wednesday 15

Around town

Chris Kraus, Lynn Rapoport Modern Times Bookstore, 888 Valencia; 282-9246. 7:30pm. Author Chris Kraus discusses her book Video Green, and Bay Guardian editor Lynn Rapoport also reads.

Walter Murch San Francisco Art Institute Lecture Hall, 800 Chestnut; 771-7020. 7pm, free. See 8 Days a Week.

Benefits

Art auction and benefit 440 Haight; 621-6265. 5-8pm, free. Bid on works by local artists to benefit the campaign of Brett Wheeler for District Five supervisor.

'Wet Dream Lesburlesque Review' Make-Out Room. 8pm, $15. A strip club for women and transgendered men to benefit the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund.

thursday 16

Around town

Jim Marshall Canvas Gallery, 1200 Ninth Ave; 504-0060. 7-9pm. The author signs and discusses Proof.

friday 17

Around town

'A Taste of Greece' Annunciation Cathedral, 245 Valencia; 864-8000. 11am-10pm, $5. This Greek food festival features traditional delicacies, live music, and cultural exhibits. Through Sun/19.

Rainbow Coalition 20th anniversary Delancey Street Theatre, 600 Embarcadero; 442-0940. 6:30-8:30pm, free. Powerpac.org presents an event celebrating the work of the Rainbow Coalition.

Benefits

Improv comedy benefit Shelton Theatre, 533 Sutter; (510) 595-5597. 8pm, $20. The Oakland Playhouse Improv Troupe performs to benefit the Make-A-Wish foundation.

saturday 18

Around town

Autumn Moon Festival Chinatown, Grant between California and Pacific; 982-6306. 11am-6pm, free. This community event features lion and dragon dances, cooking demonstrations, children's activities, a lantern village, and more. Also Sun/19.

'A Miracle on Market Street' Corner of Cyril Magnin and Eddy; www.nextarts.org. 1-8pm, free. Artists from the Tenderloin, members of the Glide Memorial Choir, and artists whose proposals were rejected by the San Francisco Arts Commission present this two-day event featuring performances, visual art, and more; today's performers include SoulFource Dance, the Evening, Leah Tysse and the Chris Cobb Band, and State of the Union. Also Sun/19.

San Francisco Vintage Fashion Expo Nob Hill Masonic Auditorium, 1111 California; (707) 793-0773, www.vintageexpo.com. 10:30-6pm, $10. This event features vintage clothing, jewelry, accessories, and textiles from 75 dealers.

'A Taste of Greece' Annunciation Cathedral, 245 Valencia; 864-8000. 11am-10pm, $5. See Fri/17.

Bay Area

East Bay shoreline clean up Go to www.cityofberkeley.info/marina for clean-up sites, (510) 981-6720. 9am, free. Help Berkeley clean up the East Bay coastline.

'Vegetarian Cooking Class – Demystifying Tofu!' First Unitarian Church of Oakland, 685 14th St, Oakl; www.uuoakland.org. 10am-1pm, $30. Learn how to cook tofu and tempeh at this demonstration.

Benefits

Backyard Flix fundraiser 3568A 18th St; 221-8230. 6-10pm, $15-25. Backyard Flix and Barewitness host a Bay Area filmmaking fundraiser.

'Blue' Aboard the Ferry boat Eureka, Hyde Street Pier, Hyde and Jefferson; (510) 452-9261, ext 106. 7-10pm, $50-100. Save the Bay presents this benefit featuring an auction, entertainment, and more.

Killing My Lobster benefit party 12 Galaxies, 2565 Mission; 970-9777, www.killingmylobster.com. 8pm, $20. Killing My Lobster performs classic sketches and new material at this fundraiser.

Bay Area

Silent auction Duran Foundation, 1035 Carleton, Berk; (510) 525-1463. 2pm. This silent auction benefits the Bay Area Hispano Institute for Advancement.

sunday 19

Around town

Autumn Moon Festival Chinatown, Grant between California and Pacific; 982-6306. 11am-6pm, free. See Sat/18.

Big Ugly Review reading and release party Club Deluxe, 1511 Haight; 291-0333. 6-9pm, free. New online literary magazine the Big Ugly Review celebrates the release of its second issue with performances and readings.

'A Miracle on Market Street' Corner of Cyril Magnin and Eddy; www.nextarts.org. 1-8pm, free. Today's performers include Ten Ton Chicken, the John Turk Band, 7th Voice, and State of the Union. See Sat/18.

'A Taste of Greece' Annunciation Cathedral, 245 Valencia; 864-8000. Noon-9pm, $5. See Fri/17.

Arab Cultural Festival County Fair Building, Golden Gate Park, Ninth Ave and Lincoln; 664-2200. 10am-7pm, $2-5. This event features arts and crafts, live music, children's activities, and more.

Upper Grant Avenue Fall Art Fair Grant, between Vallejo and Filbert; 216-3567, www.uppergrantartfair.com. 11am-7pm, free. This community-based street fair features works by more than 100 local artists, a fashion show, entertainment by literary and performing artists, and much more.

Valencia Street Fair Valencia between 21st and 22nd Sts; 240-6384, www.valenciastreetfair.com. 10am-6pm, free. See 8 Days a Week.

Bay Area

'How Berkeley Can You Be?' Parade: University, above Sacramento, Berk, 11am-1pm; festival: in and around Civic Center Park, MLK Jr at Center, Berk, 12:30-5pm, free; (510) 644-2204, www.howberkeleycanyoube.com. This annual parade and festival returns this year with music, art cars, puppets, costumes, games, art installations, children's activities, and much more.

Benefits

Dance class and party fundraiser Dance Mission Theater, 3316 24th St, second fl; www.dancersfordemocracy.com. 9am-11pm, $10-15. Dancers for Democracy presents this fundraising event featuring salsa, samba, Afro-Cuban folkloric, and popular dance classes and a party with Marco Senghor and the Baobab.

'Sex, Drugs and Bongos: An Evening of William S. Burroughs' Cafe du Nord, 2170 Market; 861-5016, www.litquake.org. 7pm, $15. This fundraiser for Litquake features Peter Coyote, Charles Gatewood, Lenore Kandel, Michael McClure, and the cast of The Black Rider performing readings and telling stories about beat author William S. Burroughs.

monday 20

Benefits

Luis Rodriguez, Mark Salzman Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness; 392-4400. 8pm, $18.50. The writers speak in discussion with Renee Rothmann to benefit the 826 Valencia Scholarship.

tuesday 21

Around town

Regina Marler City Lights Books, 261 Columbus; 362-8193. 7pm. The editor reads from and discusses Queer Beats: How the Beats Turned America on to Sex.

Benefits

'All the World's a Stage' Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison, Berk; (510) 843-4822, www.auroratheatre.org. 7:30pm, $25. Jon Carroll, Leah Garchik, and C.W. Nevius speak in this panel discussion about the best theatrical comedies and tragedies of 2004; Robert Osserman moderates.