Best Bets

Jackie Mason

After selling out his October 22 performance, comedian Jackie Mason has added a second performance. Following up his four successful runs on Broadway, Mason brings again his special brand of entertainment to Long Island audiences with up-to-the-minute musings on current events and whatever else strikes him as funny. Unafraid to tackle anysubject, no matter how controversial, Mason examines everything from sexual harassment to racism to the White House. Jackie Mason was a Cantor until the age of 25 when he was ordained a rabbi. Three years later he quit his synagogue to become a comedian because, as he says, "Someone in the family had to make a living." October 6. 8 P.M. Tickets: $42.50. Westbury Music Fair. Box office and Ticketmaster: (631) 888-9000.

Kansas

Kansas redefines their definitive sound blending progressive and classical music with straight-ahead rock. Producing eight gold albums, two multi-platinum albums, "Leftoverture," and "Point of Know Return" plus one platinum live album and a million-selling gold single, "Dust in the Wind," Kansas hopes to continue their success with their latest album, "Always Never The Same." Westbury Music Fair. October 13. 8 P.M. Tickets: $32.50. (631) 888-9000.

Special Events

Talks and tours
Old Westbury Gardens presents its "Talks & Tours" series offering informal talks and tours on various aspects of gardening and the decorative arts. October 7. 2 P.M.: The Folklore of Trees. Trees come to life when you learn their loe with master gardener Barbara Frank. October 14. 2 P.M.: Ceilings, Moldings and Pediments: Look up with docent Anise Cherry as she discusses dressed, painted and carved ceilings. Learn about the various ways in which pediments are used. Old Westbury Gardens. Garden Talks & Tours usually meet at the Beech Tree by the West Porch of Westbury House and are free with Garden admission: adults $8/children 6-12 $3. Seniors 62+ $6. House Talks & Tours meet at the front desk and aare free with House & Gardens admission: adults $10, children $6, seniors $8. Parking free.
Chili pepper fiesta
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a day-long fiesta at Brooklyn Botanic Garden with Mariachis, cooking demos, crafts for kids and adults, homemade chili contest, Latin dance, puppet show, chili pepper sales, and food, food, food! Rain or shine. Free with regular Garden Admission. Saturday October 7. 10A.M.-6 P.M. www.bbg.org or (718)-623-7333.
Ah, shucks!
Juried arts and crafts show, historic-boat exhibit, oyster eating and shucking contests, 5 k run, free shuttle bus,and wide variety of entertainment and music contests, are all part of Oyster Festival in central business district, Oyster Bay. October 14-15. 11 A.M. - 6 P.M. Fee: none.
Family fun
The annual Long Island Fair returns again bringing its historical ambiance of the 19th century to OldBethpage Village Restoration. Blue ribbon competitions for livestock, flowers and vegetables plus culinary, needlework, hobbies and a junior division. Elephant rides, period entertainment and fun for whole family. October 5-10. Round Swamp Rd., Old Bethpage (one mile south of LIE/Exit # 48) Admission: $10/adults, $5 children (5-12), seniors, and other special groups. Parking: free. Info: 572-8400 or www.longislandfair.org.
How do they do that?
Ship-in-a-Bottle techniques employed by seamen who created model ships inside of bottles is the subject of a children's workshop. Children 6-12 will learn to create a simplified version of this maritime craft. October 22. 1 P.M. Whaling Museum, Main St., Cold Spring Harbor. Members: free. Non-members $5 (includes Museum admission). Reservations required: (631) 367-3418.
Can you dig it?
4-hour workshop in Historical Archaeology offers hands-on participation and program on Glen Cove's history, the meaning of historical archaeology, why we study it, and the methods used by an Archaeologist. Participants will help with surface collections, field excavation, laboratory processing and the identification of of artifacts. Sponsor: Friends of Long Island Heritage. Garvies Point Museum. Barry Drive, Glen Cove. Bring bag lunch; wear work clothes. October 7. 10 A.M. - 2 P.M. rain/shine. Info/registration: 571-8010.

Theatre

Sleep-tight
Love and labor disputes heat up the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory in the classic musical comedy, The Pajama Game. Local direction by Denise V. Green. Cultural Arts Playhouse, 714 Old Bethpage Rd., Old Bethpage. Through October 14. Fridays: 8:30 P.M., Saturdays: 8 P.M., Sundays: 3 P.M. Plus Wednesday matinee October 4 at 2 P.M. Tickets: $18/adults, $16/students, seniors. Matinee: $15.
A comic threat
Husband and wife team Renee Taylor and Joe Bologna star in their new comedy "If You Ever Leave Me...I'm Going With You" which celebrates the husband and wife acting/writing partnership and three decade love affair. Westbury Music Fair. October 15. 3 P.M. Tickets: $32.50. (631) 888-9000.

