Photo by furcafe.

THEATER: This year’s Fall Fringe Festival kicks off tonight with an Opening Night fallFRINGE Benefit Party at Fort Fringe, The Shop (607 New York Avenue NW), and continues, with theatre and musical performances, through November 20. 8 p.m. – 1 a.m. Advance tickets are $20 and include two additional free tickets, night-of tickets are $25.

BEER: Learn about the Beers of Germany at the Washington Wine Academy/DC School of Beer’s (1201 South Eads Street Suite 400, Arlington) beer class tonight. This is the first of two classes, and will feature seven beers from Northern and Western Germany. The second class will take place on November 8th, and will showcase Southern Germany’s beers. 7:15-9:30 p.m. $48.

MUSIC: Nineties rockers the Meat Puppets play the Rock and Roll Hotel (1353 H Street NE) with Dex Romweber Duo. 8 p.m. $14 in advance, $16 doors.

>> Plus, check out the Weekly Music Agenda for lots of other options tonight.

MAGIC: Hungarian magician Gábor Holcz mixes magic with theater and music on the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage (2700 F Street NW) tonight. 6 p.m. Free.

COMEDY: Carlos Mencia performs stand up at DC Improv (1140 Connecticut Ave NW). 8 p.m. Tickets: $35.

MOVIES: AFI Silver Theatre’s (8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring) Film Noir Festival continues tonight with three options: The Dark Mirror at 5 p.m., Beware, My Lovely at 7 p.m., and My Name is Julia Ross at 8:45 p.m. $8.50 for the first film (mantinee) and $11 for the other two.

TALK: Harvard professor Charles J. Ogletree, who founded the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice, discusses the recent execution of Troy Davis at Busboys and Poets (2021 14th Street NW). 6 p.m. Free.

BENEFIT: The Up from Under Benefit at Longview Gallery (1234 9th Street NW) will raise money to build homes for those displaced by the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. A number of area chefs, including Bryan Voltaggio and Mike Isabella, will be serving up food, and Eric Hilton from Thievery Corporation and John Thornley from US Royalty will be providing the music. 7-10 p.m. $125.