This year, you can help The Greater Boston Food Bank provide a bountiful feast this Thanksgiving Day for those who may otherwise go without.

For every $12 donated, The Food Bank can distribute a 12-14lb turkey to a family in need.

Think about it. $12 is a t-shirt on clearance, a sometimes-okay bottle of wine or three of your favorite holiday lattes. It’s not a lot to ask, is it? No. But the impact will last long after you unbutton your jeans after that third – and final – helping of stuffing.

So, do some gobbley good this Thanksgiving. join the fight against hunger. Visit http://www.gbfb.org/turkey-drive/ and to see how your $12 donation helps. And be sure to follow The Greater Boston Food Bank on Twitter @Gr8BosFoodBank. (It’s one way to see how you can be part of the warm fuzzies of community giving.)

You can also add other items to the Thanksgiving menu, by participating in the he Allston/Brighton Open Studios this weekend. Visit http://allstonarts.org/ to learn more.

Oh, and the Turkey Ticker thanks you. Gobble!

From buxom baubles to alluring abstracts, Boston’s in for a real treat this weekend during the 13th Annual Boston International Fine Arts Show.

Held at the the Cyclorama building at the Boston Center for the Arts, the show takes place November 13 – 15.

And if that weren’t all, Groupon has decided to make your entry all the more enticing — but only for today! So, go ahead—start practicing that quizzical look of introspection that can only come from attending the Boston International Fine Art Show.

Your 50% tickets are waiting for you at http://www.groupon.com/boston.

Normally $30 a head, you and an art-vying friend can go for $15 a piece. But only if you buy the groupon today. And even if you don’t, paying full price is worth it. So what if it’s three bottles of fairly cheap vino. Think of it as your express ticket to fawn over art that, let’s face it, can be argued to the finest details of subjectivity.

While you’re at it, buy a piece. Your interior walls and nightstands will thank you.

Maybe you have plans that entail passing out candy corn or stirring bewitching cauldrons… But for those of you who may be vying for something to do (or another option or stop along your Halloweening route), consider joining Cambridge Brewing Company for their Pumpkin Fest on Halloween night.

Ten smackaroos gets you in the door to sample pumpkin ales from Cambridge Brewing’s own concoctions (6, to be exact) or choose to whet your ghoulish whistle with 14 guest pumpkin ales. Pumpkin-inspired cuisine will be on the menu and bratwurst will be grilling on the patio.

Oh, and if that wasn’t enough to entice you out in fangs and kitten ears, come see the GIANT PUMPKIN that contains beer! Yeah, beer.

Fun starts at 4 p.m. Costumes are encouraged. Or, if you can’t find anything Halloween-y to wear, just go as yourself—as a Boston drunkard. Just don’t wear your white Red Sox hat backwards. (Even I know what that means…)

Tickets are up for grabs at the door. Your $10 donation to the fun includes a limited edition pumpkin fest glass (while they last).

Broken Lizard are currently on tour.

You’ve laughed at their antics during their movies Super Troopers, Club Dread, and Beerfest. And now you have the chance to see them perform live during a comedy tour! Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffeman, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, and Eric Stolhanske are all set to perform their sketch comedy before a live audience. And they will also be unveiling some of their short films. and it’s all on the coattails of their next movie, The Slammin’ Salmon.

The Slammin Salmon

The group formed at Colgate University in 1990 when Jay Chandrasekhar was asked by a student theater director to put together a comedy show. Chandrasekhar agreed and assembled a sketch comedy troupe which included Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske. The team performed a combination of live stage skits and short videos under the name Charred Goosebeak. Charred Goosebeak continues to exist at Colgate to this day.

As they graduated, the members reunited in New York City, and spent the next few years performing at various clubs, mostly Greenwich Village mainstay The Duplex, under a new name: Broken Lizard. (The group has offered varied explanations of the origin of this moniker, from describing it as a euphemism for the loss of virility, to a tribute to Chandrasekhar’s pet allergies. Most recently, the members have admitted that after a marathon idea session that resulted in agreeing on the name Chocolate Speedo, Chandrasekhar simply made up Broken Lizard off the top of his head when he had their first flyer printed.)

