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This Week’s Events
Victorian Holidays will be on display in the Watson-Curtze Mansion at 356 West Sixth Street, and will include traditionally decorated trees, seasonal workshops for children and adults, lectures, and elegant Victorian teas. Victorian Holidays will run from November 22 – December 28 on Wednesdays through Saturday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sundays 1 – 4:00 p.m. The cost of museum admission is $4 for adults, $3 for seniors, and a whopping $2 for children.
Gannon University will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the death of one of the most influential Catholic writers of the 20th century with a four-part Advent Lecture Series. The series will focus on Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk, prolific poet, social activist, and acclaimed author on the subject of spirituality. Merton, a Catholic convert, became a pioneer in interreligious dialogue and one of the seminal figures of 20th century American Christianity. The series, being held on the four Sundays of Advent, will begin at 7 p.m. on Nov. 30 with a lecture by Canadian poet and essayist J.S. Porter. Porter’s lecture is titled, “Bonding with Readers: Merton’s Voice of Friendship & Intimacy.”
Pennsylvania writer Tom Noyes will read from his work at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3 in room 2W16 of the Memorial Student Center on Marshall University’s Huntington campus. Noyes has taught in the creative writing programs at Indiana State University and Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. Now a consulting editor for Lake Effect, he teaches at Penn State-The Behrend College in Erie, Pa.
Erie’s downtown d’Lights will be held Friday, December 5th beginning at 6 p.m. The annual lighting of downtown Erie kicks of the Christmas Season with a number of events.
Gannon University’s Schuster Theatre will present “A Tuna Christmas.” Ridiculous characters from the insane town of Tuna, Texas compete in an over-the-top seasonal decorating contest. The production does include some mature language. All performances will begin at 8 p.m.; Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. Gannon University’s Schuster Theatre is located at 620 Sassafras St. Ticket prices for the general public are $5. For more information, contact the Theatre at 814-871-7493 or at 814-871-7720. Shows run December 4, 5, 6, and December 11, 12, 13, 14.
Gannon University’s Erie Chamber Orchestra: This concert will be the annual Christmas Concert Sing-Along with the St. Paul Episcopal Cathedral Children’s Choir and choral director Sharon Downey on Friday, December 5. The performance is free and open to the public and will begin at 7:30 p.m. at St. Patrick Church, 130 East 4th St. Gannon University’s Erie Chamber Orchestra is conducted and directed by Bruce Morton Wright. For more information call 814-871-7755.
Galleries downtown and throughout Erie will host a holiday-themed Gallery Night on Friday, December 5th, from 7-10 pm. Participating galleries include Accents By The Bay, Allen Stoneware Gallery, Artworks, Bayfront Gallery, Cummings Gallery at Mercyhurst College, Geary’s Studio 7 Gallery, Glass Growers Gallery, Kada Gallery, Ralph Miller Jewelers & Gallery, Urraro Gallery and the galleries at the Erie Art Museum. Visitors will have a chance to get a start on their holiday shopping, and may even win a $50 gift certificate.
Erie Dance Conservatory presents “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” which runs from December 5 – 7 and will be held in the Hirt Auditorium at the Blasco Library. For more information call (814) 476-7123.
The Allegheny College Choirs will present their annual Christmas concert on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 4 p.m. in Shafer Auditorium on the Allegheny campus. The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Ward Jamison, Allegheny’s director of choral activities, at (814) 332-3305.
Start your holiday season with learning how to dance the Argentine Tango and enjoy a Milonga (Argentine dance party) immediately thereafter. Lessons and Milonga are free and light snacks and refreshments will be provided. Join your hosts Katherine and Cliff Dahl for an enjoyable evening just in time for the holidays. Reservations are required by call Katherine Dahl at 716-720-0509 or email at katherine.dahl@att.net Call today. Reservations are limited. December 6, 2008 8:30 pm to 11:30pm LDS Church at 1101 S. Hill Rd., Erie, 16509
Jr’s Last Laugh Comedy Club will host a breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 6th from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. The event is free with cookies and donuts from Jack Frost Donuts, and juice, milk, and coffee. There will also be face painting, coloring, and crafts.
The School House Craft Festival will be held at McDowell Intermediate High School on Saturday, December 6th from 10 am to 5 pm and on Sunday, December 7th from 10 am to 4 pm. Admission is $4 for adults, $3 for those over age 65, $2 for children 11 and over, and free for children under 10. The festival will feature over 100 crafters, and auction, refreshments, and appearances by Santa each day.
All An Act Theatre Productions Presents “Caught in The Net.” Plot: It seems taxi driver John Smith is still successfully managing his 2 wives and 2 lives. However, his teenage children, a girl from one wife and a boy from the other, have met on the Internet and are anxious to meet in person since they have so much in common, particularly a taxi driving dad named John Smith. The play runs Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. from November 14th – December 6th (No show Nov 28 black Friday); Sundays at 3:00 p.m., November 23rd, 30th & December 7th. The play will be held at 652 West 17th Street; Adult ticket price $8, and students and seniors $5.00. For more information or on-line tickets visit www.allanact.net.
