When is a used car not a used car? No, this is not the opening line of a joke, but rather a serious question. The obvious answer is, if it has been purchased before. What if we told you that it was possible to find a vehicle that blurs the line between new and used. Capital Eurocars has done just that with the introduction of the Capital Eurocars Used Car Confidence Plan, available at Capital Eurocars in Tallahassee.

When you see a Porsche on the road, its style is unmistakable. The same can be said of the all-new 2010 Porsche Panamera. The first new Porsche model in seven years breaks the traditional Porsche mold as the first four door luxury sedan in the German sports car company’s 61 year history. After an exciting four years in the making, the Panamera is now available at Capital Porsche in Tallahassee.

The 2010 Porsche Panamera is the perfect balance of power and convenience. The four full sized seats and generous cargo space is neatly enclosed in its sports car-esque low, aggressive coupe silhouette. Not to be outdone by Porsche’s other three models; the Panamera boasts best-in-class fuel efficiency. But don’t let that fool you. This 500-horsepower dream could never be confused for your neighbor’s hybrid.

Hurry into Capital Porsche in Tallahassee to test-drive the 2010 Porsche Panamera today. Porsche has the better way to break the mold, and Capital Porsche has the better way to buy.

As the leaves begin to change, it’s easy to see fall has arrived.
Another indication that fall is finally here, are the shipments of
brand new Volvo’s hitting the lot, like the redesigned 2010 Volvo C70.
The refreshed C70’s new front styling keeps it inline with the
upcoming Volvo S60 sedan and, more importantly, provides a sleeker look. At
the center of this change are the upswept headlights, which surround a
carefully modified grille (Volvo’s “iron mask”) that protrudes ahead
of the rest of the bumper, not unlike the 2009 model. The black
material surrounding the fog lights follows the lines established by
the headlights.

Ultimately, the combination of safety and comfort you’ve come to expect
from Volvo, with the beauty that Italian design firm Pininfarina is
known for, brings together the 2010 Volvo C70 in a synergy that is as
refreshing to experience as the vehicle itself is to drive. With wrap
around changes like redone LED taillights — enough, we think, to set
apart the 2010 Volvo C70 from its predecessors, and the convertible’s slick
interior, make the new Volvo C70 a vehicle that must be experienced to
believe.

To get your exclusive look at the newly redesigned 2010 Volvo C70, come to
Capital Volvo and see why Volvo is the better way to experience life and
Capital Volvo of Tallahassee is the better way to buy.

Whether a friend of the Earth, or just cost conscious, fuel economy is
becoming a major consideration to consumers when car shopping. Some
may picture themselves in a small four door, or if they’re savvy
industry watchers, some of the newer electric models coming out early
next year. While none of these will likely win you any late night drag
races, the fuel economy ratings make these the greenest rides on the
road, or do they?

The Dow Jones may beg to differ. In their estimation, if you really
care about fuel economy, you’ll see your way to a European sport sedan
with a turbocharged engine and a fourteen speaker stereo. Or perhaps a
V8-powered roadster.

BMW Group was declared the ‘most sustainable automobile company
worldwide.’ The German luxury automaker won the title and has held it
for five years in a row now. In fact, BMW reminds us it is the only
automaker that has been listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index
since it was created in 1999.

The Dow Jones Sustainability Index considers the environmental and
social impact of a company’s operations as a whole, including the
entire product lifecycle from design through the end of their
lifecycle. In a press release, Dow Jones shows BMW to be above the
auto industry average in every category it rates, including
Operational Eco-Efficiency, Climate Strategy, Carbon Strategy and the
environmental standards the company maintains for its suppliers.

Since the turn of the century, nearly 10 years ago, BMW has listed
sustainability among its core strategic principles, focusing on the
development of fuel-saving and alternative vehicle concepts, through to
clean production processes and green recycling practices.

Come test-drive a new BMW today and see why BMW is the better way to
be fuel conscious and why Capital BMW in Tallahassee is the better way
to buy.

The better way to hug curves is in a new 2010 Volkswagen CC from Capital Volkswagen. The 2010 Volkswagen CC isn’t just another pretty face. This performance engineered sedan is not only designed to hug the curves but to keep you safe too. As the CC’s award winning, class leading, turbo charged engine roars down the freeway, anti-slip regulation helps avoid wheel slippage and denies engine power, at any speed, when slippage is detected.