Broken Lizard spent the next few years performing at clubs and college campuses, as their membership dwindled to the five current performers. By the mid 90’s, the group’s interests shifted away from live material as they became more interested in filmed content. They wrote and acted in Dante’s Levels of Hell, a series of interstitial shorts for Comedy Central’s “Is This On?” feature.

At this time, the Lizards also made their first foray into long-form film, shooting the 30-minute 16 mm project, The Tinfoil Monkey Agenda, an absurdist media spoof that earned them a trip to the Ft. Lauderdale Film Festival, and cemented in the group’s minds that they should be creating full length features.

In 1995, the group went back to the campus of Colgate University to shoot Puddle Cruiser, their first 35 mm full length feature, using a tiny budget cobbled together from family loans and maxed-out credit cards. (Chandrasekhar claims his Indian surname caused credit card companies to believe he was a doctor, and therefore offer him generous cash advances.) The movie, a compilation of characters and storylines from their own college experiences, was quickly accepted to the Hamptons International Film Festival, where it won the top jury award, The Golden Starfish. It was also accepted to the Sundance Film Festival and eventually aired on Sundance Channel and IFC.

The group put together the script for their next feature, and first wide-release movie Super Troopers. The film, which portrays rural highway patrolmen as regular guys desperate to make their jobs entertaining, was shot in 2000, and was also invited to Sundance, where raucous screenings earned the film a distribution deal from Fox Searchlight. The movie was released in February 2002 to moderate theatrical success, but eventually caught on as a cult phenomenon DVD.

Fox Searchlight produced and distributed the group’s next feature, 2004’s Club Dread, a parody of slasher movies that takes place at an idyllic tropical resort.

After Chandrasekhar directed The Dukes of Hazzard for Warner Bros., Broken Lizard was offered a deal with the studio. This relationship resulted in Broken Lizard’s fourth feature, 2006’s Beerfest, which revolved around two brothers who discover an underground Oktoberfest beer-drinking Olympics, and assemble a team to compete.

The Brokend Lizard Crew during their Movie Beerfest.

Broken Lizard will be appearing at the Royal Oak Music Center in Royal Oak, Michigan on October 24; and the Lisner Auditorium in Washington, DC on November 12. The Next day they’ll be performing at the Trocadero Theatre in Philadelphia, PA, followed by the Wilbur Theater in Boston Massachusetts on the 14th. On November 19th the comedy troop will be playing the Boulder Theater in Colorado; followed by Moore Theater in Seattle, and the Aladdin Theater in Portland, Oregon. The group will end their tour at the Nokia Theater in New York City. To Learn more about Broken Lizard check out their website or on Wikipedia.

Star Wars In Concert has a Symphony Orchestra playing the music of John Williams live during an interactive event.

A long time ago in a Galaxy far far away

Message from John Williams

Creating the music for the Star Wars films has been an exciting and wonderful experience for me, and I have therefore derived particular pleasure in assembling a compendium of themes from all of the films to be presented in Star Wars: In Concert.
The Editors of Lucasfilm have created an original film montage to accompany each of the musical selections, and in the process. I believe that a singular and unique Star Wars experience has been born.

My hope is that audiences will derive real pleasure from the event, as well as celebrate in a new and joyous way, the dazzling originality of the star wars saga.

Extended Trailer

About the Show

Star Wars: In Concert is a unique event that combines John Williams’ unforgettable music, performed by a live symphony orchestra and chorus, with specially edited footage from six Star Wars films. Through each musical piece, audiences will experience the key themes, characters and story elements of the epic Star Wars saga from a new perspective. taking a remarkable excursion into the heart of a Galaxy Far, Far Away.

A true multi-media experience; Star Wars: In Concert features a large, specially constructed LED screen – one of the largest screens ever taken on tour – onto which the newly edited film sequences will be projected and synchronized to a live performance of music from John Williams scores. Anthony Daniels, the actor who portrays C-3P0 in all six films, will introduce each segment of the two hour show, guiding audiences through the Star Wars story in a fresh and exciting way.