MUSIC

They're playing his songs
Try calling on day of show for any last minute openings to this sold out show: An Evening with MarvinHamlisch. The composer will be accompanied by the Concert Pops of Long Island. Tilles Center/C.W. Post. October 6. 8 P.M. Tilles box office or TillesCharge: 299-3100 1-6 P.M.
Kathy Mattea
Kathy Mattea, with special guest Asleep At The Wheel will celebrate her critically acclaimed new CD,"The Innocent Years" in concert. Kathy has won three Grammys, been honored twice as the CMA;'s "Female Vocalist of the Year," and received "Song" and "Single of the Year" honors for her hits, "Where've You Been," and "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses." Westbury Music Fair. October 7. 8 P.M. Tickets: $32.50 (631) 888.9000.
The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber
The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber returns again to Long Island. Expect to hear his biggest hits from The Phantom of the Opera," "Cats," "Evita," Jesus Christ Superstar," "Starlight Express," "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," "Song and Dance," "Requiem," "Aspects of Love," "Sunset Boulevard," "Whistle Down The Wind," and more. Westbury Music Fair. October 12. 8 P.M. Tickets: $45. (631) 888-9000. Info: 334-0800.

Art

Dali and friends
Two Surrealism exhibitions "Dali: Works on Paper" and "Surrealism" offer rare opportunity to experience locally the works of the century's artistic masters of dreams and the unconscious. Through January 14. Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn Harbor. Hours: Tues.-Sun. 11 A.M.-5 P.M. Admission: $/adults, $3 seniors, $2 children. Docent-led tours, 2 P.M. each day except Sun. Info: 484-9337.
Pollock to Wyeth
As a companion to the Hans Namuth: Portraits exhibition, museum shows works by many of the famed artists captured by Namuth's lens, among them Jackson Pollock, Isamu Noguchi, Roy Lichenstein, Willem deKooning and Andrew Wyeth. (Through October 29). Another exhibition Aaron Copland's New York, shows the sharp contrasts of New York City as a sleepy seaport with the angular, soaring thrust of skyscrapers, the speed and complexity of the subway system and sometimes the serene pleasures of the city's leafy parks. (Through January 7).Heckscher Museum, Main Street (Rte 25A) and Prime Ave., Huntington. Hours: Tuesday - Friday, 10 A.M. - 5 P.M. Admission: suggested donation $3 adults/$1 children. Info: (631) 351-3250.
Seeing is reading
The exhibition "Text: Word and Image" is comprised of works by various artists who incorporate text into their artwork. The underlying concept of the display is that many visual artists in our media-driven culture often feel the need to include written language in their work. Through October 8. Firehouse Art Gallery. Nassau Community College. Free admission. Mon.-Tues. 10 A.M.-4 P.M., Wed.-Thurs. 11 A.M.-7 P.M.; Fri. 10 A.M.-2 P.M., Sat. 12 P.M.-5 P.M.
Friends and colleagues
A special exhibition, Four Artists, Four Objects, Ten Years, features the artwork of four contemporary American female artists and their still-life paintings through December 15. Showing the work of Janet Fish, Sondra Freckelton, Nancy Hagin and Harriet Shorr, four talented painters who are friends as well as colleagues. Emily Lowe Gallery. Hofstra University. Admission is free. Hours: Tues.-Fri. 10 A.M. - 5 P.M.; Sat.,Sun. 1 P.M. - 5 P.M. Closed on holiday weekends. Info: (516) 463-5672.
Looking forward
A special exhibition "Toward the New: American Abstract Artists" traces the history of the American Abstract Artists, a revolutionary group founded in 1936. The group's mission is to ensure that galleries and museums continue to display the work of American artists who create in the abstract style. In keeping with the mission, Hillwood Art Museum will present the most recent work of several current members through November 12. C.W. Post Campus. Open Mon.-Fri., 9:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. and until 7:30 P.M. on Tues.; Sat.-Sun. 11 A.M. - 3 P.M. Info: 299-4073 or www.liu.edu/museum.