Weds-Sun, December 11–15 • Live Animal Christmas Show. A spectacular theatrical production telling the story of the nativity through the resurrection, with live animals. Various times, Marion Ave. Baptist Church, 215 S. Marion Ave., Washington. MarionAvenueBaptist.com. Dec. 10–15. Free.
Wednesday, December 11 • Cafe Paradiso Open Mic. A decades-old tradition. 7:15 sign-up, 7:30 p.m. start, Cafe Paradiso, 101 N. Main Street, Fairfield.
Wednesday, December 11 • From the Page to the Plate: Audrey at Home. Swamp Fox Bookstore partners with Gia’s Italian Kitchen for a cooking experience, preparing recipes from Audrey at Home: Memories of My Mother’s Kitchen by Luca Dotti (pictured), the son of the Audrey Hepburn. 6 p.m., Marion Public Library kitchen. RSVP at SwampFoxBookstore.com.
Wednesday, December 11 • The Bruce Katz Band. Blues. 7:30 p.m., Redstone Room, Davenport. CommonChordQC.com.
Wednesday, December 11 • Improv Class. Drop-in class with Solomon Davis. $15. 5:45–7 p.m., Source Vibrations Sound Clinic, 122 N. Court St., Fairfield. SourceVibrations.com.
Wed-Sun, December 11-15 • A Brucemore Christmas. Peek into the holiday seasons of yore, with sparkling seasonal décor on three floors of the Mansion. RSVP. Wed-Sun through Dec. 31. Brucemore Mansion, Cedar Rapids. Brucemore.org.
Thursday, December 12 • Indian Hills Holiday Concert: Bells Are Ringing! 7 p.m., St John Auditorium, 525 Grandview Ave., Ottumwa. (641) 683-5111.
Thursday, December 12 • A Carol Christmas. A concert by master songwriter Carol Montag. Bring a new, unwrapped toy to the Toys for Tots toy drive (optional). 7 p.m., CSPS, Cedar Rapids. CSPSHall.org.
Thursday, December 12 • Dan Tedesco. Alt folk rock. 7 p.m., The James, 213 N. Gilbert St., Iowa City. TheJamesIC.com.
Thurs-Fri-Sat-Sun, Dec. 12–15 • Ballet Des Moines: The Nutcracker. Various times, Hoyt Sherman Place, Des Moines. HoytSherman.org.
Fri-Sat, December 13–14 • 15th Annual Holiday Trade Fair. One of the largest holiday gift and craft shows in SE Iowa. Fairfield Arts and Convention Center. FairfieldFirstFridays.org.
Saturday, December 14 • Fairfield Indoor Farmers Market. The weekly market offers fresh greens & vegetables, baked goods, handcrafted items, and food to go. 9-1. Golden Magnolia Sanctuary, 200 S. Main St., Fairfield.
Saturday, December 14 • Vánocka: Sweet Braided Bread. Learn to make a scrumptious sweet bread commonly served on Christmas morning in the Czech Republic. 3–6 p.m., via Zoom. RSVP. NCSML.org.
Saturday, December 14 • Karaoke Night. Every Saturday 8-10:30 p.m. Noble House Kava, 115 N. Main St., Fairfield.
Saturday, December 14 • Meara Oberdiek. R&B artist EP release show, with a full band of Fairfield favorites. 7:30 p.m., Cafe Paradiso, Fairfield. CafeParadiso.net.
Saturday, December 14 • Texas Tenors & Ottumwa Symphony. Holiday concert, “Deep in the Heart of Christmas.” 7 p.m., Bridge View Center, Ottumwa. BridgeViewCenter.com.
Saturday, December 14 • Amy Friedl’s Christmas at the Paramount. Featuring a six-piece band. 7:30 p.m., Paramount, Cedar Rapids. CREventsLive.com.
Saturday, December 14 • SEISO: Hollydaze. Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra presents traditional carols, music from holiday films, and stirring new arrangements. 3 p.m., Chapel Auditorium, Mount Pleasant. SEISO.us. Free.
Sat-Sun-Mon-Tues, December 14-17 • “Red One” at Cinema Fairfield. When a villain kidnaps Santa Claus from the North Pole, an E.L.F. operative joins forces with the world’s most accomplished tracker to find him and save Christmas. (2024, action/comedy, 2 hours, 3 minutes). Sat 4 & 7 p.m., Sun-Tues 7 p.m. Captions on Monday. Cinema Fairfield, FACC, Fairfield.
