Holiday and winter festivities abound

This weekend, as the holiday season continues, so does the plethora of holiday-themed events. For those who don’t observe but are still looking to enjoy the winter season around town, there’s also a winter festival, plenty of live music and art exhibitions, a wine night at Harris Nature Center and more.

For Friday evening’s live music, we have the Immanuel Wilkins jazz Quartet at the Wharton Center’s Jackson Lounge at 7:30; JP Peters of cover band JP & The Energy at the Peanut Barrel, Michigan State University’s jazz orchestras with jazz drummer Sylvia Cuenca at the school’s Fairchild Theatre and rock band the Verve Pipe at Grewal Hall at 224, all at 8; and ‘90s and early 2000s alt-rock tribute band Be Kind Rewind at the Green Door at 8:30. Saturday evening, we have MSU’s Symphony Orchestra and choirs performing holiday music at the Wharton Center’s Cobb Great Hall at 8; cover band Geech at the Green Door at 8:30; and punk and indie bands PET Me, Killing Pixies, Blind Liars and LAVA at The Avenue at 9. Ending the weekend on Sunday is Delta Community Choir’s annual winter benefit concert at Our Savior Lutheran Church and Lansing Community College’s Concert Choir and Vocal Jazz & Pop Ensemble at Okemos Community Church, both at 3 p.m., as well as LCC’s Rock Band at The Avenue and Red Cedar Spirits’ weekly Sunday Jazz show, both at 6 p.m.

Art displays on view this weekend include the Michigan Made Holiday Art Exhibition at the Lansing Art Gallery, which is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; the Mid-Michigan Art Guild’s Fall Member Art Show at the Neighborhood Empowerment Center, which is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday; “Shouldn’t You Be Working? 100 Years of Working from Home,” “As we dwell in the fold,” “Beal Botanical Garden: Celebrating 150 Years of People, Plants, and Place,” “Seeing in 360 Degrees: The Zaha Hadid Design Collection” and “Resistance Training: Arts, Sports, and Civil Rights” at the MSU Broad Art Museum, which is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday; local photographer Joyce Felzke’s nature photography display at the Haslett Library’s Bookend Gallery, which is open noon to 4 p.m. Friday and noon to 2 p.m. Saturday; and local artist Bobbie Margolis’ “Mixed Media Medley” exhibition at the Okemos Library, which is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Call the library at 517-347-2021 before visiting to make sure the gallery space is open.

If you’d like to make some art of your own, Charlotte Community Library is handing out Christmas ornament craft kits beginning 11 a.m. Friday while supplies last, and the Lansing Art Gallery is hosting an eco-friendly gift-bag-making workshop 10 a.m. Saturday.

This is the last weekend to see Starlight Dinner Theatre’s production of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” which runs 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Delta Presbyterian Church, as well as “Holiday at Lebowsky,” which runs 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Lebowsky Center for Performing Arts in Owosso. In addition, “Murder for Two: Holiday Edition” continues at the Williamston Theatre 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, “Christmas Belles” opens at the Riverwalk Theatre 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, and students enrolled in LCC’s musical theatre performance class will perform a free show 8 p.m. Friday at the school’s Black Box Theatre, featuring a variety of songs from new and popular musicals of every genre.

Other holiday events include a Holiday Road Rally scavenger hunt beginning 6 p.m. Friday at the Foster Community Center; the 20^th annual Holiday Sing, a community singalong and fundraiser for the Ten Pound Fiddle, 7:30 p.m. Friday at University United Methodist Church; a Holiday Open House sale 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Lansing Art Gallery, featuring handmade gifts crafted by Michigan artists as well as complimentary gift wrapping, sugar cookie decorating, discounts and more; the Scandinavian Society of Greater Lansing’s St. Lucia and Christmas celebration 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Bretton Woods Covenant Church, which is followed by a community potluck; a Living Nativity 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Mason First United Church; Old Town’s Krampusnacht celebration 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, featuring a parade, costume contest, vendors, photos with Krampus, games, crafts and more; REACH Studio Art Center’s 20^th annual A Night So Silent Night Gala, featuring light appetizers, music and an “art-filled” silent auction; a showing of “Jesus Christ Superstar” noon Sunday at Unity Spiritual Center of Lansing; the Meridian Historical Village’s Christmas in the Village celebration 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, featuring meet-and-greets with Santa, children’s crafts, building tours, a gift shop, live performances, a tree lighting and more; the weekly Kringle Holiday Market 4 to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Reutter Park, featuring local vendors and free ice skating as well as free horse-drawn carriage rides and music on Friday and free pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus on Saturday; and Potter Park Zoo’s annual Wonderland of Lights 5 to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

For the kids, Impression 5 Science Center is hosting its weekly Sparking Science workshop for ages 2 to 4 at 10 a.m. Friday. This week’s theme is Junior Architects. Additionally, the Charlotte Community Library is hosting a Christmas PJ Story Time 6:30 p.m. Friday, and the Eaton Rapids Area District Library is hosting a sticker-journal-making workshop 11 a.m. Saturday.

East Lansing’s annual Winter Fest runs 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Hannah Community Center, featuring ice carving, live entertainment, an indoor bounce house, Nerf games, a photo booth, crafts, information booths, outdoor fire pits for making s’mores and a Winter Farmers Market. 

Friends of the Delta Township District Library is holding a buy-one, get-one-free sale on books, jigsaw puzzles, CDs, DVDs, magazines and more 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday and 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the library. Payment is available by cash or check only.

Finally, adults ages 21 and over can visit Harris Nature Center 7 p.m. Saturday for a Wine in the Woods event, featuring a guided walk through the woods and a campfire for making gourmet s’mores. Registration is required.

Whatever you choose to do, I wish you the best of weekends.

(Have an event? Be sure to list it free at lansingcitypulse.com/calendar. Think it’s worth at least a short story? Send a news release to nicole@lansingcitypulse.com for consideration.)