Holiday Happenings

Carols at Noon Dec 26, 12-1pm Tue. Enjoy an hour of Christmas carols performed on the pipe organ by Mark Gifford. Free. markgiffordconcerts.com. 523- 8609. Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 815 S. Sixth St., 522-3342.

Gingerbread Workshop Dec 22-23, 10am-12pm, 1-3pm. Make a gingerbread creation, no baking involved. Preregistration. $15 members, $20 non. Children’s Museum of Illinois, 55 South Country Club Road, 423-KIDS.

Happy Noon Year Dec 31, 10am-2pm Sun. Confetti balloon-drop at noon plus music, crafts and fun. $6 members, $8 non. Children’s Museum of Illinois, 55 South Country Club Road, 423-KIDS.

Holiday Camps Dec 22-24, 26-31, Jan 2, 7:30am- 5:30pm. A winter break daycare solution for anyone with or without a disability, ages 5-25. No camp Dec 25 or Jan 1. $20 per day residents, $25 per day non. springfi eldparks.org. Erin’s Pavilion, Southwind Park, 4965 S. Second St., 753-0702.

Holiday Interfaith Breakfast Dec 25, 8:30am-12pm Mon. 14th annual event. $7 adults, $1 children under 12. Temple B’rith Sholom, 1004 S. Fourth St., 525-1360.

Holidays at the White House Dec 21-Jan 7. Exhibition depicts how past presidents and their loved ones enjoyed the holidays in the White House. On display through Jan 7. illinois.gov. 558-8844. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, 212 N. Sixth St., 782-5764.

Kwanzaa Celebration Dec 26-30, 12-4pm Tue-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat. Weeklong celebration honoring African heritage in African American culture. spiaahm.org. 391-6323. African-American History Museum, 1440 Monument Ave., 877- 757-2246.

New Year’s Eve Bash Dec 31, 8pm-2am Sun. Featuring games, food, drinks, live music and more. Ages 21+ only. $50 per person. rt66hotel.com. Route 66 Hotel & Conference Center, 625 E. Saint Joseph St., 529-6626.

New Year’s Eve Event Dec 31, 6pm Sun. 1970s-themed party features a costume contest, dueling pianos, prime rib meal and more. Firefi ghters-Postal Lake Club, 940 W. Lake Shore Dr., 622-0099.

Nightmare Before Christmas Spooktacular 2 Dec 23, 2-6pm. Featuring live photos with Jack Skellington and Sally, ornament painting, refreshments and more. Free. Unique Enchantments Salon and Gift Shoppe, 1315 Stevenson Dr., 414-6552.

Photos with Santa Dec 21-22, 5-8pm Thu-Fri. Meet and have photos taken with Santa. Free admission. No charge for photos taken with own camera; $5 for souvenir photo. springfi eldparks.org. Robin Roberts Stadium, 1415 N. Grand Ave. E., 753-0700.

Santa’s House Dec 21-24. Hours vary. Photos with Santa for children ages 10 and under. BYO camera. Santa line is outside; dress warmly. Free. Jacksonville Square, 200 E. State, Jacksonville.

Vintage Carriage Rides Dec 26, 29-30, 5-8pm Tue, 5-8pm Fri-Sat. Enjoy a charming ride for 4-6 people in a horsedrawn carriage, decorated for the holiday season. Reservations required. $60 per 30-minute ride. redgatefarmllc.com. 501- 4234. Washington Park, 1501 S. Grand Ave. W., 544-1751.

Winterland Holiday Zoo Lights Dec 21-23, 26-30, 5-9pm Thu- Sat, 5-9pm Tue-Sat. Enjoy a walking tour set to Cool 93.9 holiday music, thousands of twinkling lights, animated LED light displays and more. $7 adults, $5 ages 3-12, free to ages 2 and under. springfi eldparks.org. Henson Robinson Zoo, 1100 E. Lake Shore Dr., 585-1821.

Fairs & Festivals

First Night Springfield Dec 31, 1-4pm, 5-11:15pm. Complimentary afternoon activities for kids at Springfi eld High School. Ticketed shows feature evening music, dance and more at various downtown locations at night. Admission. springfi eldartsco.org. 753-3519. Hoogland Center for the Arts and various downtown locations. 420 S. Sixth St., 523-2787.

Books & Authors

Third Thursday Reading Series Dec 21, 6-8pm Thu. Open mic followed by teen writers Tori Fry, Joe Mitchell, Kaylee Mitts and Alec Timm. Free. twelvewinters. com. Sherman Public Library, 2100 E. Andrew Road, Sherman, 496-2496.

