John Lithgow has a band?: Pale Imitations Improv at Powerhouse Pub.

Quick Henry, the flit! Okay, nobody's said that insect-related catchphrase in 50 years (ditto "Don't step on it; it may be Lon Chaney") , but today still marks the beginning of Bugging Out!, an insect exposition swarming at the Cleveland Botanical Garden (11030 East Blvd.) through March 30. This tribute to the world of ants, beetles, flies, mantids, spiders and others includes daily mealworm races, beekeepers from the Lorain County-based Jorgensen's Apiary, terrarium workshops, bug arts and crafts, entomologists and more. Different activities take place on different days, so phone for information at 216.721.1600 or go to cbgarden.org. Free with CBG admission: $7.50. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, until 9 p.m. Wednesdays. - Charles Cassady Jr.

Wednesday, March 12

Cleveland Sport, Travel & Outdoor Show

Stung by its past stagings of bear-wrestling, the 75th annual Cleveland Sport, Travel & Outdoor Show returns to the I-X Center today through Sunday. No more bear beat-downs on the published schedule (we hear horse-fights to the death are very big in Asia and the Philippines now, so fans can always glom onto that), with more than 700 exhibits dedicated to the great outdoors - the latest products, info and trends on rods and reels, hunting gear, navigational devices, RVs and vacation/travel info. A Kamper City complex appeals to those who like to rough it, while the Hawg Tank is an 4,000-gallon aquarium on wheels stocked with game fish. The Snakes on a Stage presentation concerns slithery reptiles, both venomous and non-venomous (no, not presidential candidates), and there's a petting zoo, a rock-climbing wall and a strongman competition. Admission: $10.50 adults, $5 ages 6- 12, under 5 and uniformed scouts free. Hours: noon-9 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. For info go to sportandtravel.com/cleveland or call 216.529.1300. - CC

Thursday, March 13

Automobiles as a Lifestyle

There is nothing sexier than an old car: the lines, the craftsmanship of the heavy steel, the rumble of the engine. The Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum (10825 East Blvd.) is devoted to just that. Automobiles from the early 1900s to the 1960s are on display in its collection. Remember the old auto ads from the 1900s when automobiles were just starting to become mainstream? Those vintage ads are in the museum's archives library with its breathtaking marquee collection. The Crawford Auto Museum is offering an exciting concept: six afternoons or nights with unhindered access to the collection with its top-shelf curatorial staff and professional artists to help you turn your memories of your first car or the family vacation wagon into a sketch, drawing or an illustration. (Poem or story optional.) Billed as an unique event for older adults, participants will have the opportunity to participate in a six-week creative arts program for $60, materials and supplies provided. Every Thursday, beginning today, at 12:30-2:30 p.m. or 2:30-4:30 p.m., participants will have special access to all of the above...although I don't know where it says that only old people can have fun. If you're into old cars and American nostalgia, get yourself there. Call 216.721.5722, ext. 320 for info. - Jara Anton

ACLU county tour

The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio is going on tour in support of its core mission: defending the US Constitution. Never mind the far-right attacks painting it as some evil, radical, commie group; in fact, it's truly conservative in that it aims to conserve our guaranteed civil liberties. It's taking its message to Cuyahoga County libraries over the next several months, starting at 7:30 tonight at the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Library (2345 Lee Rd.), followed by programs at Solon, Brooklyn, Warrensville, Parma, North Olmsted and Rocky River libraries through June 26, all free. Call 216.472.2200 or e-mail contact@acluohio.org for info or full schedule. - Anastasia Pantsios

Katt Williams

Comic Katt Williams is on the verge of jumping to the echelon where his heroes, Dave Chappelle, Redd Foxx and George Carlin, reside. The 5'5" Williams plays a pimp in the Eddie Murphy vehicle Norbit and an eccentric choir conductor in First Sunday. His HBO special, Pimp Chronicles Pt. 1, scored raves. He has a disc, It's Pimpin' Pimpin', also the title of his current tour. "I'm a fly dude," Williams says. "I'm trying to be the greatest comic of my time." The former carnival-game operator, who ran away from home at 13, is a meticulous humorist. "I'm all about the details when it comes to comedy," Williams says. "I'm always prepared. Less than four percent of my material is improv. People think they want improv, but they don't. People pay good money to see a show and improv isn't guaranteeable. If there's a comic that's the best at improv, he still can't beat me because my stuff is prepared." The single father of eight children, seven adopted, is a gritty, raw comic, reminiscent of Richard Pryor. "I think society needs to hear the truth no matter how brutal it might be," Williams says. "As a comedian, I say a lot of things that other people are afraid to say. They might think it but they don't say it." Williams loves the fact that he's known as the Pimpin' Comic. "It's cool but I got to set it straight for those who don't know what it's all about," he says. "Pimpin' is about having a mentality that allows you to get paid off of things that are not necessarily from the sweat of your brow. I pimp situations and scenarios, not women. Everyone should pimp life. That is how you make it in this society." The show starts at 8 p.m. at the Wolstein Center (2000 Prospect Ave., 215.687.5555). Tickets: $47.50-$63. - Ed Condran

