KC events Oct. 4-10: KC Oktoberfest, Hodge Twins, Jordan Peterson, WaterFire

A product of Bloomington, Ind., and Indiana University, Joshua Bell has molded a career spanning more than 30 years to become one of the world’s most celebrated violinists. He has recorded more than 40 CDs, has performed on multiple movie soundtracks, received the Avery Fisher Prize in 2007 and was named musical director of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields in 2011. Bell will perform with pianist Sam Haywood. 785-864-2787. Tickets are $19-$55 through lied.ku.edu.

The Durham (N.C.) City Council denounced Jordan Peterson in July for what members claimed were his “racist, misogynist and transphobic” views, and author Kate Manne criticized him and his book, “12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos,” along similar lines. With all that free publicity, no wonder the controversial professor of psychology at the University of Toronto is selling out book-tour stops around the world. “12 Rules for Life” is already a bestseller in multiple nations and is slated for translation into 45 languages. 816-753-8665. Tickets are $37-$102 through uptowntheater.com.

Bodybuilding and comedy don’t seem to be a natural combination, but it has worked wonders for the Hodge Twins. Keith and Kevin Hodge, born in Martinsville, Va., in 1975, became YouTube stars with videos offering sexual and relationship advice as well as fitness tips. They since have created a standup act, appearing in comedy clubs around the nation and in Great Britain. They also have their own clothing and muscle supplement lines. 816-759-5233. Tickets are $25-$55 through improvkc.com.

KC Octoberfest is the real deal. It will feature imported beer and wine, Bavarian-style food and live-from-Germany musical acts Die Schornsteinfeger and Die Wilderer along with local bands. Visitors also will find a carnival, backyard games and a marketplace. Tickets are $7-$55 through kcoktoberfest.com.

George Li, a 23-year-old pianist from Boston who won the silver medal at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 2015, will join the Kansas City Symphony for Grieg’s Piano Concerto. The symphony also will perform “A Thousand Words,” composed in 2015 by Atlanta Symphony bassist Michael Kurth, and the much more familiar Seventh Symphony by Beethoven. Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. 816-471-0400. Tickets are $25-$90 through kcsymphony.org.

“New Works/Distinct Voices,” the fall concert of the Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company, will present a wide variety of music and choreography. Among the six works scheduled to be performed are Aretha Franklin’s “I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You” with choreography by DeeAnna Hiett and a solo meshing traditional Chinese dance with contemporary movement. 816-210-6066. Tickets are $15-$24 through wylliams-henry.org.

Apple dumplings, apple pies, apple fritters, apple salsa, apple butter, apple cider, apple barbecue sauce and just plain apples will be available at Weston’s 30th annual Applefest. For visitors who have things other than fruit on their minds, the historic downtown area will have more than 80 arts and crafts booths, as well as a food court and children’s activities, and there will be a parade beginning at 10 a.m. with antique tractors, classic cars, fire trucks and bands. And that’s not even to mention Weston’s many shops and restaurants that will lure in visitors. westonmo.com. Adults, $1; under 15, free.

Team competitions at KC Games for Good will include The Intimidator (a mechanical bull), Wacky Trikes and Lunchbox Jam, in which one team member prepares a snack and feeds it to another. The citywide event, which is designed to celebrate service to the community, also will feature a kite festival, food and beverages and interactive exhibits. More than 40 organizations participated in 2017. kcgamesforgood.org. Free.

With three weeks remaining in the regular season, the playoff push is on for Major League Soccer teams. Sporting has all but clinched one of the six playoff berths in the Western Conference, but the ultimate goal is a first-round bye that would come with a first- or second-place finish. Sporting’s chances of beating the Galaxy appear good, given Kansas City’s 2-0 win at Los Angeles on April 8 and the fact that the Galaxy went eight weeks without winning before its 3-0 victory at Seattle on Sept. 23. 913-387-3400. Tickets are $28-$275 through sportingkc.com.

Brush Creek between Broadway and Baltimore will be the focal point for one of Kansas City’s most visually captivating annual events. As the name suggests, WaterFire is an arts installation in which floating bonfires dance along the water — to the accompaniment of music, dancing and performance art. Sellers of merchandise and other vendors will be on the north side of Brush Creek along Ward Parkway. waterfirekc.com. Free.

This game is the start of a two-game stretch that could determine just how good quarterback sensation Patrick Mahomes and these Chiefs really are. The Jaguars are 3-1 after reaching last season’s AFC championship game, where they lost to the New England Patriots. The Chiefs will follow up this test with a Sunday night game Oct. 14 at New England, which stumbled out of the gate this season. But, still, the Patriots are the Patriots. 816-920-9300. Tickets are $60-$290 through chiefs.com.

The entire family will be amazed by the dance troupe iLuminate, whose performers are covered in electroluminescent wire and LEDs while dancing on a darkened stage. It is a visual experience that could be compared to a vision of the Country Club Plaza’s Christmas lights displays coming to life. The performance will tell a story set to music and will feature a hero with a magical paintbrush that enables him to turn his artistic imaginings into reality. iLuminate finished third in the sixth season of “America’s Got Talent.” Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. 816-994-7222. Tickets are $29-$49 through kauffmancenter.org.

