Mixed Media, Sculpture. Juror is well-known watercolorist Pat Fostvedt. Cash awards are estimated at $4,000. Best in Show will receive 30 days of gallery space for up to 10 images following the exhibit. Contact: Kirstin Bomgardner, 303-707-1818, kirstin.bomgardner@cityoflonetree.com.

Englewood Arts begins its new season at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24 with host violist Catherine Beeson and an ensemble of Colorado Symphony Orchestra musicians who will perform Tchiakovsky’s “Souvenir of Florence” and Glazunov’s “5 Novelettes for String Quartet.” Tickets: $15/$12/$5. www.englewoodarts.org, 303-806-8196.

The Denver Municipal Band, the nation’s oldest professional concert band, will perform at 7 p.m. Sept. 24 at Buck Recreation Center, 2004 W. Powers Ave., Littleton, continuing South Suburban’s “Year of American Arts.” Tickets: $10/$8. www.sspr.org or 303-730-4612.

Arapahoe County’s annual Senior Resource Day, “Pathways to Wisdom: the Dynamics of Aging” will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 30 at Buck Recreation Center, 2004 Powers Ave., Littleton. A 9 to 11 a.m. program on “The Dynamics of Aging” will include a presentation by Cile Chavez, a consultant on human development and former Littleton Superintendent of Schools. Music and a ceremony will be included. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. exhibits will be open and snacks will be available. Participants can bring up to three boxes or garbage bags of confidential documents to be shredded. 303-797-8787.

W.I.S.E, The Wales, Ireland, Scotland, England Family History Society will meet at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 24 in the 7th Floor training room of the Central Denver Public Library, 10 W. 14th Avenue Parkway, Denver. The speaker will be James K. Jeffrey, the library’s collection specialist in genealogy, who will talk about “British Isles Research at the Denver Public Library. Guests are welcome. www.wise-fhs.org.

“Eccentrics Unlimited” the Sept. 24 program by Stories on Stage, will feature the couple Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker (L.A. Law) reading stories by Dorothy Parker, Lorrie More, William Faulkner plus an original winner of the Lighthouse Writers Workshop Contest. This is the 11th season for this series. It invites prominent actors to read short stories. It will be primarily at Su Teatro at the Denver Civic Theatre this year, 721 Santa Fe Drive, Denver. Programs will be at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sept. 24 Tickets: $25. www.storiesonstage.org, 303-494-0523. Two of the Stories on Stage programs will be presented later at the Lone Tree Arts Center.

“Something Old, Something New,” will be presented by Augustana Arts with the Musica Sacra Chamber Orchestra, conducted by David Rutherford, at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 23 at Abiding Hope Lutheran Church, 6337 S. Robb Way, Littleton and 3 p.m. Sept. 25 at Augustana Lutheran Church, 5000 E. Alameda Ave., Denver. Tickets: $20/$15/$8, 303-388-4962, www.augustanaarts,org. Music by Bach, Ravel, Gretry.

Denver Botanic Gardens has its annual Fall Plant and Bulb Sale from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 24 at the York Street location. Horticulturists will be on hand to answer questions. Admission $6. 720-865-3500, www.botanicgardens.org.

Peter Davison, “Poet of Motion,” will appear at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 23 and 24 at Theatre of Dreams, 735 Park St., Castle Rock. Reservations required, 303-660-6799. ($22.50).

Vocalist Donna Wickham will sing tunes by Lamont School of Music’s Lynn Baker in Cherokee Castle’s Great Hall on Sept. 24. Ticket buyers ($65) will receive a free copy of Baker’s CD “Azure Intention.” Ticket includes Castle tour, buffet supper, cash bar, performance, dessert and coffee with musicians. (6 p.m.)

On Sept. 25, Master Percussionists of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra will perform at Cherokee Castle. ($60/$30 children 8 and under). 5 to 8 p.m. General admission at 6 p.m. performance at 6:30 p.m. Cherokee Ranch and Castle are at 6113 Daniels Park Road, Sedalia. Reservations: 303-688-4600.

The Aurora Fox has auditions for “Xanadu” from 7 to 10 p.m. Sept. 26, 9900 E. Colfax. Parts: one woman 20 to 30; one man 20 to 30; one man 40 to 60; two male and four female chorus members. All must sing and dance. Prepare to show a special skill if asked to stay. (roller skating, juggling, fire eating, etc.) By appointment: 303-739-1970. Production dates: March 2, 2012, to April 1, 2012.

Colorado Watercolor Society’s “New Trends Exhibit” will be at the CoArt Gallery, 846 S. Santa Fe Drive, Denver, through Sept. 25. (Three paintings by rita derjue of Littleton are included). An opening reception will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sept. 16. Gallery hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. 303-573-5503.

“T. Rex Encounter,” a new exhibit, is open at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver. Travel back 67 million years to explore the Cretaceous world of Tyrannosaurus Rex and contemporary wildlife. Advanced robotics bring animals to life, near skeleton cast from actual dinosaurs. Presley Conkle, of Highlands Ranch, has written a script to be used in a time machine experience for kids. For ticket information and hours, see www.dmns.org. Related IMAX films: “Waking the T. Rex: the Story of Sue,” and “Dinosaurs Alive!”

Find our theater listing, Curtain Time, online if it doesn’t appear in print.