Theater & Comedy

Comedian Christine Stedman Dec 22-23, 9:30pm Fri-Sat, 7:30pm Sat. Voted “Funniest Mom” by Nickelodeon. $14, $16. donniebs.com. Donnie B’s Comedy Club, 3455 Freedom Dr., 391-JOKE.

Comedian Dr. Gonzo Dec 22-23, 8-9:45pm Fri-Sat. Has headlined comedy clubs and opened for major rock ‘n’ roll acts until his semi-retirement in 1999. $15. mclimits.com. Mason City Limits Comedy Club, 114 E.Chestnut, Mason City, 482-5233.

Comedian Josh Alton Dec 30-31, 8-9:45pm Sat-Sun. Athlete-turned-comedian Josh Alton. Has been featured in Road Dogs, American Smartass and more. $12.50. mclimits.com. Mason City Limits Comedy Club, 114 E. Chestnut, Mason City, 482-5233.

Sister’s Christmas Catechism Dec 22, 7pm Fri. Sequel to Late Nite Catechism. $26-30. hcfta. org. Hoogland Center for the Arts, 420 S. Sixth St., 523-2787.

Dance

BAM Dec 22, 8-11pm Fri. Playing the Friday night dance. VFW Post #755, 2211 Old Jacksonville Road, 546-9515.

BAM Dec 31, 8pm Sun. New Year’s Eve dance. By reservation only. 825-9251. VFW Post #755, 2211 Old Jacksonville Road, 546- 9515.

Dance for Hope Dec 29, 7:30-10:30pm Fri. West coast swing dances every fi fth Friday of the month.

danceforhope3111.com. Normandy Hill Plaza, 3111 Normandy Road, Suite 104, 522- 9106.

Dance for Hope Dec 22, 7:30-10:30pm Fri. All styles of dance every fourth Friday of the month. danceforhope3111.com. Normandy Hill Plaza, 3111 Normandy Road, Suite 104, 522- 9106.

Art & Architecture

Best Gifts Dec 21-22, 12-7pm Thu-Fri. Shopping event features art by SAA Collective artists. Free. springfi eldart.org. SAA Collective Gallery, 420 S. Sixth St., 544- 2787.

Edwards Place Restoration Tour Dec 21, 5:30-6:30pm Thu. View the historic house decorated for the holidays, as well as what’s been discovered during the second-story renovation process. Free. edwardsplace.org. Edwards Place, Springfi eld Art Association, 700 N. Fourth St., 523-2631.

Robert Middaugh: Machines Inherit the Earth Dec 21-Feb 11. Exhibition features 20 artworks ranging in date from 1964-2005. On display through Feb 11. $5 for adults; free admission to children, seniors, veterans. illinoisstatemuseum.org. 558- 6696. Illinois State Museum, 502 S. Spring St., 782-7386.

Toy Box - Inspiration Through Play Dec 21-Feb 11. Featuring artwork by working artists across Illinois. $5 ages 19-64; free to members, children, seniors and veterans. illinoisstatemuseum.org. 558- 6696. Illinois State Museum, 502 S. Spring St., 782-7386.

Nature

Sierra Club Stone Soup Hike Jan 1, 10am-1pm Mon. Bring something to throw in the soup pot, your own drink (something hot is recommended) and your own “table service.” Free. 899- 9996. Carpenter Park Nature Preserve Pavilion, Cabin Smoke Trail off North Business Route 55 (Peoria Road), Sherman, 544- 1751.

Lectures & Meetings

Adult Children of Alcoholics Dec 26, Jan 2, 5:15pm Tue. Weekly meetings every Tuesday. New attendees welcome. wisetruth@yahoo.com. Discovery Club, 313 W. Cook St., 544-9049.

Breakfast Optimist Club Dec 22, 29, 7am Fri. Every Friday. 546-5021. Peace Lutheran Church, 2800 W. Jefferson St., 546-7646.

Capital City Toastmasters Dec 27, Jan 3, 12-1pm Wed. Every Wednesday. Develop public speaking and leadership skills. 131-3356. toastmastersclubs.org. Illinois Department of Transportation, 2300 S. Dirksen Parkway.

Celebrate Recovery Dec 22, 29, 5:30-8pm Fri. Every Friday. A Christcentered recovery program for hurts, habits and hang-ups. livingfaithbaptist.org. Living Faith Baptist Church, 7575 W. Outer Road, Sherman, 496-2590.

