The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois • Page 36

D4 The Pantagraph Thursday, December 1, 2005 www.pantagraph.com Calendar H' MAL VVEAR LTD. tdJ-i in. -m4 The Living Window vignettes return to downtown Bloomington's Once Upon a Holiday Some thing for everybody Center, Peoria Heights. Pekin Winter Wonderland Festival Lighted Christmas trees, holiday music, more; 6-9 p.m. nightly, Dec.

1-31; Mineral Springs Park, Pekin. (309)347-7275. I Dwight Christmas Parade Lighted floats, bands, Santa visits, carolers, live window displays, food, more; 6-8 p.m. Dec. downtown Dwight.

Free. (815) 584-1830. I LeRoy Candlelight House Tour Fours of four decorated LeRoy homes, 4-7 p.m. Dec. 2, various locations.

Advance, night of tour, $8. Tickets at Busey Bank, LeRoy. I Pontiac Light It Up Parade and Open Houses Christmas parade and downtown merchant open houses, 6 p.m. Dec. 2, downtown Pontiac square.

Free. (815) 844-6692. The Second City's Dysfunctional Holiday Revue Chicago improv comedy troupe in holiday show, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2, Virginia Theater, Champaign.

(217) 356-9063. I Christmas in Petersburg Candlelight parade, 7 p.m. Dec. carolers, downtown merchant events, Christmas House Tour, more, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec.

downtown Petersburg and other locations. (217)632- I DeWitt County Museum Candlelight Christmas Tours Evening tours of decorated historic mansion; 5-8 p.m. Dec. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30; C.H. Moore Homestead, 219 Woodlawn, Clinton.

Adults, ages 12-18, under 12, free. (217) 935-6066. Peoria Historical Society Christmas Candlelight Tours Tours of two historic Peoria homes; 6-8 p.m. Dec. 2-3 and 9-10, 1-4 p.m.

Dec. 4 and 11; Flanagan House, 942 NE Glen Oak, and Pettengill-Morron House, 1212 W. Moss Ave, Peoria. Adults, ages 6-17, under 6, free. (309) 674-1921.

I Atlanta Town Country Christmas Tour Tour of homes and istoric property in and around Atlanta; 3-6 p.m. Dec. 3. tickets available at Atlanta City Hall and elsewhere. (217) 648-5077.

I Champaign Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting Parade, balloon glow, lighting of holiday tree, more; 5:30 p.m. Dec. downtown Champaign. Free. (217) 398-2550.

I Christmas on the Prairie Candlelight tours, Santa visits, more; 2-6 p.m. Dec. Prairie Village, Decatur. (217) 422-4919. I Delavan Homes for the Holidays 2005 Candlelight tours of four historic homes and churches, luminary-lit streets, strolling carolers and musicians, horse-drawn carriage rides, more; p.m.

Dec. downtown Delavan various locations. Tour, $8.50. (309) 244-9256. I Lexington's Christmas on the Prairie Breakfast with Santa, food stands, holiday craft show, open houses at downtown shops, more; 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Dec. downtown Lexington and Lexington Community Center. I Minonk Parade of Lights Parade of illuminated floats, preceded by fireworks; 6:30 p.m. Dec. downtown Minonk.

Free. (309) 432-2517. I Postville Courthouse Christmas Open House 1840s Christmas decorations, quilting demonstration, period music, refreshments; noon-4 p.m. Dec. Postville Courthouse State Historic Site, downtown Lincoln.

Free. (217) 732-8930. I Knight Before Christmas Holiday Craft Show 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec.

3, Richwoods High School, Peoria. I Small Town Christmas Tour of Churches Tour of Mennonite churches in Carlock, Congerville and North Danvers, plus Carlock Christian Church, Danvers Zion Lutheran and Danvers Presbyterian, in benefit for God's Little Acre Pre-School; 4-8 p.m. Dec. 3. Tickets available at participating churches.

I To Grandmother's House We Go Holiday celebration with old-time crafts and activities for entire family, noon-3 p.m. Dec. 3, Early American Museum, Mahomet. (217) 586-2612. Julmarknad Traditional Scandinavian Christmas market, strolling carolers and musicians, decorated shops, demonstrations, special events and more; 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Dec. 3-4; various locations at Bishop Hill State Historic Site. Free. (309) 927-3899. MORE CALENDAR NEXT PAGE THIS WEEKEND (DEC.

