Calendar

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CALENDAR

BY RIVERFRONT TIMES STAFF

e Saint Louis Zoo’s Wild Nights display promises holiday fun for all the wild animals in your family. | VIA FLICKR/PHILIP LEARA

THURSDAY 11/24

Trot, Turkeys

othing says Than sgiving more than getting up early in the morning and running until you can run no more. If that’s your thing — or if you re loo ing for a new way to curb holiday calories this year — you re in luc Several turkey trots will take place throughout the St. ouis area this wee . Buc ing a tradition of races in downtown St. ouis, the St. Louis Turkey Trot will be held at the St. Charles amily Arena 00 Arena ar way in tandem with a virtual race people can participate in from anywhere. ir wood will also host in-person and virtual races with three- and si -mile options as part of the 40th Annual

Kirkwood-Webster Turkey Day

Run, and the Olivette Turkey Trot will ic off at a.m. at Stacy ar 0 ld Bonhomme Road).

FRIDAY 11/25 Having a Ball

Instead of trampling your neighbor to get a cheap T at Walmart, why not support Black artists at the Black Friday Ball at the Contemporary Art useum 3 0 Washington Avenue osted by u art, this free event is more than a ballroom competition. The festivities kick off at 4 p.m. with a holiday mar etplace featuring Blac ueer artists. At p.m. is a panel discussion featuring iyonnee ic man, the community outreach lead for the o o ustice Coalition; state Representative Rasheen Aldridge -St. ouis and artist Yetunde ans i- gunfidodo. There will also be free I testing, mon eypo vaccinations and C I - boosters on hand, because everyone stans a health-conscious queen. The event will conclude with performances and a ball competition with cash prizes for categories that include ogue Blac anther , Runway Artistic Couture , ands o love, o ove , Se Siren eather and ace and Realness ender uphoria). The performances start at p.m. and the competition is at 7 p.m.

Dive and Dash

St. ouis loves a pop-up bar, and Dasher’s Dive Bar at W R le St. ouis ills Boulevard, a elwood promises to be one to remember. The space will shower you in Christmas spirit, from the decorated ceiling on down to the festive tables. They ll be offering Christmas-themed snacks and cocktails and “wall-to-wall Christmas decor” along with holiday music and cheer. In addition to the snacks and welcome cocktail that is included with the price of your tic et . , you ll also have an opportunity to take a picture with Santa. asher s ive Bar will eep you engaged with Christmas arao e, comedy games and more. The bar is open this riday through riday, ecember 3, and you can visit powerple stl.com dashers-dive-bar to secure your tickets.

Wildin’ Out

It’s hard to improve on the Saint ouis oo overnment rive , but the Wild Lights display each holiday season really tries. In addition to seeing gorgeous lights and all of the usual animals, the Wild ights nights also offer themed areas (like the Cozy Cave and the olly olly angout and winter-themed treats. You never now what you ll find around each corner, from carolers to free activities to a theater featuring Rudolph the Red- osed Reindeer. And if you have a sensitive kid who would love to participate but might sometimes need space to decompress a bit from overstimulation, you can ta e them on Sensory- riendly ight, which returns on onday, ecember , and for which the oo offers sensory maps, uiet areas

WEEK OF NOVEMBER 24-30

and trained staff to assist people. They’ll even have a limited number of headphones and fidget toys for your kids to borrow if it helps them. Tic ets range from $10 for a zoo member to $16 for non-members. isit stl oo.org wildlights for more information.

SATURDAY 11/26

Let’s Get Crackin’

any moons ago, Tchai ovs y disguised .T.A. offman s nightmarish story about a little girl s fever dream into a tale of Christmas oy, one that we are now bound by fate to reanimate every year as soon as the alloween decor hits the Walgreens clearance rac . uestion the tradition, we might, but there is no doubt that the Saint Louis Ballet puts on a stunning Nutcracker show filled with such an abundance of tulle, glitter, fa e snow and tiaras you feel as if you’ve raided Billy Porter’s closet. These undeniably talented dancers create a magical fairyland that, for ust a moment, whisks you into the season’s spirit uic er than a life-si ed, animated nut-shelling device can whis away Clara to a land of enchantment. The ballet runs this Saturday through riday, ecember 3, at the Touhill erforming Arts Center (1 Touhill Circle). Tickets are available through etroti .

