Holiday Happenings

Christmas Card Lane Dec 28-30, Fri-Sun. An outdoor exhibit/competition comprised of larger-than-life “cards” created by local artists and groups based on the theme “Holiday Season Around the World.” Hosted by the Decatur Area Arts Council. decaturarts.org. Downtown Decatur.

First Night Springfield Kids Activities Dec 31, 1-4pm Mon. Complimentary entertainment and hands-on activities for kids, including table crafts, clay sculpture, wood-craft kits, face painting plus a puppet show and harmonica lessons. Free. springfieldartsco.org. Springfield High School, 101 S. Lewis St., 525-3100.

Holiday Hockey Clinic Dec 27-28, 5:45-7:15pm Thu-Fri. Improve hockey techniques and abilities in the areas of skating, shooting and puck handling. $70 residents, $80 non. springfieldparks.org. 753-2800. Nelson Center Ice Arena, Lincoln Park, 1601 N. Fifth St., 525-2589.

Holidays at the White House Dec 28, Jan 1-2, 9am-5pm Fri-Wed, 9am-5pm Thu. Featuring cards, documents and photos from Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and George H. W. Bush. Free with museum admission. presidentlincoln. illinois.gov. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, 212 N. Sixth St., 558-8844.

New Year’s Eve Countdown Dec 31, 10am Mon. Featuring appetizers, sparkling grape juice, music and a New Year’s countdown. centralILseniors.org. Senior Services of Central Illinois, 701 W. Mason St., 528-4035.

New Year's Eve Party Dec 31, 7pm-12am Mon. Featuring trivia, complimentary food, basketball, games and more for ages 18-35. Cherry Hills Baptist Church Rock Youth Facility, 2125 Woodside Road, 546-4818.

Winterland Holiday Zoo Lights Dec 28-30, 5-9pm Fri-Sun. Behold the splendor of hundreds of colorful twinkling lights as you stroll through the pathways around the zoo. $7 adults, $5 ages 3-12, and free to ages 2 and under. springfieldparks.org. Henson Robinson Zoo, 1100 E. Lake Shore Dr., 585-1821.

Fairs & Festivals

First Night Springfield Dec 31, 1-11:15pm Mon. Complimentary afternoon activities for kids at Springfield High School from 1-4pm. Ticketed shows feature evening music, dance and more at various downtown locations at night. Fireworks at 8pm. $18 advance, $20 day of. springfieldartsco.org. 753- 3519. Hoogland Center for the Arts, 420 S. Sixth St., 523-2787.

Music: General Events

The Christian Gospel Singers Jan 2, 10am Wed. Every Wednesday. All are welcome. 303-2422. Senior Services of Central Illinois, 701 W. Mason St., 528-4035.

Dance

Dance for Hope Dec 28, 7:30-10:30pm Fri. All styles of dance every fourth Friday of the month. $8 per person. Free admission to one dance of your choosing during your birth month. danceforhope3111.com. Normandy Hill Plaza, 3111 Normandy Road, Suite 104, 522-9106.

Art & Architecture

Art of Illinois Exhibition Tour Dec 27-31, 3-4:30pm Thu- Mon. Co-curated by Wendy Greenhouse and Sharon Darling, Art of Illinois features pieces dating back 750 years through the present day. Registration. Free. illinoismansion.org. Illinois Governor’s Mansion, 410 E. Jackson St., 782-6450.

Film & Television

Elf Dec 28, 1pm Fri. An interactive movie program featuring a script of actions for the audience to perform along with the show.pspld.com. Prairie Skies Public Library District, 125 W. Editor St., Ashland, 476- 3417.

Elf Dec 28, 1pm Fri. An interactive movie program featuring a script of actions for the audience to perform along with the show. pspld.com. Prairie Skies Public Library, 555 Buckeye Road, Pleasant Plains, 626-1553.

Children’s Corner

Winter Camp Dec 27-28, 31, Jan 2, 7:30am- 5:30pm Thu-Fri, 7:30am-3pm Mon, 7:30am-5:30pm Wed. $26 per day for residents, $32 per day for non. springfieldparks.org. 503-4576. Nelson Center, 1601 N. Fifth St., 525-2589.

Lectures & Meetings

Adult Children of Alcoholics and other Dysfunctional Families Jan 1, 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 28, 7am Fri. Every Friday. Visitors welcome. 546-5021. Peace Lutheran Church, 2800 W. Jefferson St., 546-7646.

N'tosake Dec 27, 6pm Thu. Women’s leadership team meetings held on the fourth Thursday of every month. Hosted by Faith Coalition for the Common Good. faithcoalition-il.org. 717-1525. Calvary Baptist Church, 2208 E. Kansas St., 544-1424.

Paul Mickey Learning Series: Dendrochronology Jan 2, 7-8:30pm Wed. Presentation by by Dr. Glen Freimuth about dendrochronology, commonly known as tree ring dating. Free. illinoisstatemuseum.org. 558- 6696. Illinois State Museum, 502 S. Spring St., 782-7386.

Bulletin Board

Handmade Trivia Jan 2, 7-9pm Wed. Donna Smargiassi will be doling out seven rounds featuring five questions per round. Free. buzzbombbrewingco.com. Buzz Bomb Brewing Co, 406 E. Adams, 679-4157.

Service of Remembrance Dec 31, 7pm Mon. mtpulaskiil.com. Mount Pulaski Courthouse State Historic Site, 113 S. Washington St., Mount Pulaski, 792-3919.

SSCI Extended Trip: Tournament of Roses Parade Dec 30, Jan 1-2, Sun, Tue-Wed. Tour of Southern California. Hosted by Senior Services of Central Illinois. $2,695 per person double; $3,315 per person single.ssoci.org. Senior Services of Central Illinois, 701 W. Mason St., 528-4035.

History

Bicentennial and Beyond! The Illinois Legacy Collection Dec 27-31, Jan 1-2, 9am- 4:30pm Mon-Sat, 12-4:30pm Sun. Exhibition in celebration of the state’s 200th birthday features rare and rarely-seen artifacts from the Museum’s 13.5 million-object Illinois Legacy Collection to highlight the dynamic story of Illinois. illinoisstatemuseum.org. 558- 6696. Illinois State Museum, 502 S. Spring St., 782-7386.

Faith & Philosophy

Acrimony in the Airwaves Dec 30, 10:30-11:30am Sun. Featuring WMAY news director and radio talk show host Jim Leach with a presentation titled “Acrimony in the Airwaves.” Free. aluuc.org. Abraham Lincoln Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 745 Woodside Road, 585-9550.

Sports & Fitness

Couples’ Massage Class Dec 29, 7-8pm Sat. Learn techniques to massage your partner’s sore muscles and help them feel less stress. $100 per couple. puresynergyspringfield.org. Pure Synergy, 2201 W. White Oaks Dr., 679-3156.

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

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