TGIF, Saturday and Sunday! Our largest listings ever…
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ARTS: This Sunday, December 6th is Free Arts Day, brought to you by Arts Westchester (www.westarts.com). This annual event that was started in response to 9/11 means that Westchester’s best museums, historical sites, and arts centers are offering free admission to workshops, performances, storytelling, and crafts depending on the venue. Historic Hudson Valley is participating with events at Phillipsburg Manor, Van Cortlandt Manor, and Sunnyside ranging from a free live holiday music to a performance of “Gift of the Magi.” The ArtsExchange in White Plains will also be participating as well with children’s workshops, and the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville will be screening Nanny McPhee at noon for families. Other participants include the New Rochelle Public Library, the Rye Arts Center, and the Neuberger Museum of Art at Purchase. For a complete list of events and venues, go to www.westarts.com.
The Rye Arts Center is putting on a Faculty Arts Exhibit from December 1st to December 12th, so go and check it out before its gone!
Two exhibits, “Paws to Enjoy” and “Winter Season” will be at the Larchmont Library from now until December 29th. Paws to Enjoy is a photography series featuring pets by Barbara Gebala, and Winter Season is a series of oils and pastels by Andrew Dyson. www.larchmontlibrary.org
This Saturday, KBFA Gallery in Mamaroneck will be having an opening reception for its new exhibition, “Just Breathe.” The exhibit features a series of abstract oil paintings by Yolanda Sanchez, Patricia Spergel, and Lisa Taliano and will run through January 14th. The reception is open to the public and will be held from 5 pm to 6:30 pm on December 5th. www.kbfa.com
THEATER: The Akjun Ballet Theater is collaborating with PAVE students at New Rochelle High School to put on the classic and magical “The Nutcracker” ballet this weekend at New Rochelle High School. Performances are on Friday night at 7:30 and Saturday afternoon at 2:00 pm. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at www.smarttix.com.
The Purchase Dance Corps and the Purchase Symphony Orchestra are also putting on performances of The Nutcracker with guest stars from the Pennsylvania Ballet at SUNY Purchase. There are five performances this weekend – Friday at 7:15, Saturday at 2:00 pm and 8 pm, and Sunday at 1 pm and 5 pm. Tickets range from $27.50 – $52.50. www.artscenter.org
The Greenville Community Theater is putting on several performances of “One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest” this weekend at Edgemont High School in Scarsdale. Shows are at 8 pm on Friday and Saturday night, and 2 pm on Sunday. Tickets range from $10 to $18. www.gcstage.org
The Westchester Broadway Theater in Elmsford is putting on a new show! Performances of “The Christmas Voyager”, a Christmas music spectacular about traveling back in time to the origins of Christmas will
be on weekends and some Thursdays through December 29th. Tickets are $75. www.broadwaytheatre.com
MUSIC: The Westchester Choral Society will be performing a variety of classical holiday favorites from composers like Bach and Handel on Sunday at the Rye Presbyterian Church at 10 am. Tickets range from $10 – $20. www.westchesterchoralsociety.org, 914-761-3900.
The Westchester Chamber Music Society will be presenting the Antonin String Quartet on Sunday night at 8 pm at Congregation Emanu-El in Rye. The quartet features the concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, Glen Dicetrow and violinist Karen Dreyfus. They will be performing music from Hadyn and Dvorak, among others. Tickets are $35 for adults, but free for students! www.westarts.com, or call 914-761-4625 for more info.
Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad with Out to Lunch, a five-piece bluegrass band, will be performing at the Emelin on Friday night at 8 pm. Tickets are $37. www.emelin.org, www.pinemountainrailroad.com
Also, the Watercolor Café will be hosting Ralph Lamama Trio on Friday night. www.watercolorcafe.net
HOLIDAY FUN: This holiday season, Larchmont Village is having a series of events to make this year an Old Fashioned Holiday. This weekend marks the beginning of the events with horse-drawn sleigh rides through town on Saturday, accompanied by carolers. The sleigh will be circling around from Palmer Avenue to the Boston Post Road, and can bring you to your favorite restaurants and shops. www.larchmontchamber.com
Bet Am Shalom Synagogue in White Plains will be hosting the 16th Annual Judaica Craft Show on Saturday and Sunday. Over 50 artists from the U.S and Israel will have a variety of different items from ritual objects to jewelry. There is a $7.95 entry fee, and the show will run from 8 pm on Saturday night and 9:30 am to 5:30 on Sunday.
St. Thomas Church in Mamaroneck will be having a Christmas fair and auction with crafts and baked good for sale on Saturday starting at 10 am. www.saintthomasmmk.org
Starting this weekend, BID Gallery 542 in New Rochelle will be having a Holiday Arts and Crafts market on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 – 5 through December featuring art and gifts from over 20 artists.
Shareei Tikvah Synagogue in Scarsdale is hosting a Community Sing-a-long in both Hebrew and English on Saturday night at 7:00. Entry is $5. On Sunday, they will be having a Hanukkah Party for kids to learn about the holiday with a special sing-a-long for children under age 4 from 10 – 11:30 am.
On Sunday from 6 – 8 pm, head over to the Rye Nature Center for some Holiday Baking! You will be cooking up holiday treats like funnel cake, gingerbread, and hot apple cider and will get to sit around a fire and enjoy them afterwards. The cost is $8 for members and $10 for non-members, but hurry up and register because space is limited. www.ryenaturecenter.org
HOLIDAY GOODWILL: On Sunday afternoon at St. Augustine’s church from 10 am to 1 pm you can support your troops by helping assemble packages for troops in Afghanistan and Iraq for the holidays. For more information on the ways you can donate, go to www.carepackagedrive.com or email jenny.mcfarland@verizon.net.
The New Rochelle Rowing Club is hosting its 1st annual “Erg-a-thon” on Saturday from 8 am to 4 pm. This will also serve as an open house for potential new members, and is open to the public to come watch as members of the club erg to raise money for the New York Rowing Association (NYRA). The Erg-a-thon will be held at the Rowing Club’s boathouse at Hudson Park in New Rochelle. www.newrochellerowingclub.com
Applause Westchester in Mamaroneck is hosting a Holiday Fun Day to benefit Toys for Tots. The cost of entry is just one unwrapped toy, and you and your kids can participate in holiday crafts, sing-a-longs, and cookie decorating. www.applauseny.com
Iona College will be having a silent auction and Christmas cocktail party on Friday night 7 pm to benefit student organizations. Tickets are $75 and the event will be held at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck. For more information, contact jfeely@iona.edu
If you raise $100 for the New York Special Olympics, you can go ahead and take the Polar Plunge at Rye Playland at 9 am on Saturday morning! Last year, the Special Olympics raised over $1,000,000, so definitely go ahead and take the plunge. www.specialolympicsny.org
NOT a Holiday Fair – Beth El Synagogue in New Rochelle will be having a blood drive on Sunday from 8 am to 1 pm – that’s a gift that really means something.
Also, don’t forget that the Mamaroneck Fire Department Toy Drive is still going on, so head over and drop off an unwrapped toy as soon as you can. www.tmfd.org
Lastly, just because it is December that doesn’t mean you can’t get fresh produce! The Larchmont Farmer’s Market will be continuing at the train station parking lot this Saturday morning, with new venders!
