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Five things to do in Chicago, from the obvious to the absurd.

Thursday Sep 17, 2009.     By Centerstage Chicago Staff

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Lucha Va Voom
8:30 p.m. Friday at Congress Theater, $25-$60
If you like your Mexican midget wrestling with a splash of skin (and who doesn't?) this event is for you. Top-ranked luchadoritos battle it out in the ring while scantily clad burlesque dancers provide entertainment between matches. Now that's what we call entertainment.

Berghoff Oktoberfest
11 a.m.-9 p.m. through Friday at Federal Plaza (Adams & Dearborn), free
Get the polka party started with plenty of music, brats and Berghoff beer (and root beer). The Johnny Wagner Band kicks things off each day around noon with traditional polka music, followed by headlining acts Maggie Speaks (Friday), Sixteen Candles (Saturday) and Modern Day Romeos (Sunday). There are also raffles, Berghoff CEO Carolyn Berghoff signing copies of her restaurant's cookbook and the famed Märzen-style Berghoff Oktoberfest beer.

Landshark Lager Oyster Fest
11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday at Damen and Roscoe There's no better way to usher out summer than with oysters and beer, and there will be plenty of both at this fest's new Roscoe Village location. A quality music lineup features the requisite block party bands (Hello Dave, Trippin Billies), semi-stars Marcy Playground and the Von Bondies, followed by headliner Soul Asylum at 8:30.

Musky Fest
11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Saturday at Will's Northwoods Inn, free
Who will be this year's Musky Queen? You'll have to head to Will's to find out. WXRT's Lin Brehmer hosts this tribute to the musky - a Great Lakes fish similar to a pike, for those who aren't in the know. The all-day fest features two stages of live music, Leinenkugels beer (Dick Leinenkugel is the Grand Marshall) and the crowning of the best guest bartender, aka the Musky Queen, at 10 p.m.

BLK JKS, Fool's Gold
9 p.m. Sunday at Bottom Lounge, $12
You can't go wrong at any of the week-long World Music Festival's acts, but if you're looking for a way to ease into the new sounds while still staying true to your inner American, this show should be your first foray. Fool's Gold's grooves are rooted in African and Middle Eastern rhythms (guitar-centric, not horn-heavy) but add plenty of Western pop styles (they're based in L.A.) to keep things from getting too, you know, weird. Meanwhile, South African band BLK JKS offers a sound densely packed with influences ranging from psychedelic rock and dub to jazz and funk. Read more about the entire festival here.

Just missed the cut: Naperville Wine Festival, Taste of Downers Grove, Bruce Springsteen (Sunday at United Center), Englewood Jazz Festival, Harvest Jam '09