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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

ART

If you want to know why Somerville gets touted an arts-friendly town, look no farther than the Somerville Arts Council, the progressive city board that puts on such forward-thinking community-art events as the annual ArtBeat happening in Davis Square and the Windows Art Project, which turns Union Square storefronts into a public-art showcase for area painters, sculptors, photographers, and other visual artists. This year’s theme explores "the creative process of ‘play’ as it relates to joy, invention, risk, uncertainty, fantasy, and fun," with works by some people who really can play: the Game of Rock guitar is by Emily Arkin, who in addition to being an SAC board member is a WMFO DJ and member of Somerville indie-punks the Operators. Playing at this afternoon’s outdoor kickoff party on Union Square Plaza are the Young Sexy Assassins, 27, and Skating Club; there’ll also be performance artists, a human chess board, and walking tours of the WAP exhibits. The exhibit is up through October 15; call (617) 625-6600 extension 2985.

BENEFITS

Boston’s original slam house (okay, so it isn’t actually in Boston) is having a grand opening tonight. Cambridge’s Cantab Lounge (738 Mass Ave, Cambridge) is pulling out all the stops for an all-out celebration of its latest hepcat incarnation, the "Cantab Underground." The night will feature a little bit of everything — in true Cantab form — and a whole lotta roots and rock music. This evening will benefit the Algebra Foundation, a Cambridge-based program to help low-income kids of color succeed in mathematics, literacy, and all that smarty-pants stuff. After the $5 donation/cover charge, the rest of the night should be all about cheap drinking and good times.

ART AUCTION TO BENEFIT THE PROVINCETOWN ART ASSOCIATION is at 7 p.m. at the Provincetown Art Association, 460 Commercial St., Provincetown. Tickets $10; (617) 437-0050.

MOONDANCE DINNER DANCE TO BENEFIT THE ESPLANADE ASSOCIATION with cocktails, dinner, an auction, and dancing is at 6:30 p.m. at the Charles River Esplanade, near the Hatch Shell, Boston. Tickets $500; (617) 227-0365.

STREET FAIR TO BENEFIT HALEY HOUSE with music, antiques, games, food, and more is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. along Montgomery St. between Dartmouth and Clarendon, Boston. Free; (617) 236-8132.

VOCAL BAND AID 2004 TO BENEFIT MUSIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN LOCAL SCHOOLS with Toxic Audio, Five O’Clock Shadow, All About Buford, Integration by Parts, Downtown Crossing, and East Side Story is at 7 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Sq., Somerville. Tickets $20-$40; (617) 625-4088.

AT THE CLUBS

LOCAL ROCK. WFNX DJ Anngelle Wood’s "Rising Tide" series, which highlights up-and-coming female rockers, continues at the Lizard Lounge, 1667 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, with former Shiva Speedway frontwoman Heidi Saperstein playing sultry, dark-hued songs from her recent Zara (Kimchee), the Sonic Youth–ish avant-rock band Lady of Spain, and sets from Laura Ponce, Plumerai, and Cat Sutherland; call (617) 547-0759. At T.T. the Bear’s Place, Emergency Music celebrate the release of their new Kiss the Culprit (see "Cellars by Starlight," on the "Music" page of this site) on a bill with the Cignal, the Good North, and Mittens. That’s at 10 Brookline Street in Central Square; call (617) 492-BEAR. And late-’80s Boston thrash-metal vets Wargasm, who were briefly signed to Profile during the post-Metallica boom and eked out a couple of ’90s records via European labels, reunite for a gig downstairs at the Middle East that’s being filmed for a CD/DVD set. The gig is also a benefit for long-time scenester Jonathan Jacobs’s non-profit music-education charity Rawkstars, which provides tutoring and instruments to Boston-area kids in need. That’s at 480 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square; call (617) 864-EAST.

CLUBS. Central Square’s Cantab Lounge, a Cambridge institution for 35 years that’s best known as the home base of local R&B legend Little Joe Cook, opens its refurbished basement room, the Cantab Underground, with an eye to bringing in more contemporary roots and rock bands. The performances by the Howl, Rollover Baby, Scissormen, and Eli "Paperboy" Reed benefit civil-rights activist Robert P. Moses’s Algebra Project. That’s at 738 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square; call (617) 354-2685.