1-4) Bioomington-Normal RHINO Poetry ReadingBook Siqning Judith Valente and Charles Reynard reading poems from their new book and signing it, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 1, Normal Public Library Community Room, Normal. Free. (309) 452-1757.

I Christmas at Clover Lawn Tours of historic mansion decorated for Dickens-style holiday celebration, with music, refreshments and costumed tour guides; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 1-31; David Davis Mansion State Historic Site, 1000 E. Monroe Bloomington. (309)828-1084.

I The Christmas Play featuring The Living Christmas Tree 7:30 p.m. Dec. 1-3, 3:30 p.m. Dec. Eastview Christian Church, 1500 N.

Airport Road, Bloomington. $8. (309)451-5099. 150th Annual ISU Madrigal Dinners ISU Madrigal Singers and other performers in holiday dinner setting; regular dinners, 6:30 p.m. Dec.

1, 7, 8-10, 13-14 and 16, and noon Dec. 10, ISU Bone Student Center Circus Room special dinners, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 2-3, Bloomington Country Club Madrigals 50th anniversary reunion reception featuring all four Madrigal Singers directors and alumni, 3 p.m. Dec.

10, ISU Bone Student Center Ballroom (free). (309) 438-5444. IWU Annual Student and Faculty Art Sale Sale of works in various media by ISU art students and faculty; noon-1 p.m. and 3-6 p.m. Dec.

1-2, noon-2 p.m. Dec. IWU Joyce Eichhorn Ames School of Art Building. (309) 556-3077. I Homes of Hope Holiday Tour of Homes Homes of Hope-sponsored tours of four decorated Bloomington homes; 1-8 p.m.

Dec. 2, 11 a.m. -4 p.m. Dec. 3, 1-4 p.m.

Dec. 2510 Blarney Stone, 3207 Leafy Lane, 34 Inglewood Lane, 219 Fleetwood Drive. $15. (309) 828-4749. Holiday Trail Walk Walks down trail featuring luminaries, carolers, pictures with Santa and neighborhood decorations; 5-8 p.m.

Dec. 2-4; Constitution Trail from Grandview to Vernon in Normal. Free, but canned food donations to Clare House and Safe Harbor requested. I 'Tis the Season Planetarium show on winter solstice religious and cultural rituals; 7:30 p.m. and 2 p.m.

Dec. 2-17; ISU Planetarium. Adults, ages 5-12, ages 3-4, $1.50. (309) 438-5007. I ZOOIights Lit holiday zoo displays, up-close nocturnal animal encounters, carolers, refreshments; p.m.

Dec. 2-3, 9-10 and 3-17; Miller Park Zoo, (309)434-2250. I Christmas at the Courthouse Holiday open house with homemade cookies and wassail, kids' crafts, musical entertainment, St. Nicholas visit; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec.

McLean County Muse-am of History, downtown Bloomington square. (309) 827-0428. I Bloomington-Normal Jaycees 75th Annual Christmas Parade Holiday floats, bands, Santa and Mrs. Claus, more; 10 i.m. Dec.

starts at Kingsley Ju-lior High School in Normal and ravels south on Main Street to lowntown Bloomington. (309) 823-)509. I Holiday Shopping Event vlulti-vendor open house, Dec. 3, Normal Township 3uilding, 304 E. Mulberry Nor-nal.

(309) 829-5435. I Larry Kanfer Holiday Art Show Sale Photographs, 9 i.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 3, Napoleon Room it The Chateau, Bloomington. (217) 198-2000.

I Once Upon A Holiday and Jve Window Vignettes Annual ill-day downtown Bloomington went, with shopping, open houses, vine tasting, carriage rides, carol-rs, cookie decorating, live window dgnettes (starting at 5 p.m.), toy xm auction, more; starts at 10 a.m.-I p.m. Dec. downtown Blooming-on. Free. (309) 829-9599.

1 16th Annual Trade-O-Ree Sell, buy and trade BoyGirlCub Scout uniforms and equipment; 9 i.m.-3 p.m. Dec. St. Mary's School 3ym, 603 W. Jackson, Bloomington.

admission. (309) 663-4259. I Women's Holiday Celebration Immanuel Bible Founda-ion event, featuring brunch and juest author-storyteller Jennie Dimkoff; 10 a.m. Dec. Interstate Center, 2301 W.

