First Fridays on Fern: South Park establishments are open late as part of First Fridays on Fern (and Juniper too), with refreshments and special sales. The event takes place on the first Friday of every month. Go to Fern and Juniper streets in South Park to explore.

Earl Thomas: Hear a mix of soul, jazz, gospel, blues and rock ’n’ roll, live and unplugged, from the dynamic musician. Special guest Candye Kane will make an appearance. The Jezebelles will also be featured. The show, presented by Caffe Calabria, starts at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $20 for reserved seating and $50 for inner circle seating. The North Park Theatre is located at 2891 University Ave. (619) 239-8836.

The Transmission Project: Off The Grid presents this site-specific arts event at the Transmissions Garage downtown. Choreography will be presented by Tanya Blood Hinkel, Winifred R. Harris, Elizabeth Swallow and Liliana Cattaneo. Guest performances by Luna Luna, The Nigerian Talking-Drum Ensemble, The Rag Dolls and DJ E. Art showing by Mario Peralta and Charlie Miller. The art gallery opening is at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $12. The Transmissions Garage is located at 1460 Island Ave. (619) 253-6130.

Mambo Italiano: Adams Avenue Studio of the Arts presents the tale of Angelo, who at the prompting of his equally repressed sister, Anna, has told his very traditionally Italian immigrant parents, Maria and Gino, that he is gay. Hurt, betrayed and mortified by Angelo’s coming out, Nino, his lover, is not unprepared for his widowed Italian mother Lina’s reaction. The show starts at 8:00 p.m., Nov. 4-5 and Nov. 10-11. Tickets are $12-$15. The Adams Avenue Studio of the Arts is located at 2804 Adams Ave. (619) 584-3593.

Theater: I Have Before Me A Remarkable Document Written by A Young Lady From Rwanda, a play by Sonja Linden, tells the story of two people from different worlds who meet at a refugee center in London, inspired by the real-life experiences of Rwandan refugees in the U.K. The show runs until Nov. 16 at 6th @ Penn Theatre. Tickets are $15-$18. 6th @ Penn Theatre is located at 3704 Sixth Ave. (619) 688-9210.

Gore Vidal: Acclaimed author Gore Vidal and Dennis Altman, Ph.D., will discuss Altman’s new book, Gore Vidal’s America, at 7:00 p.m. at D.G. Wills Books in La Jolla. The book examines the ways in which Vidal’s writings on history, politics, sex and religion throw into focus the understandings of the U.S. Admission is free. D.G. Wills Books is located at 7461 Girard Ave. (858) 456-1800.

Comedy benefit: Past and present members of The Groundlings perform a hilarious parody of industry showcases. The celebrity cast includes: Cheryl Hines, Jennifer Coolidge, Paul Reubens, Mike Hitchcock, Mindy Sterling and others. All proceeds benefit the American Red Cross for Hurricane Katrina relief. The show starts at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $25. The Groundlings Theatre is located at 7307 Melrose Ave. in Los Angeles. (323) 934-4747 ext. 37.

Comedy night: Tuesday is comedy night in the spacious, chic/goth comfort zone of Lestat’s Coffee House in Normal Heights. There is live music every night and an eclectic collection of overstuffed chairs, chaise lounges and Victorian sofas to watch it on. Feast on the tasty selections from the bakery toward the back. There is also a furnished reading room and Internet access for the less socially inclined. (619) 282-0437.

Death Cab for Cutie: Coming off the huge success of their 2003 album Transatlanticism, indie-rock favorites Death Cab for Cutie singed a deal with Atlantic Records to release their fifth album, Plans. Lead singer Ben Gibbard is also the voice of The Postal Service. Tickets are $20. The show starts at 7:00 p.m. SOMA is located at 3350 Sports Arena Blvd. (619) 220-TIXS.

Wine tasting: Experience the wines of Port House of Dow at The Wine Encounter, starting at 7:00 p.m. Come taste five ports from one of the most well-known port houses in Portugal. Wines include: Trademark Reserve, Late Bottled Vintage 2000, 1982 Colheita, 20 Year Tawny and 1991 Vintage. Reservations are required. Tickets are $35 and include appetizers. The Wine Encounter is located at 690 University Ave. (619) 543-9463.

Art opening: Lower Left’s new artistic endeavor, The Satellite Project, is a multi-city performance collaboration that brings together five renowned artists in the fields of postmodern dance and performance from across the U.S. The artists include: Olive Bieringa and Otto Ramstad of The BodyCartography Project, Keith Hennessy, Nina Martin and Lionel Popkin. Performances take place Nov. 10-13 at the San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art’s Sherwood Auditorium, located at 700 Prospect St. in La Jolla. (619) 235-8466.

Rock ’n’ Rollerskate: Join the San Diego Derby Dolls from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. at Skateworld for a bone throttling good time during their “Rock ’n’ Rollerskate Hellraiser” benefit. Jam to ska, punk, ’80s and metal tunes while helping to raise funds for a local banked track. Tickets are $8. Call (760) 500-7915 to reserve tickets in advance. Skateworld is located at 6907 Linda Vista Rd. (858) 560-9278.

Documentary screening: Leading the Way to Peace, a documentary featuring four women peace makers, screens at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice at 7:00 p.m. The film chronicles four women from Guatemala, Pakistan, Sierra Leone and Sri Lanka. The 75-minute film will be followed by a panel discussion. Admission is free. The Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice is located on the campus of USD at 5998 Alcala Park. (619) 260-7569.