On the Plate: Upcoming Food and Wine Events

through October 9: Shacktoberfest at the Shake Shack
Stop by the Shake Shack for a celebration that includes 4 specialty sausages, 10 special beers, and the Bloat. Not from the beer and sausages (well, maybe from that too): it's a beer and frozen custard float. Madison Square Park at 23rd and Madison. Open from 11-11 daily.

October 8: Beer on the Pier
Beer, beer, and more beer. Taste beer from over 100 breweries, listen to live music, and chow down on Spanky's Barbecue. Session 1: 12:00-4:00pm; Session 2: 6:00-10:00pm. $41.50 (per session) tickets, which can be purchased online, include a souvenir taster's cup and unlimited sampling. Pier 54, 13th Street & the West Side Highway.

October: Union Square Cafe Turns 20
And they're celebrating all month. There's a full schedule of events planned throughout October, including giveaways, cooking demonstrations, tastings, and culinary conversations. Visit www.unionsquarecafe.com/events.html for a detailed schedule.

October 16: foodie to Benefit the Gulf Coast
Gothamist is a proud sponsor of our own Joe DeSalazer's upcoming foodie, From 6:00-9:30 pm, he'll host a sixty person, six-course Gulf Coast-inspired tasting event to raise funds for the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Their goal is to donate 70% or more of the proceeds from this event to Habitat for Humanity in hopes of assisting the reconstruction of the Gulf Coast region. Tickets are $105 and are available through the foodie website.