Market Days is finally here and there's a ton of entertainment offerings on tap before, during and after this special Chicago weekend. While elsewhere in BOI the highlights of what's happening on Halsted Street during the actual Market Days has been spelled out in variety of forms and different fashions, ITKOTG (that's this column, "In The Know On The Go" for those of you who are acronymally challenged) is here to give you a taste of the other goodies you really do need to know about.

Market Days Weekend Highlights

Tops on the list of special events is the "Space Disco" party at CROBAR on Sunday, August 12 @ 10pm. Box Boy Rich puts on his promoter hat for this Market Days weekend finale and has the DJ team of Rosabel (Ralphi Rosario and Abel) on the main floor with DJs Ted Eiel, Ron G, and Joel Rodriquez up in the Mezzanine. The special supernova performance by Cyon Flare is surely not to be missed.

Back up in the Boystown neighborhood, HYDRATE's late night hi-energy Market Days weekend line-up includes Ralphi Rosario on Friday, circuit superstar DJ Roland Belmares on Saturday, and DJ Jeanette on Sunday. If house music and go-go dancers are more to your liking, COCKTAIL is the place to be with DJs Freddie Bain (Friday), Matt Boss (Saturday) and Pete Augusta (Sunday).

On the southern end of the neighborhood, STEAMWORKS is sure to be packed for its Sunday evening "Twisted" play party featuring DJ DeMarko! @ 8pm. The day before on Saturday, August 11, bears, cubs, and otters will join in the fun at the monthly "Bears, Bath and Beyond" play party that takes place from 1pm until 5pm. A block down at SPIN, the weekend will get kicked off in true grand style as Miss Foozie hosts and DJ Cris Eterno spins for the "$200 Shower Contest" on Friday @ Midnight. On Saturday their "Market DAZE" dance party with DJ Riley York and VJ Bryan starts @ 9pm.

On the opposite end of Boystown, the dance floor is sure to be packed at CHARLIE'S all night long on Saturday: early in the evening with resident country DJ Michael B as well as late night when they flip the switch for the hi-NRG after-hours with DJ Lulu. CIRCUIT has a fun-filled Market Days Sat. event planned, "Meat Market" with DJs Matthew Harvat & Pete Crow.

Circuit's weekend finale occurs on Monday night, August 13, with House of Tut, featuring the one and only Mz. Ruff 'N Stuff, The Rockettes, and DJ Stoney spinning house and hip-hop.

If you are basically looking to get out of the sun, but continuously get "your drink on" during Market Days without leaving the neighborhood, ROSCOE'S is offering up $12 pitchers of Long Island Iced Tea. Across the street at SIDETRACK their legendary frozen slushy drink concoctions will taste that much better on Sunday when Showtunes (4pm-9pm) and Retro (9pm-2am) videos are playing on the monitors.

Pre & Post Market Days

While most folks focus on Market Days during the early part of August, there are in fact plenty of other potential date book entries of note before and after that August 11-12 weekend.

Demonstrating that they can pull off two big weekends in a row, ROSCOE'S has an impressive line-up of special nights this coming weekend, August 2-6. On Thursday @ 9pm there will be a DVD release party for the new film "Factory Girl" during the weekly "Bingo" party hosted by Friday Lay and Honey West. Then on Sunday while Miss Foozie hosts "Male Call" there will be a CD release party for the original Broadway cast album of the musical "Legally Blond" @ 5pm. Finally on Monday, the "Broadway Bares" fundraising event takes place @ 10pm featuring cast members of "The Color Purple," "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," and "Wicked." This event is not to be missed as it benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and Chicago House.

Up on the far north side of the city, TOUCHÉ is hosting its monthly "Bear Party" on Saturday, August 4 @ 10pm, and the weekly Tuesday "Hardcore Leather Night," featuring $1 off on drinks for those clad in leather, on August 7 & 14. Closer to the lake on the northside lies GRANVILLE ANVIL, a hidden jewel recently featured here in BOI. Their cheap stiff drinks work like a magnet on the neighborhood barflies, including the cuties from nearby Loyola University. Further south in Uptown, the friendly neighborhood feel is alive and well at BIG CHICKS, which features "Homolatte," the GLBT spoken word and acoustic music series hosted by Scott Free on Tuesday August 7 @ 7:30pm.

The "Sunday T-Party" at MINIBAR attracts a way cute crowd with DJ Oskar controlling the music and bartender Linda Little controlling the libations, including the special 48 ounce martinis. On Mondays, the long-running "Boom Boom Room" at GREEN DOLPHIN STREET continues to pack them in with resident DJs Michael Serafini and Diz in the Main Room and Uncle Milty and JustJoey in the Green Room.

For those looking to take a break from the normal hustle and bustle of the bars, 500 CLOWN THEATRE, the wildly physical, comical and powerful re-imaginings of stage classics, comes highly recommended at the Steppenwolf Upstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St. "500 Clown Macbeth" will be performed @ 7:30pm on August 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11. "500 Clown Frankenstein" shows will be performed @ 2pm on August 2 & 12.

Another atypical entertainment offering is "The Flesh Hungry Dog Show," which will take place at JACKHAMMER on Friday, August 3 @ 9pm. This month, the live queer rock 'n' burlesque cabaret features Retardos De La Mour, The Joans (a rock band fronted by JOAN CRAFORD, of course), Sick of Sarah (from Minneapolis), Gayco, and the Fleshtones Burlesque. Hosted by Gary Airedale, the show will also feature "Bag of Fun" prize giveaways, groovy movies, and guest DJ Mercedez Ben.

In Andersonville, MARY'S ATTIC has fast become a destination nightspot on weekends with DJ Shoshanna's eclectic mix on Fridays and DJ Boom's dance sets on Saturdays. A few doors down and across the street is @MOSPHERE with DJ Timmy Loop and male strippers on Saturdays. In SoFo (aka South Andersonville), MAN'S COUNTRY packs them in on Friday and Saturday nights for the all-nude male stripper shows presented by Sarabia. Real leather men gather next door at THE EAGLE for lots of fun and very few games.

If you are in search of live cabaret music and performances, you can't go wrong with GENTRY ON STATE, featuring the likes of Miss Cristina on Wednesdays for "Naked Soul" and Luis Vega, a former Windy City Idol winner, on Sundays. Additional outlets for this type of entertainment can be found at CLUB 3160 in Lakeview and DAVENPORT'S in Wicker Park.

CESAR'S ON BROADWAY (@ Oakdale) is the Thursday night hotspot with "Pride Night" presented by ChicagoPride.com Starting @ 7pm, the festivities include Killer Margaritas, Miss Foozie's "Wheel Of Foozie" prize raffle, and DJ Plez serving up groovy house beats.

If you're outside the city limits looking for something to do, HUNTERS in the northwest suburbs has DJ Laura B for the weekly Saturday night "Ascent" party and DJ Ron G on Wednesdays for the "MWM" event. Down south in Blue Island, THE EDGE has a weekly "Frat Boy Fridays" party with DJ Rocking RC.