Gannon University’s Schuster Gallery will host the exhibit “The Art and the Artist,” beginning November 16, 2008 and continuing through January 16, 2009. The exhibit will feature the work of Vitus J. Kaiser who is a longtime art teacher in the Erie School District. A reception open to the public will be held from 3 – 6 p.m. on the opening day. The exhibit will be at the Schuster Gallery located in the Nash Library. For more information call (814) 871-5467.
December Events
The Dance and Movement Studies program at Allegheny College will present two performances of its annual Cookies and Milk holiday concert on Sunday, Dec. 7 in the Montgomery Performance Space: the first at 2 p.m. and the second at 4 p.m. The Office of the Dean will provide refreshments for concert-goers at 3 p.m. in the Campus Center lobby.
Larry Kozlowski, director of student life at Mercyhurst North East and Polish culture expert, will show you how to make one-of-a-kind Old World Christmas ornaments while exploring popular holiday customs at a workshop on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 7:30 p.m. The workshop will be held in Miller 202 at Mercyhurst North East, 16 West Division St., North East. It is free and open to the public. Call (814) 725-6277 for more information.
The Gem City Concert Band will hold its holiday concert on December 9 at 7:30 p.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church on Peach St. The concert is free.
In one of North East’s most anticipated events of the year, the Mercyhurst College Concert Choir, under the direction of Rebecca Ryan, will present its annual Christmas Concert at Mercyhurst North East on Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 7:30 p.m. The choir will be performing carols and selections from Handel’s Messiah in St. Mary’s Chapel on the MNE campus, 16 West Division St., North East. The concert is free and open to the public. Call (814) 725-6277 for more information.
Mercyhurst College announced a program entitled “Creating a Culture of Trust: Conflict of Interest and Business Ethics” on December 11th at 8:15 pm. The event is being presented by Mercyhurst’s Evelyn Lincoln Institute for Ethics and Society, and will feature P. Kelly Tompkins, the executive vice president, chief administrative officer and chief financial office for RPM International, Inc., and a 1978 Mercyhurst grad. The talk is free and open to the public.
There will be a Gingerbread House Workshop at the Watson-Curtze Mansion, December 13 and 20, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Kids of all ages are invited to make their very own graham cracker gingerbread house, complete with a gumdrop chimney. Cost is $4 per gingerbread house.
Erie Philharmonic Chorus & Friends presents Come Home for the Holidays on Saturday, December 13, 2008 at 8 p.m.
‘‘Tis the Season to be Jolly.’ On December 13 , don your Gay apparel and join us in celebration of the truest meaning of Christmas – Peace on Earth – Good will toward all! An Oil City Gay/Straight Alliance social at the Latonia in Oil City Saturday, December 13th at 8pm. BYOB $5. Jill from Pittsburgh will DJ along with a live performance surprise or two. Contact: Linda Henderson or Roxanne Hitchcock. Phone: (814) 677-1260. The Latonia, 1 East 1st St, Oil City, PA.
On Saturday, December 13, “TREC The Halls” will be held from 10 am to 4 pm at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center in Erie. Breakfast with Santa will be served 10 am to 1 pm and is just $6.95 per person (Ages 2 and under are free). The holiday movie “The Muppet Christmas Carol” will be shown on the Big Green Screen at 12 pm and 3 pm. at no cost.
An event entitled, “An Afternoon of Art for Carrie Hart” will take place at the Unitarian Church 7180 Perry Hwy, on December 14, 2008. There will be musicians, artists, poets, and dancers hoping to raise awareness and funds for her unbelievable medical expenses. Carrie lost her job shortly after her cancer diagnosis, leaving her with no income or insurance. You can learn more about her here.
On December 14 and 21 there will be a Sunday Brunch at the Watson-Curtze Mansion from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. The brunch includes admission to the museum’s annual exhibit Victorian Holidays: Whimsical Wonderland, with a selection that may include: Quiche Lorraine, Egg Sausage Casserole, Dried Tomato Tart, Special Potato Casserole, and Ham. The cost is $15 per person and reservations are required. Call (814) 454-1813 Ext. 0.
FREE Half Hour, Enterprise Class Video Conference on December 15, 2008. Families with loved ones stationed in Iraq at one of the following five camps: Camp Taji, Al Asad Air Base, Camp Fallujah, Camp Victory (Baghdad) and Camp Taqaddum, please contact Judy Baker at (814) 734-8388 or judy_baker@iu5.org to arrange your video conference. This is a FREE service provided by the Freedom Calls Foundation and sponsored by The Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit.
A Battles Family Holiday at the Battles Museums of Rural Life will be held December 20th in Girard. Guests will have the opportunity to visit both the R.S. Battles Farmhouse and the Charlotte Elizabeth Battles Memorial Museum during the holidays. You will also learn to Cook Christmas Dinner on a wood-burning stove, make traditional tree ornaments, all the while enjoying civil war era dances and music. The cost of admission is $4 for adults, $3 for seniors, and a whopping $2 for children or bring a new or slightly used toy to donate.
