72 HOURS Dec. 22, 2022

CELEBRATE WINTER

Imagine walking through a frozen world of ice sculptures, icicles, Christmas trees and snow that goes on for 40 minutes. Guess what. You don’t have to imagine. The Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center at the National Harbor provides a 17,000-square-foot immersive, winter wonderland of activities for all ages at its ICE! event each year, with ice sculptures along the way that have been carved from two million pounds of ice. This year’s event features scenes and activities from “A Christmas Story.” The Gaylord is about an hour and 15 minutes from Frederick, but it’s easy to make a day of this (in fact, you could easily spend an entire weekend at the National Harbor). One thing to note: The icy playland is kept at a steady 9 degrees Fahrenheit, so guests are encouraged to bundle up. ICE! Runs through Dec. 31.

DISCOVER THIS MUSIC SERIES

The Weinberg Center recently announced an inspiring lineup for its upcoming Tivoli Discovery Series, which will be held at New Spire Stages in 2023. This series brings emerging artists to Frederick to perform in an intimate blackbox theater space, and tickets are pay-what-you-want at the door. Upcoming acts to look forward to: Taylor Ashton, Marielle Kraft, Shane Guerrette, Ashley Ray and Zach Person. You can also purchase tickets online for a suggested $10 donation. Don’t miss your opportunity to see these acts live in our community.

KIDS, SHOW US WHAT YOU’VE GOT

Seed to Roots Youth Arts Performance presents an exciting opportunity for schoolage children to perform on the Weinberg Center stage during its third annual event, which will be held Feb. 20. In the meantime, kids are invited to sign up to perform. Each performance must tie into Black history or culture in some way, but there is otherwise no limit to how create you can get. Registration deadline is Jan. 20. And this show is, of course, open to the public. Tickets ($10, free for kids under 10) are available on the Weinberg Center website.

HAVE YOU SEEN IT YET?

When “I Heard the Bells,” the Christmastime Civil War movie featuring Frederick’s own fife and drum corps, hit theaters recently, Regal Westview in Frederick was packed with fans who sang along to the songs throughout the show. The movie, which tells the story of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penning his poem that would become the carol “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” continues to play at Westview Promenade, so get there and watch it on the big screen while you can! It’s guaranteed to put you into the holiday spirit.

Meet Bob & Freddie. When it comes to local businesses, businesspeople and organizations in Frederick, they know best. Here is a personal interview with a 2022 Best of the Best winner or finalist about why they love what they do, helping those they serve and working in Frederick.

Krietz Auto Sales

2022 WINNER FOR BEST AUTO DEALER (USED)

400 North East Street, Frederick 301-694-4642 krietzauto.com Facebook.com/KrietzAuto

BOB HISTORY

2019-2022 – Winner, Auto Dealer (Used)

2022 – Finalist, Auto Mechanic Shop

2022 – Finalist, Oil & Lube Shop

2017 & 2018 – Finalist, Auto Dealer (Used)

WHEN DID YOUR BUSINESS OPEN IN FREDERICK?

Krietz Auto opened in Frederick in 1983 by Charlie and Kim Krietz.

WHAT SETS YOUR BUSINESS APART?

We are a custom lifted truck and SUV dealership that is family owned and operated that also customizes people’s personal vehicles and provides maintenance and repair services.

WHAT MAKES FREDERICK COUNTY A GREAT PLACE TO DO BUSINESS?

Frederick has stayed authentic to it’s culture and community.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OTHERS GOING INTO BUSINESS?

Set your goals high!

IF YOU WEREN’T IN YOUR CURRENT PROFESSION, WHAT OTHER TYPE OF BUSINESS WOULD YOU BE IN? Nascar Racing!

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOUR BUSINESS IN FIVE YEARS?

Continuing to be a huge part of the Frederick Community by participating in more community put reaches and opening up our aftermarket division to a nationwide market.

Courtesy photo

Xul Beer Co. in Tennessee

In this episode of the UnCapped podcast, host Chris Sands talks with Brad West, cofounder of Xul Beer Co. in Knoxville, Tennessee, about the history of the brewery and where its name came from, as well as the Kill The Lights Festival and plans to open a second taproom. Here is an excerpt of their talk.

UnCapped: Because it’s such a cool name, let’s start with the story of where Xul came from.

Brad West: We’re very young. We didn’t even come up with the concept of Xul until January 2019. I was an investor of a previous brewery in town and just wanted to do my thing. My friends met me over at a local beer bar, and we were all tasked with bringing names to the table. We actually had this popup model that we thought about doing, where we didn’t really have a taproom but would just have random popups here and there and do canned releases. Obviously, that was a bad idea, so we didn’t proceed with that.

