Maybe by 2020 everyone short of tracheotomy patients will have been on American Idol and the novelty will have worn off. But for now, alumni of the Fox gong show are still being farmed out to events, and Idols Melinda Doolittle and Phil Stacey are headline guests at this year's An Evening With Scott Hamilton and Friends. The combination ice show/banquet raises funds for the Cleveland Clinic's Taussig Cancer Institute. A 5 p.m. ice show at the Quicken Loans Arena features the skating talents of Katia Gordeeva, Kyoko Ina, Kimmie Meissner, Yuka Sato and more blades-of-glory soloists and couples, with live musical accompaniment by Stacey and Doolittle, backed by Carl Topilow and the Cleveland Pops Orchestra. Admission starts at $24.50, and for a premium price, you get VIP seats and admission to the 7:30 p.m. gala feast at the Renaissance, with dancing and live music. Call 216.445.0804 for gala reservations or call 216.241.2121 for show tickets. - Charles Cassady Jr.

Cityscapes Lecture

Anyone who's lived in Cleveland since the early '70s has noted the haphazard dismantling and rebuilding of downtown with its old traditional buildings and funky side streets leveled, replaced by charmless, poorly conceived structures. Architect Jane Weinzapfel's Boston-based firm specializes in tackling urban design with a coherent set of principles, created with human users in mind. The 2007 American Institute of Architecture Firm Award given to Leers Weinzapfel, the firm she cofounded with Andrea Leers, is only the latest of more than 40 awards it's received. She should have some provocative and valuable ideas to offer Cleveland when she speaks on "Made to Order" as part of the Baker-Nord Cityscapes Lecture Series at 6 p.m. at Case Western Reserve's Thwing Center Ballroom (11111 Euclid Ave.). It's free and open to the public; no reservations required. Go to case.edu/artsci/ bakernord/events.htm for info. - Anastasia Pantsios

Used Book Sales

Boo, book lovers! No, it's not ghosts and goblins - it's the spooky piles of books spiriting the cash out of your wallet at a couple of those bibliophile nirvanas: used book sales. Those with an interest in gardening and horticulture could turn up gems at the Eleanor Squire Library Used Book Sale at the Cleveland Botanical Garden (11030 East Blvd., 216.721.1600, cbgarden.org) which runs from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. today through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. From 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, November 3, the Akron Press Club's annual book sale takes place at Martin University Center (105 Fir Hill, University of Akron campus). New and used books, CDs, DVDs and videos will be on sale to benefit scholarships for local journalism, communications and public relations students. Donations are welcome and may be dropped off at the center from 3-8 p.m. Friday. Call Elizabeth Bartz at 330.761.9960 or go to akronpressclub.org for info. - AP

50 Years of Janus Films

As evocative for cineastes as the simple opening title "A long time in a galaxy far, far away…," the emblem of Janus Films has appeared at the beginning of many a fine foreign-film import. Janus brought the works of Bergman, Fellini and Kurosawa from galaxies far, far away into American art-house theaters long before home video - and when home video arrived, Janus established the Tiffany-grade laserdisc/DVD imprint Criterion. The eminent distributor recently marked its 50th year, and the Cleveland Museum of Art is showing some of the finest from the Janus catalogue throughout November, beginning with two French classics, tonight's 7 p.m. screening of Truffaut's Jules et Jim and Les Enfants du Paradis at 1 p.m. Sunday (the latter hosted by CMA director Timothy Rub, one of the many who feel it's arguably the best feature film ever made). Future films include Cries and Whispers (November 7), Tokyo Story (November 16), Playtime (November 23), and another competitor for best-film-ever, La Regle du Jeu (November 30). All are fresh 35mm prints. Admission: $8 apiece. For info go to clevelandart.org/films or call 216.707.2465. - CC

ISN'T THIS FROM A SMITHS VIDEO? No, it's from Jules et Jim, at the Cleveland Museum of Art Friday

The Fur Ball 2007

When most of us talk about a "fur ball," we're refering to something curled up on our sofa right where we wanted to sit down. But the Cleveland Animal Protective League's Fur Ball 2007: Gimme Shelter is a gala event staged to help all those fur balls who only wish they had a couch to loll on and a person who loved them enough to let them do it. Starting at 6 p.m. at the Marriott at Key Center downtown, animal lovers can enjoy drinks, dinner, and silent and live auctions. Individual tickets are $175; you can also sponsor a table. Go to aplcleveland.com/furball2007.htm for info. - AP

SPACES Gallery, Akron Art Museum benefits Northeast Ohio art mavens may be torn tonight between big annual benefits to support two major visual-arts institutions. Funkier bohemian types will probably want to opt for Garden Noir: Where the Wild Things Bloom to support nonprofit artist-run gallery SPACES. "Enter a garden that promises to transform and transcend," the promotion teases. "Get ready for some head-spinning, tail-wagging, body-bumping gardenlicious licentiousness." Wow, that's a lot to live up to but if anyone, SPACES can. From 9 p.m.-1 a.m. at SPACES (2220 Superior Viaduct), there'll be music by DJ Kenetik, dancing, dessert, a cash bar and a silent art auction. That's $40. If you're feeling a bit more supportive, like $125 worth, come from 6-9 p.m. for VIPs in Verdure, with catered food, an open bar, live music and special silent auction. Partygoers are encouraged to dress creatively. Go to spacesgallery.org for info and tickets. Those attending Switch, the three-parties-in-one benefit for the Akron Art Museum, should wear "chic, upscale club attire" to tour three environments that will be set up at the museum (1 S. High St., Akron) to resemble the Coconut Grove of the '40s, Studio 54 of the '70s and a modern nightclub. There'll be dancing (naturally) to live music and DJs, drinks, finger foods and desserts from 8 p.m.-1 a.m. Tickets: $250-$750. Go to akronartmuseum.org for tickets and info. - AP

Natural History of Olives

The olive has been a human diet staple since Old Testament times, and continues so today, even though canning and storage of olives only came along in 1901. There are green olives, "queen" olives, manzanillo olives and picholine, and, of course, olive oil, preferably extra-virgin, cold pressed. The language of olive-ology will be spoken at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History (1 Wade Oval) from 6:30-midnight tonight, opening a new season of the Natural History of Food lectures/banquets. Patricia Hajifotiou and Sue Kluchar, owners of the Chagrin Falls-based Olive Orchard, will speak on the 18,000 years of the olive, and local star chef Sergio Abramof will prepare an olive-infused dinner. Cost is $150 per person, though you can purchase passes for all four dinners in the series (upcoming ones cover chocolate, grapes and asparagus) for $500. For reservations call 216.321.1177. Go to cmnh.org for information. - CC

Kidsfair in Akron

There's lots to do and see at the eighth annual Kidsfair at the John S. Knight Convention Center (77 E. Mill St., Akron). For a mere $2 each plus a can of food, adults and kids can enjoy an afternoon (noon-5 p.m.) of games, giveaways, a climbing wall and performances by dancers (ranging from Irish to ballet to hip-hop), actors, storytellers and even a jump-rope team, with plenty of opportunities for participation as well. Go to shawjcc.org for more info. - AP

Isn't this from a smiths video? No, it's from Jules et Jim, at the Cleveland Museum of Art Friday.