In mid-October the weather by the sea changes quickly, so it is best to check the forecast on Friday evening. Below is a plan for both sunny and rainy weather.

Friday evening: short films in the Sea Garden

The ninth Port Prim Art Fest ends with three evenings of short films in the "Petya Dubarova" hall of the Sea Casino Cultural Center. Friday and Saturday are the last two of them. The screen alternates between feature, animated and experimental films from Europe, Asia, Australia and Canada, and admission is free. The films were selected by Georgi Krastev, head of the international short film festival "Karantinata". Short films suit a group that wants to watch different stories in one evening and then sit down for a drink in the center.

Those who arrive earlier have time for two exhibitions in the same building before the screening. In front of the entrance of Sea Casino, until 31 October, there is "The Color of Salt" by photographer Niki Dinov. These are 24 photographs of the Burgas salt pans at sunset and from a bird's-eye view, printed on panels of 127 by 94 cm, so they can be viewed both in the dark and on the way to the sea. Inside, until 30 October, is "Spirit and Matter. Goldsmithing in the Bulgarian Lands", featuring jewelry and objects from the Bulgarian National Revival period from the collection of Antonio Vasilev.

Saturday: tennis on the red courts

On the red courts in Ezero Park, the European playoffs for the Junior Orange Bowl continue. Reports differ: the matches run until 10 October according to one and until 11 October according to the other, so Saturday is the safest day. Admission is free. Boys and girls under 12 and under 14 play, and there are 16 places for the finals in Miami, Florida, four for each category. Families with children who train in tennis can see up close how their peers from other countries play. After the matches, the park is good for a walk around the lake.

If it is sunny

The summer season is over and the beaches are quiet. Pomorie South Beach is wide, with fine sand, and is about 20 km from Burgas, convenient for a walk with strollers and dogs. A wilder place is Arkutino Beach between Sozopol and Primorsko. There are dunes and shallow sea next to the reserve, and the afternoon light on autumn days is lovely for photos.

If it rains

At the Georgi Baev Gallery-Museum at 6 Demokratsiya Blvd., until 22 October, the 28th edition of "Sound and Color" is on, and admission is free. The works come from a plein air event where artists paint the seashore and Strandzha, and the initiative has been bringing together artists since 1999.

Nearby, in the Youth Cultural Center, until 30 October, is "Stop for Burgas (with a Little Owl)" by Daniel Bozhkov and Roza Bozhkov. The father was born in the city, the daughter remembers it from holidays at her grandparents', and in the drawings both have woven in the poems of Petya Dubarova. The two exhibitions can be toured on foot in about an hour, which is a good plan for a rainy Saturday afternoon.

Sunday: a trip out of town

Karnobat is about 55 km from Burgas and on Sunday is a good destination for a short trip. At the Bencho Obreshkov Art Gallery, until 24 November, 100 works by Atanas Zhekov are on display to mark a century since his birth. The artist was born in 1926 in Karnobat, and the exhibition includes paintings and graphic works from different years.

Those who prefer a forest can head south to Strandzha, where the leaves begin to turn yellow in October. In Malko Tarnovo is the Historical and Archaeological Museum with archaeological finds, costumes and everyday objects from the Strandzha villages. The road from Burgas is about 80 km through the mountains, so it is better to set off in the morning to leave time for a walk around the town.