NEED TO KNOW: Week of Oct. 13

Oct. 13—THE NEXT CHAPTER OF BILL MORAN's Legacy

William F. Moran, aka Bill Moran, quickly became a local bladesmith legend for his technique of using welded steel to make modern knives, and he'd go on to receive national acclaim for his work. He founded the American Bladesmith Society and shared his knowledge of bladesmithing until his death in 2006. After more than a million dollars and years in the making, the new W.F. Moran Bladesmith & Artisan Academy in Middletown will open its doors to the public this weekend. After a daylong All-Forged Knife Show & Auction on Oct. 15, the Bladesmith & Artisan Academy grand opening and ribbon cutting will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 16, when guests can tour the new facility and shop, as well as the nearby museum. Mr. Moran would be proud.

TAKE YOUR EARS ON A TRIP

Thanks to longtime music author and journalist Bill Shoemaker, Frederick audiences will have the opportunity to hear world-renowned experimental and jazz musicians in an intimate setting at the Y Arts Center beginning this month. Founder of the Frederick Experimental Music Association, Shoemaker has created a series of four concerts — two this fall, two more in the spring — he calls the Improvisers Forum. The first show of the series, on Oct. 15, pairs Susan Alcorn (pedal steel guitar) with Robert Dick (flutes), who will perform as a duo for the first time. Where they'll take the show, no one knows. Stop by to be witness to the experiment.

A TOUCH OF MAGIC

Time to don your favorite fairy wings and glitter and flit on over to West Virginia for the Shepherdstown Fairy Festival, an all-weekend event where you can interact with goblins, fairies, giants and other magical creatures. Hear live music from a dark-folk cabaret duo and a steampunk band, visit with children's book authors, and stroll through more than 70 vendors. Kids can make crafts and jump on carnival rides, and entrance for kids 12 and under is free.

GET LOST IN SPACE

The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum reopens to the public this week, with eight new and renovated galleries. Stop in and see "Destination Moon," and stand face-to-face with the spacesuit Neil Armstrong wore when he first step foot on the moon. The museum also features interactive and digital experiences and hundreds of new artifacts, including the WR-3 air racer built by Neal Loving, the first African American certified to race airplanes. Perhaps most fun, though, is the exhibit that simulates standing on the surface of various planets, which gives you, through immersive curved screens, a sense of what it would be like to actually be there. Located in the heart of D.C., the museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day except for Christmas, starting Oct. 14. Reserve free, timed-entry passes at airandspace.si.edu.