SATURDAY, NOV. 6, 2010 >>>

1. Justin Hillgrove's Tim-Burton-meets-Edward-Gorey sense of fantasy can be seen at his solo show Black and White And Read All Over at the Mineral gallery. His love of literature, pop music and cinema pop up through a phantasmagorical cast of characters. If you haven't seen the show, today would be the day as Hillgrove will paint live with his buddy Mike Capp from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. inside Mineral.

2. Experience how everyday works of art played an important part of the life of mid-1800's. Fort Nisqually re-enactors and artisans demonstrate spinning, silversmithing, blacksmithing, woodworking, open-fire cooking and Native American basketweaving from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Experience what life was like in the 1800s (hint: they, too, couldn't stand the goddamn rain).

3. The second annual fundraising extravaganza that is Dancing with the Tacoma Stars is obviously a riff on not one but two popular TV shows. But who cares about originality when you can see Marilyn Strickland attempt the foxtrot? Raising money for Tacoma Musical Playhouse, tonight's Dancing with the Tacoma Stars at 5:30 p.m. inside the Temple Theater (akin to both "So You Think You Can Dance" and "Dancing with the Stars," with local celebs learning the ropes from Studio 6 Ballroom) will be a production you don't even have to bus the seniors in for. It'll be entertaining as hell.

4. Tacoma's theater company Gold from Straw opens the comedy Almost, Maine by John Cariani at 8 p.m. inside the Theatre on the Square.

5. The newly-built Gruv Lounge and Nightclub at Sixth and Proctor is expertly decorated: a chic bar, colorful-yet-unobtrusive lighting, a high-ceilinged dance floor adjacent to private karaoke rooms with comfortable seating. Gruv manager Calvin Murphy, who launched his DJ conglomerate Ocean Grooves in the same space in 1999 when it was the 6th & Proctor Bar & Grill, will reunite three DJs who spun in the same building 11 years ago - Donald Glaude, Omar and dAb - beginning at 9 p.m.

LINK: Art at Work Tacoma Studio Tours details in The Weekend Hustle

LINK: Warren Miller's Wintervention information in The Prefunk

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound