What’s scarier — the month of October, or how fast it arrived? We’re going to go with the latter until the actual spooky activities begin. In the meantime, there are several less-than-frightening events taking place this weekend, including big-name concerts, art-buying tours and multiday festivals.

Thursday, Oct. 3

New/Next Film Fest

The New/Next Film Festival was originally conceived as a reaction to the Maryland Film Festival canceling its 2023 edition, but it’s taken on a life of its own. The celebration of emerging film culture drew around 3,000 attendees for last year’s inaugural festival and is expanding even more this go-round. New/Next will kick off on Thursday at the Charles Theatre with an opening party and the world premiere of the film “Messy.” (In fact, more than 25 of the 120 or so films at this year’s festival are world premieres.) Tickets are available for multiple events through Sunday, as well as two free screenings hosted by Oscar-nominated documentarian Sam Pollard.

Time: 8 p.m. on Thursday, 12:15 p.m. on Friday, 12 p.m. on Saturday and 11:50 a.m. on Sunday.

Location: The Charles Theatre (1711 N. Charles St.) for the Thursday night screening and the Metro Gallery (1700 N. Charles St.) for the party.

Cost: Ticket prices vary depending on which event you go to, but the average price is $11.95 for members and $12.95 for nonmembers. For a full list of events, visit the website.

Family friendly? Let’s leave the children at home for the opening night party.

Friday, Oct. 4

Billie Eilish

After releasing her latest album “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” pop star Billie Eilish has embarked on her tour of the same name. Enjoy her latest hits like “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” and “LUNCH,” as well as classic tracks from the 22-year-old, two-time Oscar winner’s surprisingly stacked catalog. You can also feel like a good citizen for attending her concert as Eilish continues her partnership with environmental nonprofit REVERB, which has helped raise a significant amount of money at her concerts for greenhouse gas reduction, climate justice projects and more. (If one powerful female singer isn’t enough for you this weekend, you can also check out Sabrina Carpenter’s “Short n’ Sweet” tour, which will make a stop at CFG on Saturday.)

Time: Doors open at 5:30 p.m., event begins at 7 p.m.

Location: CFG Bank Arena (201 W. Baltimore St.)

Cost: Ticket prices vary.

Family friendly? If you’re familiar with Eilish’s music, then you can be the judge.

Fell’s Point Fun Festival

The Fell’s Point Fun Festival began in 1967 and has taken place every year with the exception of 2020. Billing itself as “the largest community event in Baltimore,” the celebration spans across six blocks. Dozens of local food, drink, arts and retail vendors will be in attendance, as well as a few from as far as Raleigh, North Carolina, and Flushing, New York. There will also be live musical performances from artists like India Boone, Joi Carter and the Baltimore Men’s Chorus, as well as a family fun park, parade, yoga workshop and more.

Time: 4:45 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Location: 812 S. Ann St.

Cost: Free to attend, but you will need money for vendors.

Family friendly? Yes.

Saturday, Oct. 5

Baltimore Open Studio Tour

Baltimore Open Studio Tour is a two-day event that gives art fans the chance to connect with professional artists in the area. Attendees can meet with artists in their studios to see what they’re working on, their creative process and even purchase directly from them. This year’s tour will feature over 40 artists across multiple mediums in locations throughout the city. Check out the full map here before you set out on your venture.

Time: 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Location: Mill Centre (3000 Chestnut Ave.), School 33 Art Center (1427 Light St.), Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower (21 S. Eutaw St.), Creative Alliance (3134 Eastern Ave.), Gallery 1448 (1448 E. Baltimore St.) and Currency Studio (16 W. North Ave.)

Cost: Free.

Family friendly? Yes.

Fiesta Baltimore

Fiesta Baltimore is a free, two-day, family- and community-oriented festival celebrating Latino culture. Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month at Patterson Park for the festival, and don’t forget to watch the parade of Latino nations taking place Sunday afternoon in Highlandtown.

Time: 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday for the festival. The parade is 2 p.m. Sunday.

Location: Patterson Park for the festival, 4000 Eastern Ave. for the parade.

Cost: Free.

Family friendly? Yes.

Sunday, Oct. 6

Baltimore Taco Festival

You don’t have to just love tacos on Tuesdays: Baltimore’s seventh annual taco festival is taking place this weekend. The two-day event will take over an entire block and have more than 25 taco and food vendors, margarita bars, lucha libre wrestling, kid activities like piñata smashing, mechanical bull riding, a tequila expo and more.

Time: 12 p.m. for VIP, 2 p.m. for general admission.

Location: Power Plant Live! (34 Market Place)

Cost: Ticket prices vary, but children 10 and under get in for free.

Family friendly? Yes.