UnCapped: That seems like one of those models that sounds cool until you start putting the work into what it would take and the lack of profit of not having the taproom.

West: Yeah, pretty much. We all had this list of names that we brought to the table. The last one on the list was Xul, and we were all like, “What is Xul?” It’s partly from “Ghostbusters.” We’re all into ’80s pop culture. Xul was spelled differently — Zuul — but it was a character on my favorite videogame in the ’90s. It’s got a pretty cool Urban Dictionary definition, too, that I’ll let people look up.

UnCapped: I love Xul’s imagery and branding. Is the cat skull’s name Xul?

West: No, it doesn’t have a name or anything; it’s just the skull head we chose. I think it’s from an owl skull, technically, that our artist rendered and made it himself. We used an artist out

of Louisville, Kentucky, named Justin Kamerer, Angry Blue on Instagram. He’s a really good dude who’s done incredible work for us, so we’re happy to have him as part of our team.

UnCapped: How did you get into craft beer to begin with?

West: It’s kind of funny, and I feel bad a little, because we don’t have this big lineage. You talk to Tampa brewers or the Florida brewers, and they’re like, “We came from Cigar City [Brewing],” or this long history of brewing. We’re all fresh to it.

I initially got into craft beer in 2011. There was a craft beer market here that opened up, and we used to go there a lot — still do. They my wife got me on to Craft Beer Box, back in the day — like the random, once a month, you get 12 differ ent beers or something. I made a trip up to Other Half [Brew ing Co.], I think it was 2016 or 2017, and that’s really when I fell in love with IPAs. That was just kind of enlightening, this different level of craft beer that they were able to create. I was just fascinat ed with that.

Bentley, my business partner, has been a home brewer for, like, 12 years. He didn’t really do IPAs or lagers. He was into the full-mix culture stuff. So, in his apartment, he had, like, 200 active fermentations going on. He had barrels and bottles and all kinds of [stuff] just lying around. He actually lives above a pole dance studio, and he was out of town one day when his landlord called him and said that it was raining beer down on the pole dancers. Something like a fermentation gone wrong, and it

was just funny. So, his background was in that, and he wanted to do a lot of the mixed-ferm stuff. He’s just done an incredible job.

UnCapped: Mixed-ferm is one of those things that keeps seeming like it’s right on the verge of taking off, and then it stalls out for some reason.

West: Yeah. I love it.

UnCapped: There are some breweries making some amazing ones. I almost wonder if the popularity of heavily

derrated style of beer.

West: Yeah, those are my favorite. I like the non-fruited, for the most part, in that realm. I think you’re right. We flirt mostly in the realm of pastry and tropical stuff, as far as our sours go.

This excerpt has been edited for space and clarity. Listen to the full podcast at fnppodcasts.com/uncapped. Got UnCapped news? Email csands@ newspost.com.

Xul

Originally a Sumerian adjective used to denote “evil” or “great,” it has made its way into modern popular culture via books such as Simon’s “Necronomicon” and developed into a term for “bad in a cool kind of way” or “cool in a baaaaad kind of way.” It is synonymous with the street version of “bad” meaning favorable or exceptional. Also, “more cool than cool” and subsequently difficult for the unenlightened to pronounce.

“What if we invite some Star Vampires to the Prom?” “Dude, that would be, like, totally XUL!” — Urban Dictionary Chris

Sands

Manina is open in full force

P aul and Caroline Benkert opened Manina, an American wood-fired pizzeria with house-cured meats, seasonal plates, cocktails and wines, in Urbana in July. The restaurant’s menu, which changes daily and features dishes made from locally and organically grown ingredients, has “quick and little” options like pickled sausages and smoked trout and small plates like their Stretched to Order Mozzarella served on house focaccia and Chesapeake Catfish Cakes. Main courses include half a dozen woodfired pizzas and large plates like Heritage Pork Porterhouse and cast-iron chicken. There is also a Manina in Season tasting menu, which offers a choice of five or

seven courses and includes a pizza and a selection of dishes that may or may not be on the menu. In the months that the Benkerts were gearing up to open, Paul would be at the restaurant from dawn until dusk, creating the menu, he said. Caroline dubbed him the Monk of Manina. Benkert still arrives at Manina well before it opens. Being the only one in the restaurant allows him peace and quiet to develop the restaurant’s menu for the day. When most of the regular staff arrives in the early afternoon, the energy shifts to “full force, full-throttle prep mode and thinking is out the window,” he said.

