The second weekend of October is when South Florida's fall calendar finally fills in. Between Friday, Oct. 9 and Sunday, Oct. 11, there is a pumpkin patch on the Jupiter waterfront, a free beachside concert in Pompano, a salsa legend's 50th anniversary show in Fort Lauderdale, a costumed dog parade in Doral and a Sunday market in the old village at Vizcaya. Here are the ones worth the drive, county by county, and why.

Palm Beach County: Start Saturday in Jupiter

PumpkinFest at Harbourside Place, Jupiter (Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.). This is the 10th year of the Chasin A Dream Foundation's fall festival, and it takes over the waterfront plaza at 200 N. U.S. Highway 1 with a pumpkin patch, a haunted house, trick-or-treating, a photo booth, food, music and more than 50 local vendors, according to the foundation's event page. The reason to go beyond the pumpkins is where the money lands: the foundation helps local children facing life-threatening illnesses, so a Saturday of fall fun doubles as a donation to families in your own county. Get there early if you want the pick of the patch before the afternoon crowd.

FALLoween Festival at the Els Center of Excellence, Jupiter (Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon). If your family has a child who finds a typical fall festival overwhelming, this is the one built for you. The Els for Autism Foundation runs it as a free, sensory-friendly morning on its campus at 18370 Limestone Creek Road, with entertainment, a costume contest, carnival games, food and trick-or-treating, and asks for a suggested $10 donation per family, according to the festival site. It wraps up at noon, which makes it easy to pair with PumpkinFest across town.

Let's Dance in Tequesta (Friday, 6 to 8:30 p.m.). A small one, and that is the point. The Village of Tequesta turns Constitution Park, 594 N. Dover Road, into an outdoor dance party on Friday evening, free for residents and $5 for everyone else, per the village calendar. It is the kind of neighborly night that north county does well.

Broward: Music on the Beach and a Salsa Milestone

Music Under the Stars, Pompano Beach (Friday, 7 p.m.). The city's free fall concert series opens on the Great Lawn at Atlantic Boulevard and Pompano Beach Boulevard with Speaker Box Band playing R&B and pop, according to the city's announcement. Bring a chair, grab dinner on the beach strip, and you have a Friday night that costs only parking.

Deerfield Beach Fall Festival (Saturday, 4 to 8 p.m.). Pioneer Park, 217 NE Fifth Ave., gets a pumpkin patch, trunk-or-treat, a biergarten, a kids zone, food and artisan vendors, with country acts at 4 and 6 p.m., according to the city's festival page. Admission is free and the city runs a free shuttle from Eller Street, which spares you the hunt for a spot near the park.

Tito Nieves at the Broward Center, Fort Lauderdale (Saturday, 8 p.m.). The salsa singer is marking 50 years on stage with a concert in the Au-Rene Theater, according to the Broward Center's event page. Fifty years is a long run in any genre, and if salsa was the soundtrack of your parents' parties, this is the weekend's ticket with the most memory attached.

Postmodern Jukebox at the Pompano Beach Amphitheater (Sunday, 8 p.m.). Scott Bradlee's troupe reworks current pop songs as swing, jazz and doo-wop, and the city lists the show at the amphitheater at 1806 NE Sixth St., with doors at 7, on its event page. It is a good way to close the weekend for anyone who likes their pop hits with a horn section.

Miami-Dade: Art, Dogs and a Sunday Market

Art in the Park, Coral Gables (Friday, 7 to 11 p.m.). The city fills Ponce Circle Park, 2810 Ponce de Leon Blvd., with live music, local visual artists and food on Friday night, according to the city's event page. It is downtown Gables at its most relaxed, and it costs nothing to wander in.

Wynwood Art Walk, Miami (Saturday evening). The second Saturday art walk brings gallery openings and live art across the district, and the Wynwood Walls are free from 5 to 10 p.m., according to the Wynwood Business Improvement District. Go for the murals, stay for the galleries most visitors never step inside.

Howl-O-Ween in Doral (Saturday, 4:30 to 7 p.m.). The City of Doral's free dog costume parade starts at Trails & Tails Park, 11645 NW 50th St., led by the Doggie Walk Club, followed by a contest in five categories, according to the city's event page. Contest entrants need to register and check in between 4 and 5 p.m. Spectators just need to show up, and they will not regret it.

Vizcaya Village Farmers Market, Miami (Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.). The market sets up in the historic village buildings across South Miami Avenue from the main house, with $5 yoga at 9:30 a.m. and $6 guided tours of the village at 11, according to Vizcaya's calendar. Entry to the market is free, and it is the rare chance to wander the estate's working farm village, which most people drive straight past on the way to the gardens.

For South Dade, Plan for Next Weekend

Homestead, Redland and Cutler Bay are quiet this weekend. The reason to drive south comes a week later: the Redland International Orchid Festival fills Fruit & Spice Park from Oct. 16 to 18, according to the festival site, and Homestead's free Fall & Spooktacular takes over Losner Park on Krome Avenue on Saturday, Oct. 17, per the city calendar. Put both on the calendar now.

How to Pick

With young kids, Saturday in Jupiter is the easiest win: FALLoween in the morning, PumpkinFest after lunch. For a night out, Tito Nieves on Saturday or Postmodern Jukebox on Sunday are the two ticketed shows with the most personality. And if you want to spend nothing at all, the Pompano beach concert, the Deerfield festival, Art in the Park, the Wynwood Walls and Doral's dog parade are all free. Every listing above is in the Gold Coast Wave calendar, along with more for the weeks ahead.