CAMBRIDGE — Explore our global and local connections to water through exhibits, hands-on experiences, and a range of local events this fall! The Smithsonian has selected Cambridge to host a major exhibit called Water/Ways, Oct. 19-Nov. 30 at the Dorchester Center for the Arts (second floor).

Water/Ways looks at water as an environmental necessity and important cultural element, exploring its effect on the landscape, settlement and migration, and its impact on culture and spirituality.

Dorchester Tourism has also created a companion exhibit that features local connections to water with a series of portraits and videos featuring more than a dozen local people, from a boat builder to an oyster farmer to a wildlife biologist. The local exhibit will also showcase everything from the cockpit of a racing boat to a traditional oyster shucking table. Water/Ways events, happening around the county, include a guided kayak tour, skipjack sails, art exhibits, live music, history talks and more!

Events include:
• James Michener Book Discussion of “The Watermen” — Read it now; discuss on Oct. 17.
• Guided Kayak with Blackwater Adventures — on the Little Blackwater River, Oct. 19.
• Skipjack Sail — Oct. 19 and Nov. 2, with special Water/Ways-themed cruises on the Nathan of Dorchester.

• Oyster Talk and Riverboat Lunch Cruise — listen to oyster entrepreneur Johnny Shockley while enjoying lunch on a riverboat on Oct. 20.
• Rain Garden Walking Tour — see real-life examples of rain gardens, rain barrels, and porous pavers around Cambridge on Oct. 23.
• Sunset Yoga and Meditation at the Lighthouse — explore connections between water and wellness on Oct. 25.

• Performance by Chesapeake Scenes — spoken word, poetry, song, and story about the Chesapeake on Oct. 25.
• Waterways and the Underground Railroad — learn about the role that water, communication and community played on the Underground Railroad in Maryland on Oct. 26 and Nov. 9.

• Art Exhibit, unsustainable — at Main Street Gallery, with artist Karen O’Dowd delving into plastic’s impact on waterways. Throughout November and December.
• Life on the Choptank River Lighthouse — the son of the last keeper at the original Choptank River Lighthouse shares stories on Nov. 2.
This is just a sampling of the events.