Candlelight walk
Brown's Creek State Trail
6-9 p.m. Friday
• Hundreds of candles will light the trail between Neal and Lofton avenues. (651-231-6968; mndnr.gov/brownscreek)
The mysterious owl
Wild River State Park
6:30-7:30 p.m. Friday
• Learn about the silent nighttime hunter, including how to imitate its call. (651-583-2125; mndnr.gov/wildriver)
Focus on fossils
Whitewater State Park
10 a.m.-noon Saturday
• See fossils that preceded dinosaurs. The site is 9 miles from park. (1-507-312-2300, mndnr.gov/whitewater)
Fall pumpkin festival
Lake Shetek State Park
1-3:30 p.m. Saturday
• Pumpkin-decorating, face-painting, s'mores, games and leaf-pile jumping. Hosted by Friends of Lake Shetek State Park. (1-507-763-3256; mndnr.gov/lakeshetek)
Prairie and bison tour
Blue Mounds State Park
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sunday
• Take the 90-minute tour. Buy tickets in advance. (1-507-283-6050; mndnr.gov/bluemounds)
Bird banding
Lowry Nature Center
9 a.m.-noon Saturday
• See wild songbirds up close as they are carefully trapped, studied, banded and released. Drop in anytime. This program is free and open to all ages. (763-694-7650, bit.ly/threeriversbirds)
Family archery
1-3 p.m. Saturday
Cleary Lake Regional Park
Explore the basics of archery and elements of safety. Shoot at traditional targets and test your skills playing games. Equipment provided. Cost is $10. Call 763-559-6700 to make a reservation. This program is for ages 8 and older. Children 17 years and younger must be accompanied by an adult. (bit.ly/threeriversarch)