JAZZ. One reason the bands of Dave Holland and Dave Douglas have really popped in recent years has been the presence of saxophonist Chris Potter. Now Potter is joining the band of the excellent Boston-based vibist and composer Mathias Lupri for a special visit at Ryles. That’s at 212 Hampshire Street in Inman Square; call (617) 9330.

As if guitarist Jeff Platz’s avant-jazz outfit Skull Session weren’t good enough (and they are), he’s gone and put together a little supergroup called Bright Light Group featuring Jim Hobbs (alto saxophone) and Django Carranza (drums) of the Fully Celebrated Orchestra, cartoonist, trumpeter, and man about town Scott Getchell, and bassist Kit Demos. That’s at the Lizard Lounge, 1667 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, starting at 9 p.m.; call (617) 547-0759.

For the following shows, see the Club Directory for phone numbers and addresses.

OTHER LIVE SHOWS:

ABBEY LOUNGE, Somerville. Coffee & Smokes.

THE ASGARD, Cambridge. El Gringo.

AVALON, Boston. At 7 p.m., They Might Be Giants, Corn Mo. At 10 p.m., "Tease."

THE BEACHCOMBER, Quincy. Joshua Tree, Baby Strange.

BULL RUN, Shirley. Susan Angelietti.

CANTAB LOUNGE, Cambridge. Upstairs: Little Joe Cook & the Thrillers. Downstairs: "Cantab Underground Venue Release Party and Algebra Project Benefit.

CENTER FOR THE ARTS IN NATICK, Natick. At 7:30 p.m., Jazz in V.

CHOPPIN’ BLOCK PUB, Boston. At 9 p.m., Bongzilla, Gut, Kevorkian’s Angels, Hirudinea, Medicine 4 Tim.

CLUB HOLLYWOOD, Boston. At 8:30 p.m., "Glitter Switch Drag Karaoke."

CLUB PASSIM, Cambridge. Charlie Farren.

ENCORE, Boston. DesPres & DeGraff.

THE ENORMOUS ROOM, Cambridge. "Breaks & Such" with Mark Estrada.

EVOS ARTS, Lowell. Doublethink, Loon & Buggy.

THE GOOD LIFE CAMBRIDGE, Cambridge. Weepin’ Willie.

THE GOOD LIFE DOWNTOWN, Boston. Jim Porcella Trio.

GREAT SCOTT, Brighton. "The Plan" with Travis Morrison, Beauty Pill, Charles Bissell.

GREEN STREET GRILL, Cambridge. Kilombo Mambo.

HARPERS FERRY, Allston. Entrain.

HENNESSY’S, Boston. At 5 p.m., "Irish Sessuin."

JACOB WIRTH RESTAURANT, Boston. At 7 p.m., Steve Fell Band.

JASMINE & KENDALL LOUNGE, Cambridge. At 6 p.m., Ben Roseth Jazz Trio. At 10 p.m., Bobby Femino.

JOHNNY D’S, Somerville. Junior Brown.

KENNEDY’S, Boston. "Reggae Lounge" with Bobbie Steelz & Moon.

KIRKLAND CAFE, Somerville. Brothers to Brothers, Reckless Daughter, Gabriella Riley, Alchemilla.

LIZARD LOUNGE, Cambridge. At 9:30 p.m., "Angelle Wood’s Rising Tide Series" with Heidi Saperstein, Lady of Spain, Laura Ponce, Plumerai, Cat Sutherland.

LUPO’S AT THE STRAND, Providence, RI. Hatebreed, Throwdown, 100 Demons, A Thousand Falling Skies, Stand Accused.

MIDDLE EAST, Cambridge. Upstairs: Crash & Burn, Bones Brigade, Shanghai Valentine, Ruining Tomorrow. Downstairs: Wargasm, Triphammer, Bad Karma, Loose Monkey, Random Acts of Violence. Corner: Gregory Paul, Danya Kurtz.

MIDWAY CAFE, Jamaica Plain. Larry Lee Lewis, Sweepers.

THE MODERN, Boston. "Icon" with 6one7 and Bruno Dreads.

O’BRIEN’S, Allston. My First Handgun, Act of Defiance, Phil D, Something Against You.

