The Weekend Guide

SHOPPING
Exhibitions
Break out the bank; Diwali is almost here. Begin the festive splurging at Indigo’s Diwali pop-up store, where you can buy French fragrances, Kalighat paintings and Diptyque candles. Then, get a new set of lehengas and kurtas at the Black Taxi Pop Up Shop at Mia Cucina in Versova; buy silk dupattas and saris at the Pod of Talent jewellery and textile exhibition at the Artisans’ Centre in Kala Ghoda; and shop for costume jewellery, beachwear and hair accessories at the Candies Bazaar & Bling Exhibition in Bandra. Remember also to save some cash for the Princess Beach Fair at Hotel Sea Princess in Juhu, where you will find a mix of home decor items, fashion accessories, formal Indian clothing and clubwear.
When: Thursday, October 13 to Sunday, October 16.
Where: See here and here.

NIGHTLIFE
Beer Fests
Load up on carbohydrates before you embark on this weekend bender. First, break out your dirndl and lederhosen and head to the Mahalaxmi Racecourse for the second annual Oktoberfest organised by the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce. Then, drink your way around the world at the first edition of the Mumbai International Beer Festival in Bandra, where you can sample more than a dozen kinds of beer. Round things off with a quick trip to Pune where micro-brewery Doolally is also hosting Oktoberfest celebrations, with concerts, stand-up comedy shows, and of course, food and beer aplenty.
When: The Mumbai Oktoberfest and the Doolally Oktoberfest both run from Friday, October 14 to Sunday, October 16; the Mumbai International Beer Festival runs from Saturday, October 15 to Sunday, October 16.
Where: For details, see here and here. To sign up for Doolally’s Oktoberfest, visit events website Bluebulb.in, which is organising a bus from Mumbai to the venue in Pune.

MUSIC
Gigs!
The dry spell that the monsoon months brought to the city’s music scene is well and truly over, because it’s raining gigs this weekend. A host of jazz stalwarts from the US will take the stage during the inaugural edition of JazzMatazz, the National Centre for the Performing Arts’s new annual jazz festival, which begins on Friday. The line-up for the three-day event includes trumpet player Jon Faddis; trombonist Steve Turre; pianist Cedar Walton; and drummer Louis Hayes. On Saturday, at Live From The Console, you can catch the Indian premiere of Pearl Jam Twenty, Cameron Crowe’s cinematic chronicle of the first two decades of the iconic Seattle grunge band. To witness the grimier side of Indian indie rock, head to B69 on Sunday for the launch of the latest Stupiditties compilation CD, featuring over 40 acts from across the country. Among the groups expected to play are such alternative and punk rock outfits as Aftertaste and Blek.
When: JazzMatazz will be held from Friday, October 14 to Sunday, October 16. Live From The Console takes place on Saturday, October 15. The ‘Stupiditties V’ Launch Concert will be staged on Sunday, October 16.
Where: For venue and entry fee details, see here.

ALSO AROUND TOWN
• It’s taken four whole months to release here, but this weekend, you can watch the J. J. Abrams-directed, Steven Spielberg-produced, sci-fi thriller Super 8 at a cinema near you. The film, which opened in the US in June, has been called “the best summer movie of the year—of many years”.

• See recitals by some of the country’s best known Indian classical dancers at Nakshatra, the annual dance festival organised by the National Centre for the Performing Arts. Manipuri dancer Priti Patel and her troupe perform at the Tata Theatre on Thursday, October 13; kudiyattam dancer Margi Madhu at the Experimental Theatre on Friday, October 14; and kathak dancer Aditi Mangaldas’s company at the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre on Saturday, October 15. The tickets for the performances, which will begin at 7pm on all three days, are priced at Rs300, Rs500 and Rs700. National Centre for the Performing Arts, Nariman Point. Tel: 2282 4567.

• Watch Arnold Wesker’s celebrated play The Kitchen, the latest production from London’s National Theatre to be shown at the National Centre for the Performing Arts as part of the ‘NT Live’ series of screenings. Tickets for the screenings, at 3pm and 7pm on Saturday, October 15 and Sunday, October 16, are priced at Rs400. Godrej Dance Theatre, National Centre for the Performing Arts, Nariman Point. Tel: 2282 4567.

• Eat your way around the globe at The Oberoi’s Melting Pot dinner on Sunday, October 16, during which 25 consulates will showcase assorted culinary specialities from their respective countries. The Japanese, German, Russian, Brazilian, Sri Lankan, Ethiopian, Argentinian, French, and Turkish consulates are among those that will participate in this edition of the annual event. Passes are priced at Rs3,500 per person. The money will be donated to three charities chosen by The Oberoi. From 6pm to 10pm. Regal Room, The Oberoi, Nariman Point. Tel: 6632 5757.

• See three male photographers grapple with the human gaze in Chatterjee & Lal’s unsettling new show titled “Exchanging Glances.” Until Saturday, November 19. 1/18 Kamal Mansion, First Floor, Arthur Bunder Road, Near Radio Club, Colaba. Tel: 2202 3787.