Saturday, December 15 • Great Bluegrass Herons Christmas Program. Holiday acoustic music with refreshments. 2–4 p.m., Ainsworth Opera House, 284 N. Railroad St., Ainsworth. (319) 653-6250. By donation.
Sat-Sun, December 14-15 • Chamber Singer Holiday Choral Concert. “O Be Joyful!” includes beautiful songs of rejoicing, celebration, and winter memories, plus two carol medleys and an audience sing-along to close the evening. 7:30 p.m. Golden Magnolia Sanctuary, 200 S. Main St., Fairfield. $10 admission. (641) 472-1539.
Sunday, December 15 • Josh Ritter. Great to Small, Small to Grand Tour. 7:30 p.m., Englert Theatre, Iowa City. Englert.org.
Sunday, December 15 • Cécile McLorin Salvant & Sullivan Fortner. A vocalist of startling gifts and a new collaboration. 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., Hancher, Strauss Hall, Iowa City. Hancher.uiowa.edu.
Sunday, December 15 • Great Bluegrass Herons Christmas Program. Holiday acoustic music with refreshments. 2–4 p.m., Ainsworth Opera House, 284 N. Railroad St. (319) 653-6250. By donation.
Sunday, December 15 • The Lowly Brass: Tuba Christmas. 4 p.m., St. John Auditorium, IHCC, Ottumwa. Free.
Sunday, December 15 • The Keystones. Milwaukee rock band. 6 p.m., Raccoon Motel, Davenport. TheRaccoonMotel.com.
Sunday, December 15 • The Plot to Overthrow Christmas. A comedic staged reading accompanied by a children’s dance and a sung performance of “Twas the Night Before Christmas” presented by Reading Railroad Theater. 2 p.m., Morning Star Studio, Fairfield. (641) 472-4287.
Sunday, December 15 • Santa & the Mean One. Kids can meet Santa and the Grinch. 1–4 p.m., Appleberry Orchard, Donnellson. AppleberryOrchard.com.
Monday, December 16 • Cirque Dreams: Holidaze. A Broadway-style production of contemporary circus arts. 7:30 p.m., Paramount Theatre, Cedar Rapids. CREventsLive.com.
Monday, December 16 • Big Bad Voodoo Daddy: Wild & Swingin’ Holiday Party. American swing and jazz. 7:30 p.m., Adler, Davenport. DavenportLive.com.
Monday, December 16 • Spiral Twist Earrings. Use wire to create a macrame spiral knot, finished with a Swarovski crystal. Instructor: Zanetta Hoehle. 5:30–8:30 p.m., Beadology Iowa, Iowa City. BeadologyIowa.com.
Tuesday, December 17 • Final Act Ensemble: Holiday Show. This troupe of performers ages 60+ present classic and original radio plays. 7 p.m., Des Moines Playhouse. DMPlayhouse.com.
Tuesday, December 17 • Christmas with C.S. Lewis. In this play starring David Payne, discover how an encounter with J.R.R. Tolkien forever changed C.S. Lewis’s Christmas celebrations. 7:30 p.m., Hoyt Sherman Place, Des Moines. HoytSherman.org.
Tuesday, December 17 • Chevy Chase & National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. 35th anniversary screening of the film followed by a live conversation and Q&A with Chevy Chase and his wife, Jayni. 6 p.m., Adler Theatre, Davenport. DavenportLive.com.
Wednesday, December 18 • Angela Meyer’s Very Merry Christmas Show! Country artist. 6 p.m., Raccoon Motel, Davenport. TheRaccoonMotel.com.
Wednesday, December 18 • Cafe Paradiso Open Mic. A decades-old tradition. 7:15 sign-up, 7:30 p.m. start, Cafe Paradiso, 101 N. Main Street, Fairfield.
Wed-Sun, December 18-22 • A Brucemore Christmas. Peek into the holiday seasons of yore, with sparkling seasonal décor on three floors of the Mansion. RSVP. Wed-Sun through Dec. 31. Brucemore Mansion, Cedar Rapids. Brucemore.org.
Thursday, December 19 • Jok-E-Oke Comedy Open Mic. Thursdays, 9:30 p.m. comedy open mic, followed by karaoke. AlleyCat, Iowa City. AlleyCatIC.com.
Thursday, December 19 • The Thirsty Word. Area creative writers offer up lighthearted holiday fare. Readings by Meredith Siemsen, David Patterson (with a cast of actors), Jessie Nichols, Craig Deininger, and Douglas Adams. 7:30–9 p.m., Cafe Paradiso, 101 N. Main, Fairfield. Facebook.com/ThirstyWord.