— Jack Hogan

Staff photo by Katina Zentz

10 rockin’ hits for your Christmas playlist

BY GARY BENNETT Special to The News-Post

Not everyone loves Christmas songs, but you can put me in a special category. I love original Christmas songs from classic rockers.

It couldn’t have been easy for them. I’m sure some producer or agent along the way told them they needed to do a Christmas album or at least a few Christmas songs. It would have been easy to just record a few of the old standards, and many of them did just that. But to write and record an original track and have it turn into a standard, well, that is saying something.

Here are my top 10 original Christmas songs from classic rockers, or at least covers that have become indelibly associated with the artist.

Build this playlist into your smart speaker and, if you’re about my age, you’ll be instantly transported back to your teen years when Christmas was carefree.

How’d I do? Did I miss any of your favorites?

10. Jim Croce: “It Doesn’t Have to Be That Way”

What can I say, I’m a big fan, and this is my list. But wait. Give it a chance. Listen to the unmistakably smooth voice and heartfelt sentiment.

9. Paul McCartney: “Wonderful Christmastime”

This one’s a bit syrupy, but come on, it’s Paul McCartney! He can do what he wants.

8. Paul Young: “What Christmas Means to Me”

Paul is an obscure ’70s/’80s top 40

artist who somehow struck gold with this one.

7. Kenny Loggins: “Celebrate Me Home”

This obscure song is hauntingly beautiful. Just listen.

6. The Carpenters: “Merry Christmas, Darling”

OK, they’re not rockers, but the angelic voice of Karen Carpenter offers up a true standard of aching loneliness and missing your loved one at Christmas.

5. Bryan Adams: “Christmas Time”

I love this Canadian rocker’s voice and sentiment. Super nostalgic. Always takes me back.

4. Beach Boys: “Little Saint Nick”

They make it seem so easy. These Hall of Famers offer their ’60s hit “Little Deuce Coup” with snow a-flying instead of rubber!

3. Stevie Wonder: “Someday at Christmas”

A pointed, political statement from someone who really cares.

2. Eagles: “Please Come Home for Christmas”

It wouldn’t be Christmas without this this bluesy and melancholy cover.

1. John Lennon and Yoko Ono: “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”

A political statement mixed with an unforgettable melody and simple words. A true masterpiece from an alltime great.

Honorable mentions: Alabama’s “Christmas in Dixie,” John Denver’s “Noel: Christmas Eve, 1913,” Dan Fogelberg’s “Same Old Lang Syne,” Bruce Springsteen’s “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” and Elton John’s “Step Into Christmas.”

Wikimedia Commons

John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” has become a timeless Christmas classic.

The Weinberg Center for the Arts recently announced the 2023 lineup for its Tivoli Discovery Series. This concert series features emerging artists from across the country in a pay-what-you-want format, which allows concert goers to experience new artists and their music at little to no cost.

Concerts are the first Thursday of each month and this season will be held at the Weinberg’s new venue, New Spire Stages, located at 15 W. Patrick St., Frederick, directly across from the Weinberg Center. Shows start at 7:30 p.m.

Advance tickets are available for a suggested donation of $10, or audience members can pay what they want at the door. Purchase tickets at weinbergcenter.org, by calling 301-600-2828, or in person at the Weinberg Center box office at 20 W. Patrick St.

TAYLOR ASHTON — Jan. 5

A Vancouver native who now lives in Brooklyn, Taylor alternately accompanies himself on clawhammer banjo and electric guitar, crooning poignantly clever lyrical insights. His music takes influence from the emotionality of Joni Mitchell, the vulnerability of Bill Withers, the humor and heartbreak of Randy Newman, and old-time and Celtic folk music.

MARIELLE KRAFT — Feb. 2

The indie pop singer-songwriter

based in Nashville displays craftsmanship beyond her years, following suit to artists like Shawn Mendes, Maisie Peters and Taylor Swift. Her gift for storytelling is evident through her use of salient detail, raw emotion and poignant word choice describing moments “exactly as they feel.”

SHANE GUERRETTE — March 2

It’s the old way of doing things that inspires a new sound for upstate New York-based artist, Shane Guerrette. Drawing influence from classic soul and roots rock genres, Shane has only just begun to craft his own retroflavored sound reminiscent of the past while still finding a way to make it feel new again.

ASHLEY RAY — April 6

One of Nashville’s most nuanced voices, creating a modern sound without chasing after modern trends as a solo artist, and an in-demand songwriter for Little Big Town, Lori McKenna, Lady A’s Charles Kelley and others.

