BEST BETS Saturday 8/19

all day

Festival

Africa’s impact on South American, Caribbean and Mexican cultures is celebrated at the 15th annual Los Angeles African Marketplace & Cultural Faire. Titled “A Millennial Celebration of the African-Spanish Legacy,” the three-weekend event will feature more than 200 arts and crafts vendors, a children’s village, celebrity games, ethnic foods, a health pavilion and more. Music, dance, drama and poetry will be performed on six stages. An opening parade, a big-band concert and a soccer tournament are among the special events scheduled for Saturday.

* “Los Angeles African Marketplace & Cultural Faire,” Rancho Cienega Park, 5001 Rodeo Road, Los Angeles. Saturday and Sunday; Aug. 26-27; Sept. 2-4. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. $3; seniors and under age 10, $1.50. (213) 847-1540.

10am

Bluegrass

The Kathy Kallick Band and Grassology may not be able to match Britney and the boys from ‘N Sync when it comes to kid appeal, but these two bluegrass brigades will do their best to impress when they team up for “Bluegrass for Kids,” a family oriented show at the John Anson Ford Theatre. Kallick is known for her children’s bluegrass programs. Grassology performs regularly in elementary and middle schools in San Diego County. Some youngsters will be allowed to come up on stage and play guitar with Grassology. The performance by these two bands will be preceded by craft activities for kids starting at 9 a.m.

* “Bluegrass for Kids,” John Anson Ford Theatre, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood. 10 a.m. $7. (323) 461-3673.

2pm

Theater

Culver City Public Theatre presents “The Misanthrope,” Moliere’s comedy about a man who vows to speak only the truth, no matter what the consequences. It’s outdoors in the park, so blankets and low-profile lawn chairs are advisable for seating.

* “The Misanthrope,” Paul Carlson Memorial Park, Motor Avenue and Braddock Drive, Culver City. Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. Ends Sept. 3. Free. (310) 712-5482.

4pm

Theater

Tyne Daly, Wendie Malick, Mariette Hartley other artists will appear in “The Strength of Women,” a “Celebrity Concert Performance” celebrating female poets, politicians and personalities who have fought for equality through the ages.

* “The Strength of Women,” Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga. 4 p.m. $50. (310) 455-3723.

6pm

Street Fair

Various Asian foods and cultures will converge at the annual Asian Night Market at the Santa Monica Airport. The pan-Asian restaurant Typhoon will again be the center of this Asian street-fair-type celebration featuring outdoor food booths. The eatery, located next to the airport’s Runway 21, will offer a variety of dishes from Indonesian chicken and Malaysian lamb to Thai pork satays and Chinese style roast pig. Japanese taiko drummers, Chinese unicycle acrobats, Filipino bamboo dancers and Northern Thai dancers will be among the performers on hand. Jet helicopter rides offering a view of the Santa Monica shoreline and Century City will be offered for an additional charge.

* Asian Night Market at Typhoon, south side of the Santa Monica Airport, 3221 Donald Douglas Loop South, off Airport Avenue, Santa Monica. 6 p.m.-midnight. $38.50; under age 12, half-price; under age 3, free. Beer, wine and alcoholic drinks are extra. (310) 390-6565.

7:30 & 9:30pm

Movies

Shake that pelvis, it’s time for Elvis at the Summer 2000 Film Series at Los Angeles Film School. Elvis Presley Weekend brings together three of the King’s most popular movies. In the pole position, race car driver Presley puts the moves on casino entertainer Ann Margret in “Viva Las Vegas.” Next up, Elvis stars as a jailbird trying to rock his way to the top of the pop world in “Jailhouse Rock.” On Sunday, he shows his mellower side when “Follow That Dream,” about Florida homesteaders, joins the schedule.

* Summer 2000 Film Series, Los Angeles Film School, 6363 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. “Viva Las Vegas,” Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 p.m.; “Jailhouse Rock,” Saturday, 9:30 p.m., and Sunday, 5 p.m.; “Follow That Dream,” Sunday, 2 p.m. $5 to $7. (323) 769-2859.

7:30pm

Music

Mezzo-soprano Kimball Wheeler is the featured soloist when Southwest Chamber Music concludes its summer festival at the Huntington. Music by Copland and Elinor Remick Warren will note the centenaries of both composers; also included will be works by Villa-Lobos, Falla and Poulenc, played by the Southwest musicians.

* Southwest Chamber Music performs in the Main Art Gallery Loggia at the Huntington, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. 7:30 p.m. $30. Also, Sunday at 7:30 p.m. (800) 726-7147.

Freebies

The Pacific Asia Museum hosts the Golden Land of Myanmar, a family event featuring the art and music of that country, formerly called Burma. 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena. 1 to 4 p.m. (626) 449-2742.

Salsa bands Havana Sound and Orquesta La Palabra play at the Huntington Beach Pier. 3 p.m. (714) 374-1657.