Inside, a new touch-screen audio system, attractive two-tone color scheme, and upscale materials make the 2010 Volkswagen CC a near-luxury vehicle. Plus, innovative safety features keep you and your family safe on the road ahead. The crash optimized front end sends the energy from a front end crash into the car, rather than you. Combined with rain sensing wipers, four wheel anti-lock brakes, brake assist and electronic differential locking, and it’s easy to see how the 2010 Volkswagen CC is one of the safest sedans on the road today.

For a very limited time, you can drive this beauty for only $299 a month*. Volkswagen has the better way to hug curves, and Capital Volkswagen in Tallahassee has the better way to buy.

*36 month lease with $3,299 due at inception, plus tax and tag. Security deposit waived, with approved credit. Extra fees may apply at lease end.

By Amanda Finch Broadfoot, Tallahassee Magazine

Halloween always was one of my favorite holidays as a kid. And it wasn’t just the candy – though I’ll admit that the lady who gave out raisins wasn’t my first stop. There was something magical about the whole Trick or Treat night: a slight chill in the air, the thrill of running free around the neighborhood as the sky got darker (back when it was still safe to do that), and, of course, dressing up in costumes.

My mom really threw herself into the costume making. No generic store-bought Wonder Woman for my sister or me. Oh no, we got an authentic get-up with all the trimmings, from our magical lassos to our red leather knee boots. And the year I was “I Dream of Jeannie,” I was the envy of every girl in my class. True, we missed the sheer red drapes for a while, but my red genie pants were the talk of fourth grade.

I still love to dress up. But I’m not quite the expert my mom was. I can’t operate a sewing machine without injuring myself, and let’s just say that constructing a Raggedy Ann costume out of a pillow case and one of my sister’s old pompoms is an even worse idea than it sounds.

Drawing on decades of experience – both my successes and my pitfalls – I thought I might offer some advice to those of you who are new to the whole costume thing.

Size Matters
There is such a thing as “too much costume.” I once worked with a gal named Helen who thought it would be hilarious to show up at a friend’s Halloween party as Mount St. Helen. She went all out: papier mâché volcano with a cut-out for her head, smoke escaping from the top courtesy of a Marlboro Light. It was really awesome.

But about two hours into the party, Helen started to get hot. And the room started to fill with smoke. Her volcano was way too huge for the tiny two-bedroom apartment, and she couldn’t fit on any of the chairs. Also, her smoking started to really tick off the host.

Clever is good. But it helps to be clever without invading everyone else’s personal space. Or causing respiratory distress for the asthmatics in the room.

Do the ‘Bad Taste’ Test
A sense of humor is a delicate thing. Some people like to push the envelope. Some are easily offended. But no matter how close you are to the host or how authentic your costume, if you’re dressed as Osama Bin Laden, you’ll probably get asked to leave. Ditto for Hitler and O.J. Simpson. There are some people you just don’t want at a party.

Some of the costume catalogs read like a cast list from a porn movie. Selections from one actual online catalog: Naughty Nurse, Sexy Vampire, Luscious Leopard, Racy Red Riding Hood, Playboy Gangsta Lady (don’t ask me), Sexy Elf, Sexy Mail Delivery Girl – wait a minute, Sexy Mail Delivery Girl?

Remember, there is a fine line between “Sexy Devil” and “Hooker in Red Leotard.” And a pitchfork is not always enough to make the distinction.

Tooooooo Cute
Sometimes, dressing up as a pair is kinda cool: Lucy and Desi, for instance, or Marc Antony and Cleopatra. But make sure that your costume still makes sense if you get separated – if you’re Sonny without Cher, you’re just a guy with a weird mustache. Bacon-and-Eggs or Ketchup-and-Mustard (both available as “humorous couples costumes” from the online costume companies) aren’t even that funny when they’re together, but separate them and you just look odd.

Cute couple costumes work best as parent-and-child combos. For instance, I saw one kindergartner dressed as Batman last year, with his good sport of a dad tagging along in a plastic Robin costume. Everyone who saw them just went, “Awww.”

With adults, though, a little bit of cute goes a long way. As the King and Queen of Hearts, you’re pushing it far enough. But if you don that Plug-and-Outlet costume, expect people to gag.

I once knew a couple who spent the whole night attached at the hip, literally, as “Two Peas in a Pod.” Then he leered at a Sexy Devil, they got into a fight, and the rest of the evening was awkward for everyone.

The Joke Nobody Gets
And speaking of couple costumes, the “Bill and Monica” idea was slightly funny … in 1998. In 2009, though, you just look like some old guy in a suit and a girl in a dirty dress. If you’re going to be timely, be timely.

Of course, what do I know? I dressed my 3-month-old up as a Killer Bee, complete with “ghost bees” dangling from his stroller, and though I found it hilarious, I’m pretty sure I was the only one.