ZACH PERSON — May 4

The new face of indie rock out of Austin, Texas, Person plays loud, raw and connects with his music fans on a primal sonic level. Person has a swagger, talent and grit beyond his years, with the poise of a seasoned veteran onstage and the stylings of a mega star.

Courtesy photo

Ashley Ray

An artist, a mystic, my godfather

BY LAUREN LAROCCA llarocca@newspost.com

And then you’re hit with a tidal wave.

And in the same way a huge, unexpected wave can crash down on you while you’re swimming and leave you tumbling underwater and disoriented and dazed, ears ringing when you re-emerge — which direction is ocean? which direction is shore? — so, too, does the news of the loss of someone you loved.

I got this news on Saturday, a week before Christmas. My aunt up in Pennsylvania had finally found my number and called to tell me my uncle had died of a massive heart attack on Tuesday. Uncle David. Uncle Doo.

Every person is irreplaceable. Regardless of how much someone might try to blend in or stand out, we’re innately unique. It can’t be helped. Which is why losing someone always leaves a hole that nothing and no one else can fill, a hole in the shape of that very specific, very singular human who we were lucky enough to know in this life.

Who can put these things into words?

He was my godfather, one of the first people to hold me as a baby, and he became a guiding force throughout my entire life — through childhood, high school, college, my twenties, thirties and now forties. He understood me in a way that no other blood relation ever has. He’d make me laugh until I was crying when I was no older than 7 or 8. It didn’t matter, and of course I didn’t know then, that he was an accomplished jazz bassist who’d traveled the world

over, performing alongside the greats — Dizzy Gillespie, Bill Evans, Stan Getz, the Monterey Jazz Festival — although hearing these stories as I got older became the highlight of my day. He was never boasty (ever); rather, I heard stories of the after parties and the food and drugs and insane things that happened along the way, the mansions, the hotels. Stories about the ’60s and ’70s and everything that came with living through them.

We talked about everything though.

When his fingers aged him out of playing upright bass professionally, he became a luthier and ran his own shop. One of the last pieces he was

Seed to Roots Youth Arts Performance applications open

The third annual Seed to Roots Youth Arts Performance is scheduled for 6 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Weinberg Center for the Arts in downtown Frederick.

Youth are invited to perform onstage. Each performance must tie into Black history or culture in some way, such as using music written by Black songwriters, performances and costuming inspired by

arranging was Bach’s cello suites — but for bass — which goes to show his aptitude for the instrument.

He was always a visual artist, too, though not known for that, and he continued drawing into his seventies, sending me his depictions of Jesus.

He also recently earned a PhD — “not like a real PhD,” he kept telling me — in Spiritual Counseling through an online school. He would send me his papers on meditation and the kabbalah and ancient astrology to read.

Most recently, he’d begun directing the music group at his church, where he and my aunt had found a community of like-minded people in

the small Pennsylvania town where they lived. As he put it, “They’re our age and they’re hippies, but they don’t know they’re hippies.”

We talked about all of it. We talked about everything. We had the kind of closeness and understanding where if someone were to suddenly eavesdrop on one of our conversations, they’d most likely think we were both insane. That, or they’d have no idea what we were talking about.

I can’t believe he’s said everything he’ll ever say to me.

The biggest hole he left will be the weekly conversations we’d started in 2019. I looked forward to my phone lighting up with “DOO,” the name I’d called him since I was a baby (before I could pronounce “David”), and the next 90 minutes or so spent talking about everything under the sun. He’d ask about my life, and I about his, but we’d also talk about astrology and the I Ching and mysticism and reiki and spirituality and life and death and God and Jesus and the Gnostic Gospel of St. Thomas … being an empath, being an artist, being a mystic in a world gone mad.

Maybe it’s not that odd, then, that during our last conversation, he was talking about death, but specifically his own. I wonder now if some part of him knew it was coming. He told me he was ready — not that he wanted to die, but that he was ready. “I want to know what happens,” he said.

Three days later, he’d find out.

I wish we could have just one more phone call so I could hear how it went. I know regardless of where he went when he left this world, he’d have me laughing until I was crying about his journey.

famous Black performers, or performing original works with historical references.

In 2022, Seed to Roots brought onstage 14 performances and raised $1,151 in ticket sales, which was donated to 24/7 Dance Studio for scholarships.

The deadline to sign up is Jan. 20.

Email seed2rootsmd@gmail.com for details.

