Party over here:

OK, shameless self-promotion time:

Join Creative Loafing and The Sol Kitchen tonight at Apostrophe Lounge for another edition of POP LIFE, Charlotte's most eclectic nightlife event. Hey, the holidays are over, time to get back to your regular grind at work — and your regular nightlife fix at Pop Life.

This week, we're joined by the ladies of Pinkies Up Productions for a dope evening of great drinks, off-the-wall classic movies on the big screen, a cool crowd to mingle with and the best blend of music in the city. Where else you gonna hear Donna Hathaway one minute, Fela Kuti Afro-beat the next, a cut from a Tribe Called Quest, then some Sergio Mendes bossa nova? Here's your answer: only at Pop Life.

Oh yeah, and as always it's freakin' free.

Bring your booty. 6 p.m.-until. Apostrophe Lounge, 1440 S. Tryon (across from Amos' Southend).

If you're one of the lucky ones who don't have to spend their Wednesday evening prepping the turkey for Thanksgiving, and you're looking for an excuse to be out of the house to avoid being asked to help out, here are some pre-Thanksgiving bashes around town you might want to hit up. Let us give thanks.

• The first annual Epicentre Turkey Trot. Four bars (Whisky River, BlackFinn, Suite and Howl At The Moon) for one price: $10!

• Your favorite '80s club Breakfast Club brings you the Boombox Pre-Thanksgiving Party. Drink specials on Bug Lighs and select Jager bombs. $5 for ladies 18 and up, $7 for guys 21 and up. 225 Caldwell St. 704-374-1982

• The Wax Gurus perform at Cavemans Bar & Billiards. No cover. $2 Jell-O shots, $1.50 Coors Light, $1.50 Bud Select and $1.50 Shock Top Draft. 9229-15 Lawyers Road, Mint Hill. 704-573-1773

• 4th Annual Turkey Bowl Bash at Buckhead Saloon, with live music. Check out the Turkey Toss Cornhole Tourney, with $200 cash for 1st place prize. $5 Red Bull drinks, $5 liquor drinks and $2 select domestic bottles. 201 E. 5th St. 704-307-0687.

• Thanksgiving Eve Bash at HOM. Featured DJ is DJ Johnnie, spinning soulful house music. 116 W. 5th St. 704-375-3737.

• Boardwalk Billy's Annual Turkey Bowling. The winner of Turkey Bowling will receive a Titan Football Helemet Grill. The bowling begins at 10 p.m. $1 Domestic Draft Mugs, $5 Domestic Draft Pitchers, $2 Bud Light, $2.50 Newcastle Draft Mugs, $3 Washington Apple shots. 9005-2 JM Keynes Blvd. 704-503-7427.

• Pre-Thanksgiving Party at Rusty Rudder. Live karaoke. $2 Domestic bottles, $5 Firefly Vodka, $1.50 Coors Light Draft, $1 PBR Light. 20210 Henderson Road, Cornelius. 704-892-9195.

• Thanksgiving Eve Party at The Sunset Club. DJ Rwonz spinning house and top 40. Drink specials. 1820 South Blvd. 704-373-2800.

• Official Latina Thanksgiving Party at Alley Cat. $10 cover and 18 and up. 314 N. College St. 704-375-2779

What are you doing Friday night?

Might I suggest attending this ...

Fashion Friday at K.I.S.S. Lounge (on the corner of Woodlawn and Tryon)

L.A. East boutique is having a fashion show -slash- shindig for which Power 98's Consuella and I will be hosting.

But more importantly, L.A. East is giving something away every 30 minutes ... all night long. Those are very good odds for winning free shit. And by shit I mean free fashion. That, and there will be live performances, models, and if you're lucky, Consuella might even do a little turn on the catwalk. Meow.

The flyer advertising the last bash says it so poignantly: "Last chance to throw down before we shut down."

Head out to Grand Central (101 N. Tryon St.) tonight to party for the last time at the five-year-old establishment. Drink specials include $1 beers, $2 well drinks and $3 flavored vodka drinks.

If you are low on cash, there are a lot of opportunities coming up to get some cold, hard cash.

