Tea Time on the Tracks
Get that pinky finger in the air to support the Sandhills Woman’s Exchange on the refurbished Aberdeen, Carolina and Western railroad cars parked near the Pinehurst Resort on N.C. 5. Hot tea and food will be served by waitresses in period dress. Entertainment features Hollis Carbrey and tickets are $75. For information and tickets, call (910) 295-4677.
Christmas on Connecticut
Get in the spirit at the Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities’ open house beginning Thursday, Dec. 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 55 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. It continues at the same time on Dec. 6 and runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 7. The cost is $5 at the door. Need more info? Go to weymouthcenter.org or call (910) 692-6261.
Dancer, Prancer and You
The 5K Reindeer Fun Run weaves through the streets of Aberdeen on Dec. 7 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. All proceeds go to the Boys and Girls Club of the Sandhills. Rendezvous at 100 E. Main St., Aberdeen. For more information, call (910) 693-3045 or go to www.reindeerfunrun.com.
Tree Lightings
The village of Pinehurst will come alive at its tree lighting at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 6 in Tufts Memorial Park, 1 Village Green Road West. There will be music, crafts and an appearance by Santa, who will make the commute from Aberdeen, where he stars in their tree lighting on Dec. 5, from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. at The Depot, 100 E. Main Street. For a big man, he gets around. Pinehurst information can be found at www.vopnc.org, and for more Aberdeen details, call (910) 944-7275.
Ruth Pauley Lecture Series
Michael Mann, the director of the Earth System Science Center at Penn State University, will present “Leaving the Madhouse: The Path to Climate Action,” at 7 p.m. on Dec. 5 at the Bradshaw Performing Arts Center, Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Southern Pines. For more information go to www.ruthpauley.org.
Deck the Halls
The STARworks Gallery at 100 Russell Drive in Star will hold its magnificent ornament sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7. There will be more than 2,500 handcrafted ornaments available. For more information, call (910) 428-9001 or visit www.starworksnc.org.
Mr. Claus in the House
The date for the Christmas parade is Dec. 7; the time is 11 a.m.; the place is downtown Southern Pines. There will be bands a-marchin’ and Santa Claus a-wavin’. If you need any more information than that, call (910) 692-7376.
Jazz Age
Join the Three Rivers Land Trust in Pinehurst on Dec. 7 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to experience a bygone era, touring three restored train cars of the 1900s parked near the Pinehurst Resort on N.C. 5. A jazz band, specialty drinks and food will help support historic preservation and land conservation in the Piedmont and Sandhills. Tickets are available at www.threeriverslandtrust.org/jotr.
Tour of Homes
Visit three historic homes in Southern Pines, one in the Country Club of North Carolina and another in Whispering Pines, all decked out in their holiday finery, in the 42nd Annual Episcopal Day School Candlelight Tour of Homes on Dec. 8 from 1–5 p.m. For more information call (910) 692-3492 or go to www.episcopalday.org. Tickets are available at ticketmesandhills.com.
The Rooster’s Wife
Thursday, Dec. 5: Jonathan Byrd and The Pickup Cowboys. Byrd is a preacher’s son, a Gulf War veteran, and an award-winning songwriter known for literary, outsider songs that have become campfire favorites. He’s joined on drums by Austin McCall with musical Renaissance man Johnny Waken on guitar, saw and mandolin. Cost: $15.
Sunday, Dec. 8: Keenan McKenzie and the Riffers. McKenzie and the Riffers are a dance band designed to perform original music and tight arrangements from the 1930s and 1940s. With three horns, the group plays a mix of clever big band reduction and swing-era combo tunes. Cost: $15.
Thursday, Dec. 12: Holiday Cheer with Newberry and Verch. Growing up, musicians Joe Newberry and April Verch absorbed traditions of home and hearth — in his Missouri Ozarks and her Ottawa Valley of Canada. The holidays have always been a special time of the year for both, with the lure of family and friends, festive decorations, gifts under the tree, and always . . . music. Cost: $20.
Sunday, Dec. 15: Amanda Anne Platt and the Honeycutters. Getting in the holiday spirit with their new EP, “Christmas on a Greyhound Bus,” they’re on a limited run of one-night stands, playing some of their favorite seasonal tunes as well as some original holiday material. Don’t worry, they’ll also be doing a whole set of Honeycutters classics to round out the night. Cost: $15.
Thursday, Dec. 19: Open mic with The Parsons.
Unless otherwise noted, doors open at 6 p.m. and music begins at 6:46 at the Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight St., Aberdeen. Prices above are for members. Annual memberships are $5 and available online or at the door. For more information call (910) 944-7502 or visit www.theroosterswife.org or ticketmesandhills.com.
The Nutcracker
Experience the Bolshoi Ballet’s magical production of this timeless classic accompanied by Tchaikovsky’s beloved score on Sunday, Dec. 15, at 1 p.m., at the Sunrise Theater, 244 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. For more information, call (910) 692-3611 or go to www.sunrisetheater.com.
Murphy Family Christmas
A tradition like no other, the Murphy Family Christmas Concert, sponsored by Chapman’s Food and Spirits, will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 21, at the Sunrise Theater, 244 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. For more information, call (910) 692-3611 or visit www.sunrisetheater.com.
Shaw House Holiday
Celebrate the season by attending an open house of the Shaw House, the Garner House and the Sanders Cabin at the corner of Morganton Road and Broad St., in Southern Pines. For information and registration, call (910) 692-2051, email info@moorehistory.com or visit www.moorehistory.com.