Thursday, December 19 • Czech & Slovak Decorated Gingerbread Cookies. This class covers baking and decorating‚ from basic to more complex designs. 6–8:30 p.m., virtual class via Zoom. RSVP. NCSML.org.
Friday, December 20 • Friday Night Art Hop. Kids enjoy an art project, snack, and story time, and adult caregivers enjoy a grown-up time out. 6–7:30 p.m., Art Center of Burlington. RSVP (319) 754-8069. BTownArt.com.
Friday, December 20 • Blue Violin Candlelight Christmas. A candlelit performance of music and dance feat. the former 1st violinist of the Boston String Quartet. 7 p.m., CCPA, Coralville. CoralvilleArts.org.
Friday, December 20 • A Very Diva Christmas. From soulful ballads of the past to high-energy dance beats of today. 7:30 p.m., Memorial Auditorium, Burlington. BurlCivicMusic.com.
Friday, December 20 • Diamond Rio. Grammy-winning country band. 7:30 p.m., Hoyt Sherman, Des Moines. HoytSherman.org.
Fri-Sat-Sun, December 20–22 • The Naughty List: A Crooked Path Holiday Cabaret. Crooked Path Theatre. Fri. & Sat. 7:30 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m., The James, Iowa City. TheJamesIC.com.
Fri-Sat-Sun, December 20–22 • Orchestra Iowa Pops III: Holiday Spectacular. Fri. & Sat. 7:30 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m., Paramount Theatre, Cedar Rapids. CREventsLive.com.
Saturday December 21 • Mannheim Steamroller Christmas. Grammy Award winner Chip Davis has created a show that features classics in the distinctive Mannheim sound. 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Civic Center, Des Moines. DMPA.org.
Saturday December 21 • Shaun Johnson & the Big Band Experience. 7:30 p.m., Hoyt, Des Moines. HoytSherman.org.
Saturday December 21 • Son Little. R&B, soul, blues. 8 p.m., Redstone Room, Davenport. CommonChordQC.com.
Saturday December 21 • Little Superheroes: Honky Tonk Christmas. Live music & more; wear your boots and bling. 5–10 p.m., Elks, Fairfield. Visit LittleSuperheroesFairfield.com for more events all month, benefiting families in need.
Saturday December 21 • Winterland. Grateful Dead cover band. 7:30 p.m., Englert Theatre, Iowa City. Englert.org.
Saturday December 21 • Culinary Class at the Market: Christmas Treats. Take a European culinary tour with Sandrine Wallace. 10:30 a.m.–noon, NewBo City Market, Cedar Rapids. NewBoCitymarket.org.
Saturday December 21 • Winter Solstice Lantern Celebration. With open studio for making lantern puppets on Dec. 19 & 20. 5 p.m. lantern parade ending at Rondevoo Park. Eulenspiegel Puppets, West Liberty. Details at OwlGlass.org.
Saturday, December 21 • Monserrat Iniguez. Spoken word performer. 7:30 p.m., Cafe Paradiso, Fairfield. CafeParadiso.net.
Saturday, December 21 • Fairfield Indoor Farmers Market. The weekly market offers fresh greens & vegetables, baked goods, handcrafted items, and food to go. 9-1. Golden Magnolia Sanctuary, 200 S. Main St., Fairfield.
Sunday, December 22 • A Magical Cirque Christmas. 4 p.m., Civic Center, Des Moines. DMPA.org.
Sunday, December 22 • Glenn Miller Orchestra: In the Christmas Mood. World-renowned big-band jazz. 7 p.m., Hoyt Sherman, Des Moines. HoytSherman.org.
Sunday, December 22 • Lessons & Carols. Christmas music and carols directed by Blair Buffington, featuring local choral talents and the SEISO Chamber Orchestra. 12–3 p.m., Swedesburg Lutheran, 1897 140th St., Mt. Pleasant. SwedesburgLutheran.org.
Sunday, December 22 • Cafe Paradiso Irish Music Session. Informal traditional Irish music gathering every Sun., 3–5 p.m., Cafe Paradiso, 101 N. Main, Fairfield. Free.
Monday, December 23 • Christmas Eve Eve Bash. Live holiday music from the Lainey Jean, Christmas cocktails, and holiday cheer. 4–10 p.m., Mississippi River Distilling Company Downtown Lounge, 318 E. 2nd St., Davenport. MRDistilling.com.