It’s the kiss of death if you have to spend all night explaining the joke. Like the year I went as a “Trophy Wife” – everyone thought I was the Statue of Liberty. And by the time I explained it, I’m afraid what was left of the so-called cleverness had worn off. But I wasn’t as bad as the guy dressed as “God’s Gift to Women.” It took the wind out of his sails when he had to keep answering that no, he wasn’t a Christmas present.

Location, Location, Location
This rule is as important as it is obvious: Consider where you’re going to wear this costume. Volunteering at your church’s fall festival clearly is not the best place to don the super-realistic Hellraiser mask. This seems like no-brainer advice, but you’d be surprised.

Showing up for work as a Naughty Nurse probably will slap a glass ceiling down on top of your career advancement options. In fact, the office is a real minefield; it’s better to play it safe. If you’re a witch or a pirate, you probably can still type. But if you come to the office as the Apple from the Fruit of the Loom commercials or Mr. Potato Head, you may run into some logistical problems – trust me.

Halloween is supposed to be fun, a chance to let your hair down and step into someone – or something – else’s shoes for a day. Even if you’re not an expert with the sewing machine, anyone can throw together a pirate, a witch, a clown, or my sister’s old standby, a hobo.

My baby is a year old this Halloween, so it’s probably the last year I can dress her up before she starts demanding some Disney Princess costume from Wal-Mart. I’ve decided I might pair us up as Rocky and Bullwinkle … I had better call Mom and see what she has planned for her brown curtains.

Native Americans Started the Trail That Evolved into North Florida’s Transportation System 

By Linda Kleindienst, Tallahassee Magazine

It began with a foot trail, a narrow path gradually worn over centuries of use as American Indian cultures settled into permanent homes and developed trade routes between neighboring tribes.

With the arrival of the Spanish in the 1500s, the meandering dirt path finally took on a name, “El Camino Real.” Its exact location is mostly lost to the ages. But in spite of modern civilization’s best efforts, some traces do miraculously remain, including the faint outline of a sunken road at Mission San Luis in Tallahassee. A broken-down oxcart marks the spot.

Northwest Florida has come a long way since the early days of that road, which eventually stretched 455 miles across the state. An interstate highway, railroads, ports that unload goods from around the world, airports that cater to domestic and international passengers and cargo – all now form Northwest Florida’s transportation system. But real progress began with that age-old Indian path used by the Spanish to spread the Christian gospel and to move troops and produce.

El Camino Real was Florida’s first superhighway and was known by a variety of names, including The King’s Road, Royal Road and Mission Road. Eventually it connected a chain of 100 Franciscan missions and stretched from Pensacola, the capital of Spanish West Florida, to St. Augustine, the capital of Spanish East Florida. Its midpoint was Mission San Luis, which lies just off Tennessee Street on the west side of modern-day Tallahassee.

Today, Old St. Augustine Road tracks the old path through part of Tallahassee. Driving just east of downtown, it’s difficult to envision how the path looked when it was the major thoroughfare used by the Apalachee Indians and Spaniards.

But take a moment to imagine walking with Hernando de Soto, who in 1539 celebrated the first Christmas Mass in the New World just off the path at Anhaica, the ancestor village of San Luis. (Which is located very close to our modern-day Myers Park.) Look for the monks who walked the trail as they journeyed from one mission to another across North Florida. Listen for the creak of the oxcarts that slowly lumbered along, transporting supplies to help feed Spanish settlers.

In his book “Apalachee: The Land Between the Rivers,” author John Hann describes the three available routes used for trade between the Apalachee Indians and St. Augustine:

“The first and oldest was the overland route via the Royal Road, which was based on existing Indian trade paths. The second and most important for heavy and bulky goods was the sea route around the tip of the peninsula, a voyage of about 700 miles, which took two weeks when conditions were favorable.”

The third route was more convoluted but at times faster. It involved a voyage on the Gulf, a trip upriver and then a journey overland.

Hann explains:

“Native canoes ferried supplies from the Wakulla River, St. Marks, or the Wacissa along the Gulf Coast to the mouth of the San Martín River (Suwannee), ascending this stream to some point in the vicinity of the confluence with the Santa Fé; then cargo continued to St. Augustine via the Royal Road on pack animals or on human backs.”

The Tallahassee area was vital to the Spanish settlers because of what its good farm and grazing land could provide.

“This was the breadbasket for St. Augustine,” says Karin Stanford, museum program supervisor at Mission San Luis, which was established in 1656. “The Red Hills was a good area for growing things, especially corn. And they sent that corn to St. Augustine. The Spanish also used this area to graze the cattle they introduced to this country.”

