'Tis the season for harvest festivals, but while plenty of events highlight apples, pumpkins and hayrides for chubby-cheeked cherubs, the celebration at Colchester's Mead Hall has a rather different tone. There, patrons sip mead from horn tankards, gnaw on ox shoulder and sup on bottomless bowls of soup. There are table games, too.

Harvest Fest: Saturday, September 30, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m., Colchester's Mead Hall. Price of drinks (and tankards). Info, 497-2345, colchestermeadhall.com.

More food events

Our Reason to Bee: Part of Bees' Knees Week put on by Barr Hill Gin, Liquor.com and a variety of bee-centric organizations, this event is intended to get people fired up about the importance of pollinators. Its speaker is apiarist Todd Hardie, who founded Caledonia Spirits and now owns Thornhill Farm. Thursday, September 28, 5:30 p.m., Juniper, Burlington. $10. Info, 651-0080, drinkbeesknees.com.

Stowe Oktoberfest: It makes sense to celebrate an Alpine festival amid Vermont's highest mountains. Expect oompah bands, Bavarian foods and local beer. Friday, September 29, through Sunday, October 1; hours vary. Mayo Events Field, Stowe. $5-10. Info, 760-9050, stowerotary.com.

Collaborative Dinner: Jim McCarthy, head chef of the Inn at Shelburne Farms, teams up with chef/owner Evan Mallett of Black Trumpet in Portsmouth, N.H., for a special dinner. Monday, October 2; 6 p.m., reception; 7 p.m., dinner; the Inn at Shelburne Farms. $125. Info, 985-8498, shelburnefarms.org.