Edgar Snow Memorial Concert, Oct. 6, Kauffman Center. kauffmancenter.org

Kansas City Symphony, Petite Performance: “High and Low,” Oct. 6, Kauffman Center. kcsymphony.org

Point B Dance Company, “Nocturne,” Oct. 6, Block City Stage. unionstation.org/events/nocturne-presented-point-b-dance-company

Ethel, “Documerica,” Oct. 7, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. nelson-atkins.org

“In the Heights,” Theatre in the Park, Oct. 5-21, Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center. theatreinthepark.org

“Women,” UMKC Theatre, Oct. 5-14, Grant Hall. umkctheatre.org

Manual Cinema, “The End of TV,” Oct. 10-11, JCCC Yardley Hall. openspaceskc.com/participant/manual-cinema/#

Arnez J, Oct. 5-7, Kansas City Improv. improvkc.com

Ezra Furman with Transangleic and Exodus, Oct. 4, Bottleneck. thebottlenecklive.com

Sting and Shaggy, Oct. 4, Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland. midlandkc.com

Umphrey’s McGee, Oct. 4, CrossroadsKC. crossroadskc.com

Café Tacvba, Oct. 5, Uptown. uptowntheater.com

Presley, Perkins, Lewis & Cash, Oct. 5, Ameristar. ameristar.com

Three Dog Night, Oct. 5, Missouri Theatre. ticketmaster.com

Andy Grammer, Oct. 6, Ameristar. ameristar.com

DeVotchKa, Oct. 6, The Truman. thetrumankc.com

Ozuna, Oct. 6, Sprint Center. sprintcenter.com

Phil Collins Experience, Oct. 6, Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland. midlandkc.com

Tech N9ne with Dizzy and Futuristic, Oct. 6, Kansas City Live! powerandlightdistrict.com

Fiesta Kansas City, Oct. 7, Kansas City Live! fiestakansascity.com

The National with Alvvays, Oct. 7, Starlight. kcstarlight.com

Tommy Emmanuel, Oct. 7, Liberty Hall. libertyhall.net

Brockhampton, Oct. 9, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. midlandkc.com

Gwar and Hatebreed, Oct. 9, Granada. thegranada.com

Sebastian Bach with Monte Pitman and One Bad Son, Oct. 9, Riot Room. theriotroom.com

First Fridays in the Crossroads, Oct. 5, Crossroads Arts District. kccrossroads.org

Autumn Art at Grinter, Oct. 6, Grinter Place Historic Site. kshs.org/grinter_place

Fairfax Festival, Oct. 4, Kaw Point Park. fiakck.org/2018festival

Mountainfilm On Tour, Oct. 4, 1900 Building. 1900bldg.com

Henry Rollins, Oct. 4, Liberty Hall. libertyhall.net

Gladfest, Oct. 5-7, Gladstone. gladstonechamber.com/gladfest

Bonner Springs Festival of the Arts, Oct. 6, Downtown Bonner Springs. bonnerspringsartsalliance.org

Festival of Arts, Crafts & Music, Oct. 6, Missouri Town 1855. makeyourdayhere.com

Greater Kansas City Japan Festival, Oct. 6, JCCC. kcjapanfestival.com

Hoots and Howls, Oct. 6-7, 13-14 and 20-21, Kansas City Zoo. kansascityzoo.org

Hyde Park Homes Tour, Oct. 6, Hyde Park Neighborhood. hydeparktour.com

Meyer Fest, Oct. 6, St. Peter’s. meyerfestkc.com

Oktoberfest, Oct. 6, Commerical Street Mall, Atchison. visitatchison.com/event/oktoberfest

Scarecrow Festival, Oct. 6, Shawnee City Hall. visitshawneeks.com/event/scarecrow-festival

Steeped in History: Tea & Harmonies, Oct. 6, Wornall House. wornallmajors.org

Westwood Oktoberfest, Oct. 6, Westwood. westwoodks.org

Kate Morton for “The Clockmaker’s Daughter,” Oct. 10, Unity Temple on the Plaza. rainydaybooks.com

Lakeside Speedway: USAC Amsoil Sprint Car National Championship, Oct. 6. lakesidespeedway.net

Longview Half Marathon, Oct. 10, Longview Lake. longviewhalf.com

Italian Wine Tour kickoff: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 3. $30. Raphael Hotel, 325 Ward Parkway. chazontheplaza.com, 816-802-2152

Dialogue Institute of the Southwest: Turkic Food Festival. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 6. 4215 Shawnee, Kansas City, Kan. dialoguekc.org, 913-894-6700

Powell Gardens: Missouri Barn Dinner Series featuring Brett Atkinson of Wilma’s Real Good Food. 6 p.m. Oct. 7. $150. 1609 NW U.S. 50, 30 miles east of Kansas City. powellgardens.org, 816-697-2600

Reserve Restaurant: Justin Wine Five-Course Dinner. 7 p.m. Oct. 3. $60. Ambassador Hotel, 1111 Grand. reservekc.com, 816-298-7700

Silverstein Eye Centers Arena: Independence Fire & Ice BBQ. Oct. 5-6. $5. 19100 E. Valley View Parkway, Independence. silversteineyecentersarena.com/fireandicebbq

Vox Vineyards: Grand Tasting: 2007 Châteauneuf-du-Platte. 2-5 p.m. Oct. 7. $45. 19310 NW Farley Hampton. voxvineyards.com, 816-354-4903