Produce, beef, tallow (rendered fat used for making candles and soap) and hides were sent to St. Augustine or even to Havana, Cuba, via an offshoot of the road that stretched south to the port at St. Marks. Indians carried the exports on their backs until the 1680s, when oxcarts introduced by the Spanish became a common sight along the King’s Road.

No one knows exactly how long it took to make the trek from Tallahassee to St. Augustine. However, Jack Sigler, a volunteer at Mission San Luis, did some research with a few military history friends, and the consensus was that oxen pulling fully loaded carts on tracks and muddy roads would average 1.5 miles an hour or about 12 miles a day.

“St. Augustine is a bit more than 200 miles from Mission San Luis,” Sigler says. “That would require a trip of 18 days. But if you add in a day of rest every four days (almost essential) and two days to cross the two major rivers (the Suwannee and the St. Johns), you get a total of about 24 days – or just a bit more than three and a half weeks.”

As the Spanish influence in the region grew, so did the road. By the early 1800s, El Camino Real went as far west as San Diego and then south to Mexico City. Across Florida today, U.S. Highway 90 most closely shadows the old road.

Hundreds of years after the Spanish used it for commerce, the old dirt trail became the foundation for Florida’s first federal highway. It was renamed the Bellamy Road (or sometimes referred to as the Pensacola-St. Augustine Road), a $20,000 project funded in 1823 by Congress. The orders were to follow and improve “the old Indian Trail” and the “old Spanish road.”

Work on the road improvement was begun in 1824 – five years after Florida became a territory – by a military detachment sent out from Pensacola. The instructions were clear: The road must be 25 feet wide, with tree stumps cut low enough so that a wagon floorboard could clear them.

While the U.S. Army started the job, most of the road was built under the direction of John Bellamy, a wealthy Jefferson County planter hired by the Florida territorial council. Bellamy, who used slave labor for the job, was paid $13,500 to build the eastern half, from the Ochlockonee River to the St. Johns.

In a way, the Bellamy Road contributed to Florida’s first population boom by opening the interior of the state to settlers. A portion of the original road remains in northern Alachua County, next to O’Leno State Park.

While the Bellamy Road fell out of favor during the Civil War era, the road went through a revival of sorts in the early 1900s when it became part of “The Old Spanish Trail,” an effort by Southern states who launched a public relations campaign to reinvigorate interest in and attract tourists by urging them to follow “in the footsteps of Padres and Conquistadors.” Stretching 3,000 miles from the Atlantic to the Pacific, it ran through eight states and 67 counties. The project took 15 years, cost $80,000 and opened in 1929. In Florida, remnants can still be seen near Milton and Pensacola.

But the public relations scheme was soon doomed by construction of the Interstate Highway System.

By the time Interstate 10 was finished in 1978, the “freeway of the Deep South” cut straight across the nation, giving drivers a high-speed route that stretched clear to Los Angeles. It also provided the shortest distance between Pensacola and the Atlantic Ocean, opening the way for more traffic from tourists and luring new residents inland to the rolling hills and oak forests of Northwest Florida.

“Thirty years ago, this was a peaceful, quiet, undiscovered part of Florida,” says Larry Kelley, who oversees all road projects in a 16-county area, from Jefferson County to Escambia, for the Florida Department of Transportation. “When tourists thought of Florida, they thought of South Florida. Now there is a huge effort to attract tourists, and the result is that people want to live here.”

Andy Ball has Danced with a Star, Met Foreign Royalty and Followed a Dream That Has Led Him Around the Globe

By Tabitha Yang, Tallahassee Magazine 

The year is 1990. The Marine Corps Band is playing in the Grand Foyer of the White House and guests are gathering, dressed to the nines in elegant evening gowns and tuxedos. The gentle hum of music and conversation fills the air. Then there is a sudden hush. Queen Elizabeth II is descending the staircase, accompanied by President George H.W. Bush and first lady Barbara Bush.

“As soon as the queen set foot on the Grand Foyer, you could hear a pin drop,” recalls former White House social aide and Tallahassee native Andy Ball. “There was total silence. The band stopped, all heads turned. You could almost hear yourself breathe. It was an amazing moment.”

It was the only time Ball says he really felt starstruck during his four years as a White House social aide. Ball, 43, says he always had butterflies in his stomach before White House events, but it was always just enough of an adrenaline rush to ensure that he was on top of his game and ready to do his job to the fullest.

