Boom!

And just like that, it’s the holiday season (sort of).

Looking to postpone thinking about that for a bit longer? Well then, check out our Best Bets for a bit of weekend fun before you settle into list-making, travel-planning mode.

First up: It’s First Friday!

The monthly art walk begins again, from 6 to 8 p.m., and boasts a bevy of beautiful venues and participants.

For a complete list, visit www.bainbridgedowntown.org.

Bridges, a new string orchestra, will perform its debut concert program, “New Beginnings,” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2 at Bainbridge Performing Arts.

Violinist and founder Pat Strange leads the 13-member conductor-less ensemble, made up of musicians from the Bainbridge Island community.

Strange said that string orchestra music has been missing from Bainbridge Island’s classical music scene, and Bridges aims to fill the void.

“We are excited by the string orchestra literature we are discovering and are eager to share our enthusiasm with our audiences,” Strange said. “Bridges is about making new connections among composers, musicians and audience members.”

Admission is by donation, and proceeds will benefit the Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra. Patrons are requested to arrive no later than 7:20 p.m.

“New Beginnings” will feature music by composers who differ in nationality, style, and time period, yet they are united in their love for the string orchestra sound.

The composers include Janacek, Nielsen, Khachaturian, Part, Gardel and Whitacre.

Find out more at www.bainbridgeperformingarts.org.

Jazz pianist and composer Francesco Crosara will appear at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3. He will be joined by bassist Neil Conaty and drummer Kurt Bischoff.

Joining Francesco will be Sus 4, a new music group featuring Kurt Bischoff on drums, Pat McInnis on guitar, Steve Newton on bass and Joe Rice on keyboards.

Sus 4 will be playing all-original material; this will be the group’s live debut.

Born in Milan, Italy, and residing in Poulsbo since 2017, Crosara is a jazz pianist, composer and educator who has played at festivals and venues across the United States, Japan, Canada, Mexico, France, Spain and Italy.

He has performed with Lionel Hampton, Freddie Hubbard, Roy Hargrove, Richie Cole, Bobby Shew, Ira Sullivan, Don Menza, John Heard, Gabe Baltazar, Mayuto Correa, Bruce Forman, Barbara Morrison, Earl Palmer, Mark Lewis and more, and produced six jazz albums internationally since 1992, featuring guest artists such as Von Freeman and Lilian Terry.

Tickets are $10 each at the door. For information, contact info@francescojazz.com or thegumbos@yahoo.com.

Join artist Alfredo Arreguin for a lecture exploring his process of creation and inspiration at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, where his retrospective show is now on display through February 2019.

The lecture is 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 4. There will be a reception afterward with light food and drink.

Tickets are $5 each, free for students with preregistration.

BIMA’s exhibition features more than 30 paintings, with an emphasis on Arreguin’s more recent productions as well as older paintings retained in the artist’s private collection.

For more information, visit www.biartmuseum.org/calendar/eye-on-artist-lectures, or go to www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3739618 to reserve a ticket.

The Men’s Compline Choir of Bainbridge Island will sing the Office of Compline at 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 4 at Saint Cecilia Parish.

Compline, also called Night Prayer, is the last of the traditional daily services sung by monastic communities and dates back to at least the 8th century. The service consists of chant, readings, psalms, prayers, petitions and hymns, sung in a contemplative setting in a darkened church.

The program is approximately 30 minutes long.

All are welcome. Saint Cecilia Parish is located at 1310 Madison Ave. North.

Finally, former Review staffer Dyer Oxley’s pop culture podcast “NW Nerd,” voted Seattle’s best local podcast by cityvoter.com, is back for its third season.

The show kicks off anew with its annual Halloween episode, taking you on a visit to the Grand Lodge in Forest Grove, Oregon. Among the many attractions are the Lavender Lady and others who are permanent “residents” of the hotel.

The front desk keeps a ghost log, recording all the bizarre experiences employees and guests have reported over the years. This episode is a double feature of sorts, telling the story of the Grand Lodge, and also some spirited performance of actual stories from the ghost log.

Visit http://nw-nerd.com/podcasts to listen, or search “NW Nerd” (@nw_nerd, #nwnerd) wherever you listen to podcasts to check it out.

The Bainbridge Blab is your one-stop spot to get the 411 on all things 98110. From South Beach to Agate Passage, Battle Point to Rolling Bay, we’ve got the straight skinny on Bainbridge Island: the latest chatter, babble and burble. News, too. Have a tip or a comment for the Blab? Email us at editor@bainbridgereview.com.