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• The entertainment calendar appears Thursdays in Neighbor. Submit items at least two weeks in advance via e-mail to bestbets@dailyherald.com or by fax, (630) 955-0895.

This weekend

bull; Celebrate the holidays with special activities from 6 to 9 p.m. today and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in downtown Glen Ellyn. The event, sponsored by the Downtown Glen Ellyn Alliance, will include free buggy rides, visits with Santa and more. For details, visit www.glenellynchamber.com.

bull; The DuPage County Historical Museum Association's holiday fair will be from noon to 4 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the museum, 102 E. Wesley St., Wheaton. Items crafted by local artisans will be available, including handmade beeswax candles, soaps, jewelry, decorative tableware and more. Museum admission is free during the fair. For details, visit www.dupageco.org/museum or call (630) 682-7343.

bull; The Von Heidecke Chicago Festival Ballet returns with performances of "The Nutcracker" Friday through Sunday at McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. Show times are 7 p.m. Friday and 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets cost $23 to $33. For details, call (630) 942-4000 or visit www.cod.edu/artscntr.

bull; The Hinsdale Center for the Arts' Adornments on First is open through Saturday at 26 E. First St., Hinsdale. The annual exhibition includes handmade gifts, workshops for adults and children, wine tastings, poetry readings, music and more. Store hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and select Sundays. Shop proceeds will benefit Hinsdale Center for the Arts. For details and a schedule of events, visit www.hinsdalearts.org or call (630) 887-0203.

bull; "A Christmas Carol" will be performed at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday at the Riverfront Playhouse, 11-13 S. Water St., Aurora. Riverfront's own adaptation of the holiday classic includes nine songs. Admission costs $15, $12 for seniors and students, $10 for children 11 and younger. For tickets, call (630) 897-9496.

bull; The Lombard Park District's Holiday Walk will be on display through Sunday at Lilacia Park, 150 S. Park Ave. Children will be able to visit with Santa and take rides on the Puffer Belly Railroad from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday. The Holiday Walk also includes an animated light display, a giant gingerbread house, decorated trees and more. For details, call (630) 620-7322 or visit www.lombardparks.com.

bull; Kidz Kabaret will perform "Beauty and the Beast" at 3 p.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday at The Comedy Shrine, 22 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville. Tickets cost $10, $8 for students and seniors, $6 for children 10 and younger. For details or tickets, call (630) 355-9212.

Today

bull; Glenbard North High School will present "School House Rock Live! Junior" at 7 p.m. today in the school's Little Theatre, 990 N. Kuhn Road, Carol Stream. Tickets cost $3. For details or reserved tickets, call (630) 681-3399.

bull; Chicago radio personality and author Jim Benes will present "Season of Joy: Chicago Celebrates the Holidays" at 1 p.m. today at the Elmhurst Historical Museum, 120 E. Park Ave. Benes, who is the writer, producer and voice of the "Christmas Past" radio series, will discuss Chicago holiday traditions, including "A Christmas Carol" at the Goodman Theater, the wreathing of the Lions at the Art Institute and the do-it-yourself Messiah. Benes, author of the book "Season of Joy," also is the morning news editor at WBBM-780 AM. Admission is free. For details, call (630) 833-1457 or visit www.elmhurst.org/elmhurst/museum.

bull; Heather Braoudakis will sing holiday classics at 7 p.m. today at Beacon Hill Retirement Community, 2400 S. Finley Road, Lombard. The concert is free, but reservations are suggested. For details, call Mary Jo Carlson at (630) 691-7666, e-mail maryjo.carlson@lcrc.net or visit www.beaconhilllombard.com.

Friday

bull; The Sidekicks Square Dance Club Christmas Dance ill be Friday at the Community Recreation Building, 320 E. Wildwood Ave., Villa Park. Howard and Anna Hoffman will cue rounds at 8 p.m. and Howard Hoffman will call squares at 8:30 p.m. A banner will be available. For details, call (630) 627-2437 or (630) 271-0313.

bull; Beacon Hill Retirement Community's Chimers and Hilltoppers Chorus will perform a holiday concert at 7 p.m. Friday at Beacon Hill, 2400 S. Finley Road, Lombard. The concert is free, but reservations are suggested. For details, call Mary Jo Carlson at (630) 691-7666, e-mail maryjo.carlson@lcrc.net or visit www.beaconhilllombard.com.