OVERDRAUGHT PUB, Cambridge. "Cambridge Comes Alive" with Tom Haggerty.

THE PALACE, Saugus. "Rio" Brazil’s Carnaval; "Male Encounter" all-male dance review.

THE PALLADIUM, Worcester. At noon, "Skate Fest" with Steve O & JackAss, Home Grown, With Honor, Orange Island, Boys Night Out, Silverstein, Roxi Monoxide, Hawthorne Heights, Minus the Bear, Paris Texas, Halifax, Bayside, Spitalfield, Folly, Goodwill, Code 7, Start, Eyes Like Knives, As Tall as Lions, Kings, Plan B, Recieving End of Sirens, Roses Are Red, Anti Love, Of Blessings and Burdens, Throw, Paulson, My Hotel Year, Anadivine, Frequency Needs a Mate, Forms.

PARADISE LOUNGE, Boston. Greesome, Rikki Rocket, Soul Fege.

PARADISE ROCK CLUB, Boston. At 9 p.m., Jen Durkin & the Bomb Squad, Eight Deep, Scarecrow Collection, L.P.

PA’S LOUNGE, Somerville. Pilot Light, Mass Radius, Saturday Saints, Jerry Fels.

PLOUGH & STARS, Cambridge. At 5 p.m., Flexible Flyers String Band. At 9:30 p.m., Richie Lee & the Boston Wheels.

REGATTABAR, Cambridge. At 7:30 and 10 p.m., John Scofield Trio.

RYLES, Cambridge. Matthias Lupri Quintet, Chris Potter.

SCULLERS, Boston. Manhattans.

SEA NOTE, Nantasket Beach. At 9:30 p.m., Steve Smith & the Nakeds.

SISSY K’S, Boston. At 4 p.m., Matt Browne. At 8 p.m., Kevin Kirrane.

TOAD, Cambridge. At 7 p.m., "Greg’s Saturday Showcase." At 10 p.m., Lucky 57.

T.T. THE BEAR’S PLACE, Cambridge. Emergency Music, Mittens, Good North, Cignal.

WALLY’S CAFE, Boston. At 9:30 p.m., Jason Palmer/Warren Wolf Jazz Collective.

WESTERN FRONT, Cambridge. King Django & the Jammyland Allstars.

WONDER BAR, Allston. Rusty Scott Quartet.

ZEITGEIST GALLERY, Cambridge. At 7 p.m., Skull Session.

DJ SHOWS:

AN TUA NUA, Boston. "Shake It Up," Top 40 with DJ Ren Justice.

ARIA, Boston. "Ecco," international and vocal house, with DJ Roger M. In the Angel Room, "International Saturdays."

ATLAS DANCE, Boston. "Top 40 Dancing."

THE AVENUE, Allston. At 5 p.m., "Acoustical Pop" with Ali. At 9 p.m., House with DJ Munroe.

BLARNEY STONE PUB, Dorchester. Commercial dance and R&B.

BLUE CAT CAFE, Boston. DJ Casey.

BOSTON ROCKS, Boston. Interactive video Top 40 Dance & hip-hop party with VJ Johnnie Walker.

BUCK MULLIGAN’S, West Roxbury. R&B, rock, and dance with DJ Keith.

BUZZ BOSTON/EUROPA, Boston. "Killer Dance Club," gay night with DJs Mary Alice & Michael Sheehan.

CLUB CAFE, Boston. "Boys Night Out" with VJ Cliff Cunningham.

CLUB 58, Quincy. "Switch ‘em Up Saturday" with DJ Bird.

DEVLIN’S LOUNGE AND BAR, Brighton. DJ Bruno James.

EMBASSY, Boston. At 10 p.m., "Essence" with DJ Roger M.

THE E ROOM AT THE GOLDEN TEMPLE, Brookline. Disco, Motown, and classics from the ’80s & ’90s with DJ John Reed.

FELT, Boston. "Top 40 and Club Classics."

G-SPOT, Boston. "Deep, sexy house" with DJs Mike Traylor & Paul Incus.

HENNESSY’S, Boston. At 9 p.m., DJ Chease.

HONG KONG, Cambridge. Top 40 Hip-Hop, Rock & Club Classics with DJ Chris G.