Ball grew up in Tallahassee and graduated from Leon High School in 1983, then attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., on an Air Force scholarship. He graduated with a degree in engineering and became an interrogation officer, interviewing captured enemy prisoners of war in Operation Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf and Operation Just Cause in Panama. In 1990, when Ball was stationed in Washington, D.C., he began serving as a White House social aide after going through a rigorous selection process that involved interviews with everyone from a committee of current and former social aides to the White House social secretary.

The social aide program takes up to eight men from each of the five branches of the armed services — Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard — and trains them to support the president and first lady during social functions. They must be unmarried and be officers of certain ranks.

“A state dinner has at least 100 people, and there’s no way that the president and first lady can be with everybody all the time, so the social aides are there to have conversation and make sure people are feeling comfortable,” Ball says. “The other part of our duties is providing actual protocol service, like setting up the receiving line and introducing people to the president, and then having a whisper aide to whisper the name of the person in the receiving line to the first lady so she can introduce the person . . . to her spouse.”

Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to the White House was a memorable one for Ball, but so was the visit of King Hassan of Morocco in 1991.

“When the king of Morocco came, he had an entourage assisting him with their little fez caps on,” Ball says. “And he brought his own food and drink. He didn’t consume anything provided at the event. (He brought) even his own serving pieces — his own silverware and his own glasses.”

Ball says he’s not sure why the king felt the need to bring his own food but thinks it must have been due either to a dietary or security concern. Other monarchs, including Emperor Akihito of Japan, ate the food provided by the White House.

One of the most nerve-wracking experiences Ball had at the White House was at the Israeli-Palestinian treaty signing during President Clinton’s tenure. Ball was in charge of making sure that then-Secretary of State Warren Christopher and the foreign secretaries from Israel, Palestine Authority and Russia stood in the right place on the stage. So Ball took them aside and briefed them, and they all nodded as if they understood everything he was saying. But when the foreign ministers got on stage, it became apparent that they had not understood, because they were standing in the wrong place.

Ball was starting to get nervous, because he could see the dignitaries walking toward him. The problem was that he had been given strict instructions not to get on the stage under any circumstances.

“I can see that President Clinton is walking down with Yassir Arafat and the Israeli president, and it’s probably a minute and a half before they’re going to climb on stage,” Ball remembers. “And so, anyway, at the last minute, I decide, ‘OK, this might be the last thing that I do at the White House, but I’ve got to get them into the right place.’ So I climbed up on stage and spoke to Warren Christopher, who was the only person I knew for certain would understand my directions. And I said, ‘Sir, you all need to move to the opposite end of the stage and be in position there for the president.’ And he nodded and said, ‘Thank you,’ and he collected his peers and they moved, and it looked perfect.”

They ended up standing in their proper places just as President Clinton, Palestinian leader Arafat and the Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin were ascending the stairs, so everything worked out just as it should have. Of course, Ball spent the rest of the afternoon nervously waiting for someone to tell him, “OK, thank you, Andy, for your service, but we don’t need you for any more events.”

“But nobody said a word,” he recalls. “Maybe that don’t-climb-on-stage rule was just something somebody said — an offhand comment.”

Not quite as nerve-wracking, but definitely memorable, was the time Ball danced with actress and singer Olivia Newton-John at one of the White House state dinners.

“The Marine Band was playing,” he remembers. It was standard, he says, after the dinner and the formal entertainment were done, to have about 30 to 45 minutes of dancing in the Grand Foyer before people departed. The former U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic and his wife were standing there, urging him to invite Newton-John to dance.

“That is part of our duties, to make sure people are enjoying themselves,” Ball says. “So I asked her if she wanted to dance, and she said yes. The song was ‘Georgia on My Mind,’ so we talked about Georgia and the South for a little bit. It was really memorable.”

Of course, it helped that Ball is an accomplished dancer, says his father, Jim Ball.

After his days as a White House aide came to a close in 1994, Andy Ball left the Air Force and went to work as a legislative aide for then-U.S. Rep. Pete Peterson of Marianna. Ball left that position in 1995, then took a six-month backpacking trip in Asia with his partner, Agustin Paculdar, whom he met in Washington in 1992. Ball then returned to the United States and served as a translator at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

He also spent a brief stint working as an election observer in Bosnia for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, an independent organization that encourages the development of democracy in Eastern Europe. Afterward, he moved to Los Angeles to work in the Civil Rights Office of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center.

