'Secretariat' Diane Lane plays Penny Chenery, owner of the greatest racehorse ever, and Pimlico Race Course gets to play itself in some vintage Preakness film clips in this nostalgic look back at the thoroughbred that captured the soul of a nation. Opens in theaters today.
'Madea's Big Happy Family' Tyler Perry's gun-toting grandma, the big, brassy, take-no- mouth-from-anyone Madea, is bringing her act to Baltimore this weekend. Few performers have tapped into his audience's zeitgeist like Perry, whose Madea, with her no-nonsense approach grounded in a firm sense of family, strong faith and clear delineation of right from wrong, has made him one of the most popular entertainers in the country. All that, and he's probably the most successful cross-dresser ever. The play, written by Perry and launched on tour earlier this year, revolves around a single mother who, diagnosed with terminal cancer, plans one last family reunion. Expect laughs and tears in equal measure. Runs through Sunday at the 1st Mariner Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St. Showtimes are 8 p.m. today, 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $52-$72. Information: 410-347-2020 or baltimorearena.com
Columbus Day Baltimoreans have been celebrating Columbus Day for generations, and while last year's cancellation of the annual parade might have toned down the festivities a bit, the city's Italian-American community wasn't about to let such a proud tradition die. This year's festivities in honor of the man who so famously sailed the ocean blue in 1492 begins Sunday with a 9:30 a.m. Mass at St. Leo's Roman Catholic Church, 227 S. Exeter St., followed at 10:30 by a procession to Christopher Columbus Plaza, at President Street and Eastern Avenue. After a wreath-laying ceremony at 11, the visiting national Italian military police Carabinieri band will perform. Refreshments will be available for purchase. Information: littleitalymd.org
Baltimore Beer Week The city's celebration of the wonderful things water, yeast, malt and hops can do when they work together kicks off today with a $30-a-ticket "Opening Tap Celebration" at the Baltimore Museum of Industry, 1415 Key Highway, and concludes Oct. 17 with what organizers promise is the first annual Baltimore Beer Festival, set for noon-5 p.m. at Canton's Waterfront Park on Boston Street. In between, there's the Maryland Oktoberfest (11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday at the state fairgrounds in Timonium), a beer luncheon on the history of Baltimore brew (noon-1:30 p.m. Monday at Bertha's in Fells Point), the Blues & Brews Festival (8 p.m.-1 a.m. Oct. 15 at the 8x10) and the 7th annual Chesapeake Real Ale Festival (1 p.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 16 at the Pratt Street Ale House). There are plenty of opportunities to drink up, so please don't forget your designated driver. Information: bbweek.com.
The Roots Without doubt the coolest band on late-night TV, as they prove every weeknight on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," the Roots are escaping from New York just long enough to head down I-95 for a gig in Baltimore. And if seeing them on TV isn't proof enough of their coolness, check out their latest CD, "How I Got Over." Then hope there are still some tickets left for today's concert, set for 10 p.m. at Rams Head Live, 20 Market Place. General admission tickets are $45. Information: 410-244-1131 or ramsheadlive.com.
'The Wall' "The Dark Side of the Moon" had already made the band rock giants, but the 1979 release of "The Wall" is what really made Pink Floyd a legend — this two-record screed against conformity, megalomania and the barriers that separate ourselves from one another has sold some 23 million copies in the U.S. alone. Founding member Roger Waters, who conceived of and wrote most of the album, thinks the themes he touched on more than three decades ago are still relevant today, which is one reason he'll be performing "The Wall" live at Washington's Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW. The concert begins at 8 p.m. Sunday, and tickets are $53-$253. Information and tickets: 410-547-7328 or ticketmaster.com.
Baltimore Speakers Series Every year, Stevenson University's Baltimore Speaker Series brings some of the world's most interesting people to Baltimore, and the batch organizers have pulled together for its fifth season is no exception. The fascinating talk begins Tuesday with New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, winner of three Pulitzer prizes and author of "The Lexus and the Olive Tree," "The World is Flat" and "Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution — and How It can Renew America." The talk begins at 8 p.m. at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. Information: baltimorespeakerseries.org
Chris Kaltenbach