Asteroid Field

Through the power of music and images, we follow the mythic story of Anakin Skywalker, experience the rise of the Galactic Empire, share the brave struggle of the Rebel Alliance, and thrill to the triumph of good over evil. Along the way we meet many of the legendary characters who share the Star Wars universe – the valiant Luke Skywalker, wise Yoda, noble Princess Leia, stalwart R2-D2 and the irreplaceable C3P0. it is a new way to experience this epic story that is sure to enthrall film fans, music fans, and Star Wars fans of all ages.

May the force be with you!

Darth Vaders Theme

Star Wars: In Concert comes to the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Oregon on October 14th. It comes to the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado on October 18th. it plays double duty in Texas by hitting Cowboys Stadium in Dallas on the 23rd, and the Toyota Center in Houston on the 25th. on November 1st it comes to the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida. it hits up the Gwinett Arena in Atlanta, Georgia on November 1st. Star Wars: In Concert comes to the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts on November 14th; followed by the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia on the 15th. on November 18th in comes to the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. on December 6th it plays the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Finally it closes out at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee on December 13th. for more information, to purchase tickets, and to check for any upcoming additional dates; check out the Star Wars In Concert Website.

Trailer

The Savant Project is bringin’ back Burt Reynolds. Or, if you prefer, Tom Selleck or Wade Boggs.

But it’s not all just for kicks ‘n giggles. Ok, I lied; it is. So,  let’s talk about when and where you ought to don your ’stache.

Saturday, October 3rd – 10 p.m.

1625 Tremont Street, between Calumet & Francis; Mission Hill

Sure, that doesn’t leave you much time to coerce your lip hairs to grow, but no worries; just do what any Charlie Chaplin fan would do — pucker up to a fake ’stache. There will be free ones at the door, if you so happen to forget yours. (Uhm, really?)

‘Stached party-goers will enjoy music from DJ Greg Teves.

Savant Project’s 3rd Annual Mustache Party is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. To learn more about the event and the hosts, call 617-566-5958 or visit www.thesavantproject.com

You can also let ‘em know you’re coming by RSVPing on their Facebook event page. To find (and fan) them, simply search for “The Savant Project.”

So what are you doing this Saturday?

Oh really? You think so? What if I told you there was a more fun thing to do?

See, I thought you’d be interested!

(drum roll, please)

Presented by Somerville Local First, downTown Wines & Spirits and The Center for Arts at the Armory…

Harvest Fest 2009!

On Saturday, October 3 from 1-8PM, Harvest Fest will bring together some of the finest artistic, culinary and musical talents from in and around the city of Somerville. Samples and demonstrations from local microbreweries will be presented throughout the day. Uh, need I say more?

Admission: FREE (yes, free!)
Food & drink wristband: $12

Tickets available on-line through Brown Paper Tickets
OR purchase at downTown Wines & Spirits, 225 Elm Street, Somerville, MA 02144
Doors open at 1pm- please arrive promptly to avoid entrance delay

FASHION SHOW featuring Suneri, Black & Blues and poor little rich girl. (Yelp Boston’s very own will be participating, too!)

MUSIC/MULTIMEDIA performances by One Fine Morning, Hugh McKeown and The Zebbler Encanti Experience

VENDORS include (but aren’t limited to):

downTown Wines & Spirits

Redbones

Highland Kitchen

Berkshire Brewing Company

Blue Hills Brewery

Geary’s

Haverhill Brewing Company

Longtail

Magic Hat

Mayflower

Newport Storm

Peak Organic

Shipyard

Uhh, did I mention there’d be local microbrews there? Oh, okay. Well, carry on then. Guess I’ll be seeing YOU come Saturday. (P.S. Don’t mind me. I’ll be one of the many foaming at the mouth in utter elation of local craft beer.)

After finding overwhelming success with other comedic sitcoms like “The Office” and “30 Rock”, NBC has unveiled its newest gem “Community”, starring Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, and long-time funnyman Chevy Chase.

Seemingly targeting viewers in that awkward limbo stage between early adulthood and the real world, “Community comes across as a blend of the John Hughes classic “The Breakfast Club” and Joel McHale’s other comedic pop culture venture “The Soup”.