A former U.S. ambassador he had met during his time as an election observer in Bosnia encouraged Ball to apply for a job with the State Department, so he took the Foreign Service exam, passed it and began working for the State Department in 2003. Ball’s first post was in the Philippine capital of Manila, as a consular officer, checking up on Americans who had been jailed for offenses committed abroad. His responsibility was to make sure they were being treated appropriately. Ball also interviewed Filipinos who wanted to become American citizens.

His next State Department post was in Mexico City. While he was there, then-President George W. Bush came to visit the embassy, as well as former presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.

“(One) big role that management officers have is planning and support for visits of U.S. officials to that country,” he says. “So I do feel like my social aide work helped prepare me for that role.”

Ball spent a few years in Washington after that and now is preparing to head to Sydney, Australia, where he will be posted for three years.

His parents are, of course, thrilled with his success. Asked whether they’re proud of him, his father, Jim Ball, smiles and responds, “Oh yeah. We have to restrain ourselves.”

Jim and Kitty Ball say Andy had some exposure to other countries and cultures growing up. They remember one summer that he went off to a boys’ camp in North Carolina, Camp Arrowhead, and stayed in a cabin with a group of boys from Venezuela, as well as a Japanese boy named Toyahisa, whose father was working for the Mitsubishi Company in Mexico.

“This boy spoke Japanese and Spanish,” Kitty Ball says. “And Andy, in order to converse with these boys, had to use his Spanish, but he picked up some Japanese from Toyahisa. That was the guy’s name, but they called him ‘Toyota.’”

Ball’s parents love hearing about his experiences, both in the United States and abroad.

“We’ve enjoyed his things vicariously,” Kitty Ball says. “We will have to visit Australia. We’ve not been there.”

As for Andy, he says he is happy with his current position.

“I feel like I would like to continue with this for the foreseeable future,” he says. “Not that I wasn’t content with the other work. Leaving each job has been difficult, but there was always something else I wanted to accomplish, and now I feel very content with this job.”

Oct. 17
10th Annual Fabulous Fur Ball
Avast, me hearties! The Leon County Humane Society requests the presence of all two-legged masters of four-legged furry friends at its annual gala, the Fur Ball. With a theme of “Paw-rates of the Caribbean …  At Tail’s End,” the organization’s largest fundraiser is a semi-formal dance and silent auction and all proceeds directly benefit homeless animals in the community. Attendees will enjoy dinner, drinks, dancing and bidding on lots of exciting items. The event will be held at Florida State University’s University Center Club. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit lchs.info or call Ivy Jacobson at (850) 224-9193.

Oct. 17
Big Bend Heart Walk
Support the fight against heart disease at the Big Bend Heart Walk. Lots of kids’ activities—including face painting, inflatables and healthy snacks—make it a family-friendly event. 9 a.m.–noon. Free. Tom Brown Park, 400 Easterwood Drive. (850) 878-3885, bigbendheartwalk.org

Oct. 17
‘Star Wars’ Night at the Drive in Movies
Keep Tallahassee-Leon County Beautiful presents an evening of fun featuring the classic film projected on a large screen that can be viewed from your car or from a seating area, if you’d like to bring a blanket or chair. There will be antique cars on display, family games with prizes, hula-hoop contests, hay rides for the kids and more. Concessions will be available, including hot dogs and snow cones. No coolers, please. Parking and kids’ activities begin at 5:30 p.m. Movie starts at dark around 7:30 p.m. Donations will benefit the beautification projects of Keep Tallahassee-Leon County Beautiful. 5:30–10 p.m. Cross Creek Center. Rain date: Oct. 18. (850)681-8589. ktlcb.com.

Oct. 20
Kids Soiree
The 17th annual Kids Soiree which raises funds for the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Big Bend and will feature performances from club members ages 5 to 18. It also includes recognition of community partners, a silent auction and light refreshments. 6–8 p.m. Tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis and donations are appreciated. Turner Auditorium, Tallahassee Community College, 444 Appleyard Drive. (850) 656-8100,thepositiveplaceforkids.org

Oct. 23
Fall Band Concert
Get ready to jive with the Tallahassee Community College Jazz Band and Capital City Band as they feature some swingin’ rhythms at their annual fall concert. 7:30 p.m. Free. Turner Auditorium, Tallahassee Community College, 444 Appleyard Drive. (850) 201-8368, coatesg@tcc.fl.edu

Oct. 23
Baking Basics Seminar
For a series of four Fridays, Paul Creighton of Panis Est Vita will host traditional French baking lessons. Learn the intricacies of making breads from scratch in your own home kitchen. The cost is $80 for all four sessions. Great Chefs and Panhandlers – 1360 C4. 7:30 pm to 9 pm. For more information call (850) 345-0001.