IRISH VILLAGE, Brighton. "Left Saturday" with DJ Kelvin.

JUKEBOX, Boston. Top 40 and retro dance night.

THE KELLS, Allston. Hip-hop, house, techno, top 40 with DJs Darren Drag & Kieran.

LA BOOM, Boston. "Futurebeat: Alien Disco" with DJ Addambombb.

MAN RAY, Cambridge. "Liquid Disco Trash" with DJ Gary Conzo and retro new wave with DJ Chris Ewen.

ORLEANS, Somerville. DJ Gabe.

THE PALACE, Saugus. "Rio" Brazil’s Carnaval; "Uptown" DJs spin faves from the ’70s and ’80s; "Oxygen" rap, hip-hop, top 40, and progressive dance; "Male Encounter" all-male dance review; "Club Copa" Latino Night; "Underground" top 40, Dance, Techno, Hip-hop, Reggae; "The Beach House."

PHOENIX LANDING, Cambridge. "Boom Boom Room," new wave, one hit wonders, and disco with DJ Vinney.

THE PLACE, Boston. VJ Laptop.

PRAVDA 116, Boston. High-energy dance music with DJ Rick Naples.

Q, Boston. At 9 p.m., DJ Josh Profenna.

THE RACK, Boston. "Dance Party" with DJs Vinnie Peruzzi and Littles.

REDLINE, Cambridge. At 10 p.m., DJ Cherry.

RIVER GODS, Cambridge. "Peer Pressure: We Know It When We Mix It" with Unlockedgroove.

ROGGIE’S, Brighton. House with DJ Marc Farrell.

THE ROXY, Boston. "Roxy Saturdays," high NRG house and dance, with DJ Adilson.

SCRUFFY MURPHY’S, Dorchester. "Party Time" with DJ Jen.

SISSY K’S, Boston. Upstairs: "Dance Party," old school and new dance, with DJ Tom McKenna.

THIRSTY SCHOLAR PUB, Somerville. DJ Sean.

TOAST, Somerville. "Prescription Spinning House."

TRATTORIA IL PANINO, Boston. ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s with DJ Zino; progressive, top-40, club, and international with DJ Steve Anderson.

21st AMENDMENT, Boston. DJ Sean Daly.

VAPOR, Boston. "Crosswalk," with DJs David Skye, M.J.

VENU, Boston. European disco house with DJs Javier and Nico and "Mythos," ethnic house and Greek sounds with DJ Yorgo.

VERTIGO, Boston. "Vertigo Saturdays," hip hop, R&B, house, and reggae, with DJ Ron Steel.

WEST STREET GRILLE, Boston. Top 40 funk and dance with DJs Gabe and Lazee Boy.

WHO’S ON FIRST, Boston. At 10 p.m., DJs Garfield, Disciple, and Nate.

ZUZU, Cambridge. "Soul le lu jah" with DJ PJ Gray.

AT THE COMEDY CLUBS

BEANTOWN COMEDY VAULT, Boston. "BostonAttitude" with John Joyce.

CHOPS LOUNGE, Boston At 10 p.m., "Larry Lee Lewis Comedy Show."

COMEDY CONNECTION, Boston. At 10:30 p.m., Caroline Rhea.

COMEDY STUDIO, Cambridge. Tony V, Jim Flaherty, Tim Fenn, Eric Cheung, Erin Judge, Joe Wong, Rob O’Reilly, Steve Calechman.

DICK DOHERTY’S AT THE CHINA BLOSSOM, North Andover. Paul Nardizzi, Chris Jones, Rob Riske.

IMPROV ASYLUM, Boston. At 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., "Big Dig, The End of an Error."

IMPROVBOSTON THEATRE, Cambridge. At 6 p.m., "ImprovBoston Family Show." At 8 and 10 p.m., "ImprovBoston Mainstage."

JIMMY TINGLE’S OFF BROADWAY Somerville. At 7:30 p.m., "Reno: Rebel Without a Pause: Unrestrained Reflections on September 11th."

KOWLOON, Saugus. At 8 and 10 p.m., Teddy Bergeron, Larry Norton, Mark Riley.

