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In Jerusalem, Purim time means party time. The Jewish version of (or precursor to) Carnivale (or Halloween), Purim celebrates salvation from genocide at the hands of Persian overlords some 2,500 years ago. And by celebrate, we do mean celebrate. The dress-up holiday comes complete with a religiously sanctioned imperative to get crazy ad lo yada, or until you don't know the difference between the Jewish hero Mordechai and the evil Haman.

So even though Saturday night is already a festive night every week, the added bonus of the holiday should make it that much wilder. Plus because of some interesting scheduling, the holiday spirit will actually last from tonight, when the pre-holiday fast ends, until Monday night (At least in Jerusalem, where the holiday is officially celebrated a day later), creating a whole long weekend of revelry. And lest you forget, the city is still chock-full of non-Purim related culture events happening this week, as every week. Here are our top picks.

• Tonight, music lovers will have a choice between old and new. If it's the classics you prefer, singer-songwriter Yehuda Poliker, whose Greek-inspired rock has made Israelis go bazouki since the 1980s, will take the stage at the Jerusalem Theatre. For those who prefer their music fresh, newly-minted pop star Marina Maxmilian Blumin will play the Yellow Submarine.

• On Friday, get into the Purim spirit early with a musical masquerade ball and tour at the Tower of David Museum. The program says a costume is optional, but do you really want to be that guy who shows up dressed up as himself?

• What does Purim have to do with tribal African beats? Beats us. But you can find out by heading to the Yellow Submarine Saturday night for a Purim party with just that.

• Sunday night will be one for the ages. Bezalel Art Academy and the Hebrew University student union, both renowned for throwing great soirees, have joined forces, or rather are facing off against each other, at the Jerusalem Theater to see who can throw the most kickingest, awesomest, craziest Purim party this city has ever seen. The winner, of course, will be anybody that decides to go to the event.

• Believe it or not, the Purim festivities will still be going strong come Monday. Once you've got over whatever shenanigans you got into the night before, it will be time to let the kiddies in on the fun. Purim events at the Train Theater, Jerusalem Theatre, Binyanei Hauma, Tower of David, Malcha Mall, Mamilla mall and the Bloomfield Science Museum should have you covered.

• On Tuesday, come down from all the craziness with a nice, calm night of classical music courtesy of the Camery Orchestra at the Jerusalem Theatre.

• It's clear what you should be doing on Wednesday, heading to the Jerusalem House of Quality for their new exhibit Transparent, featuring dozens of glass works of art.

Think that's the whole Megillah? Wrong. We've got more events at our full events page than you can shake a grogger at. Get to it.