McHale plays Jeff Winger, a fast talking ex-lawyer suspended after it became clear he received his degree from Colombia (the country, not the university), forcing him to attend Greendale Community College to earn a new degree.

In an attempt to get out of the “school shaped toilet”, as he calls it, Winger tries to bribe a professor, played by John Oliver of “Daily Show” fame, into giving him the answers to all the tests.  He is eventually denied, thus forcing him to actually try to succeed.

After spotting Britta (played by Gillian Jacobs), Winger sets up a Spanish study group to try and impress her.  Much to his dismay, word gets out to other students, which makes for a complete study group full of misfits of all ages, including successful, yet bored, businessman Pierce (Chevy Chase).

While not being as laugh-out-loud funny or as overall goofy as its counterpart “The Office”, “Community” is smartly cast by actors in which viewers can immediately fall in love with.  The comedy is fast paced and well timed, and the show offers a bit of sweetness to provide for a well-rounded sitcom.

Congratulations NBC, you have done it again.

Catch “Community” on NBC Thursdays at 9:30/8:30 Central

In a city that helped spawn a revolution, it’s no surprise there’s a riot on the horizon. No, you won’t see bayonets or hear the Calvary marching a warning of siege. But you may experience the victoriously  warm—and oh so uninhibited—sensation that can only be associated with the stomped sweetness of lush grape-laden groves. Hey, this proves

some things really are better aged and abused, right?

But anyway, we’re talking about wine, people. A riotous amount of it.

Aptly and cleverly coined, Wine Riot is THE event of September to be at. Seriously. So, while you’re playing thumb war with your social calendar, block the 25 or 26 with a must-go-or-I’ll-hate-myself-later high importance. It’s okay. Google calendars will understand.

The sumptuous soiree is at John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse (One Courthouse Way in Boston) and boasts two exciting days of rioting.

Friday 9/25:

VIP Riot 7 – 11 p.m.

Free food pairings; Special celebrity Crash Courses

$65, limited ticket sales

Saturday 9/26:

Riot One, 1-5 p.m., $45

Riot Two, 6-10 p.m. $45

What’s new to Wine Riot: A savvy Wine Intelligence Unit to help you “strategically conquer the Riot,” as Morgan First, Marketing and Community Director of The Second Glass, eloquently puts it. Hey, no objections here.

Will you riot at the courthouse? Then snag your tickets soon!

Need to whet your curiosity before you whet your whistle? Sure, no prob. Check out the event details here: www.thewineriot.com

To life, liberty and the pursuit of tannins!

Poster design by Holly Gordon http://missgordon.com

It’s a little known secret to most Bostonians, but it’s hugely popular among many local writers. Let me introduce you to Grub Street. Aptly named, it’s where writer’s feed their hunger for literary greatness. And why shouldn’t they? We’re living in a city that produced some of the greatest literary stars of our time. Like Robert Frost and Edgar Allen Poe.

So imagine my unabashed excitement to learn they’ll hosting a Writers on Writing Panel on Monday, September 14. Oh, and it’s FREE. Most often, these valauable workshop style programs cost money. But this one sounds so good, I couldn’t let it slip by unnoticed.

The details: Monday, September 14, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Grub Street, Inc. (160 Boylston Street, 4th Floor)

The reason to jump up an down: Author and HarperCollins editor Rakesh Satyal (Blue Boy), debut novelist Ru Freeman (A Disobedient Girl), and PEN/Winship Award-winning Rishi Reddi (Karma and Other Stories) host a honest, craft-based and provocative discussion about how to use your ethnicities and identities in writing.

So are you hungry to learn? Then don’t be shy. If you don’t stay for the refreshments or book signing, at least come to learn from published writer’s what it takes you write your true, assured, and thought-provoking story.

Upside: Hey, it’s free. And Grub Street overlooks Boston Common. You can’t really ask for a better view.

Downside: You’ll get cozy with the elevator on your ride up. But by now, you should expect that in Boston.

Learn more about Grub Street here: www.grubstreet.org