STILLWATER HARVEST FEST

Saturday-Sunday: Watch and be amazed as gargantuan pumpkins are dropped from 100 feet in the air to their squishy and messy demise at this event. Kids wearing costumes can walk in a parade. Live music from Hounds of Finn, Galactic Cowboy Orchestra and others. Also craft beer and wine tastings, chili cook-off, pumpkin regatta and kiddie tractor pull. (10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat.-Sun., downtown Stillwater. harvestfeststillwater.com)

MELISSA WALKER

'Suburbia'

Opens Saturday: In 1950, 70 percent of people in the Twin Cities lived in the core cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Nowadays, most call the surrounding suburbs their home. A hands-on exhibit explores this mass migration in search of the "American dream." (10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. & Wed.-next Fri., noon-5 p.m. Sun., 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tue. Ends March 20. $6-$12, free on Tue. eves. Minnesota History Center, 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul. www.mnhs.org)

MARY ABBE

HIGHLAND WATER TOWER OPEN HOUSE

Saturday-Sunday: See fall colors from one of the most picturesque perches in the Twin Cities while getting some exercise. Sightseers climb a 151-step staircase inside the Highland water tower. Once at the observation deck, view the skylines and variety of arboreal hues. (9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Free. Highland Park Water Tower, S. Snelling Av. and Ford Pkwy., St. Paul. 651-266-6350. stpaul.gov)M.W.