Market Bloomington. Prairie Aviation Museum Ihristmas Open House Sale of Daked goods, stocking stuffers and 'make-ittake-it" ornaments, with ree refreshments; noon-4 p.m. Dec. Challenger Learning Center at Prairie Aviation Museum, 2901 E. Smpire Bloomington.

Free ad- Pantagraph file photoSTEPHANIE OBERLANDER Festival from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday. teries, often with a certain jolly red elf in tow: the Lincoln Christmas Parade, at 6:30 tonight in downtown Lincoln the Dwight Christmas Parade, at 6 p.m. Friday in downtown Dwight the Pontiac Light It Up Parade, at 6 p.m. Friday on the downtown square the Petersburg Candlelight Parade, at 7 p.m.

Friday in downtown Petersburg the Bloomington-Normal Jaycees 75th Annual Christmas Parade, at 10 a.m. Saturday, from Normal to Bloomington the Champaign Christmas Parade, at 5:30 p.m. Saturday in downtown Champaign and the Minonk Parade of Lights, at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in downtown Minonk. PlaysMusicals (3) theater includes The Christmas Play featuring the Living Christmas Tree, at 7:30 p.m.

tonight through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Bloomington's Eastview Christian Church Bloomington Parks Rec's free A Charlie Brown Christmas, at 7 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday in the Central Catholic High School Auditorium and Opera Illinois' rendition of Amahl and the Night Visitors, featuring B-N talent in its cast, at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m.

Sunday in Peoria' Scottish Rite Cathedral. Pluqged-ln Events (5) Illuminating festivals and displays of lights can be found via the Holiday Trail Walk, from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday through Saturday on Normal's Constitution Trail (Grandview to Vernon stretch) Miller Park Zoo's ZOOLights, switching on from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday the East Peoria Festival of Lights, glowing nightly from 5 to 10 p.m. the Forest of Lights in Downs' Dooley Park, flicking on at dusk tonight and continuing nightly through Dec.

31 and Pekin's Winter Wonderland Festival in Mineral Springs Park, doing the same thing from 6 to 9 tonight, and every evening thereafter through year's end. Sky High (2) The ISU Planetarium's annual holiday show, 'Tis the Season, opens this weekend, with shows that aim high at 7:30 p.m. Friday and, and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Bloomington's Prairie Aviation Museum Christmas Open House, which takes wing from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday in the Challenger Learning Center.

Yucks (1) Just for laughs, Champaign's downtown Virginia Theater will host the Second City Dysfunctional Holiday Revue at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Think Santa's busy? Check out this week's holiday event slate By Dan Craft dcraftpantagraph.com Nothing your true love gives to you on the first, fifth or 12th day of Christmas could hope to match the blizzard of holiday activity drifting up Pantagraphland tonight through Sunday easily the busiest seasonal weekend on the calendar. To help you plot your course of action, GO! has really gone to town, beating Santa to the draw. Along the way, we've come up with some serious stats, counting down all of the events in the categories that really matter.

Here's the final tally. All you have to do is make the tough choices. Concerts (6) Holiday music will deck the following halls, beginning with the Kathy Mattea Christmas Concert at 7:30 tonight in the Peoria Civic Center Arena and followed by the Community Concert Band Christmas Concert, at 7 tonight in Bloomington's Miller Park Pavilion the Illinois Country Music Association Christmas Gospel Show, at 2 p.m. Sunday in Bellflower's Community Building IWU's Annual Christmas Carol Concert, at 3 p.m. Sunday in Bloomington's Holy Trinity Catholic Church ISU's Annual Music for the Holidays Concert, at 3 and 7 p.m.

Sunday in ISU's Center for the Performing Arts and the Adam Larson Jazz Quintet Holiday Concert, at 7 p.m. Sunday in Bloomington's First Christian Church. Festivals (5) Downtown festivals bringing good cheer and more this weekend include Bloomington's multi-event Once Upon a Holiday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, with Living Window Vignettes starting at 5 p.m.

