Baltimore arts briefs: Aug. 17

Last year’s Baltimore Fashion Week with a design from SSK Fashion. (Photo by Mikael Aaron; courtesy BFW)

Local designers showcased at Baltimore Fashion Week

The fifth annual Baltimore Fashion Week launches today and will be held through Sunday at the Pikesville Hilton (1726 Reistertown Road, Baltimore).

Runway events begin at 8 p.m. tonight, and at 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Local high fashion designers will showcase their talents during the events and guests can meet them with the purchase of a VIP ticket.

The Baltimore Fashion Week launch party is on Sunday night at 8 at the National Aquarium (500 East Pratt St., Baltimore). Tickets are $50 and there will be cash prizes for the best-dressed guests.

Tickets to all of the Baltimore Fashion Week events can be purchased at baltimore-fashionweek.com. Prices range from $40-65 for each runway event or $100-175 for a pass to all three events.

Cirque du Soleil comes to Baltimore

Cirque du Soleil’s “Dralion” show opens at the First Mariner Arena (201 West Baltimore St., Baltimore) on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Performances will be held through Aug. 26.

“Dralion,” directed by Guy Caron, fuses 3,000-year-old Chinese acrobatics with the signature circus arts of the Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil entertainment company.

In the show, the four natural elements — fire, water, air and earth — take on human forms and are each represented by their own distinct color.

Tickets range from $40-165 and can be purchased at cirquedusoleil.com.

‘Romy and Michele’ screens at Club Hippo

“Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion,” a comedy starring Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino, screens on Tuesday night from 8 p.m.-12:30 a.m. at Club Hippo (1 West Eager St., Baltimore).

The screening is part of Club Hippo’s “Showtune Video Madness: The Best of Hollywood and Broadway Shows” series.

“Romy and Michele” is about two airheaded 28-year-old women from Los Angeles who invent fake careers to impress their former classmates at their high school reunion in Tuscon.

For more information, visit clubhippo.com.

Grand Central presents ‘hump’ party

Grand Central Nightclub (1001 North Charles St., Baltimore) hosts its weekly “hump” party on Wednesday night from 9 p.m.-2 a.m following a 4-8 p.m. happy hour.

“hump” is Baltimore’s only weekly dance party that features electropop, alternative and Indie dance music. DJ Arturo spins each week and a cheap drink special is served.

Admission is free. For more details, visit centralstationpub.com or the “hump” event on Facebook.