This weekend in Prague: Kites, mead, and other autumn pleasures await

Two exhibits just opened at the MeetFactory gallery, and they both run to Nov. 20. A "Moment of Stillness" was inspired by fairy tales and the writing of Ursula Le Guin. "Ich/Du" is a collaborative site-specific project.

The general public can see inside spaces used by the Czech Academy of Science on Sept. 30 as part of the European Researchers' Night. The theme this year is "all the senses." Among other things, a yurt will be built on Střelecký ostrov. More events can be found in an online list.

Several buildings will have guided tours (mostly in Czech) as part of the Day of Architecture festival on Sept. 30 to Oct. 6. There are also lectures and other events, also primarily in Czech.

Historically themed St. Wenceslas street markets with wine, mead, food, and burčák continue at náměstí Republiky and Wenceslas Square until Oct. 9.

If you haven't tried this year's burčák, you have another chance. Burčák Fest is back at Náplavka (Rašínovo nábřeží) on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. Wines from small producers in Moravia and also abroad will be for sale as well.

Come to Pražská tržnice on Oct. 1 for some spicy treats. Chilli Fest offers food with varying levels of hot spicy flavor at 30 stands. There will also be a lumberjack show with a European champion and other top competitors.

The October Beer & Food Fest takes place at the Strahov microbrewery and Sv. Norbert restaurant on Oct. 1. There will be a Bavarian-style menu, live music, and beer from the Strahov brewery including a special bock, plus several guest breweries including Falkon, Sibeeria and Černý potoka.

Light and bubbly Italian wine is the focus of Prosecco Fest at Manifesto Anděl on Oct. 1 and 2. Choose from 10 kinds of Prosecco and listen to live music and DJs. Purchase of special glass is required for sampling wine.

The optimistically named Festival of Delicious Flavors fills New Town Hall on Oct. 2. There will be treats for meat eaters, vegetarians, and vegans with about 20 vendors offering their wares. The event has free entry and is meant to bring people together.

Stock up on flowering plants at the African Violet Exchange at the Botanical Garden on Oct. 1. The sale takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the operational building.

You can buy art and other objects at UMtrh, which takes place in front of the Rudolfinum on Oct. 1 and 2. The event is linked to the nearby Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (UMPRUM).

The Film and Architecture Festival at kino Světozor until Oct. 4 features recent films about urban trends ranging from a retirement community in the U.S. to making a new opera house in Paris. Most have English subtitles. The films are part of the larger Day of Architecture festival (see above), the runs from Sept. 30 to Oct. 6.

Three films by director James Cameron comprise a minifestival at kino Aero on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. It starts with action-packed "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," followed by the more contemplative "The Abyss" and "Avatar" on the following day.

One of the strangest films ever to come out of Hollywood, Michelangelo Antonioni's Zabriskie Point unspools from a 35 mm print at Ponrepo on Oct. 2. The movie features a soundtrack by Pink Floyd and the Grateful Dead, and a very brief appearance by a young Harrison Ford as a protester in jail. The psychedelic and counterculture-themed film was a commercial and critical flop in 1970, and later on gained a cult following.

The entry is free, but tickets are required and can be booked online. The screening is in cooperation with the U.S. Embassy.

The ongoing retrospective of films by Ingmar Bergman continues with Hour of the Wolf at Edison Filmhub on Oct. 2. Max von Sydow and Liv Ullmann star in the 1968 tale of a woman who has an emotional collapse while on vacation.

The career of heavy metal legend Ronnie James Dio is explored in the new documentary DIO: Dreamers Never Die, showing for one screening only at Bio Oko on Oct. 2. Dio was the voice of Black Sabbath for a while, as well as Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, and of his own solo band Dio. He is credited with inventing the heavy metal goat-horn hand gesture.

The Lunchmeat Festival runs until Oct. 1 at four venues across Prague. The annual international festival, which began in 2010, is dedicated to advanced electronic music and new media art.

Czech pop star Ben Cristovao will be at O2 Arena on Oct. 1. The production team promises a big show full of surprises. There should also be some new material. Cristovao can currently be seen acting in the film "Medieval" as well.

This year's Eurovison winners, Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra comes to Lucerna Music Bar on Oct. 1. The band, which mixes traditional motifs with hip-hop, had the highest ever televoting score in Eurovision for their song "Stefania." The band sold their Eurovision trophy to raise funds for the war in Ukraine.

French cover band Nouvelle Vague does bossa-nova covers of 1980s new wave songs. They return to Palác Akropolis on Oct. 1 to celebrate their 15th anniversary, with Melanie Pain and Phoebe Killdeer on vocals. Prague is the next-to-last date on the European tour.

Canadian post-punk rock bands Sum 41 and Simple Plan come to Sportovní hala Fortuna (formerly Tipsport) on Oct. 1. Sum 41 has earned multiple accolades including two Juno Awards.

The theater boat Tajemství ends its season on Sept. 30 at its docking place at Náplavka (Rašínovo nábřeží) with music and other entertainment. Entry is free.

The annual Prague Fringe Festival runs to Oct. 1 at five venues in Malá Strana. One-hour plays and performances, all English-friendly, will take place with a mix of visiting and local performers. Many troupes who have been at previous Fringes are back with new shows. See our story here.

Alice Nellis' staging of Bedřich Smetana's opera The Bartered Bride moves the action from a village to a modern highrise housing project. The staging has divided critics, but you can see for yourself on Oct. 1 at the historical building of the National Theatre.

Richard Wagner's Der fliegende Holländer (Flying Dutchman) sails into the State Opera on Oct. 2. This new staging, which premiered in January, is by German conductor Karl-Heinz Steffens, currently the State Opera's music director, and Norwegian theater director and designer Ole Anders Tandberg.

A family-oriented month of events called ZbrasLOVE starts in Prague's Zbraslav neighborhood. The first event is a block party on Sept. 30 in U Lékárny street, starting at 1 p.m.

Fly a kite and get health advice at Drakiáda, Den zdraví on Oct. 1 at Sokol Písnice. Children will have kite competitions, face painting, a bouncy castle, and more. For adults, there is nutritional counseling, stress resistance measurement, vision measurement, and cancer prevention.

The annual Posvícení u Doubravky (Candlelight at Doubravka) takes place a the Doubravka view tower in Prague 14 on Oct. 1 starting at 2 p.m., an ABBA revival band at 6 p.m., and a light show at 8:30 p.m. There will be games and activities for children during the day.