Christmas in Petersburg, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday in downtown Petersburg (next door to New Salem) Lexington's Christmas on the Prairie, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. downtown Bishop Hill's Julmarknad (Swedish holiday market and festival), from 10 a.m.

to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday around town and Wapella's Community Christmas Party, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday at the Wapella Community Center. Historic Tours (6) Historic edifices opening their doors this weekend include Christmas at Clover Lawn, with tours tonight through Sunday at Bloomington's David Davis Mansion DeWitt County Museum's Candlelight Tours, from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the C.H.

Moore Homestead in Clinton the Peoria Historical Society Candlelight Christmas Tours of the city's historic Pettengill-Morron House and Flanagan House, from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday Christmas at the Courthouse, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Bloomington's McLean County Museum of History downtown the Postville Courthouse Christmas Open House, from npon to 4 p.m.

Saturday at the state historic site in downtown Lincoln and the Small Town Christmas Tour of Churches, from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday at assorted houses of worship in Carlock, Congerville and Danvers. Homes tours (5) Decorated abodes will be opening their doors around Pantagraphland via Bloomington's Homes of Hope Holiday Tour of Homes, from 1 to 8 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday Le Roy's Candlelight House Tour, from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday Atlanta's Town Country Christmas Tour, from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday Delavan's Home for the Holidays Tours, from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday Paxton's Christmas House Walk, from 1 to 4 p.m.

Sunday. Madrigal dinners (2) Going medieval are the 50th anniversary of ISU's Madrigal Dinners kicking off this weekend with meals at 6:30 p.m. tonight in the ISU Bone Student Center Circus Room and 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Bloomington Country Club and Eureka College's English Renaissance Christmas Dinners, at 6:15 tonight through Saturday in the Cerf Center Terrill Rooms on campus. Messiahs (2) Getting a firm Handel on the season will be the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday in the Krannert Center in Urbana and the Morton Community Chorus, at 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday in Morton's Grace Church. Nutcrackers (1) The annual Twin Cities Ballet production takes over ISU's Braden Auditorium for two matinee performances, at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Parades (7) A half dozen Christmas parades, both daylight and nocturnal, will wend their way down various main streets and ar nations accepted.

(309) 378-2451. Nature Art Sale Show and sale of wildlife and nature art, Dec. 1- 24, Forrest Park Nature 1-31; downtown East Peoria and nearby locations. (800) 365-3743. I English Renaissance Christmas Dinners Holiday dinners with live music and entertainment by Eureka College Chamber Singers, jugglers, jester and magician; 6:15 p.m.

Dec. 1-3; Terrill Rooms of Eureka College Cerf Center, Eureka. Adults, $22; 10 and under, $10. (309) 467-6407. I Forest of Lights Lighted displays, Gingerbread House (6-9 p.m.

only), Santa visits, special music; dusk, Dec. 1-31; Dooley Park, Downs. Free, but do mission. (309) 661-1621. Central Illinois I Greater Peoria Farm Show Exhibits, vendors, information, more; 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Dec. 1, Peoria Civic Center, Peoria. Free. (309) 673-3200. Lincoln Christmas Parade 6:30 p.m.

Dec. 1, downtown Lincoln. (217) 735-9205. I East Peoria Festival of Lights City-wide lighting festival with animated displays, indoor holiday marketplace, other special events; 5-10 p.m. daily, Dec.

Illinois State University College of th annual Fine Arts Madrigal 50 Theater TabiesV8" -f Over 30 tables on display ttrr Machines Yf OnceInA Dinners mm Beautiful music and storytelling, fellowship with friends and and a delicious all-new menu! Bone Student Center Circus Room Beautiful Jewelry and Accessories, Hand'Blown Glass, Home, Garden and mT A Nov. 30, Dec. 1, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 16 555 ticket includes performance and meal Holiday LI Bring mis aa I 5 5 1 1 Decor, Polish Pottery 1 1 ana receive I 1 cl Center 309-862-3121 Visit www.cfa.ilstu.edue'entsmadrigal for details full menu Tickets: Call Braden Box Office at 309-438-5444 or www.TicketMaster.com 15 OFF Entire Purchase I upeceniDz 1 Located at the Crossroads Madrigal Dinners at the Bloomington Country Club Dec. 2 and 3 (tickets $65) Call 309-438-8321 for Info. 31 0 Wylie Normal i 1 l-l I I I I -J J'J.