Saturday

bull; Kidz Kabaret will present "It's a Grand Night for Singing" at 4 p.m. Saturday and Dec. 29 at The Comedy Shrine, 22 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville. The musical revue will include selections from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway productions, such as "Some Enchanted Evening" from "South Pacific" and "Shall We Dance?" from "The King and I." Tickets cost $10, $8 for seniors and students, $6 for children 10 and younger. Seniors can purchase a ticket that includes admission to both one performance of "It's a Grand Night for Singing" and one performance of "Little Women," which runs Jan. 6-19, for $10 each. For details, call (630) 355-9212 or visit www.kidzkabaret.com.

bull; Visitors of all ages can create a gingerbread house from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the DuPage County Historical Museum, 102 E. Wesley St., Wheaton. Museum admission costs $3, $2 for seniors older than 65, students and children ages 4 to 17, free for children 3 and younger. For details, call (630) 682-7343 or visit www.co.dupage.il.us/museum/.

Sunday

bull; Have breakfast with Santa at 9 or 11 a.m. Sunday at Brookfield Zoo, 3300 Golf Road, Brookfield. The event will include entertainment, visits and photos with costumed characters and goody bags from Fisher-Price. The cost is $23 for adults and $17.50 for children for members, $33 for adults and $22.50 for children for others. Reservations are required. For details, visit www.brookfieldzoo.org.

bull; Make a snowman holiday pin during this week's "Sunday at the Cabin" activities from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Schaumburg Park District's Merkle Log Cabin at Spring Valley Nature Sanctuary, 1111 E. Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg. Visitors also can take walks in the woods or sit by the cabin's fireplace. For details, call (847) 985-2100 or visit www.parkfun.com.

Ongoing

bull; The Midwest Collage Society exhibit "Layers II" will be on display through Dec. 28 in the Elmhurst Artists' Guild Gallery at the Elmhurst Art Museum, 150 Cottage Hill Ave. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; 1 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Fridays and Sundays. Admission costs $4, $3 for seniors, $2 for students, free for children 11 and younger and members. Everyone is admitted free on Tuesdays. For information, call Frank Tumino at (847) 781-6422 or Nancy Radzik at (708) 728-9969.

bull; The annual Festival of Lights and Trees is under way at Cosley Zoo, 1356 N. Gary Ave., Wheaton. The lighted holiday display is turned on from 3 to 9 p.m. during regular zoo hours. Visitors also can shop for holiday greens, Christmas trees and gifts. The zoo is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily through Sunday, 9 a.m. to noon Christmas Eve, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 26-30 and 9 a.m. to noon New Year's Eve. The zoo is closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted. For details, call (630) 665-5534 or visit www.cosleyzoo.org.

bull; A replica of Kline Creek Farm made from gingerbread will be on display from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays until Dec. 31 at the farm, 1N600 County Farm Road, West Chicago. The farm is decorated for the holidays and tours will be available on the hour. For details, call (630) 876-5900.

bull; "Protecting the North Pole" will be on display through Jan. 5 at the Aurora Regional Fire Museum, 53 N. Broadway, Aurora. The exhibit includes more than 30 Christmas Village fire stations from the collection of Aurora firefighter/paramedic John Nolan. The museum is open 1 to 4 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. Admission costs $3.50, $2.50 for senior citizens and firefighters, $2 for children 12 and younger. For details, call (630) 892-1572 or visit www.auroraregionalfiremuseum.org.

bull; Works by five Ohio artists will be on display today through Jan. 5 in the McAninch Arts Center's Gahlberg Gallery at College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. The exhibit, which explores the state's turbulent political history, includes installation, sculpture, drawings and photographs. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, by appointment and during Mainstage performances. Admission is free. For details, call (630) 942-2321.

bull; "Cameos: From Myth to Modernity" will be on display through Jan. 6 at the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art, 220 Cottage Hill Ave., Elmhurst. The exhibit features the work of master gem engraver Erwin Pauly, alongside cameos from Lizzadro's own collection. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission costs $4; $3 for seniors, students and teens; $1 for children ages 7 to 12 and free for children 6 and younger. For details, call (630) 833-1616 or visit www.lizzadromuseum.org.

bull; "Picturing What Matters: An Offering of Photographs from the George Eastman House Collection" will be on display through March 16 at the Elmhurst Historical Museum, 120 E. Park. The exhibit includes 125 photos chosen by Eastman House staff that depict what matters most to Americans. The collection spans the early 1840s to the present and includes well-known photos by acclaimed photographers, such as Ansel Adams, Joe Rosenthal, Margaret Bourke-White and Eugene Smith. The museum is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Admission is free. For details, call (630) 833-1457 or visit www.elmhurst.org/elmhurst/museum.