5 Things You Need To Know This Weekend: October 15-16

1.'s 20th Annual Pumpkin Festival begins today and continues every weekend until the end of the month. The festival includes more than 100 craft booths, live music, a Pioneer Trades Village, hayrides, pony rides, rock climbing wall, a chainsaw sculptor, corn maze, scarecrow displays, homemade ice cream, petting zoo, barnyard playground, face painting, children's train ride, bi-plane rides, a frog jumping championship and of course pumpkins, lots of pumpkins including pumpkin pie and pumpkin games. Admission is $8. Admissin for children 12 and younger is free.

2. The Florida Retail Federation named Rep. Greg Steube, R-67, legislator of the year for supporting retail issues in the Florida legislature.

3. Joe Mazza of Schakolad Chocolates will present a program at 2 p.m. today at the . The program will include demonstrations on how chocolate is made and have a chocolate tasting and molding session. Call 755-3892 for more information.

4. kicks off its basketball season Friday with a conference jamboree that features back-to-back-to-back games against IMG, Polk State College and Hillsborough Community College. The first game, against IMG begins at 4 p.m.

5. Department will host a free “Wild FL 101 Poisons and Venoms” workshop for adults at Emerson Point Preserve on Wednesday. From venomous snakes to prickly plants whose touch can cause itching and irritation, nature has created an endless array of “deadly” creatures. While these plants and animals may seem scary, the truth is far less insidious – most of the things that make them harmful to humans are defenses against predators or their environment. Join Naturalist Melissa Nell to learn more about these “fierce creatures” and the methods they use to survive. Reservations are required for the free program set for Wednesday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The program is suitable for participants age 16 and older. To make a reservation contact Melissa Cain Nell at melissa.nell@mymanatee.org or call 941 742 5757 ext. 5. For more information on Manatee County’s Natural Resources Department please call 941 748 4501 ext. 4605 or go online at www.mymanatee.org/conservation.html.