Brianna Santiagol, left, and Talea Haines, both members of the 24/7 Dance Studio PRIDE Company, perform part of the final number of the 2022 Seed to Roots event at the Weinberg Center for the Arts.

Staff file photo by Bill Green

Courtesy photos

Images of Jesus, by Dave LaRocca.

ICE! returns to Gaylord National Harbor

BY GINA GALLUCCI-WHITE Special to The News-Post

“He

“Fra-gee-lay! Must be Italian.”

If you know what iconic holiday movie these lines came from, then run like Skut Farkus is chasing you to the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center for their annual Christmas on the Potomac celebration.

One of the most beloved parts of the event is ICE!, featuring a different iconic holiday story each year. The carvings, made up of scenes from the selected story, are created from over 2 million pounds of ice, spread across 17,000 square feet and kept in an enclosure set to 9 degrees. This year’s theme — one certainly even Miss Shields would approve — is “A Christmas Story.”

Some of the scenes depicted in the dyed frozen statues include narrator and main character Ralphie in his pink bunny outfit, as well as him getting his mouth washed out with soap after saying a cuss word. Guests can also see his friend Flick getting his tongue stuck to an ice-covered flagpole and Ralphie’s family enjoying Chinese food on Christmas morning. Probably one of the most popular displays will be the department store Santa visit, which features three ice slides that guests can zoom down.

For two years, ICE! was not held as a part of the Christmas celebration due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“ICE! has become a tradition in this area not just for hundreds of thousands of families but also for us, our team and our community,” said Jennifer Cerasani, Gaylord National’s marketing and public relations director. “Being able to welcome it back after two years is just a breathe of fresh air. We are all so happy about it.”

The Gaylord provides comfy, large blue parkas for guests to wear while inside the ICE! section, but be sure to bring a hat, gloves and warm clothes as the

ICE!

at Gaylord National Resort

When: Through Dec. 31

Where: Gaylord National Harbor, 201 Waterfront Street National Harbor, Washington, D.C.

Info: nationalharbor.com

temperature is well below freezing. You don’t want to have to run through the exhibit, which also features a nativity and angel scene at the end.

The 1983 movie has been in the news recently. The sequel premiered recently on HBO Max and the house, where some of the original was filmed and which was later turned into a museum, was recently put up for sale.

“‘A Christmas Story’ is an iconic classic now. This exhibit debuted in anoth-

er property three years ago and people loved it, and we are just so excited to bring it here to the D.C. market,” Cerasani said.

But ICE! is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the nearly two dozen events that are a part of Christmas on the Potomac. In the atrium, folks can watch the daily acrobatic show “Cirque: Spirit of Christmas” and “The Greatest Story” stage show telling the story of the birth of Jesus Christ from the perspective of the three wisemen. All ages can enjoy activities like a snowball build and blast, ice bumper cars, mountain tubing and ice skating.

Adults can take the Holiday Hosting 101 class with a resort chef teaching how to make three appetizers for your holiday gathering.

There is also a huge gift shop filled with a wide variety of holiday ornaments

and items, “A Christmas Story” memorabilia and a Build-A-Bear workshop.

“I hope [guests] are filled with hope, happiness, excitement and the power that comes from people being together and spending time together,” Cerasani said. “The past two years have been hard, and being able to bring people together to enjoy these traditional Christmas experiences and activities is just magical.”

Before heading back home, the National Capital Wheel is just a short walk from the resort. The gondolas are completely enclosed and heated and offer a great spot for birds-eye views of Washington, D.C., including the Washington Monument and National Harbor. If you still need to cross off some items on your shopping list, the Tanger Outlets mall is also located there and features a number of retail stores and restaurants.

“You’ll shoot your eye out!”

“I triple dog dare ya!”

looks like a deranged Easter Bunny.”

Courtesy photo

Hallmark movies are like a cup of hot cocoa and warm, fuzzy socks

BY CRYSTAL SCHELLE Special to The News-Post

You have to give it to Hallmark. When it comes to Christmas, the company owns the market — cards, ornaments, wrapping paper and more.

And through the end of the year, you will find me plunked in front of the TV trying to keep up with this year’s 40 Christmas movie premieres. Yes, 4-0.

The good news is that they are spread over two channels with two themes: Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas and Hallmark Movies and Mysteries Channel’s Miracles of Christmas. Of course, that doesn’t make the number of movies any less, but I don’t mind.

Why? Because they make me as happy as a good snickerdoodle cookie. And in a world of Dumpster fires, it’s nice to know that, within two hours, love always triumphs.

