'86 Bush' Urbis Atrium Gallery, sixth fl, 140 Second St; www.86bushsf.org. 6-8:30pm, $50. Anti-Dubya foodies can sample fare from Bizou, Citizen Cake, Zuni Cafe, and other notable Bay Area eateries during this evening of food, wine, and entertainment; proceeds benefit MoveOn.org.

thursday 9
Around town

'Independent Press Speed Dating' Modern Times Bookstore, 888 Valencia; 282-9246. 6-8pm, free. The Independent Press Association kicks off a weekly fall series about indie publishing.

'Spark Block Party and BAVC Open House' Florida between Mariposa and 17th Sts; www.kqed.org/spark or www.bavc.org or www.artsfest2004.com, $10 donation. KQED's TV art show Spark sponsors a street fair in conjunction with Bay Area Video Coalition's annual open house.

Benefits

'ArtAuction04 Celebrating 15 Years of the Street Sheet' SomArts Gallery, 934 Brannan; 346-3740. 6-9pm, $10-40 sliding scale. Support homeless issues publication Street Sheet at this dinner and auction.

'Faith-Based Charity' fundraiser StudioZ.tv, 314 11th St; 252-7666. 9pm-2am, donations encouraged. Meliza Bañales, Tina D'Elia, DJ Inevitable, G-Money, DJ Dirt, and Austin Willacy perform at this fundraiser for the short film "Faith-Based Charity."

Meditate and Destroy fundraiser 12 Galaxies, 2565 Mission; 970-9777. 9pm, $12. The Film Arts Foundation invites punk rockers and underground film fans to support a documentary about Dharmapunk Noah Levine at a fundraiser featuring music performances by Matt Skiba (Alkaline Trio), Dead to Me, Enemy You, and Ghosts of Glory.

friday 10
Benefits

'Dance Yourself Blue' Golden Gate Yacht Club, 1 Yacht Rd; 544-0790 ext 12. 7-11pm, $75. Enjoy cocktails and entertainment in support of Bluewater Network's fight for cleaner shipping practices; Brazilian funk band Nobody from Ipanima perform.

'Memory and Resistance: 9/11 Three Years After' Center for Political Education, 522 Valencia; 431-1918. 7pm, $5-10. See 8 Days a Week.

saturday 11
Around town

'Arts Reach' Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission; 978-2787. 9am-5:45pm, $139. Dana King, David Roche, Catherine Sneed, and others instruct on the transformative powers of art.

'Ghirardelli Square Chocolate Festival' Ghirardelli Square, 900 North Point; 775-5500. Noon-5:30pm, free. Celebrate 40 years of Ghirardelli and eat oodles of chocolate confections. Also Sun/12.

Power to the Peaceful Speedway Meadows, Golden Gate Park; 865-2170, www.powertothepeaceful.org. 11am-5pm, free. Michael Franti, his group Spearhead, String Cheese Incident, and others perform and rally for peace.

Benefits

John Kerry fundraiser Mile High Club, 3629 MLK Jr Way, Oakl; (510) 655-6161. Speakers 5pm, music 9pm, speakers $100-200 donation suggested, music $50. Help defeat Bush at this fundraiser featuring speakers Steaven Kent (KPFA-FM), Mark Gorenberg, and Ilana Wexler; the Uptones and others perform.]

sunday 12
Around town

'Arts Reach' Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission; 978-2787. 9am-5:15pm, $139. See Sat/11.

'Delectable Day of Play' Civic Center Plaza, Larkin and Grove; 297-2837. Noon-5pm, free. Free legal advice and health screenings are availible for kids and adults at this fun-filled event.

'LGBT Angel Island Sports Day' Pier 41; www.sffrontrunners.org. Check ferry schedules for times and prices. Queer sports enthusiasts enjoy a day in the sun with local sports clubs.

Bay Area

'The Dwelling Exhibit Benefit' A New Leaf Gallery, 1286 Gilman, Berk; (510) 525-7621. 2-5pm, $35. This garden sculpture exhibit is the setting for a soirée with a wine tasting, food, and improvisational jazz by Three Blind Mice; proceeds benefit East Bay Habitat for Humanity and the Berkeley Food and Housing Project.

'Solano Avenue Stroll' Solano Avenue, Berk; (510) 527-5358, www.solanostroll.org. 10am-6pm, free. "A Pearl of a Stroll" is the theme to this outdoor block party of music and food; those named "Pearl" are invited to be grand marshals for the parade.

Benefits

'Poetry of Donald Rumsfeld and Other Fine American Songs' Unitarian Unversalist Church, 1187 Franklin; (510) 537-2929. 3-5pm, $35. Soprano Elender Walls and pianist Bryant Kong perform to benefit Justice for New Americans.

monday 13
Benefits

Literary benefit for Operation Ohio Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd St; 647-2888. 7:30pm, $10-20 sliding scale. Catch a multimedia presentation by Bay Guardian contributor Michelle Tea and Lauren McCubbin, authors of Rent Girl, as well as readings by Micheline Marcom (The Daydreaming Boys), Chris Abani (Graceland), Victor LaValle (Slapboxing with Jesus), and others.

'There Are No Children Here' Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness; 392-4400. 8pm, $18.50. Dave Eggers and Daniel Handler converse; proceeds benefit 826 Valencia.

tuesday 14
Around town

'Rent Girl' Cartoon Art Museum, 655 Mission; 227-8666. 7pm, $6. Bay Guardian contributor Michelle Tea and Lauren McCubbin do a slide presentation of their new book.

Benefits

'Lesbian Pulp Film Fundraiser' Citizen Cupcake, Virgin MegaStore, third fl, Stockton and Market; 786-9499. 5:30-8pm, $50. Filmmakers Nanci Gaglio and Dorothy Fernandez present a fundraiser for their new film based on the books by Ann Aldrich; Marga Gomez, Susan Stryker, Liz Green, and others appear.

'Yappy Hour' W Hotel, 181 Third St; (650) 340-7022, ext 327. 7-9pm, $50. Dog lovers and their furry friends are invited for cocktails and socializing to benefit the Peninsula Humane Society and the SPCA; author Wendy Diamond signs copies of her book What a Lucky Dog.