Don't forget to get your tickets to Mass Farmers Markets' second annual Urban Barn Dance tomorrow night, Oct. 16, at 6:30 at the Dante Alighieri Center in Cambridge.

There will be contra dancing to live music, a feast prepared by Bob Sargent of Flora restaurant, dessert by Petsi Pies and Hamilton Orchards, and a silent auction for gift certificates and prizes from the likes of Hungry Mother, Herb Lyceum, Taza Chocolate, Danish Pastry House, and more.

Tickets $50. Call 781-893-8222 or e-mail martha@massfarmersmarkets.org.

Don't let the soggy weather deter you -- it's perfect oyster-eating conditions. Head over to Duxbury Beach (435 Gurnet Road, Duxbury) from 3-11 p.m. for shellfish, beer, and music at the oyster fest. It's $50 per person, or $150 for VIP tix, which include unlimited oysters, plus Grey Goose cocktails in the VIP tent mingling with chefs Jody Adams, Chris Schlesinger, and Jasper White, as well as mixologist Jackson Cannon. There weren't many tickets left as of yesterday -- if you want one, call the Island Creek Shop (781-934-2028) to see if they have one for you. You'll have to swing by and pick it up in person.

Other chefs who will be there:

Chris Parsons, Catch
Greg Reeves, Green Street
Jamie Bissonnette, Toro
Jay Murray, Grill 23
Jeremy Sewall, Lineage / Eastern Standard
John Cataldi, Solstice
Kevin Long, Tosca
Louis DiBiccari, Sel de la Terre
Mary Dumont, Harvest
Jeff Nace, Neptune
Nick Dixon, Lucky's
Pieter Sypstein, La Reve
Stephen Oxaal, B & G Oysters
Tony Maws, Craigie on Main
Will Gilson, Garden at the Cellar

In addition to the mass oyster consumption, the chefs will be preparing all kinds of local ingredients, from striped bass and scallops to Island Creek-raised pigs. Bissonnette will be making pulled pork tacos, and Schlesinger will cook a pig in a Caja China roaster.

Tomorrow, Aug. 22, local purveyors of frozen treats square off in the parking lot adjacent to Grand in Union Square. "Our goal is to prove Boston's status as an 'Ice Cream City' by showcasing the area's best ice cream and frozen dessert makers and we want you there eating it all up," says the Facebook page for the event.

For a $2 donation, you get to taste the goods from Christina's, Toscanini's, Wheeler's (vegan!), and more. The event runs from 3-6 p.m. at 374 Somerville Ave., Somerville. The rain date is Sunday, Aug. 23. Donations benefit the Juniper Fund, a scholarship established in memory of musician John Hall of the Addison Groove Project.

Taste of Allston takes place June 28. This might be my favorite "taste of" lineup, simply by virtue of the culinary ground it covers: Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Italy, Korea, Malaysia, Russia, Taiwan, Thailand, the US, Vietnam, and beyond.

Participating restaurants include Bravo Pizza, Buk Kyung, Camino Real, Dawat, Gitlo’s, Grain & Salt, Jo Jo Taipei, Lilly’s Gourmet Pasta, Mt. Everest Kitchen, Sunset Grill & Tap, and more. There will also be live music from the Allstonians and a silent auction.

The event is at the Murr Center at the Harvard Athletic Complex in Allston from 12-3 p.m. $18 per person in advance, $20 at the door, $10 for kids under 12. All proceeds benefit Allston Village Main Streets.

The annual event takes place Friday at the Seaport hotel. This is its 12th year. From 7-9:30 p.m., about 40 local chefs will be grilling for your pleasure, and to benefit the Greater Boston Food Bank. The cost is $60 per person, which includes wine, beer, and tastings.

Here are this year's participants:

Toby Hill, 606 Congress
Rachel Klein, Aura restaurant/ Tamo Bar
Rodney Murillo, Avila restaurant
Jay Silva, Bambara
Jake Zachow, Bella Luna Milky Way
Evan Percoco, BOKX 109 American Prime
Jacqueline Kelly, Bravo restaurant at MFA
Dante De Magistris, Dante Restaurant
Chef Peppino, Da Vinci Ristorante
Stephen Brown & Eric Swartz, Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse
Steve Uliss, Firefly's BBQ
Corey Johnson & Jeffrey Stevens, Flour Bakery
Jason Santos, Gargoyles
Pat Lee, Grafton Street & Temple Bar
Tindaro Losurdo, House of Blues
Shore Gregory, Island Creek Oysters
Harjit Singh, Kashmir
Katherine See, Kingfish Hall
Mark Sapienza, BOND restaurant/lounge at The Langham Boston
Andy LaVallee, LaVallee's Bakery Goods Distributors
Jeff Tenner, LTK
Nicholas Dixon, Lucky's Lounge
Jerry Pabla, Mantra
Todd Winer, Metropolitan Club
Erwin Ramos, Ole Mexican Grill
Joseph Brenner, Olives
Philip Rotondo, Philip R's
Brian Poe, Poe's Kitchen at The Rattlesnake
Tom Fosnot, Rocca Kitchen & Bar
Tony Susi, Sage
Brian Anderson, Sauciety
Richard Rayment, Seaport
Karen Hodsdon, Seaport Pastry
Louis DiBiccari, Sel de la Terre
Guy Martin & Gerard Barbin, Sensing
Glenn Quirion, Sweet Tooth Bakery
Dan Enos, The Oceanaire
Mark Porcaro, Top of the Hub
Chris Masco, Turner Fisheries
Tony DeRienzo, Waterfront Grille

For more information, call 617-385-5955.

No plans tonight? Want some? Eat for a good cause at Share Our Strength's anti-hunger event, starting at 6:30. Taste of the Nation is at the Hynes Convention Center, and tickets are $95 at the door.

You get to eat food from the chefs at Blue Ribbon BBQ, Craigie on Main, Eastern Standard, Highland Kitchen, L'Espalier, and a whole ton more while helping fight childhood hunger.

On March 25, Slow Food Boston and Hungry Mother serve up heritage pork and beans.

The dinner will feature Red Wattle pork from Heritage Foods USA and a Tamworth/Gloucester Old Spot cross from Applesnout Farm in Vermont. There will be two varieties of beans, Marrowfat and Yellow Indian Woman. The rest of the meal includes Carolina Gold rice, greens, and a seasonal dessert.

Seatings are at 6 and 8:30 p.m. Dinner is $50, with optional wine pairings for an extra $30.

Peter Muhly, AFP/Getty Images

Then Cochon 555 comes to town April 5, at the Liberty Hotel. The traveling competition features five chefs, five pigs, and five winemakers. Boston's participants are Tony Maws of Craigie on Main, Jamie Bissonnette of Toro, Matthew Jennings of Farmstead in Providence, Jason Bond of Beacon Hill Bistro, and Joseph Margate of Clink. Each chef will prepare an entire heritage pig, and judges will choose a winner to be crowned Prince of Porc.

The event is 5-8 p.m. Tickets are $125.