• Fourth Friday at Muse in Morton, Oct. 24.

• Whisper & Shout: Open Mic for Poetry is being held at the Contemporary Art Center on Oct. 2 and 16.
• The Peoria Riverfront Museum will have “Wine & Cheese under the stars” in the Dome Planetarium Oct. 17.
• For the next six weeks, the Peoria Public Library has dozens of events tied to “Peoria Reads” featuring the book “Holding the Note: Profiles in Popular Music — From Punks in Peoria to River City Soul,” featuring local journalist and author Jonathan Wright, will be Oct. 1 at the North Branch; “Instrument ‘Petting Zoo’ with Kidder Music” will be Oct. 6, also at the North Branch;  “Holding the Note: Leonard Cohen” will be Oct. 9 at the Main Library; and a “Read On” book club reading of Aretha Franklin and Mavis Staples will be Oct. 27 at the Lincoln Branch.

THEATRE

• “Arsenic & Old Lace” is playing at the Barn III Dinner Theatre Oct. 3-Nov. 2.
• “Rent,” presented by Peoria Players Theatre, plays Oct. 3-12.
• “Alice in Wonderland: Reimagined,” Featuring more than 100 performers, will be part of the Indo-American Society of Peoria and PJ Dance Academy’s annual UTSAV Diwali Gala, this year at the Peoria Civic Center on Oct. 25.

• The Civic Center has booked comics John Crist (Oct. 4), Nurse Blake (Oct. 11), and Gabriel Iglesias (Oct. 18); and Jukebox Comedy Club has scheduled Al Jackson (Oct. 17-18) and Sam Miller (Oct. 31-Nov. 1).

CLASSES & DISCUSSIONS

• Peoria Art Guild is holding a palette knife painting class on Oct. 8 at their Shoppes at Grand Prairie location.
• The Peoria Art Guild is offering a three-week course in Relief Printmaking starting Oct. 14, a two-week course in Relief Printmaking starting Oct. 17, and a Learn beginning photography program starting Oct. 22..

MUSIC

• Opera Illinois League presents “Musica Che Amiamo: Mostly Mozart Dinner Show” at Holiday Inn & Suites on Oct. 5.
• 

  Peoria musician David Hoffman, who toured the world with the Ray Charles Orchestra for 13 years as trumpet soloist and arranger, last month announced his retirement.
  “After more than 50 years in music, I’m officially retiring from active touring and contracting,” he said. “It’s been an incredible journey, sharing the stage with legends like Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Willie Nelson, Donna Summer, Quincy Jones and Gladys Knight, and serving as president of American Federation of Musicians [Peoria] Local 26 while bringing Broadway tours to the Peoria Civic Center.”
  About 20 years ago, Hoffman returned to Illinois and taught at Knox College, occasionally performed with the Central Illinois Jazz Society and other ensembles, and directed the Heartland Jazz Orchestra – which he says he’ll continue directing, plus “recording new music, and taking on occasional gigs. Musicians never really retire — we just slowly lose our chops.
  “To my colleagues, students, friends and the audiences who have supported me through the years — thank you,” he said. “This journey has been, in every sense, mostly improvised, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

  The Contemporary Art Center presents Still Shine “Live at the Five Spot” Oct. 10 and The Brazillionaires on Oct. 24.
• The Prairie Wind Ensemble hosts their fall concert Oct. 16 at Five Points Washington.
• Bradley Jazz Ensemble/Groove Project will play Dingeldine Music Center on Oct. 17.
• BU Symphony Orchestra is performing at Dingeldine Music Center on Oct. 18.
• Heart of Illinois Chorus’s “Generations of Love” will be Oct. 19 at ICC’s East Peoria campus.
• Peoria Heights’ community band holds a free concert Oct. 23 at Lutheran Hillside Village.