wednesday 17
Around town

Amnesty International event Sinbad's Restaurant, Pier Two; 291-9233. 6pm, $15-25. Amnesty International executive director William Schulz speaks on the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan.

'Madame Butterfly Goes to the Movies' San Francisco Performing Arts Library; 255-4800 (RSVP required), www.sfpalm.org. 7pm, free. In conjunction with the Madame Butterfly exhibition at the San Francisco Performing Arts Library, curator Brad Rosenstein discusses cinematic versions of the legend.

Benefits

Film benefit El Rio 3158 Mission; www.elriosf.com. 9pm, $5-20. Oakie Treadwell raises funds for his film Maggots and Men, about the Kronstadt Uprising in Russia, at an event featuring bands Full Moon Partisan and Criminal Love, films, and more.

'Urban Luau Fashion Show' Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell; 861-2011, www.rickshawstop.com. 9:30pm, free. This event features clothing from local fashion designers; proceeds benefit the San Francisco Fashion Collective.

thursday 18
Around town

'Indy Press Thursday' Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell; 861-2011, www.rickshawstop.com. 6-8pm, free. The Independent Press Association presents Maggie Wells, general manager of Big Top Newstand Services, who speaks about nationally distributing independent magazines.

'Thursday Night DIY' CELLspace, 2050 Bryant; diy@artsandmedia.net, www.artsandmedia.net/expo. 7pm, $5 suggested donation. See 8 Days a Week.

Benefits

'Live at the Lodge' Regency Center, 1290 Sutter; (866) 462-2838, www.rainbowfund.org. VIP reception 6:30pm, $75; performance 8pm, $25. R&B artist Veronica Klaus and singer-songwriter Mark Weigle perform with their bands. The VIP reception features author Armistead Maupin (Tales of the City); proceeds benefit the Rainbow World Fund.

'Rock for AIDS Awareness' Pound-SF, 100 Cargo Way; (408) 406-2010. 8pm, $8. Planned Parenthood, SF AIDS Foundation, and San Jose State University's Peer Health Education sponsor this fundraising concert for the Silicon Valley Walk for AIDS, featuring Stalking Tom, Andalusia, Aphasia, and others.

Bay Area

'Box Art' Pro Arts, 550 Second St, Oakl; (510) 763-4361. 6-8:30pm, free. Bid on dozens of eccentric boxes that incorporate pieces of the walls of Pro Art's former gallery space at a benefit for Pro Arts.

Charlie Hill and John Carlos Perea Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College, Berk; (510) 845-8542. 8pm, $6-15. Native American comedians and musicians perform including Hill, Perea, Charlie Ballard, and others; the event benefits UC Berkeley's New Voices in Indigenous Research Conference.

friday 19
Around town

San Francisco Home Show Cow Palace, 2150 Geneva; www.exposwest.com/sanfrancisco.htm. 3-9pm, free. Hundreds of local businesses present their designs and products for home renovation. Through Sun/21.

saturday 20
Around town

'Celebration of Craftswomen' Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; 383-3470, www.teamproevent.com. 10am-5pm, $5-12. From functional to decorative designs, the Bay Area's most skilled craftswomen sell and display their wares; the event features live music, food, and a silent auction. Through Sun/21.

'Information Warfare' Intersection for the Arts, 446 Valencia; 626-2787, www.theintersection.org. 2pm, free. Intersection for the Arts presents a screening and discussion on the topic of media manipulation in conjunction with the exhibit "Paper Bullets: A War of Words."

'Miss Trannyshack 2004' Regency Center, 1300 Van Ness; www.heklina.com. 10pm, $20-30. Stars of the genderbent underground, including Chi Chi Larue and Suppositori Spelling, judge this fierce competition hosted by Heklina.

'Park Planning Fair' County Fair Building, Golden Gate Park, Ninth Ave at Lincoln; 581-2549, www.parks.sfgov.org. Noon-4pm, free. Give your own two cents on what the city is planning for its green spaces.

San Francisco Home Show Cow Palace, 2150 Geneva; www.exposwest.com/sanfrancisco.htm. 10am-9pm, free. See Fri/19.

'Shine!' Various venues; 863-3041. 1-9pm, free. Build, Southern Exposure, Intersection for the Arts, Femina Potens, Artists' Television Access, Pond Gallery, and a slew of other organizations open their doors for this annual walk through San Francisco's art spaces. Through Sun/21.

Benefits

'Pachanga' Galería de la Raza, 2857 24th St; www.galeriadelaraza.org. 7:30-10pm, $20-40. Comic Bill Santiago and DJ Guanaco lead the entertainment at this auction of works by Latino artists including honored political artist Ester Hernández; proceeds benefit Galería de la Raza.

'Sila and the Afro-Funk Experience' Elbo Room, 647 Valencia; 552-7788, www.victorsila.com. 10pm, $8 sliding scale. Sila and his band heat the dance floor with Afro-funk, hip-hop, and Latin jazz beats to benefit Unicef Emergency Relief for Children of the Sudan.

sunday 21
Around town

'Celebration of Craftswomen' Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; 383-3470, www.teamproevent.com. 10am-5pm, $5-12. See Sat/20.

San Francisco Home Show Cow Palace, 2150 Geneva; www.exposwest.com/sanfrancisco.htm. 10am-6pm, free. See Fri/19.

'Shine!' Various venues; 863-3041. 1-6pm, free. See Sat/20.

monday 22
Around town

'Ask a Scientist' Canvas Gallery, 1200 Ninth Ave, 504-0060. 7-9pm, free. Let your inner dork rejoice at this chance to grill a scientist. Susan McCarthur, author of Becoming a Tiger, explains how infant animals develop survival skills on their way to adulthood.

Benefits

'Backstage Pass' Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission; 982-8999, www.thevolunteercenter.net. 5:30-8:30pm, $15-20. See 8 Days a Week.
tuesday 23
Around town

'What Now: Post Election Reflections' New Langton Arts, 1246 Folsom; 503-0520, www.kearnystreet.org. 7-9pm, $5. Spoken word artists Nellie Wong, 8th Wonder, Shailja Patel, and Pratap Chatterjee perform in reaction to the election. See 8 Days a Week.