MIDWAY CAFE, Jamaica Plain. At 10:30 p.m., Larry Lee Lewis Comedy Band.

NICK’S COMEDY STOP, Boston. At 8:45 p.m., Jim McCue, Mark Scalia, Joe Brady.

POPULAR MUSIC CONCERTS

With the Sox and the Yankees beginning their final home-and-home series of the season this weekend, curse breaking has become a full-time concern. Leading the hometown charge on the rock front are Dropkick Murphys, who were unable to redeem the playoff hopes of the Bruins last year despite performing their ripping B’s fight song, "Time To Go," at the FleetCenter. Let’s hope their re-recording of the ancient Fenway Park ballad "Tessie" will evince better hex-removing properties. Next Friday, September 24, the Dropkicks will be performing a brief pre-game set on Yawkey Way, but today at 5:30 p.m., while the Sox are in New York, the band play a big home-town spectacular as part of the "Taste of Boston" festivities on City Hall Plaza, with grunge-metal losers Puddle of Mudd headlining and local metal bands Farrenheit and Drinkfist opening. It’s a free show; taste tickets, for bite-sized samples of cuisine from area restaurants, are $1 each. "Taste of Boston" runs today from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and tomorrow from noon to 6; the music goes from 2:30 to 8 p.m. both days, with a concert tomorrow featuring all-grown-up teen-R&B sensation Monica and American Idol stars Tamyra Gray and Kimberly Locke among others. Call (617) 779-5800.

FOLK. UMass-Boston’s WUMB throws its annual Boston Folk Festival on the UMass campus (shuttle buses will take you there from the JFK Red Line stop) today and tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Dar Williams headlines tonight, after a bill that includes neo-gospel standouts Ollabelle, Tom Paxton, Erin McKeown, and the Resophonics. Tomorrow, Celtic fiddle virtuoso Natalie MacMaster tops a bill with Sam Bush, Mark Erelli, Cephas and Wiggans, Lucy Kaplansky, and many others. The festival includes plenty of food, crafts, dancing, and other bohemian staples, and tickets are $35 each day, or $60 for both; call (617) 287-6911, or visit www.bostonfolkfestival.org

POP. Maybe Lenny Kravitz is feeling a little guilty for cancelling all those shows this summer. Fresh off his 50-yard-line freakout at Gillette Stadium before the Pats’ opener, he’s back for a headlining set at the Mix 98–sponsored MixFest concert at the FleetCenter — an event geared not for the kids but for the mid-lifers, with sets by Alanis Morissette, John Mayer, Maroon 5, Five for Fighting, Los Lonely Boys, and the Calling. Show time is 5:30 p.m., and tickets are $39.50 to $87.50; call (617) 931-2000.

OTHER CONCERTS:

BOSTON FOLK FESTIVAL with Dar Williams, Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem, Erin McKeown, Ollabelle, Deb Pasternak, Tom Paxton, Sprigs, Adrienne Young & Little Sadie, John Flynn, johnsmith, Resophonics, Cosy Sheridan with Kent Allyn, Diane Zeigler, and Chantey is from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at UMass Boston, Morrissey Blvd., Boston. Tickets $35 (for one day), $60 (for both days); (617) 287-6911.

CAPLETON, COCOA TEA, BARRINGTON LEVY & DETOUR POSSE, KEVIN LYTTLE, CARIMI, RICHIE SPICE, CHUCK FENDER, WARRIOR KING, AND JOHN BROWN’S BODY perform at 3:30 p.m. at the FleetBoston Pavilion, 290 Northern Ave., Boston. Tickets $32.50-$45; (617) 931-2000.

KID ROCK AND WHITESTARR perform at 7:30 p.m. at the Tsongas Arena, 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Lowell. Tickets $35.50; (617) 931-2000.

VOCAL BAND AID 2004 with Toxic Audio, Five O’Clock Shadow, All About Buford, Integration by Parts, Downtown Crossing, and East Side Story is at 7 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Sq., Somerville. Tickets $20-$40; (617) 625-4088.