The movies might not contain the most original storylines. They usually go something like this: The spunky, bigcity businesswoman has to go home to help the family’s Christmas tree farm, reconnects with her high school boyfriend, and quits her high-paying job for a simpler life. I can’t remember if that’s an actual plot, but it’s pretty close.

Every year, the movies seem to premiere earlier and earlier, bypassing Thanksgiving and Halloween themes to push Christmas. This year, the first movie premiered Oct. 21. But I would like to point out that Hallmark starts instore displays of Christmas ornaments in July.

However, the self-imposed Hallmark movie lover that I am, I have my restraints and will record them and wait until I feel more Christmasy to start watching them.

To keep track of all the movies I need to watch, Hallmark has an app called the Hallmark Movie Checklist. It helps you add movies you want to your schedule, get reminders, info on plots and main cast members, as well as a button to check it off your list. It’s pretty gratifying knowing you have made it through your list before the end of December — because I have yet to finish them all before the end of the year. The app also conveniently lists all of its available movies.

There used to be a time when Hallmark movies would only run a few times a year, usually around holidays. The movies, referred to as Hallmark Hall of Fame, would be sandwiched between Hallmark commercials that made you cry, only to return to the movie that made you cry harder.

Hall of Fame movies are in a class by themselves. They’re well-written because often they are based on books. They have stellar actors — Glenn Close in 1993’s “Skylark,” Matthew Modine in 1997’s “What the Deaf Man Heard,” Kathy Bates and Elizabeth Perkins in 2002’s “My Sister’s Keeper,” Kerri Russell and Mare Winningham in 2005’s “The Magic of Ordinary Days.” The list

goes on.

Hallmark launched its channel Aug. 5, 2001. A little more than a month later, we were trying to understand the reasons behind 9/11. Then the Hallmark Channel started running “I Love Lucy” back-to-back. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz made us laugh. The silly comedies also helped us heal.

Soon after, Hallmark quickly made

films where a boy meets a girl, something puts a wedge between them, they lose contact for years, only before one returns to their hometown to realize they never fell out of love with each other. Do they get together in the end? Yes, and that’s the best part.

Even I can be critical of the plots, usually rolling my eyes at yet another female lead as a spunky journalist who has to save her job by finding the best Christmas story ever. It is plain to see that the writers never worked in a newsroom, and it shows.

Or a few years ago, when the powers that be decided no one would notice the fake snow they used looked like someone overfilled the dishwasher. Suds, not snow, was shown scene after scene, sticking to hair and pants as if these characters had just stepped out of a rave.

Eventually, Hallmark diversified and brought in leads who are Black or gay or Jewish. It’s wonderful that their selection of stories involves the kind of people I have as friends, allowing me to root them on as they fall in love.

Some fans, and unfortunately some of the actors, disagreed with this more diverse way of thinking, so they have gone to the new Great American Family Network. It’s run by a former Hallmark Channel executive Bill Abbott who exited after the handling of a commercial run by marriage registry Zola that featured a lesbian couple.

Some of the actors from the channel have left for GAC, including one of Hallmark’s favorite Christmas and mystery series actresses, Candace Cameron Bure. A devout Christian, she recently received backlash after saying that GAC holiday movies would be featuring more “traditional marriages.”

A few years ago, Hallmark launched a Movie Now app, allowing Hallmark lovers to catch up on movies and original TV series. I found the app not to be user-friendly because it made the user wade through older films to find new ones. Good news: This year, Hallmark paired with Peacock, and I’ve found it easier to find films I’m looking for on the streaming device.

In the end, what Hallmark has given me are two leads who usually have good chemistry and a storyline that just makes me feel as happy as a good cup of hot chocolate and warm, fuzzy socks. So this year, under the glow of the Christmas tree, you’ll find me cozied up on the couch to escape the stress

of everyday life for a couple of hours of good, old-fashioned romantic Christmas fun.

David Scott Holloway/Hallmark Media

In 1958, heiress Maggie heads to New York City to pursue her dream of dancing with the Radio City Rockettes in “A Holiday Spectacular,” starring Ginna Claire Mason and Derek Klena.

Albert Camicioli/Hallmark Media

Ella, with the help of Griffin her ex-boyfriend, encourages her family to celebrate Christmas and Kwanzaa and to heal their past wounds before it’s too late in “Holiday Heritage,” starring Brooks Darnell and Lyndie Greenwood.

