Free and easy: Dickens turns 200, adopt a cat! You might not find a Persian cat like this one at this weekend's cat adoption event, but there are sure to be other cute, fuzzy creatures free for the petting. (YVES HERMAN - REUTERS) Free this week: celebrate Dickens's 200th birthday and play with irresistible cats up for adoption. Monday Mutts Gone Nuts The comedy duo of Jessie and James are joined on Millennium Stage by their six dogs for a family-friendly show in which the canines perform everything from stunts to dancing and "talking." Charles Dickens and the Street Children of London Just in time for the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens's birthday, author Andrea Warren will read from and discuss her new book, "Charles Dickens and the Street Children of London," about Dickens's experiences as a factory worker in his youth. For ages 10 to 12. Le Mystere Picasso See the legendary artist Pablo Picasso at work in this 1956 french film by Henri-Georges Clouzot. Courtyard Cinema Classics: "Modern Times" In the glass-covered Kogod Courtyard you can watch the classic 1936 film written, directed by and starring the iconic Charlie Chaplin. Nakatani Gong Orchestra Percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani leads an ensemble performance with an unlikely instrument in the spotlight: the gong. Saturday The Health Benefits of Chocolate Catherine Kwik-Uribe discusses the historical uses of cacao and research that points to cardiovascular health benefits of chocolate. Part of the Power of Chocolate Festival at the National Museum for the American Indian. Sunday Catapalooza 2012 At this open house, there will be more than 50 cats available for adoption for just $2 each. You also can enjoy refreshments, and kids can make Valentine's Day cards. All of the cats have been spayed or neutered, vaccinated and examined by a vet.