The last week of October is a full one for Muslim families in Massachusetts. There is a public lecture on Islamic art on Monday, a daylong conference on sound and music in Muslim life on Tuesday, a historian at Tufts University on Wednesday, the end of early voting on Friday, a packed Saturday that includes a youth science day and a masjid fundraiser, and then the clocks fall back on Sunday. Here is the week, day by day, with what each organizer says about times, cost and registration. Plans can change, so check the organizer's page before you go.

Monday, Oct. 26: "Cities of Islamic Art" at MIT

Where: MIT Room 3-133, Cambridge, Massachusetts. When: 6 p.m.

The Aga Khan Documentation Center and the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at MIT are hosting artist Laurelie Rae for a public lecture titled "Cities of Islamic Art: From Historical Visual Systems to the Formation of Contemporary Islamic Art in North America." According to the program's lecture page, the talk uses her artist's book Cities of Islamic Art, Vol. 2, now part of the documentation center's permanent collection, to follow motifs as they travel across ceramics, tiles, manuscripts and buildings, starting from surfaces in Isfahan, Iran; Istanbul, Türkiye; Damascus, Syria; Cairo, Egypt; and Granada, Spain. It then turns to her doctoral research on how visual and sonic artists in the North American diaspora reframe those traditions.

Rae has lived and worked in Istanbul, Türkiye, since 2014 and is vice head of the Department of Fine Arts at Boğaziçi University. The program says the lecture is open to all, with no registration required.

Tuesday, Oct. 27: Sound and Music in the Muslim World at NEC

Where: Brown Hall, New England Conservatory, 30 Gainsborough St., Boston, Massachusetts. When: Conference 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; concert 6 to 7:30 p.m.

This one-day conference, which we previewed earlier, looks at four themes: the significance of sound in Muslim contexts, oral tradition and memorization, music education in Muslim communities, and understanding Islam through its art. Speakers listed on the registration page include Oludamini Ogunnaike, Asad Ali Jafri, Ani Zonneveld, Mehmet Ali Sanlikol and Sami Abu Shumays, and the day ends with an evening concert by three ensembles performing traditions from across the Muslim world. Registration is on Eventbrite, which lists the tickets at no cost, and there is a virtual option as well as in-person seating.

Wednesday, Oct. 28: The Qur'an in early America, at Tufts

Where: Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts. When: Keynote and Q&A 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.; reception 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Eaton 260.

Historian Dr. Fatimah Fanusie gives this year's Russell Lecture on Spiritual Life, titled "America's Buried Inheritance: The Forgotten Story of the Qur'an and the Formation of Human Freedom." The Tufts chaplaincy describes the talk as an argument against the idea that Islam is foreign to the West, tracing a current of Qur'anic thought that it says reached the founding of the American experiment, and noting the role of descendants of the enslaved, including the community led by Imam W. Deen Mohammed, in bringing that history back into view.

The lecture has a local thread too. Dr. Fanusie's forthcoming book, Freedom, Justice, and Equality: Temple No. 11 and the Making of Muslim Boston, is under contract with Rutgers University Press for fall 2028, according to the chaplaincy's event page. She is program director for museums and libraries at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies in Baltimore, Maryland, and teaches in the Islamic Studies Program at Johns Hopkins University.

The Russell Lectureship is the oldest lectureship at Tufts. It was established in 1867 by James Russell of West Cambridge, now Arlington, Massachusetts. The event is co-hosted with Tisch College's Solomont Speaker Series, and the chaplaincy asks guests to RSVP on its page.

Friday, Oct. 30: Last day of early voting

The Secretary of the Commonwealth's voter guide says early voting runs Oct. 17 to 30, and that on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Hours and locations for early voting are set by each city and town, so check your local clerk. Our plain guide to the nine ballot questions walks through each one.

Saturday, Oct. 31: A youth day at the Museum of Science

Where: Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, Massachusetts. When: Drop-off 10:30 a.m., pick-up 3 p.m.

ISB Youth at the Islamic Society of Boston is taking young people on "Curious Minds: ISB Youth Discovery Day," a field trip built around the museum's exhibits and hands-on experiments. The registration form says the day is open to youth ages 10 to 19 (middle and high school students), that the event is free, that there are only 40 spots, and that registration closes Oct. 29. Transportation is not provided, so parents or guardians bring their children to the museum and pick them up. Parents who want to chaperone can contact the organizers through the address on the form.

Saturday, Oct. 31: Qur'an Circle at the MIT Prayer Space

Where: MIT Prayer Space, 40 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, Massachusetts. When: 6 to 8 p.m.

MAS Boston, a chapter of the Muslim American Society, lists a Qur'an Circle that evening titled "What If? What Now? What Next?: A Million Thoughts Shattered With One Step." Details and any updates are on the MAS Boston event page.

Saturday, Oct. 31: Fundraiser dinner for a new masjid and school in Danvers, Massachusetts

Where: Boston Marriott Peabody, 8A Centennial Dr., Peabody, Massachusetts. When: 7 p.m.

The Association of Islamic Charitable Projects is raising money for what its campaign page calls "a legacy for generations": a masjid, a full-time private Islamic school and a community center in Danvers, Massachusetts. When we checked on Sunday morning, the Givebutter page showed $796,300 raised toward a $3.2 million goal, from 147 supporters. The dinner will also be livestreamed on the same page, where tickets and donations are handled. We covered the plans in more detail in our earlier story.

Saturday is also Halloween. If your children will be trick-or-treating, our halal candy guide explains which common candies contain gelatin.

Sunday, Nov. 1: Clocks fall back

Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of November, when clocks go back to 1 a.m., according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Every prayer time on the clock moves about an hour earlier overnight, so Maghrib will come well before 5 p.m. Our guide to the time change has the details and sample prayer times.

Sunday, Nov. 1: Brunch and food service in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Where: Noor Oriental Rugs, 769 Concord Ave., Cambridge, Massachusetts. When: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Sufi Service Committee (Boston), run by volunteers connected with the Nimatullahi Sufi Order, holds a charity food service event on the first Sunday of every month. According to its Meetup listing, volunteers start with a brunch together and then prepare food that is donated to neighbors experiencing homelessness. RSVP is through Meetup, and the listing gives sufiservicebostonvolunteers@gmail.com for questions.

Sunday, Nov. 1: Sisters' painting workshop in Worcester, Massachusetts

Where: Worcester Islamic Center cafeteria, 248 East Mountain St., Worcester, Massachusetts. When: 2:30 to 5 p.m.

The Worcester Islamic Center is hosting an afternoon of painting for sisters led by artist Sr. Nayma Islam. The registration page says participants learn step-by-step techniques and take home a finished canvas, with all supplies and materials provided and refreshments served. The program fee is $40, seats are limited to 20 (11 were reserved when we checked on Sunday morning), and sisters who need babysitting are asked to contact the center's program director. Registration is on MOHID.

Looking further ahead

On Friday, Nov. 13, the Center for Arabic Culture's Jazal Choir performs "Harmony of Nations: Songs from Around the Arab World" at Luth Concert Hall in the Prior Performing Arts Center at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. The center describes the program as a blend of Arabic and Middle Eastern musical styles with Western a cappella and choral harmony.

You can find these events and more on the Mass Halal events calendar. If your masjid, school or community group is planning something, send us the details through our contact page and we will review it for the calendar.