There are thousands of dollars to win at Halloween costume contest parties. So, here's where to party and flaunt your costume this Halloween week:

Saints and Sinners Ball

Location: The Forum

Date: Saturday, Oct. 25

Features: $1,000 costume contests

Grave Diggers Ball

Location: Dixie's Tavern

Date: Saturday, Oct. 25

Features: Live performance by Katy Perry and $1,500 costume contests

Fang Bangers Bash

Location: Alley Cat

Date: Saturday, Oct. 25

Features: Costume prizes include game tix and plasma TVs. Live music with Crashbox and featuring DJ Tech Support

THRILLER

Location: The Forum

Date: Wednesday, Oct. 29

Features: $250 prize for best girls and best guys costume

Immortals Ball

Location: Suite

Date: Friday, Oct. 31

Features: $1,000 in costume contests

Monster Cash Costume Bash

Location: Whisky River

Date: Friday, Oct. 31

Features: $2,250 in costume contests

Heros & Villians, Ball II

Location: The Forum

Date: Friday, Oct. 31

Features: $1,000 costume contest and DJ Spider

Halloween Bash

Location: Cavemans Bar & Billiards

Date: Friday, Oct. 31

Features: $600 costume contests and The Wax Gurus

Midnight in the Garden

Location: Garden & Gun Club

Date: Friday, Oct. 31

Features: $500 costume contest and DJ Jesse Saunders

Ghostly, Ghouley Costume Competition

Location: Coyote Joe's

Date: Friday, Oct. 31

Features: $1,250 costume contest and beverage specials

Halloween Night Costume Party

Location: Morehead Street Tavern

Date: Friday, Oct. 31

Features: $350 in costume prizes, no cover charge

Halloween After Party

Location: Uptown Caberet

Date: Friday, Oct. 31

Features: $1,000 costume contest at 2 am.

Jeez, it's been a long week. Gas prices are down, but then so are worldwide stocks.

And now it's Friday: If you've still got a job, go out and celebrate at one of these events tonight. And if you've been laid off recently ... well, we'll understand if you decide to kick it at home instead.

• 3rd Annual Uptown Magazine Sexy Auction: Uptown Magazine has announced its picks for the 6 sexiest citizens in Charlotte. They'll be at HOM tonight from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. for an auction that benefits the Make A Wish Foundation.

• From the folks who bring you the freaky fetish show Purgatory, check out Synthesis: The Final One, with DJs Onesiktrik, Koji and Mistress Krikett. Prevue in NoDa.

• After Work Rendezvous at The Grape @ SouthPark. 6 p.m.- 9 p.m. No cover.

• Sotac Magazine’s soiree L’art e Vita at Apostrophe Lounge. Celebrating art, style and culture, with DJ That Guy Smitty. 9 p.m.

Being a celebutante is hard work. Traveling to new cities, schmoozing with other celebrities, getting paid just to appear at clubs: It’s damn near exhausting.

But, alas, much like being a sanitation worker, someone’s gotta do it.

Celebutante Kourtney Kardashian, sister of Kim Kardashian and star of E! channel’s Keeping Up With the Kardashians, will visit Charlotte to host a party at Suite in the Epicentre entertainment complex Friday night.

Creative Loafing managed to steal a few moments out of Kourtney’s busy day to chat about her plans in Charlotte, the show and who she’s supporting in the upcoming election.

Kourtney Kardashian: I am at my store [Dash, a clothing boutique] in Calabasas [California].

Have you ever been to Charlotte before?

I haven’t. I’m excited to go. I’ve been to South Carolina to visit a friend, but I know that is completely different.

So, what's your drink of choice?

I've always stuck with beer at bars and concerts - it's cheaper than liquor.

It always amazes me how much Red Bull people drink. I've never tasted carbonated urine, but I'm guessing that's a pretty close second in flavor to Red Bull. People consume the energy drink with vodka, via jaeger-bombs... with just about anything they have behind the bar.

Now, there's a study that says drinking even one Red Bull may cause heart damage. Is drinking that horrid concoction worth the risk?