Central Illinois Film Commission Dec 21, 7pm Thu. CIFC promotes central Illinois as a historical and fi lm-friendly region while promoting and supporting the talent, services and experiences of its members. Meets third Thursday of each month. centralIllinoisfi lmcommission. com. 725-1187. Wyndham Springfi eld City Centre, 700 E. Adams St., 979-3992.

GriefShare Jan 2, 6:30pm Tue. Nondenominational grief-recovery program utilizes video seminars, a workbook and a support group environment. Two-hour sessions weekly for 13 weeks. $15. 899-9418. Trinity Lutheran School, 515 S. MacArthur, 787-2323.

Springfield Backgammon Club Dec 27, Jan 3, 6pm Wed. First time is free; $5 per entry after that. sangamonvalleybackgammon. com. 622-9447. Capitol Teletrack, 1766 Wabash Ave., 546-2111.

Bulletin Board

Winter Camp Dec 22, Jan 26-29, Jan 2, 7am-5:30pm. A holiday daycare solution for working parents and their kids ages 5-12. No camp Dec 25 or Jan 1. $25 per day residents, $28 per day non. springfi eldparks.org. 753-2800. Nelson Center, 1601 N. Fifth St., 525-2589.

Food

Bake Sale Dec 23, 8am-6pm Sat. In support of The Helping Paw Project. Free. 891-1968. Shimmy Shack Style, 1135 W. Governor St., 891-3680.

Auditions

And Then There Were None Jan 3, 6:30-8:30pm Wed. Open auditions for 11 male and female characters available to ages 16+. theatre7.net. Theatre 7, 131 N. Water St., Decatur, 423-2107.

Faith & Philosophy

Candlelight and Carols Dec 24, 6-7pm Sun. Festive service honoring Christmas, Hanukkah, Yule and Kwanzaa. Featuring poetry, readings, holiday songs, and the ritual lighting of candles. Free. aluuc. org. Abraham Lincoln Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 745 Woodside Road, 585-9550.

Christmas Day Service Dec 25, 10am Mon. Featuring joyful music and Scripture readings of the birth of Jesus Christ. trinity-lutheran.com. Trinity Lutheran School, 515 S. MacArthur, 787-2323.

Christmas Eve Service Dec 24, 7pm Sun. Suited for families with small children and early bedtimes. trinity-lutheran. com. Trinity Lutheran School, 515 S. MacArthur, 787-2323.

Christmas Eve Service Dec 24, 11pm Sun. Featuring the Trinity Adult Choir. trinitylutheran.com. Trinity Lutheran School, 515 S. MacArthur, 787- 2323.

New Year’s Eve Service Dec 31, 6:30pm Sun. Holy Communion service. trinitylutheran.com. Trinity Lutheran School, 515 S. MacArthur, 787-2323.

What Holiday Films Teach Us about Spirituality Dec 24, 10:30-11:30am Sun. Presentation by Rev. Martin Woulfe on how Hollywood defi nes the spirit of Christmas and its impact on the spirituality of the season. Free. aluuc.org. Abraham Lincoln Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 745 Woodside Road, 585-9550.

Advent IV Dec 24, 10am Sun. Westminster Presbyterian Church, 533 S. Walnut St., 522-4415.

Candlelight Communion Dec 24, 11pm Sun. Westminster Presbyterian Church, 533 S. Walnut St., 522-4415.

Christmas Eve Service Dec 24, 3pm Sun. Traditional and contemporary blended service with communion and a children’s celebration. First United Methodist Church, 2941 S. Koke Mill Road, 793-9760.

Christmas Eve Service Dec 24, 5pm Sun. Featuring contemporary music and a children’s celebration. First United Methodist Church, 2941 S. Koke Mill Road, 793-9760.

Christmas Eve Service Dec 24, 7pm Sun. With contemporary music. First United Methodist Church, 2941 S. Koke Mill Road, 793-9760.

Christmas Eve Service Dec 24, 9pm Sun. With traditional carols. First United Methodist Church, 2941 S. Koke Mill Road, 793-9760.

Christmas Eve Services Dec 24, 8am, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm. Morning worship, Sunday school hour at 9:15am, and afternoon candlelight and communion services. Free. athenschristian.net. Athens Christian Church, 1411 E. Route 29, Athens, 636-8463.

More events, more details in our online calendar at illinoistimes.com.

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