Ah, fall. The temperatures are (sort of) dropping, pumpkin foods are filling our plates and the days left to plan a Halloween costume are aplenty. This week offers an intellectual evening with an award-winning novelist, a pug-loving comedian and drinking for the cure. So, what’s to fill the time between Occupy Austin rallies and sipping seasonal ales? Here’s our weekly guide to keep you busy during the days that don’t start with S.

Monday, October 10

The Late Show Presents: THE SHINING @ Alamo Ritz

Get in the Halloween spirit by scaring the crap out of yourself! Really though, is there a movie as haunting (pun intended) as this tale of Jack and his attempt at a work/life balance?

Short Indies @ ND @ 501 Studios

Enjoy short films, director Q & A’s, and free beer (while supplies last) at this bi-monthly event. Included on the October bill are Lambs by Stephen Hugff, Mnemosyne Rising by Miguel Alvarez, My Amazing, Astonishing, Corrugated Time Machine by Andrew Armstrong III, Mario and Zombies: Followers of the Dead by Joe Nicolosi and a collection of material from 5Seconds.com, which presents funny films in five seconds.

Tuesday, October 11

Death Cab for Cutie @ Austin Music Hall

Catch the Bellingham indie rockers as they perform tracks from their latest album, Codes and Keys. Heck, maybe you’ll even get a Zooey Deschanel sighting out of the deal? That is, if you can stop crying.

AFS Essential Cinema: Tommy @ Alamo South Lamar

Partake in the groundbreaking rock opera, as deaf-mute Tommy experiences a Messianic epiphany upon regaining his senses after success as an intuitive pinball player.

Wednesday, October 12

Cap City Presents: Maria Bamford

This pug-lovin’ lady will have you rolling in the aisles, as she takes you through a journey of self-aware humor, full of offbeat voices and insanity. This is a can’t-miss, and for a measly $18, there’s no reason you should.

k.d. Lang and the Siss Boom Bang @ the Paramount Theatre

Okay, so right off the bat this doesn’t sound like something for the under-50 crowd, but let’s get one thing straight—her latest album was a disc worthy of all the NPR-lore that surrounded it. So grab your “cool aunt” and head over to The Paramount for a night of great music.

Thursday, October 13

La Dolce Vita Food and Wine Festival @ Austin Museum of Art Laguna Gloria

Make 13 your new lucky number. Sit lakeside at Laguna Gloria, as they present Il Palio, a night in Old Siena. Enjoy fare from 50 of Austin’s top chefs and sip Texas wine under the stars. Not big on the vino? For the Don Drapers among you, cigars and scotch are available for an additional cost.

Toast the Cure Launch Party

Nothing makes drinking seem more justifiable than drinking for a good cause. Join Cinco Vodka, KISS FM and Molotov Lounge as they partner with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International to support type 1 diabetes research. Sip a cocktail or two, nibble on some noshes and you may even get to take home a raffle prize or two.

Friday, October 14

Texas Performing Arts Presents: Johnathan Franzen in Conversation with Lev Grossman

New York Times book critic Lev Grossman leads a conversation with National Book Award winning author (and polarizing novelist) Jonathan Franzen; touring after the success of his 2010 novel Freedom.

ACL Live Presents: Dark Star Orchestra

Take a trip back in time and embrace your inner Deadhead. Dark Star Orchestra present an evening of music modeled after the canon of The Grateful Dead. They model their performances based on set lists from the Grateful Dead’s decades of touring as a launching pad, resulting in a show of historic proportions.

So go forth into October, Austin. The window of fall weather gets narrower and narrower, so get out and enjoy our attempt at autumn before the streets are flooded with sexy kittens and Lady Gaga look-alikes.