Fun Guys

oo ing to learn more about functional magic mushrooms or microdosing . . s rban arm 3 3 Ivanhoe Avenue has a class for you ycologist i e Crabtree will lead Exploring Functional Mushrooms from 4 to 6 p.m. Sip on a cup of mushroom coffee and stimulate your mind while you learn about the functional fungus among us. The class will discuss the many benefits that these mushrooms offer, where to get them and how to incorporate them into your daily life. As a bonus, attendees get to ta e home one of the farm s e clusive functional mushroom products for free! Tickets for the event are . or more information, visit fb.me e r ivsf.

As it turns out, the Dude is just as adept behind the camera as he is in front. | SAM JONES

Curl the MO

It s getting cold outside. That means no baseball. No outdoor bas etball. Running might be a little brutal. But at the Creve Coeur Ice Arena 00 lde Cabin Road, Creve Coeur the sports aren t slowing down — they re speeding up. This wee end, the Creve Coeur Ice Arena is handing out curling lessons through the St. ouis Curling Club. The one-day session Learn to Curl lasts from to 0 30 p.m. isitors will learn how to sweep the floor, deliver stones and try on their own grippers. This is only one part of what the curling club offers, with everything from ids leagues to adult leagues to doubles leagues to skills clinics to private lessons to bonspiel curling tournaments. With this club, it s all curling, all the time. nly 0 people can participate, so grab your tic ets in advance at a cost of 30, or 3 the day of. To find more information, visit stlouiscurlingclub.org.

SUNDAY 11/27

Light It Up

You have to appreciate the restraint that rant s arm 3 rant Road, 3 - 3- 00 has shown in starting its Holiday Lights show the day after Than sgiving. ost holiday activity started up right after alloween, but rant s arm waited for the actual Christmas season to begin the festivities. That means you can drive through the lights at rant s arm from to p.m. Thursday through Sunday until riday, ecember 30, with additional dates starting onday, ecember . riving through the lights costs 3 per vehicle, or those who want a slower e perience can wal through the lights on select ondays and Wednesdays between ovember and ecember . Tickets are $10 per person. More information can be found at grantsfarm.com holiday-lights.

TUESDAY 11/29 Shark Attack

In 0 , a South orean children s entertainment company launched a weapon of mass destruction so powerful it rivaled anything its neighbor to the north could produce in terms of power and scale, an ordinance of mass destruction so awesome its reverberations are still being felt today — in particular at the Baby Shark event at St. Charles amily Arena 00 Arena ar way, St. Charles . ood try, in fong overlords. We see your neon pin and blue, comically wide-eyed cartoon sharks spouting an inescapable earworm for what they are psychological warfare. But dammit if we can escape your grasp, than s to the puppydog eyes of our toddlers. Than God they serve booze.

WEDNESDAY 11/30

Picture This

There s more to the ude than meets the eye. In fact, it turns out that during his 30 years of standing in front of film cameras, eff Bridges, best nown for playing the iconic lead character in the Coen brothers film The Big Lebowski, has been gifted a photographic eye of his own. With a Widelu panoramic camera, Bridges captured decades of moments on set. You can now see the actor’s work at the Sheldon 3 Washington Avenue until onday, anuary , through the Jeff Bridges: Pictures e hibit, the first idwest showcase of Bridges photographs. Though Bridges has built a wide following for his dramatic roles, his photography has gone largely unnoticed compared to his celebrity status. is wor has even been featured in Premiere and Aperture maga ines. In 0 3, he received an Infinity Award from the International Center of hotography. Bridges wor is free to view at the Sheldon’s Bellwether allery of St. ouis Artists Tuesdays through Saturdays. n

Have an event you’d like considered for our calendar? Email calendar@riverfronttimes.com.