How to spend a secular Christmas in NYC

BY GRACE YOUNG The Washington Post

I grew up in San Francisco’s Chinese American community, where almost every Sunday — and traditionally on Christmas Day — it was a special treat to go out for dim sum with my family. As a child, I was fascinated by the servers and their clattering carts piled high with bamboo steamers bearing Cantonese delicacies. There were savory dumplings, bite-sized buns, copious sweets — and always tea.

Dishes might be steamed, baked or fried, offering eaters dozens of intriguing flavors, textures, shapes and colors, a delight for the eyes as well as the taste buds. It was so much fun to be immersed in the dining room chaos together with other Chinese families and friends. Nowadays in New York, my German-born husband and I continue the tradition, often going to Chinatown on Christmas Day for a secular celebration with friends who depend on me to guide them through the world of dim sum, which translates from Cantonese as “little things that touch the heart.”

We often combine our Christmas meal in Chinatown with a stroll to Battery Park in Lower Manhattan, where you can sightsee and even catch a movie.

I also love Go Go’s vegetarian threestar dumpling, a jewel-like creation filled with chopped jicama, cabbage and lotus root exquisitely wrapped in a delicate dough lightly colored with beet juice.

For staunch vegetarians, Vegetarian Dim Sum House is the first all-vegetarian dim sum establishment in Chinatown. Open day to night, their skilled cooks cleverly reproduce dim sum classics like shrimp dumplings, taro puffs and BBQ pork buns using mock meats. Not on the menu: my favorite watercress dumplings. Just ask.

If you’ve ever wondered where the Chinatown locals really hang out, look no further than Mee Sum Café, a vintage coffee shop — complete with Formica countertops and vinyl stools — in business since 1967. Open from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Mee Sum caters to old-timers who might come for a cup of ginger lemon tea, a steamer of pork dumplings or a delicate sausage, Chinese bacon and scallion rice roll — the invention of owner Don Moy. Cash only, of course.

Where to see a movie in New York on Christmas Day

It’s showtime! On Christmas Day 2022, Regal Battery Park will screen “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” among other offerings.

Restaurants open

in Chinatown on Christmas

Day

In Manhattan, where I live, Chinatown’s dim sum restaurants generally serve from 11 a.m. through the dinner hour, although historically the meal was exclusively intended for breakfast.

I like to go to Jing Fong, where traditional dishes are served old-style from carts pushed by female servers in brightly colored Chinese tops. Jing Fong is known for the classics: siu mai (pork dumpling); har gow (shrimp dumpling); and char siu bao (BBQ pork buns).

At Dim Sum Go Go, a more modern establishment, I adore their signature roast duck dumplings and mango shrimp rolls served with yummy house XO sauce and other condiments.

A go-to for film buffs, Film Forum is screening Jean Renoir’s “The Rules of the Game.”

If you take a 5 minute walk from Film Forum, you can go to IFC Center to see the historical costume drama “Corsage.”

The Angelika Film Center & Cafe in SoHo features “diverse mix of arthouse, independent and international films.”

Where to go sightseeing in New York on Christmas Day

If you’re starting out from Chinatown, be sure to stop in at Ting’s, a tiny emporium founded in 1957. One of the city’s most fascinating gift stores, Ting’s is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., selling everything from vintage children’s silk embroidered slippers to paper dragons and hand-painted snuff bottles. It’s like stepping back in time.

From Ting’s it’s a short walk to 10 Bowery, where you can pop in for a 10-minute-or-longer nicely affordable foot massage at Renew Day Spa. I love to treat myself to this decadent plea-

sure; the best of all possible stocking stuffers.

And for those who can waltz on ice, the Rink at Brookfield Place offers holiday skating overlooking the Hudson River — a cool way to end a festive day.

Photo for The Washington Post by Grace Young

Old-style cart service during a dim sum meal at Jing Fong in New York City.

Religious iconographer Richard Christin creates the likeness of saints

BY LAUREN LAROCCA llarocca@newspost.com

Richard Christin was always drawn to art. As he put it, he was an only child and had to find ways to amuse himself. He would often draw.

But later in life, his artmaking became a vital role in his life, a part of his spiritual practice.

Growing up in a Swiss family in Maryland, Christin spent his summers in Switzerland, where he’d stay for three months at a time.

“I used to just hang around the cathedrals and look at the sculptures and architecture and ornamentation,” he said at his studio inside the Griffin Art Center in Frederick, rows of painted carvings of saints hanging behind him on the wall. “I just took it in.”

As an adult, he created watercolors for a long time, seeing it as a “getaway” from the strictness of a career in architecture, he said.