Oct. 23 – Oct. 24
Halloween Howl
For those seeking spooky fun and excitement, the Tallahassee Museum transforms its 2-acre compound into a maze of haunted trails with blood-curdling options for adults and older kids, a not-so-spooky trail for little ones and lots of clever activities for ages in between. 6–10 p.m. $10 for adults; $8 for children ages 4 to 15; free for kids ages 3 and under. Members get $2 off each admission. Tallahassee Museum, 3945 Museum Drive. (850) 576-1636, Ext. 144, tallahasseemuseum.org Oct. 23 – Oct. 25 Expression 2009 This event, sponsored by Christian Heritage Church, celebrates creativity, both in the arts and business entrepreneurship. The event-packed agenda includes an exhibit hall, workshops, songwriting competition, kid’s activities, 5K run and 1-mile fun walk, food a special appearance by Ballet Magnificat and much more. 2820 Sharer Road. Exhibits and most entertainment are free. For more information and to register, visit expressionflorida.com

Oct. 24
Leon County Extension Center Demonstration Garden Open House
Enjoy garden tours by master gardeners, plant giveaways, refreshments and expert advice on garden plantings, wildlife habitat creation, plant propagation and much more. Free. 9 a.m.-noon. 615 Paul Russell Road, (across from Jack McLean Park). (850) 606-5200.

Oct. 24
St. Marks Stone Crab Festival
Over the past 12 years, local St. Marks restaurants — plus more recently, the St. Marks Volunteer Fire Department — have worked to promote the opening of stone crab season (Oct. 15 this year). Locals and visitors are invited to come celebrate one of the best delicacies the area has to offer. This free family event features live entertainment performing all day on the Florida Lottery Showvan, children’s activities, arts and crafts, antique cars, race cars, tractors, big trucks, tours of the city, and, of course, stone crabs — as well as all types of other seafood, hot dogs, hamburgers and homemade snacks. The festival takes place on the main street of St. Marks (Port Leon Drive) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m — just 20 miles south of Tallahassee at the end of Hwy. 363. For more information, contact Glenda Pruitt. (850) 925-1053 or phpm2@polaris.net

Oct. 30
Baking Basics Seminar
For a series of four Fridays, Paul Creighton of Panis Est Vita will host traditional French baking lessons. Learn the intricacies of making breads from scratch in your own home kitchen. The cost is $80 for all four sessions. Great Chefs and Panhandlers – 1360 C4. 7:30 pm to 9 pm. For more information call (850) 345-0001.

Oct. 30 – Nov. 1
Robert Dover Dressage Symposium and Masquerade Party
Horse lovers and riding enthusiasts from throughout the southeastern United States have the rare opportunity to watch Robert Dover, a six-time member of the U.S. Olympic equestrian team and the most decorated American rider, conduct a dressage symposium at WC Dover Farm. A masquerade party with a silent auction is planned for Halloween Night. Proceeds will benefit the Equestrian Aid Foundation, which Dover helped establish and which helped cover the medical bills of rider Darren Chiacchia, injured at the 2008 Red Hills Horse Trials. Price to audit the symposium for one day is $80, for weekend $150. Masquerade party, $50. For more details and reservations visit southwinddressage.com.

Nov. 2 – Nov. 15
Prints from the Permanent Collection and History of Photography
Florida State University, Fine Arts Building, Room 250 (corner of Call and Copeland Streets). Admission is ALWAYS free! Museum Hours M-F 9-4, S & S 1-4 PM. The Museum will be closed Wednesday, November 11th in observation of Veteran’s Day. Contact: Teri Yoo – tyoo@fsu.edu

Nov. 5
Big Bend Hospice Hosts: Teen Woe-Be-Gone: A unique retreat for grieving teens
On Thursday, November 5, from 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM, the Caring Tree Program of Big Bend Hospice invites area teens to attend a grief retreat at Bradley’s Pond in Tallahassee. Hope, fun and community are important elements of this event for grieving teens in the Big Bend area. Youth between the ages 12 – 17 from Leon and surrounding counties that have experienced the death of a loved one can join in a day of grief support and sharing. The loss does not have to be recent to benefit from this event, and trained grief counselors and volunteers will be present throughout the day. Grief support activities will incorporate creative arts including music, group discussion, and a special remembrance ceremony. Several county school districts are considering this an excused absence, but check with your school to confirm. A light breakfast, lunch, and complimentary sweatshirt will be provided, and there will be a prize drawing at the end of the day. Teens will be transported to and from Big Bend Hospice to Bradley’s Pond. This event is a free community service of Big Bend Hospice. Space is limited so please call Becca @ 878-5310, X736 or e-mail becca@bigbendhospice.org or visit www.bigbendhospice for more information or to register a teen.

