EPAC
The Endicott Performing Arts Center, 102 Washington Ave., Endicott, will present its annual evening of song, dance, comedy and drama, 'An EPAC Christmas,' at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 3 p.m. Sunday. The program will be presented by the EPAC Repertory Co., the EPAC Lyric Performers, the EPAC Songwriters Workshop, the EPAC Kids' Theater Workshop, the EPAC School for the Performing Arts and some special guests.
Tickets at $10 (12 and under, $8) are available by calling the EPAC box office at (607) 785-8903 or by visiting www.EndicottArts.com.
Tri-Cities Opera
The Tri-Cities Opera revisits Menotti's classic Christmas opera, 'Amahl and the Night Visitors,' the story of a lame shepherd boy's miraculous encounter with the Three Kings as they followed the star to Bethlehem.
Performances are at 7 p.m. Friday, 5 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday at the Opera Center, 315 Clinton St., Binghamton. Tickets are $22 (seniors/TCO subscribers, $19; TCO Guild members, $16; students, $13; 12 and under, $11). Reservations are recommended; call (607) 772-0400.
The role of Amahl is shared by Matthew Milewski and Eli Holmes; other parts are sung by TCO resident artists.
Ti-Ahwaga Community Players
For the seventh straight year, the Ti-Ahwaga Community Players will present 'A Christmas Story,' Philip Grecian's stage adaptation of humorist Jean Shepherd's memoir of growing up in the Midwest of the 1940s. The story follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. All the elements from the beloved motion picture are here, from the Parker family's temperamental exploding furnace to the leg-shaped lamp won by Ralphie's father.
Performances, directed by Alicia Loso, are 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Dec. 12 and 13 and 2 p.m. Sunday and Dec. 14 at the Ti-Ahwaga Performing Arts Center, 42 Delphine St., Owego. Tickets at $15 (seniors on Sundays $12; 12 and under, $8) are available at the box office, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays. You also can call (607) 687-2130 or e-mail infotiahwaga.com.
Grigorian Ballet
The Rafael Grigorian Ballet Theatre will present 'The Russian Nutcracker' at 2 p.m. Sunday at The Forum, 236 Washington St., Binghamton. Tickets are $20 (seniors and students, $16; 12 and under, $12).
Upstate Dance Susan Schneider is the owner and choreographic director.
Choruses for CHOW
The fifth annual Choruses for CHOW holiday concert will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the former Christ the King Church, 1501 Davis Ave., Endwell. Initiated by the Southerntiersmen four years ago, this concert features several community choruses that donate time and talent to raise money for CHOW. To date, the concerts have raised approximately $10,000 for the hunger outreach warehouse.
Joining the barbershop chorus this year will be the Carousel Harmony Chorus, the Endwell Community Chorus, the Binghamton Downtown Singers and the Bronzissimo! Handbell Choir.
Know Theatre
Do your holiday revels peak at the solstice? Then maybe you'd like to check out Know Theatre's second annual Celtic Festival, to be held at 7 p.m. Friday at Binghamton City Stage, 74 Carroll St., Binghamton. Enjoy Guinness, food, a silent auction and performances by The Stoutmen, the Gleason Groaners and others.
Only 100 tickets (at $30 each) are available for this special fundraising event for Know Theatre. To reserve a ticket, visit www.know theatre.org, or call 724-4341.
Village celebrations
The Visions FCU 'Lights on the River' Festival will light up Owego from 5:30 to 8:30 pm. Friday. The lights and decorative trim will be turned on at 6:15 p.m. with a community countdown in front of the Tioga County Courthouse Square (south side), followed by holiday festivities, food, entertainment and more in the shops, restaurants and streets and concluding with a fireworks display at 8 p.m. at Draper Park.
Highlights include: a giant mistletoe in the courthouse gazebo, perfect for any smooching couple; a 15-piece Salvation Army brass band in concert at the HSBC parking lot on Lake Street; sidewalk candles along Lake Street; Santa Claus at the ArtSpace Gallery, 179 Front St.; horse and wagon rides; lots of free food and drink, and entertainment by the Owego Middle School Jazz Band, the Zion Lutheran School Children's Choir, the Terpsi Dancers, the Owego Methodist Choir and others, including WHWK and Magic 101.7 radio personalities.
There will be food drive bins and Christmas kettles placed around the downtown area for contributions to the needy. For more detailed information and a schedule of times, visit www.lightson theriver.com.
The Johnson City holiday parade, presented by the Johnson City Business and Professional Women, will start on Lester Avenue at 7 p.m. today and proceed down Main Street.
There will be a reception after the parade at Sarah Jane Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church, 308 Main St., Johnson City. Parade-goers will be treated to a concert by 'Spirit' and a special step dance performance while warming up with coffee, cocoa and confections. The reception is sponsored by the George F. Johnson Dream Center for Community Empowerment.
The annual Endicott parade starts at 11 a.m. Saturday along Washington Avenue. This year's theme is 'A Village Tradition.'
Binghamton University
The Binghamton University Symphony Orchestra and Chorus under conductor Timothy Perry will present a holiday gala, 'Winter Lights,' at 8 p.m. Saturday in the Anderson Center Concert Theater. Featured soloists for the program of seasonal, Christmas and Chanukah music will be BU music faculty members Janey Choi, violin, (Vivaldi's 'Winter Concerto'), and baritone Timothy LeFebvre (Vaughan Williams' 'Fantasia on Christmas Carols'), as well as guest artist Robin Seletsky, Klezmer clarinet, for a new Chanukah medley arranged by Edward Marcus. Completing the program will be music by Johann Strauss, Tchaikovsky and present perfect continuous lesson plan Leroy Anderson.
Tickets at $10 (faculty, staff and seniors, $5; students, free) are available at the Anderson Center box office from noon to 5:30 p.m. weekdays or at the door. You also can call 777-ARTS (777-2787), or visit anderson.binghamton.edu.
BCC
The Broome Community College Choir will present 'What Sweeter Music,' a choral concert of holiday music and more, at 7:30 p.m. Monday in the Little Theater on campus. Admission is free.
Hometown Lights Festival
The annual Hometown Lights Festival sponsored by Southern Tier Independence Center begins tonight and runs through Dec. 31 at Otsiningo Park in the Town of Dickinson.
The drive-through holiday display will run 5-9 p.m. daily. Admission is $8 per car or SUV ($5 on Mondays).
Binghamton Zoo
Winter Wonderland, a holiday program featuring light displays, ice sculptures, carolers, story tellers, games, crafts and SantaMrs. Claus, will run from 5 to 8 p.m. today through Sunday in the lower portion of the Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park, 60 Morgan Road, Binghamton.
Details: Call (607) 724-5461or visit www.rossparkzoo.com.
-- Barb Van Atta
