music-inspired cuisine at PMAC: Just in time for the school’s 10th anniversary, a group of local chefs are collaborating with the Portsmouth Music and Arts Center to present “Perceptions: Music Inspired Cuisine.” The chefs will create a five-course meal designed to interact with live music performed by PMAC musicians.

The event takes place on Wednesday, Oct. 17, at Rudi’s Restaurant in downtown Portsmouth. Featured chefs will include Matt Greco and Mike Prete of The Kitchen, Ben Hasty of When Pigs Fly Pizzeria, Evan Hennessey of Stages at One Washington, Matt Kline of Rudi’s, and Mark Segal of The 100 Club. Each course in the meal will be paired with select beer, cider and wines.

Among the musical performers are guitarists Jim Dozet and Nick Phaneuf, pianists Mike Effenberger and Jonny Peiffer, vocalists Nicole Hajj and Wendell Purrington, cellist Dorothy Baker, saxophonist Eric Klaxton, bassist Steve Roy, and drummer Mike Walsh, along with electronic trio fiveighthirteen.

A VIP reception at 6 p.m. will feature special guest Marco Benevento, a nationally touring pianist, along with starter bites and signature cocktails. Doors to the main event open at 6:30 p.m., with dinner starting at 7.

Tickets are $95 ($125 for the VIP reception), with all proceeds benefiting music and art education programs at PMAC. The deadline for purchasing tickets is Oct. 8, available by calling 603-431-4248 or visiting www.pmaconline.org.

October is for getting chili: Two local chili festivals will heat up taste buds this fall.

Prescott Park Arts Festival will close out their season with their traditional chili tasting event and contest held on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 11:30 a.m., against the backdrop of the Strawbery Banke Fall Festival, a celebration of traditional local arts, craft and history. Tickets are $15 for adults, $6 for children and free for members, and gets you admission into both events as well as tastings from Redhook Brewery.

In Exeter, the first ever Powder Keg Beer and Chili Festival takes place Saturday, Oct. 20 at noon along Swasey Parkway, which will also be filled with crafters, vendors and street entertainment. Local restaurants will vie for prizes, and regional breweries will offer tastes from beer brewed around New England. The event is sponsored by the Exeter Area Chamber of Commerce and Exeter Parks and Recreation.

pie bake in Kittery: The fifth annual Pie Bake and Auction is on its way to Kittery, Maine, on Friday, Oct. 5. This year’s event will benefit Seacoast Eat Local’s SNAP/EBT farmers’ market program, with proceeds supporting the program’s matching funds.

Competitive bakers from around the Seacoast will enter their best pies for the contest, which will be judged by a team of notable locals for awards in two categories: Best Looking and Best Tasting. There will also be Top Chef and People’s Choice awards, as well as a trophy for the Biggest Bidder.

The free event takes place at A Perfect Move campus at 240 State Road in Kittery, beginning at noon (those entering pies into the contest should arrive by 11:30 a.m.). There will also be lunch, dessert and a live auction. For more information or to RSVP, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 866-630-6740.