Tee time
It’ll put snappy style in your happy hour: At Dressed to a Tee Hurricane Benefit and Fashion Show, watch Ford Agency models strut their stuff on the catwalk while showcasing shirts from 30 local designers. Includes an auction, eats, DJs and cash bar. 6 p.m. Friday. $25-$35. Proceeds benefit Hurricane Katrina survivors in Chicago. Victor Hotel, 311 N. Sangamon St. 312-836-1041.
Get crafty
Seems like we’re always running behind: late to the office, slow to the “L” stop; even our calendar still reads “September.” But we’ve got the chance, for once, to cross tasks off our to-do list months in advance: Start holiday shopping early (or pick up a few trinkets as a treat for a workweek well done) at Depart-ment, a craft fair deluxe featuring 100-plus vendors of jewelry; toys for kids, pets and adults; locally designed clothes; cards; and more. 7 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m. Saturday-Sunday. Free. Open End Gallery/Ideotech, 2000 W. Fulton St., No. 310. 312-560-1442.
A foreign affair
Snooze-inducing starlets, predictable plot lines: There are only so many evenings of pelting popcorn at the screen we can take until we give up movies for good. Before you swear off celluloid, try the 41st Annual Chicago International Film Festival, featuring more than 100 full-lengths and 42 shorts. We’ve got a full spate of daily updates on must-see flicks–and dogs to dodge–at metromix.com. You could find a title that puts some pleasure back in the pastime. Through Oct. 20. Single tickets $7-$11; events $12-$25; passes available. Multiple venues. 312-332-3456.
Just desserts
No really, thank goodness it’s Friday. We’ve put in plenty of face time this week, and we’re not prepared to call it a night until we’ve squeezed every celebratory ounce out of surviving another office marathon. Treat your overachieving self to First Fridays Chicago, and let Minx nightclub work for you: There’s live music from Ray Silkman, plus DJs Pharris Thomas, John Young and Jay Illa. 6 p.m. event begins; 8 p.m. buffet and hosted cocktail reception. Friday. $10-$20. 111 W. Hubbard St. 312-828-9000.
On the Hounds’ trail
You’ve been following our Reader Review crew The ‘Hood Hounds’ escapades with avid interest, mapping your own itinerary in their wake? And you were particularly smitten with last weekend’s Wentworth lineup? (See metromix.com for more.) Get your own taste of Chinatown at the Double 10 Parade, featuring bands, floats, lion dances and more. 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Free. Wentworth Avenue and Cermak Road, 2200 S. Wentworth Ave. 312-225-0303.
Pints for pennants
The Sox are still rockin’ it. With each win, we’re one step closer to a pennant–and a few more hairs short of a full head (from gripping our strands in suspense). Game 3 against Boston (3:19 p.m. Friday) could seal this series, but it’ll be a nail-biter (or hair-puller, depending on your nervous tick). Ease the anxiety–and keep your hands busy–with White Sox Playoffs specials at Solstice, available during all Sox games: $2 domestic bottles, $2 Comisky Dogs with fries, and 25 cent buffalo wings. 2666 N. Halsted St. 773-296-0304. Or find South Side Sox bars online at metromix.com.
Brau-raiser
October with a “c” is here, but Oktober with a “k” is still under way. Celebrate the traditional German stein-tingler at DANK-Niedersachsen Oktoberfest with music by Paloma and the Polkaholics, brat and brew vendors, and more. 6 p.m. Saturday. $10. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. 773-561-9181.
Amazing racers
The last thing you need after a night of swilling is to hit the streets at top speed, but watching others put Pumas to the pavement? No problem. We’ll call it armchair exercise. The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon jumpstarts Sunday when more than 1 million maniacs (er, runners) tackle the 26.2-mile, 15-neighborhood course. Join the ranks of the 40,000 lazybones (er, spectators) expected. 8 a.m. Sunday. Free to watch. Grant Park, 500 S. Columbus Drive. 312-904-9800.
Maki it quick
Sure, sushi’s an edible art form meant to be savored: There’s the elegant maki, crafted to complement subtle flavors; the paper-thin ginger, hewn with delicate flicks of an expert chef’s knife; and fresh, fleshy fish cuts that demand appreciative chewing. Or you can just pack it all in as fast as possible at Ra Sushi’s Sushi Eating Contest. Not into speedy stuffing? Snack on specials like $3.75 Tootsy maki and $3.25 scallops at your leisure. 8 p.m. Sunday. Free to participate; menu prices vary. 1139 N. State St. 312-274-0011.