THE PALLADIUM, Worcester. At noon, "Skate Fest" with Steve O & JackAss, Home Grown, With Honor, Orange Island, Boys Night Out, Silverstein, Roxi Monoxide, Hawthorne Heights, Minus the Bear, Paris Texas, Halifax, Bayside, Spitalfield, Folly, Goodwill, Code 7, Start, Eyes Like Knives, As Tall as Lions, Kings, Plan B, Recieving End of Sirens, Roses Are Red, Anti Love, Of Blessings and Burdens, Throw, Paulson, My Hotel Year, Anadivine, Frequency Needs a Mate, Forms.

DANCE/PERFORMANCE

MIFA AND MONKEY DANCE present "As If Life" tonight at 8 p.m. and tomorrow at 6 p.m. at Tree Studio, 108 Cabot St., Holyoke. Tickets $15, $12 for students; (800) 224-MIFA.

DANCE/PARTICIPATORY

ARGENTINE TANGO DANCE is at 8:30 p.m. at VFW Mount Auburn Post, 688 Huron Ave., Cambridge. Tickets (617) 699-6246.

GAY AND LESBIAN CONTRA DANCE is from 7:30 to 11 p.m. at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, Centre and Eliot Sts., Jamaica Plain. Tickets $6, $5 before 8 p.m.; (617) 522-2216.

NEW ENGLAND CONTRAS AND SQUARES COUPLES DANCE is at 8 p.m. at the Scout House, 74 Walden St., Concord. Tickets $8; (617) 547-7781.

NOCHE DE LA SALSA is at 9:30 p.m. at the Brookline Community Center for the Arts, 14 Green St., Brookline. Tickets $10; (617) 738-2800.

RYLES DANCE HALL with Latin, swing, and tango sounds with DJ Chris Johnston is at 9 p.m. at Ryles Jazz Club (second floor), 212 Hampshire St., Cambridge. Tickets $12; (617) 876-9330.

EVENTS

POT. The annual MassCann Freedom Rally, a kabuki-like theater of dissidence, brings marijuana enthusiasts, Libertarian activists, and assorted other anti-authoritarian clowns to Boston Common, where the main attraction has always been an afternoon of rock and roll, as well as the off chance that the cops will bust heads while preventing some hapless hippie from enjoying his dimebag. At noon, dudes from NORML and High Times will pontificate between sets by banjer-punk hillbillies Three Day Threshold, agit-prop hip-hoppers the Foundation, North Shore metal madman Robby Roadsteamer, Rumble-winning roots-rock destroyers Jake Brennan & the Confidence Men, and others. For more information, visit www.masscann.org.

THE GREAT GLASS PUMPKIN PATCH with 1000 handblown glass pumpkins is today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at MIT, Kresge Oval, 48 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. Free; (617) 253-5309.

DEAF ARTIST AND ACTIVIST AYISHA KNIGHT presents Hey Sistah, Welcome Home, today at 4 and 8 p.m., and tomorrow at 3 and 7 p.m. at the Wheelock Family Theatre, 200 the Riverway, Boston. Tickets $15; (617) 522-4084.

GREEK FESTIVAL with food, music, dancing, prizes, and more is today from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and tomorrow from noon to 10 p.m. at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral of New England, 162 Goddard Ave., Brookline. Free; (617) 731-6633.

THE BIG E is a state fair featuring stunt shows, a Super Circus, the Stars of the Peking Acrobats, a Fiber Nook, Farm-A-Rama exhibit, butter sculpture, horse shows, sheep, cattle, goats, llamas, alpacas, and swine, a petting zoo, cream puffs, E-clairs, parades; this week with musical guests Heart (today) and Clay Aiken (tomorrow), daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield. Tickets $12 (weekdays), $15 (weekends), $8-$10 for ages 6-12; (800) 334-2443.

ALTWHEELS ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION FESTIVAL with an alternative vehicle display, exhibits, discussions, workshops, and test-drives is today and tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum, 15 Newton St., Brookline. Tickets $10, $7 for children; (617) 522-6546 ext. 14.

ELVIS PRESLEY DAY with Elvis tributes, performances, comedians, a Karate exhibition, raffles, prizes, and more is from 5 to 9 p.m. at Joanne Pellegrini Park, Hawthorn St., Newton. Tickets $10, $5 for children under 14; (617) 592-5081.

