by Amy Crocker

MUSIC: El Vez, the self-proclaimed Mexican Elvis, stops at the The Independent tonight on his ¡Viva Christmas! tour. And you thought you'd have to fly to Vegas for a good Elvis pun. Known for hysterical between song banter, El Vez's gimmicks often get more attention than his music. But with a mix of original songs, holiday covers and, yep, Elvis, you'll probably hear something you like. He plays with Los Straightjackets and The Lovely Elvettes.

8 p.m. // The Independent // $20

DANCE: The pirouettes have an extra twist in The Hard Nut, Mark Morris Dance Group's spoof on The Nutcracker. At a ticket price of $62, you may think why don't I just see the real thing? Well, you should do that too. But the The Hard Nut is a holiday tradition in its own right. Since 1991, it has proven that ballet can be funny. On purpose. That's no small feat.

7 p.m. // Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley Campus // $62

FOOD: Now that farmer's markets are so popular, it's like they aren't even cool anymore. Might as well serve pre-washed iceberg lettuce, right? But wait, there's hope! Tonight's Underground Farmer's Market features some vendors that even aren't using commercial kitchens - they're that independent. This event is put on by forageSF, an organization whose goal is to connect bay area folk to local food. There will also be music.

5 - 11p.m. // 2755 Bryant Street // Free