FRIDAY 2
Who’s got time for tractor pulls and monster truck rallies when the U.S. Lawn Mower Racing Association is in town? Regional champions from Texas, Montana, California, and Ohio will be competing in the national championship today at Hawthorne Race Course, 3501 Laramie in Cicero. Gates open at 11 AM, but races don’t begin until 1, when the jockeys mount their muscle mowers (with cutting blades removed for safety) and hit the track. Races will be held in stock, prepared, and factory experimental classes. The event will also feature toy mower races for children, a petting zoo, and the World’s Fastest Lawn Mower, powered by a 150-horsepower engine from a military jet helicopter. Tickets are $5 ($1 for children under 12; toddlers free), and proceeds go to the ALS Foundation’s work on Lou Gehrig’s disease. For more information call 708-729-7363.
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AXIOS!, an organization of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals from Greek and Eastern Orthodox backgrounds, is throwing a toga party tonight at 8 in the Pyramid Room at Cairo, 720 N. Wells. Entertainment includes appearances by performance artist Alexandra Billings and buffed gladiator-dancers Chad Parrish and Rico. There will also be a free buffet of Greek and Mediterranean food, a cash bar, and opportunities for Greek line dancing with AXIOS! members. DJs Psycho Bitch and Johnny “Greek Boy” Grammatis will spin dance music throughout the evening. The festivities will run until 4 AM, and yes, togas are the recommended togs. Tickets are $10, and a portion of the proceeds will go to AIDS Walk Chicago. Call 477-3097 for more.
A film and lecture series examining the ways Hollywood has portrayed the mythology of the American west begins tonight at 6 at the Film Center, Columbus Drive at Jackson. Three silent films, The Great Train Robbery, Hell’s Hinges, and the 1903 Tom Mix adventure Heart of Texas Ryan, will be followed by a lecture from Susan Doll, who has a PhD in cinema studies from Northwestern. Film Genres: The Western continues on Tuesday nights at 6 for the next 14 weeks. Admission is free for Film Center members, $5 per week for everyone else. Call 443-3737 for more.
THURSDAY 8