MEGACIPHER 2004 with poetry, hip-hop, music, and dance with Mwalim, Urban Arts, Oz, Iyeoka Okoawo, Big Brotha Sadi, Afroblues, and others is at 7 p.m. at AAMARP Gallery, 76 Atherton St., Jamaica Plain. Suggested donation $10; (617) 480-7663.

MULTICULTURAL YOUTH TOUR OF WHAT’S NOW (MYTOWN) leaves from Back Bay Station, 145 Dartmouth St., Boston. Tickets $10; (617) 536-TOWN.

TASTE OF BOSTON with food, contests, and performances by Puddle of Mudd, Dropkick Murphys, and Drinkfist (today) and Tamyra Gray, Kimberly Locke, Monica, Q.E.D., France Joli, Tavares, Reina, and Hiromi Kawanabe (tomorrow) runs today from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., and tomorrow from noon-6 p.m., at City Hall Plaza, Government Center, Boston. Free; (617) 779-3496.

U.N. INTERNATIONAL PEACE DAY with giant peace dove puppets is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, Boston. Free; (617) 277-1675.

WINDOWS ART PROJECT RECEPTION with group art tours, performance art, an interactive puzzle, and performances by Skating Club, 27, and the Young Sexy Assasins is from 3 to 6 p.m. at Union Square Plaza, Somerville. Free; (617) 625-6600 ext. 2985.

KING RICHARD’S FAIRE with magicians, musicians, soothsayers, fire-eaters, jugglers, dancers, unruly fools, games, vittles, brew, crafts, and more is today and tomorrow from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at King Richard’s Fairgrounds, Rte. 58, Carver. Tickets $24, $12 for ages 5-12, free for children under 5; (508) 866-5391.

NORTH QUABBIN GARLIC & ARTS FESTIVAL with cooking demonstrations, garlic eating contests, wheelbarrow races, music, games, art, crafts, and more is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Forsters Farm, 60 Chestnut Hill Rd., Orange. Tickets $4, free for kids under 12; www.garlicandarts.org

ONE WORLD FAIR with artists, educators, environmentalists, activists, information tables, food, exhibits, speeches, and more is from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Cummington Fair Grounds, Cummington. Tickets $5; (413) 584-8975 ext. 202.

PUMPKIN FESTIVAL with pumpkin decorating, cider pressing, crafts, games, contests, music, and more is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Cogswell’s Grant, 60 Spring St., Essex. Tickets $5, $3 for children; (978) 768-3632.

SALEM PIRATE FAIRE with swordplay, treasure hunts, contests, and more is today and tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Winter Island Park, 50 Winter Island Rd., Salem. Tickets $10, $5 for children; (781) 853-0583.

SOUTH END GREEK FOOD FESTIVAL is today from 1 to 11 p.m. and tomorrow from noon to 8 p.m. at St. John the Baptist Church, 15 Union Park St., Boston. Free; (617) 536-5692.

GAY & LESBIAN

COMING OUT DISCUSSION FOR WOMEN is at 11 a.m. at The Women’s Center, 46 Pleasant St., Cambridge. Free; (617) 354-8807.

GLITTER SWITCH DRAG KARAOKE is at 8:30 p.m. at Club Hollywood Boston, 41 Essex St., Boston. Tickets $5; (617) 417-0186.

GAY AND LESBIAN CONTRA DANCE is from 7:30 to 11 p.m. at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, Centre and Eliot Sts., Jamaica Plain. Tickets $6, $5 before 8 p.m.; (617) 522-2216.