Pale Imitations Improv

Death from above: OK, not really, but it would make Buzzard Sunday more exciting.

The Improv Showcase series at the Powerhouse Pub (2000 Sycamore St., West Bank of the Flats) moves into its second month, bringing some new faces to town: Columbus' Pale Imitations ensemble. The series gives Clevelanders a chance to check out regional improv talent for free with showcases on the second and third Thursdays of the month. So the group will be performing from 8-9:30 this week and next (March 20). Doors at 7 p.m. Go to paleimitationsimprov.com for more info. - AP

Friday, March 14

Art & Ale

Now that it's got a spacious, snazzy new building, the Akron Art Museum (1 S. High St.) is starting to have more of the sort of social events we see at the Clevland Museum of Art. For instance, tonight's Art and Ale beer-tasting party from 7-10 gives revelers a chance to taste boutique beers and ale, enjoy food from Jazzman's Café, collect beer recipes and tour the museum's galleries with knowledgeable docents. The galleries are open until 9. Call 330.376.9186 ext. 225 for reservations or just drop in. Tickets: $20 members, $25 non-members. - AP

Auto-Rama

It's Auto-Rama time again, gear heads!! The 42nd annual Federated Parts Auto-Rama at the I-X Center will be showcasing the finest custom rides in North America: one-of-a- kind hot/street rods, customs, collectables, tuners, race cars, antique motorcycles and restorations, with hundreds of chopped/channeled and repainted vehicles. "Mater" from Disney/Pixar Studio's Cars, the 1975 "Sleeper Car" from Woody Allen's classic Sleeper, and McFly's Delorean from Back to the Future will be in attendance, as will "Flashback," a dazzling tribute to Vietnam veterans, "Big Foot" monster truck (yes, monster truck!) and Darryl Gwynn's "New York" dragster. Don't like cars but you're being dragged by your dad or boyfriend? The US Army-sponsored Action Area Ball of Steel Stunt Team shows off its motorcycle daredevil routine, and the Creative Sports Stunt Team rounds out the entertainment with its insane BMX maneuvers. The celebrity list is impressive, too, including Jason Earles from the Hannah Montana show, King of Customizers George Barris, math teacher-turned-Ultimate Fighting Championship Mixed Martial Arts Champion Rich Franklin and Spider-Man. Hours: 3-10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m-10 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Admission: $14 adults, $5 kids under 12, free under 4. - JA

Saturday, March 15

Jump Back Ball

Playhouse Square Partners' biggest annual benefit event, the Jump Back Ball, features the usual array of attractions: food, drink, music, raffles and auctions. But it always ties its activities together with a theme that encourages guests to come in costume. This year's event is dubbed Rome If You Want To, and attendees are invited to come in togas (or black tie, if they're less daring). It takes place from 7:30 p.m.-1 a.m. (VIP reception at 6:30) at the State Theatre. Call 216.348.5265 for info. - AP

Return of the Buzzards

See those carrion circling above Northern Ohio? Maybe it has something to do with massive home foreclosures and recession - or maybe it's just the annual Hinckley Buzzard Day celebration. The March 15 return of the avians to Medina County is a Saturday; thus the handful of you still with jobs don't even have to call off work to start the buzzard watch in the company of longtime spotter Dr. Bob Hinkle at 7 a.m. at Buzzard Roost in the Hinckley Cleveland Metroparks Reservation. Too early? That same day, the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center in the Huntington Reservation in Bay Village has a 3 p.m. presentation on the turkey vulture, with naturalist Dave Wolf introducing a live specimen, "Vern," and discussing the habits of these much-misunderstood animals. Back in Hinckley, official Buzzard Sunday happens from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. tomorrow at Buzzard Roost (at the corner of State and West in Hinckley) with storytelling, singing, refreshments, vendors, guided hikes and live-animal programs. It's free. For info call 216.635.3200. - CC