Actor Heather Meyer of Eden Prairie has a goal to watch all 11 productions in the Twin Cities Horror Festival. Advertised as “the longest-running horror theater festival in the country,” the event pays homage to the horror genre from psychological thrillers to true crime, spooky cabaret, and scream-inducing plays replete with stage blood.

Meyer says each show in the line-up is rated for language, violence and blood, so you can pick the brand of horror that works for you.

The festival runs Thursday through Oct. 30 at the Crane Theater in Minneapolis. Masks are required except when eating, drinking or performing on stage.

Minneapolis actor Cathleen Fuller calls concerts by the Minnesota Bach Ensemble “balm for the soul.” She enjoyed watching their concerts online when venues were closed amid the pandemic, and she’s excited to see them return to live performances as they launch their 10th anniversary season, beginning this Saturday.

As the name implies, the ensemble focuses on the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and other baroque contemporaries. This performance includes Bach’s “Coffee Cantata” and G. F. Handel’s “Water Music,” along with works by Rameau and Purcell, featuring soprano, tenor and baritone soloists.

Concerts are Saturday at 3 p.m., Monday at 7 p.m. at Antonello Hall at MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis.

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Actor Leslie Vincent loves the podcast “This Queer Book Saved My Life.” She appreciates that each episode focuses on one book from the LBGTQ+ cannon that profoundly affected one reader. The podcast leans into the power of reading and sharing stories.

Host J.P. Der Boghossian and producer Jim Pounds are based in the Twin Cities, and while guests are national and occasionally international, the most recent episode delves into local history.

Recorded live at Lush Lounge and Theater in Minneapolis, the episode is about a memoir, “The Evening Crowd at Kirmser’s: A Gay Life in the 1940s,” by Ricardo J. Brown, and a reader who found that book at the perfect time in his life.

The second season dropped Oct. 4, with new episodes each Tuesday.

Correction: A previous headline misstated the type of art featured in the Twin Cities Horror Festival. The above headline is correct.