AT THE MOVIES

OPENING THIS WEEKEND. Tired of politics, war, natural disasters, genocide, and sports? Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow offers the ultimate in escapism, an alternative-history sci-fi thriller that consists almost entirely of special effects. In a fictitious 1939 Manhattan, giant flying robots attack; meanwhile, around the world, scientists disappear. So of course Sky Captain has to investigate. Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, and a hologrammed version of the late Laurence Olivier fill in the spaces. Evelyn Waugh had a similar idea in 1930 with his acidic satire Vile Bodies, the tale of insipid revelers in a fictitious 1920s London who party on the brink of the Apocalypse. Stephen Campbell Moore and Fenella Woolgar star in actor Stephen Fry’s adaptation of the novel, Bright Young Things. If that hits too close to home, try Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, a Japanese anime set in 2032 Tokyo, where cyborgs, robots, and humans sort out a murder mystery in the mode of Blade Runner. Mamoru Oshii returns to direct this sequel to his 1995 hit. Moving back in time: Tian Zhuangzhuang’s Springtime in a Small Town takes place in China in the 1940s and is itself a remake of a 1948 Chinese melodrama about social repression and illicit desire. Takashi Shimizu’s Ju-on is a ghost story about a lethal haunted house. (The Hollywood remake, by the same director, will come out next month under the title The Grudge.) And if chills don’t get it done, how about inane laughter? In National Lampoon’s Gold Diggers, dimwitted crooks Will Friedle and Chris Owen break into the house of daffy, rich old dowagers Renee Taylor and Louise Lasser, whom they proceed to woo. Gary Preisler is the first-time director.

Inevitably, we return to reality, or at least sports. Faster, Mark Neale’s motorcycle documentary, has NASCAR-style inane repetition and potential disaster plus Ewan McGregor as its narrator. If you prefer comedy with your sports, there’s Mr. 3000, in which Bernie Mac discovers he didn’t reach the 3000-hit milestone and has to return to the major-leagues, at age 47, to try to do so. Or if you prefer romantic comedy with your sports, there’s Wimbledon, in which Paul Bettany is a washed-up tennis pro who finds his life and his game revived when he falls in love with rising star Kirsten Dunst. Richard Loncraine (Richard III) directs.

The ultimate escape for those who want to avoid the harsh truths of the world is Fox News, or so it would seem from Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism, Robert Greenwald’s documentary on the "fair and balanced" news channel. It’s at the Coolidge. Compared with Fox, the liberal agenda furthered in John Sayles’s political thriller Silver City comes off as a model of objectivity. Chris Cooper, Danny Huston, Richard Dreyfuss, and Daryl Hannah star.

READINGS & LECTURES

LO GALLUCCIO reads from her Hot Rain at 4 p.m. at All Asia Cafe, 334 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. Free; (617) 354-5287.

"OPEN MIC AND POETRY SLAM" hosted by Valerie Lawson, Erin Feeney, and Len Germinara is at 7:30 p.m. at Daily Grind Coffeehouse, 23 Central Sq., Bridgewater. Donations; (508) 279-9952.

"OPEN BARK POETRY NIGHT" with Deborah Priestly is at 8 p.m. at Out of the Blue Gallery, 106 Prospect St., Cambridge. Suggested donation $3-$5; (617) 354-5287.

SHIN YU PAI reads from her poetry at 7 p.m. at Wordsworth, 30 Brattle St., Cambridge. Free; (617) 354-5201.

THEATER

Richard McElvain is best known in these parts as the Elliot Norton Award–winning actor who’s put a lyrical spin on the works of Irish playwright Conor McPherson. But he’s also an educator, a director, and a frequent translator/adapter whose "gritty" new contemporary take on Sophocles’s Antigone goes up in a Nora Theatre Company production. Antigone stands up to John Ashcroft — oops, we mean King Creon — in this modern look at a 2500-year-old tragedy that asks the not impertinent question, "In times of fundamental threats to the security of a nation, at what point does the state’s safety take precedence over the individual freedoms and personal consciences of its citizens?" McElvain also plays Creon in the production, which is directed by Daniel Gidron, whose last Nora gig was the delicious Full Gallop. Antigone continues through October 3 at the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, 949 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston. Tickets are $28; call (617) 491-2026.

At the 2003 Boston Theater Marathon, Wellesley Summer Theater presented a 10-minute drama about an Irish-immigrant couple coping with the disappearance of their 10-year-old child. Since then, Boston-area playwright Kathleen Rogers has given Ballast, well, ballast. It’s now a full-length, two-act work getting its world premiere courtesy of WST and Centastage at the Boston Center for the Arts. Nora Hussey directs the "dark, mystical" work in which the distressed couple cope very differently with their situation, the wife moving forward while the husband recedes into his cultural and personal history. Derry Woodhouse, Natalie Rose, and Alicia Kahn make up the cast of the play, which continues through October 2 at the BCA Plaza Black Box at the Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont Street in the South End. Tickets are $24; call (617) 933-8600.