Nov. 5 – Nov. 8
Taste of the Beach
Four days, seven culinary and cultural events along the Northwest Florida coast. Save the dates. For details, see story in special section titled THE Beach starting after page 130.tasteofthebeachfla.com

Nov. 6
A Chocolate Affair
Celebrate your Friday evening with cocoa and compassion at the inaugural A Chocolate Affair 2009, a benefit for Covenant Hospice. Guests will be the judges as they sample sweet and delicate desserts from competing Tallahassee restaurants and bakeries. A silent auction and live music also will be part of the evening’s events. Enjoy a night of stiff but sugary competition! The contest starts at 5:30 p.m. in the Doubletree Hotel ballroom, 101 S. Adams St. Tickets are $25 per person, and advance purchasing is required – no tickets will be sold at the door. Sponsorships are available. To buy tickets or for more information, call (850) 575-4998 or (850) 814-1191. – Jessica Goff

Nov. 6
Baking Basics Seminar
For a series of four Fridays, Paul Creighton of Panis Est Vita will host traditional French baking lessons. Learn the intricacies of making breads from scratch in your own home kitchen. The cost is $80 for all four sessions. Great Chefs and Panhandlers – 1360 C4. 7:30 pm to 9 pm. For more information call (850) 345-0001.

Nov. 6 – Nov. 10
Waiting for Godot
In Samuel Beckett’s classic work, Vladimir and Estragon wait on a bleak road for a man they may or may not even know. As they attempt to avoid the silence of their isolation, they try to connect with one another and encounter a helpless servant and his master. As the time presses slowly on, Vladimir and Estragon battle to keep their madness from clouding the initial purpose of their wait. Every day starting Friday, November 6th at 8 PM to Sunday, November 15th at 2 PM until Sunday, November 15th.$20.00 for Adults; $18.00 for Seniors and $10.00 for Students. (850)644-6500

Nov. 7
Tallahassee VisionWalk
Give hope to people suffering from retinal degenerative diseases by joining a team for this second annual walk event, which has a goal of raising $90,000 for the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park. 9 a.m. registration, 10 a.m. walk. fightblindness.org

Nov. 8
MusicFest 2009: Sounds of Hope to benefit Refuge House
Twelve area musical acts headline MusicFest 2009: Sounds of Hope, a benefit for Tallahassee’s Refuge House on Sunday, November 8 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm on the grounds of Unity Eastside Church, 8551 Buck Lake Road in Tallahassee. This non-religious community event will feature four hours of well known local musicians performing on two stages. Additional activities include silent auction, seated massage, vendors, lots of food and fun activities for all ages. $10/adults; $5/children (850)671-3674

Nov. 9 – Nov. 22
Mickey at MoFA Disney Art and Artifacts from Local Collections
Florida State University, Fine Arts Building, Room 250 (corner of Call and Copeland Streets). Admission is ALWAYS free! Museum Hours M-F 9-4, S & S 1-4. The Museum will be closed Wednesday, November 11th in observation of Veteran’s Day. Contact: Teri Yoo – tyoo@fsu.edu

Nov. 14
2nd Annual Applejack Memorial Ultimate Frisbee Hat Tournament hosted by Seminole Ladies Ultimate Team
Coed hat tournament format designed for maximum participation for all registered competitors. Games played to time limits instead of point cap. 8 teams of 10 guys and 5 gals with each team guaranteed 6 games. 4/3 or 3/4 gender ratio on field at all times. Online registration should be up and running soon. Saturday, November 14th from 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. $22 online paypal registration $20 cash, check, or money order $25 day of event Registration gets you a Tshirt, breakfast, lots of water, and lots of playtime. All proceeds go to the Seminole Ladies Ultimate Team. (850)508-5735

Nov. 19 – Nov. 22
The Velveteen Rabbit
A musical interpretation of the beloved children’s story about a boy’s love for his stuffed rabbit. Although, not the newest or shiniest toy in the nursery, the velveteen rabbit becomes the youngster’s best friend in his time of illness. As Steve recovers and is separated from his childhood dreams, the rabbit longs for the affection he once received. Follow the journey of the most modest play thing in the nursery as it learns the joys and sorrows of becoming “real”. Every day starting Thursday, November 19th at 7 PM to Sunday, November 22nd at 7 PM until Sunday, November 22nd. $20.00 for Adults; $18.00 for Seniors and $10.00 for Students. (850)644-6500