From the Editor: Falling for October

This is going to be a great month. Sweaters, jackets and tights come out of hiding. My office mates are sipping their pumpkin-flavored lattes. Central Ohio weather hits that fleeting moment between hot and freezing cold, when it's just cool enough to rosy up the cheeks, but warm enough to play another round of touch football on a Saturday afternoon (provided no one else is playing tackle football, that is). This issue of Columbus Monthly also tells me it'll be a great month to be in this city, trying to pick and choose what to do. Because, believe me, it can't all be done.

Tune out the presidential race for a moment, no matter how entertaining it may be, and tune in to the Columbus mayoral race, which takes twists, turns and developments daily. I interviewed the candidates, Andrew Ginther and Zach Scott, one on one late in the summer, asking them about issues and their visions for the office (page 51). Their answers are off the cuff but clearly thought through. They can be funny, passionate, sincere and feisty. They're fascinating people, and I hope you'll take the time to get to know them before casting your vote in November.

The Columbus Museum of Art unveils its new expansion (page 60) and, I think, a new attitude this month. The building and its contents represent a major shift for a cultural institution, and it's one I think a lot of people will be surprised to see. For one thing, the new wing is dominated by contemporary art, exhibited in dedicated space for the first time. For another, the experience of going to the museum is completely different. It's filled with light and beautiful materials. If your last memory of the museum was a rather dark entrance dominated by stone, you're in for a real treat.

And you'll want to set aside some evenings for the flurry of events and performances, like BalletMet's season opener, the inaugural Cartoon Crossroads Columbus Festival, Columbus Fashion Week, the Blue Jackets' return to the ice (with star Brandon Saad, whom you can meet on page 20), the Circleville Pumpkin Show, Sir Paul McCartney and, of course, the Buckeyes in the throes of what looks to be another explosive season.

Hang on tight to this issue all month long-it'll guide you to the best events in the best month of the year.

WISH LIST

1 I'm a big fan of museum shops (one-of-a-kind items, proceeds for a good cause), and the new one at theColumbus Museum of Artis going to be a favorite stop. The architecture geek in me loves the scarves printed with sketches of the museum's new wing.

2 Like several million other people, I read and fell in love with "All The Light We Cannot See," and now I cannot wait to see and hear authorAnthony Doerr at a reception at the Upper Arlington Libraryon Oct. 11.

3 Seeing the photos from the screening of"Iris" at the Charles Kleibacker Film Festivalinspired me to bone up on fashion documentaries. Another film shown at the festival, "Dior and I," about Raf Simons' first couture collection for the legendary house, is to die for, darling.