'Freedom's Sisters' Twenty remarkable African-American women from the 19th and 20th centuries, all key figures in the civil rights struggle, are profiled in this new exhibit, opening Saturday and running through Jan. 17, 2011, at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture. Through pictures, words and interative features, visitors can get to know Harriet Tubman, Mary McLeod Bethune, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King and 16 other leading figures, both historical and contemporary. If you want to check out the exhibit on its opening day, take advantage of the free museum admission being offered as part of Free Fall Baltimore. And at 3 p.m., curator E. Selean Holmes will be on hand to talk about the exhibit. Normally, admission to the museum at 830 E. Pratt St. runs $6-$8. Information: 443-263-1800 or africanamericanculture.org
Big Flea The Big Flea is back, and isn't life just grand? Where else, outside of the Visionary Art Museum, can you find so much cool stuff under one roof? And here, it's all for sale. With some 800 dealer spaces available, there should be no shortage of folks willing to help you part with your money, in return for some stuff that'll look absolutely great on your shelf, even if it serves no useful purpose. Expect an old-school deal-hunters' delight (with some expensive, high-end items certainly to be mixed in) this weekend at the Cow Palace on the Maryland State Fairgrounds, 2200 York Road in Timonium. Hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $8. Information: 757-430-4735 or http://www.damorepromotions.com
Charm City Roller Girls Baltimore's favorite hellwomen on wheels close their regular season Saturday, going up against the Harrisburg Area Roller Derby and, in a battle of all-star squads, the Carolina Roller Girls. The promotional posters for the match — and CCRG's posters are consistently among the coolest going — show a zombie roller girl devouring the leg of (what one assumes is) an unlucky opponent. Now if that doesn't promise some serious pre-Halloween fun! All that, and it's Chipotle Fan Appreciation Day, too. The match starts at 6 p.m. at Du Burns Arena, 1301 S. Ellwood Ave. Tickets, available through missiontix.com, are $5-$10. Information: charmcityrollergirls.com
Film festivals For a look at Middle Eastern cinema that goes beyond "Lawrence of Arabia," check out the Arabian Sights Film Festival, running through Oct. 31 in Washington, D.C. The festival, now in its 15th year, features new films from Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates and other countries. In many cases, the directors will be on hand to discuss their films, which are being screened at the Goethe-Institut in Washington, 812 7th St. NW. Tickets and information: 800-955-5566 or filmfestdc.org. Movie lovers who want to stay closer to home, both literally and figuratively, way want to sample the second annual Bel Air Film Festival, running through Sunday in Harford County. The festival opens this evening with a screening of Barry Levinson's entrancing documentary on the Baltimore Colts Marching Band, "The Band That Wouldn't Die," at 8:15 p.m. at the Reckord Armory, 37 N. Main St. Tickets are $5. Full schedule and more information: 410-838-0854 or townofbelairfilmfestival.com
Opera at the Hippodrome Puccini's "Madama Butterfly," the tragic story of a love that should bridge cultures but doesn't, will be performed Saturday night by the Baltimore Opera Theatre. The players include Russian soprano Elena Razgylyaeva as the ill-fated Cio-Cio-San and Bulgarian tenor Orlin Goranov as her beloved, B.F. Pinkerton. Showtime is 7 p.m. at the Hippodrome, 12 N. Eutaw St. Tickets are $25-$45. Information: baltimoreoperatheatre.net
BSO Russian-Armenian violinist Mikhail Simonyan will join the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra this weekend to perform works by Glinka, Shostakovich and Stravinsky. Gilbert Varga will conduct the BSO. (Simonyan is a last-minute substitute for Midori, who had to cancel due to a back injury.) Performances are scheduled for 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Joseph M. Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. Tickets are $28-$61. Information: 410-783-8000 or bsomusic.org
'Hereafter' Matt Damon, Cecile de France and twins Frankie and George McLaren (one role, two actors) are each struggling with death, and the question of an afterlife, in this latest from director Clint Eastwood. Bryce Dallas Howard, Richard Kind and Jay Mohr also star. Opens in theaters Friday. For a review, see Page .
(Chris Kaltenbach)