Urban Beekeeping Lecture @ Cultural Center

Learn more about beekeeping from Michael Thompson, the Director of the Chicago Honey Coop, at the Cultural Center tonight at 6pm. Event is sponsored by Slow Food Chicago.

World Kitchen: Beyond Dinner @ Gallery 37

Tonight's class (6pm-8:30pm) is all about improving your cooking techniques beyond your flair for roast beef and mashed potatoes. "Beyond Dinner" is offered as part of the World Kitchen learning series offered by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, and will be held at the Gallery 37 Center for the Arts, 66 E. Randolph Street. This class is part of a four-part series; admission is $30 for individual sessions, $100 for all four. Pre-registration is required. Please wear non-skid shoes and bring your apron!

NAMAH & Zarbang @ Dance Center of Columbia College

The mission of Banafsheh Sayyad and her company NAMAH is to bring Iranian (and world) performing arts to a broad audience. This weekend's performance is a rare opportunity to see Persian dance outside of Iran, where women are banned from dancing in public. The dancing will be accompanied by Zarbang, a Persian and Middle Eastern percussion and woodwind group.
$24-$28. October 16, 17, 18 @ 8 p.m. Dance Center of Columbia College, 600 S. Michigan.
To purchase tickets and for more information (including a video), visit Columbia's performances site. Or call the ticket office at 312.344.6600.

Barbara Fairchild Book-Signing @ The Spice House

Bon Appétit Editor-in-Chief Barbara Fairchild will be signing copies of the new Bon Appétit Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook at the Spice House, 1512 North Wells, from 7 to 8:30 pm. RSVP by calling (312) 274-0378 or emailing Spices@thespicehouse.com.

Nokia Text-Off

Windy City Social and Nokia present the Nokia Text-Off 2008, an opportunity to demonstrate how fast a texter you are. Or, give your thumbs a rest and just watch the action. Tickets are $35 in advance, $45 at the door, and include drinks and apps, a raffle and more. A portion of the proceeds benefits Prevent Child Abuse America. 6pm to 9pm at the Nokia Flagship Store, 543 N. Michigan Ave.

Woven @ Darkroom

Darkroom
2210 W Chicago ave

8:00pm $7 21+

Woven
The Atomica Project
Panda Riot

Tom Wolfe in Conversation w/Carol Marin

Tom Wolfe, author of the One Book, One Chicago selection The Right Stuff, joins journalist Carol Marin for a discussion on his career as a journalist and a novelist. This event is free, but reservations are required - call 312-747-1194 to save your spot. 6pm in the 9th Floor Winter Garden of the Harold Washington Library, 400 S. State St.

Alfonso Iannelli Lecture by Sam Guard @ CCC

Sam Guard's discussion "Preserving the Prairie Spirit: The design studio of Alfonso Iannelli" will take place at the Chicago Cultural Center's Claudia Cassidy Theater, 77 E. Randolph Street. Free. More information is available at the Landmarks Illinois Preservation Snapshots Lectures page.

Chicago International Film Festival

The Chicago International Film Festival runs until October 29. Tonight's opening event features actors Rachel Weisz, Mark Ruffalo, Adrien Brody and Rinko Kikuchi for the premiere of their film The Brothers Bloom. Red carpet arrival at the Harris Theater begins at 6pm, the movie at 7pm, and a reception at 9:30pm at the Cultural Center.