Oktoberfest

Ferns and Flowers Teahouse and Bistro, 1094 Centerville Rd., Warwick, (401) 821-1447, celebrates Oktoberfest on Friday and Saturday evenings beginning Sept. 21 through Oct. 13, with an early bird special from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. and the full German menu from 5:30 on. The menu includes weinerschnitzel, sauerbraten, bratwurst, fruit-stuffed roast loin of pork, feinschmekerol, spaetzel, sauerkraut, goulash, an all-you-can-eat German sampler platter and an array of Bavarian desserts. Other bistro menu favorites will be available.

Redlefsens’ Rotisserie and Grill, 444 Thames St., Bristol, .www redlefsens.com., hosts Oktoberfest celebrations every Wednesday and Thursday evening starting Oct. 3 through Nov. 1. Two seatings are offered at 6 and 8. There will be an all-German menu, Oktoberfest beers, Renata Adams singing and the Alpenblumen Bavarian Dancers performing. Reservations encouraged at (401) 254-1188.

The German American Cultural Society will hold its Oktoberfest celebration on Sept. 29 and 30, at the club, 78 Carter Ave., Pawtucket. On Saturday, the Ratskeller will open at 5 p.m. for food, wine and beer. Music by the Vagabonds will start upstairs in the Bierhalle at 8 p.m. for dancing. On Sunday, the club will open at noon with Bavarian folk dances in traditional costumes with music by the Alpenblumen Jusikanten. The food will include bratwurst, knockwurst, leberkäse and sauerkraut. For information, call (401) 943-4850.

Fair news

The Big E (Eastern States Exposition) in West Springfield, Mass., (413) 205-5115, www.thebige.com, begins Friday and ends Sunday, Sept. 30. Activities include free entertainment, ticketed concerts, new exhibits, Marriage on the Midway, BiggiE’s Character Breakfast, the Mardi Gras Parade, rides, crafts, savory treats and animal exhibits. Rhode Island specialties will be featured in the Rhode Island Building daily and for the first time, Venda Ravioli is a vendor joining johnnycakes, chowder and clam cakes. Rhode Island Day is set for Tuesday, Sept. 18. On that day, Linda Beaulieu, author of The Providence and Rhode Island Cookbook, will be signing copies of her book in the Rhode Island Building. This year’s recipe contests are Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust Championship on Tuesday, Sept. 18, and Hidden Valley The Original Ranch Family Friendly Food Contest on Tuesday, Sept. 25.

Coming up

Douglas Wine & Spirits of North Providence is having a fundraising event for A Wish come True Wednesday, Sept. 26, at Providence Piers, 200 Allens Ave., Providence. Tickets for the wine tasting/art gallery viewing at 5:30 p.m. are $65 and are limited to 50. Tickets for the grand tasting at 6 p.m. are $50. There will be food from 19 area restaurants and more than 100 wines.

Classes

The Natural Choice of Warren, vegetarian, dairy free cooking with Chris Brown, has a fall line-up of cooking classes. They include Quick-Fix Meals from Around the World, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2 to 6 p.m.; Whole Grains — Every Day!, Sunday, Sept. 30, 2 to 6 p.m. and Cooking with Seitan, Sunday, Oct. 14, 2 to 6 p.m.. The cost of those three classes is $45 each. Other classes include Celebrating the Fall Harvest, Sunday, Oct. 28 from 1:30 to 6 p.m.; Vegetable Side Dishes, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2 to 6 p.m.; Italian Dinner Party, Sunday, Nov. 25, 1:30 to 6 p.m.; and A Very Special Grand Finale, Sunday, Dec. 9, 1:30 to 6 p.m. Those four classes cost $50 each. To register, call Brown at (401) 245-8443.

Ledge Ends Produce, 830 South Rd. East Greenwich, (401) 884-5118, www.LedgeEndsProduce.com, offers a cooking workshop at Boesch Farm on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. Chef Eve Formisano Ornstedt will present “The Farm Fresh Mains, Sides and Accents.” These simple, flavorful dishes are quick to prepare. The cost is $25 ($10 for children, ages 8 and older only).

On the menu

El Rancho Grande, 313 Plainfield Ave, Providence, (401) 275-0808, will celebrate Mexican Independence Day with a weekend of authentic Mexican-dish specials. There will be a traditional Folklorico Azteca Dance Show from 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturday. Co-owner, Maria Meza is offering the Mexican Flag dish of tamales rojos (red), tamales dulces (white), and tamales verdes (green) for $1.97. Dinner for two will feature buy one entrÉe at the regular price and the second entrÉe is 50 percent off.

On radio

Joining host Jen Huntley-Corbin on Jen’s Dish today from 9-10 a.m. on WNRI 1380, www.wnri.com, will be William Trebelli and John Scott from Rhode Island Training School and Daniel Zilka of the American Diner Museum.

On TV

Cooking with Class, which features chef Frank Terranova, an associate instructor at Johnson & Wales University, creates desserts using apples next week during the noon and 5:30 p.m. newscasts on Channel 10.

gciampa@projo.com