THREE TO SEE

THE MCGOWAN FAMILY BAND

The Downtown Business Association has been putting on a series of great live patio shows — and this one by the Mcgowans was set to rock the Starlite/river City Revival House patio until, ugh, it turns out stupid winter is on its way to ruin our lives again.

But! The Muppet show has been moved indoors, and so that means social distancing, so get your reservations in now (info below). The Mcgowans were early adapters to this new reality, which seems so specifically designed to punish musicians that 2020 will likely suffer being immortalized in horror ballads or, hopefully, forgotten forever. But these reggae rockers are totally worth any effort to see live. Details: 8 p.m. at River City Revival House (10030 102 St.), book a table at 780-425-1852, no charge

WITCHERY MARKET 2020

For those impatient or even just preparing for Halloween, The Witchery Market returns to Old Strathcona this weekend, typically including witchy vendors, crafts, tarot readers, free presentations and more.

Things will of course be pared down somewhat due to the everescalating global pandemic, meaning bouncers at the doors, masks and hand sanitizer mandatory and all the other things certain Boomers seem to magically forget every time they step into a Tim Hortons. As with all retail enterprises right now, looking is encouraged over touching — but on the positive side, just think of all the absolutely amazing masks you're going to see here, worth the price of admission alone. Besides Friday, the market also runs Saturday 10 a.m.8 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. “Don't miss the magick!” says the poster, and fingers crossed 2021 brings us back to a more reasonable abnormal again.

Details: 4 p.m.-9 p.m. at Acacia Masonic Hall (10433 83 Ave.), free but please register at eventbrite.ca

GANJA & HESS ( 1973)

In this experimental vampire film written and directed by Bill Gunn, Dr. Hess Green is an anthropologist whose unstable new assistant stabs him with an ancient wooden dagger before committing suicide.

Hess finds the dagger has transformed him into an immortal being who is compelled to drink blood. He eventually meets and falls in love with his former assistant's wife, Ganja, who is concerned about her missing husband. It's one of only two films Duane Jones (Night of the Living Dead) played the lead, and screened at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival. 110 mins. Details: 7 p.m. at Metro Cinema (8712 109 St.), $13 at metrocinema.org