The sounds of fall include a reading from Henry Rollins, a folk festival and rhythmic sounds from The Roots this week in CT arts

October isn’t just for ghosts. Dozens of Americana and folk bands are filling the Goshen Fair Grounds. A star sitar player has two Connecticut concerts. Four local playwrights have written live radio-style plays for Halloween. A cerebral punk does his latest spoken word tour, and the country’s leading Latinx dance company is at UConn.

That’s plenty of variety for any arts week in Connecticut, but we’ve also got several theaters beginning their seasons, as well as ever-popular bands such as The Roots in New Haven and an amalgamation of the Spinners, Commodores and Billy Ocean at Foxwoods.

Here are some of the top things to do and see this week.

Henry Rollins Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook

“Good to See You” punk statesman Henry Rollins works in many styles. He’s been a spoken word performer for nearly as long as he’s been fronting bands. His latest writing, “Good to See You” covers his adventures of recent years, from just prior to COVID to the present day. Rollins recites muscularly Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. at The Kate in Old Saybrook. $40. thekate.org/event/henry-rollins/.

Anoushka Shankar Jorgensen Center, 2132 Hillside Road, Storrs Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge, Ridgefield

Anoushka Shankar is the daughter of iconic sitar player Ravi Shankar and a virtuoso on the sitar herself. She and her touring quintet have two shows in Connecticut this week: Oct. 3 at UConn’s Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts ($15-$46, jorgensen.uconn.edu) and Oct. 5 at the Ridgefield Playhouse ($75-$100, ridgefieldplayhouse.org).

‘Howl of a Night’ Cheney Hall, 177 Hartford Road, Manchester

Local small theater companies HerStory Theatre and Playland Productions are getting creatively creepy with a night of original Halloween plays by local writers Bill Arnold, Bill Emerson, Jacques Lamarre and Playland Productions founder Betsy Maguire, done in a “golden age of radio” style with actors reading scripts in front of microphones. Oct. 5 and 7 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 8 at 2 p.m. There’s an added Halloween costume party for the audience at 6 p.m. on Oct. 7 for an additional $15 and a demonstration by the Foley artist (who does the radio sound effects) on Oct. 8 at 1 p.m. for free. $10-$18, $25 cabaret seating. cheneyhall.org/howl-of-a-night.

‘A Hundred Words for Snow’ Nafe Katter Theatre, 802 Bolton Road, Storrs

UConn’s Connecticut Repertory Theatre opens its fall season with British playwright Tatty Hennessy’s drama about a teen who heads to the North Pole when her father dies. Oct. 5-15. Performances are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. with a single Sunday matinee on Oct. 15 at 2 p.m. $10-$35. crt.uconn.edu.

‘Possessing Harriet’ Carriage House Theater, 360 Farmington Ave., Hartford

HartBeat Ensemble presents a drama based on the true story of Harriet Powell’s decision to flee slavery in 1830s New York and find freedom in Canada. The five-person cast is led by celebrated local actor Vanessa R. Butler and also features HartBeat artist director Godfrey L. Simmons Jr. Oct. 5-15 at HartBeat’s Carriage House Theater. Performances are Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. $25, $20 students/seniors. “No one left behind for lack of funds.” The Mark Twain House & Museum is hosting a conversation with “Possessing Harriet” playwright Kyle Bass on Oct. 7 at 5:30 p.m. for $5. hartbeatensemble.org.

‘Wish You Were Here’ Yale Repertory Theater, 1120 Chapel St., New Haven

The Yale Rep season opens with an ensemble play about friends navigating the social turmoil of late 1970s Iran. “Wish You Were Here” is by Sanaz Toossi, who won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play “English.” Oct. 5-28. Tuesdays through Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m. $15-$65 yalerep.org/productions/wish-you-were-here.

Billy Ocean, Commodores and The Spinners Foxwoods Resort Casino, 350 Trolley Line Blvd., Mashantucket

The soulful cast of characters includes “Caribbean Queen,” “The Rubberband Man” and the woman who is “Three Times a Lady” when Billy Ocean, The Spinners and the Commodores share the Foxwoods Premier Theater stage on Oct. 5 at 8 p.m. The show is technically sold out, but “verified resale tickets” are available on the Foxwoods website. foxwoods.com.

Ballet Hispánico Garde Arts Center, 325 State St., New London

Founded over 50 years ago, Ballet Hispánico celebrates Latinx culture through scintillating modern dance. Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. $30-$72. gardearts.org/events/ballet-hispanico.

Black Bear Americana Music Fest Goshen Fair Grounds, 116 Old Middle St. Goshen

Nights are shorter and days are colder, but there are still big outdoor festivals to be had in Connecticut. The Black Bear Americana Music Fest features more than 40 bands spread out over three days and four different stages, Oct. 6-8. The lineup includes Slambovian Circus of Dreams, Joan Osborne, The Nields, The Mammals and many more. Day passes are $60 for one day, $110 for two days and $150 for all three days. Camping sites are available. blackbearmusicfest.com.

The Roots College Street Music Hall, 238 College St., New Haven

The Roots — one of the best all-around bands on the planet — were scheduled to play at College Street Music Hall in late July. That show got postponed and is finally happening on Oct. 7 at 8:30 p.m. $60-$115. collegestreetmusichall.com.