Monday, December 23 • National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Movies at the Paramount presents. 7 p.m., Paramount, Cedar Rapids. CREventsLive.com.
Wednesday, December 25 • CHRISTMAS DAY. Wishing you and your loved ones radical peace and bottomless joy! ♥
Thurs-Sun, December 26-31 • A Brucemore Christmas. Peek into the holiday seasons of yore, with sparkling seasonal décor on three floors of the Mansion. RSVP. Wed-Sun through Dec. 31. Brucemore Mansion, Cedar Rapids. Brucemore.org.
Thurs-Fri-Sat, December 26–28 • The Rink. Open skate indoors on a synthetic ice skating rink. $10 admission includes your skate rental. Thurs. & Fri. noon, Sat. 6 p.m., The Rink, Memorial Auditorium, Burlington. BurlingtonRiverfront.com. Through Jan. 25.
Friday, December 27 • Youth Shelter-Building & Fire Making. Youth 7 to 17 will build a shelter and make a fire with naturalist Chloe Proffitt. RSVP. 1–3 p.m., Lacey-Keosauqua State Park Beach House. VillagesFolkSchool.com. Also on Dec. 23.
Saturday, December 28 • Eclectic Music Night with Chris Powell. 8 p.m., La Bohème, 417 Jefferson St., Burlington. (319) 752-0800.
Saturday, December 28 • Comedy Game Show! An interactive comedy show hosted by Travis Coltrain. 9:30 p.m., Alley Cat, Iowa City. AlleyCatIC.com.
Saturday, December 28 • Fairfield Indoor Farmers Market. The weekly market offers fresh greens & vegetables, baked goods, handcrafted items, and food to go. 9-1. Golden Magnolia Sanctuary, 200 S. Main St., Fairfield.
Sunday, December 29 • Cafe Paradiso Irish Music Session. Informal traditional Irish music gathering every Sun., 3–5 p.m., Cafe Paradiso, 101 N. Main, Fairfield. Free.
Monday, December 30 • Iowa City Poetry Slam. 7–9 p.m., Coffee Emporium, Iowa City. Facebook.com/IC-PoetrySlam/.
Tuesday, December 31 • ’80s & ’90s New Year’s Eve Blacklight Silent Disco Party. 21+. 8 p.m.–midnight, Olympic South Side Theater, Cedar Rapids. Eventbrite.com.
Tuesday, December 31 • Cokeena’s New Year’s Eve Ball. Drag show. 21+. 10 p.m.–12:30 a.m., Burlington Memorial Auditorium. BurlingtonRiverfront.org.
Tuesday, December 31 • Noon Year’s Eve Celebration 2024. Family activities included with general admission. RSVP. 9 a.m.–2 p.m., Science Center of Iowa, Des Moines. SCIowa.org.
Tuesday, December 31 • Linc Henriksen & The Drifters New Year’s Eve Show. 8–11 p.m., Wildwood Saloon, Iowa City. Eventbrite.com.
Tuesday, December 31 • The Doo Wop Project: New Year’s Eve Pops. Des Moines Symphony traces the inception of group singing to the biggest hits of today. 8 p.m., Des Moines Civic Center. DMPA.org.
Tuesday, December 31 • NYE Celebration with Rock of Ages. ’80s hits. 9 p.m., Riverside Casino. RiversideCasinoandResort.com.
Thursday, December 2 • Dr. Germington Saves the Day! Eulenspiegel Puppets Winter Break Show. 11 a.m., Owlglass Theatre, West Liberty. Owlglass.org.
Saturday, January 4 • Fairfield Indoor Farmers Market. The weekly market offers fresh greens & vegetables, baked goods, handcrafted items, and food to go. 9-1. Golden Magnolia Sanctuary, 200 S. Main St., Fairfield.
Sunday, January 5 • Cafe Paradiso Irish Music Session. Informal traditional Irish music gathering every Sunday, 3–5 p.m., Cafe Paradiso, 101 N. Main, Fairfield. Free.
Wednesday, January 8 • Cafe Paradiso Open Mic. A decades-old tradition. 7:15 sign-up, 7:30 p.m. start, Cafe Paradiso, 101 N. Main Street, Fairfield.
Saturday, January 11 • Fairfield Indoor Farmers Market. The weekly market offers fresh greens & vegetables, baked goods, handcrafted items, and food to go. 9-1. Golden Magnolia Sanctuary, 200 S. Main St., Fairfield.