Raleigh
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl

N.C. Museum of ArtGrowing up, I was a huge devotee of the American Girl series. I read the books multiple times and owned one of the dolls. The Kit character appeared after I had outgrown the series, but it’s been impossible for a one-time devotee like me to avoid keeping up with her many activities, including two recently released video games. After TV movies featuring Samantha, Felicity and Molly, Kit Kittredge has the distinction of being the first American Girl theatrical release. In addition to starring the perennially cute Abigail Breslin, the movie also boasts actors of surprising distinction, including Jane Krakowski of 30 Rock, Wallace Shawn and Stanley Tucci.

The outdoor screening is the capper to Family Fun Night, which starts at 7 p.m. with activities geared toward the American Girl dolls, including a Kit look-alike contest. The film starts at 9 p.m., and tickets are $3. For more information, visit www.ncartmuseum.org. Sarah Ewald

Carrboro
The Cosmopolitans, Mitch Easter, Don Dixon

Cat’s CradleIt’s hard to top veteran North Carolina music journalist Parke Puterbaugh’s description of the Cosmopolitans in the liner notes to the Cosmos’ comp, WiLd MoOsE PaRTy: New Wave Pom Pom Girls Gone Go-Go NYC 1980-1981: “If the Kingsmen had been Queens, if the Swingin’ Medallions had been sorority sisters instead of frat boys, and if all of them had a schooled background in modern dance, then you might have some idea of the devilishly unique space the Cosmopolitans occupied.”

Band founder Jamie K. Sims grew up in Asheville, and the Cosmopolitans were at least partially rooted in the progressive dance troupe that Sims formed at UNC-Chapel Hill and a music composition class co-starring future dB Chris Stamey before reaching full, ironic flower after Sims moved to New York City in the late ’70s. Inspired in equal parts by the anything-goes scenes at CBGB’s and Max’s, ’60s exercise guru Debbie Drake’s How to Keep Your Husband Happy LP and her own love of music and choreography, the Cosmopolitans were born. Familiar N.C. names pop up in the Cosmopolitans’ storyDon Dixon, Mitch Easter, Peter Holsapple, Will Rigby and Ted Lyons, in addition to Stameyand those first two will be on hand when Sims and company perform for the first time in close to three decades. The reunion starts at 8 p.m., and tickets are $15. Rick Cornell

Raleigh
Daniel Silva

Quail Ridge Books and MusicBest-selling author Daniel Silva describes his most popular protagonist, Gabriel Allon, as “a man of honor.” In the character’s ninth installment, The Defector, which takes place six months after Moscow Rules, Gabriel, art restorer-turned-Israeli assassin, faces the deadly repercussions of his last mission and must find the Russian defector of the title. Did he return to Russia? Did an arms dealer kidnap him? So begins Silva’s action-packed plot.

Silva, a former journalist for United Press International, began writing full-time in 1997 after the success of his first novel, The Unlikely Spy. Inspiration for his works, Silva claims, comes from real events, such as the 2006 poisoning, with polonium-210, of Alexander Litvinenko, a defector and dissident of the Russian Federal Security Service, known as FSB.

Silva admits to a ready supply of inspiration, living as he does in Washington, D.C.: “Some of my best friends are spies.” Churning out a book a year, Silva has only six months to research and provide a first draft. Nonetheless, he has received numerous film offers. Even though the rights are still in negotiation, when asked whom he would want to play his beloved character Gabriel, only one actor came to mind: Daniel Day-Lewis. Considering that Day-Lewis appears in films with the frequency and deliberation of Radiohead’s album releases, with similarly consistent acclaim, Silva will have hit the jackpot if he lands him.

Silva will sign appear at Quail Ridge at 3 p.m. For more information, visit www.quailridgebooks.com. Belem Destefani

Cary
“Bark in the Park”/ Carolina RailHawks vs. Austin Aztex

WakeMed Soccer ParkIf you haven’t ventured to Cary to see the RailHawks, our local pro soccer team, tonight’s game is not only an opportunity for you and your family to see high-quality play, but for your dog, as well. It’s “Bark in the Park” night at WakeMed, which means that yes, you may bring your dog to the game. Representatives of Second Chance Pet Adoption will be present, and the American Kennel Club will provide the halftime entertainment.

On the field, the RailHawks will be favored against the Austin Aztex, who’ve troubled few teams this season. However, the ‘Hawks, who sit in fourth place behind a three-way tie for first, enter the game with a handicap: Amir Lowery and Daniel Paladini, two-thirds of their crack midfield, will miss the game due to an accumulation of yellow cards. On the plus side, look for Gregory Richardson on the wing: The Guyana native recently signed with the squad and has scored four goals in two starts, including a hat trick last Sunday against Miami.

Above all, bring your dogs, though we confess to hoping that a dog escapes onto the field during play. Dog passes are $3 and their owners receive ticket discounts. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. For more info, visit www.carolinarailhawks.com. David Fellerath