Embrace Your Inner Lithead

Discover local literary stars on the rise at the third annual Chicago Book Expo. Don’t miss the hilarious memoirist Rachel DeWoskin, who is giving a talk about her book Foreign Babes in Beijing, currently being adapted for HBO. December 6 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free. Columbia College Chicago, 1104 S. Wabash Ave.

Trace an Icon’s Footsteps

The Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a bus tour led by the venerable Chicago historian and activist Timuel Black, focuses on the history of South Side spots important to the civil rights movement. January 17 at 1 p.m. $90. Leaves from the University of Chicago. grahamschool.uchicago.edu

Dwell on the Fringe

Want to find the next theater sleeper hit? Check out Rhinofest, where terrific new works from Neo-Futurist Greg Allen, fest founder Beau O’Reilly, and dozens more will be in rotation. January 16 to March 1. $12–$15. Prop Theatre.

Binge on B Movies

Billed as a live and participatory Mystery Science Theater 3000, the annual 24-hour movie marathon B-Fest offers the finest in cinematic schlock. January 23 to 24. $35. Norris University Center