While working with an architect in Georgetown in the late ’90s, he began taking classes at the Washington Studio School and learned how to create monotypes, then sculpt and eventually carve stone. His sculpture was figurative at the time, echoing the works he took in as a young boy staring at the walls and ceilings of cathedrals. The Basel cathedral in Basel, Switzerland, in particular, was one of his most cherished.

“The connection was complete then,” he recalled. “I was picking up on something I had seen and preserving this idea of telling stories in stone.”

In the midst of exploring sculpture, an awful (and sudden) divorce left him digging into spirituality and asking, “Is there something more I can draw on in a time of need?” he said. “I had put down my chisels and paintbrushes. [The divorce] had just devastated me. … But from that tragedy and that challenge, I came to Orthodox Christianity for solace … because I really had the need.”

He began attending an Orthodox church in Montgomery County and, shortly thereafter, found himself exploring the world of religious iconography.

“When I became Orthodox, I didn’t have in my mind this thought that, oh, I can become an iconographer!” he said. “But sometime after becoming Orthodox, it popped into my head: I’ve got to learn iconography.”

In 2009, he began researching religious iconography and took a workshop to study it further. When he returned home from the class, he said, he felt a tremendous desire to carve an icon of his own, even though he had never seen a carved icon at the time (eventually, he would see his first carved icon while browsing a Protestant coffee table book, he said).

“What I found was the more you learn about iconography, the less you know,” Christin said. “I’ve come to the place where, oddly enough, to me iconography is one of the greatest abstract arts there are. Now, there have been periods where it’s been very realistic, but overall, by and large, iconography has this abstract aspect to it. You’re trying to bring out the person of Christ, the person of the saints, because iconography is for prayer and engaging with your spiritual life.”

Christin’s pieces include saints he’s been drawn to or inspired by, as well as religious figures he’s been asked to create.

Many of the saints we venerate and pay homage to today transmitted the faith through their personhood, he said, as Christianity was an oral tradition for many years.

“That personhood is what you’re trying to find [through iconography],” he said. “Who was St. Paul? St.

Staff photos by Katina Zentz

Iconographer Richard Christin works on a piece of marble at his studio in Frederick on Nov. 1. Christin uses a number of mediums to create artwork of biblical figures and events.

Christin discusses one of his pieces at his studio.

Nicholas? Who was Christ? You try to bring that out in an abstract way.”

This slow and tedious practice of depicting religious figures — from Jesus to Mary of Egypt — has become a part of Christin’s spiritual path.

He surrounds himself with iconography — at his workplace, at his home, his studio — which allow him moments of stillness in his daily life to pause and reflect on what’s im-

portant to him. They are there to “reorient your mind,” as he put it.

“Think about on the radio or the internet, you’re constantly seeing advertisements about some product or this or that — to keep it in your mind. This is just the spiritual equivalent of that,” he said.

“We don’t realize how noisy our world is,” Christin went on. “Through social media, news, all of that stuff, it’s very hard to find the voice of God. And

the voice of God is in the weeds. That’s why a lot of people, when in nature, feel God, because it’s quiet out there. So one of the biggest challenges is finding that voice, finding that understanding.”

Though his pieces include traditional iconography elements, like gold leaf, nearly all of them also have a sculptural component, though Christin isn’t always certain ahead of time what he will or won’t include in a piece.

“When I start an icon, I have no idea how it’s going to turn out. I have an idea, but there’s something ‘other’ that happens,” he said. “I’m no great spiritual powerhouse, but I’ve seen it enough so I know it’s real. You just have to keep working until there’s a paint stroke or a brushstroke, and all of a sudden there’s a place where the saint you’re trying to depict is real. And you’re like, ‘Oh, I’m almost there.’”

”The Nature of Catoctin Mountain”

— through Dec. 31 at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Urbana; satellite location of the Delaplaine Arts Center. Photography comprised of flora and fauna found in the Catoctin Mountain ecosystem. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. fcpl.org.

”Travels” — through Dec. 31 at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Satellite location for the Delaplaine Arts Center. Photography by Beamie Young from the photographer’s travels and a desire to discover new images, patterns and narratives. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. fcpl.org.

”The Annotated Vessel” — through Dec. 31, at Brunswick Branch Library,

915 N. Maple Ave., Brunswick; satellite location of the Delaplaine Arts Center. Acrylic paintings by Maremi Andreozzi portray, embody and celebrated lesserknown historical female artists and illustrate the fine textiles and jewelry of the period. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. fcpl.org.

”Accretion” — through Dec. 31, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Photography and mixed media by Sean Dudley. Through a series of manipulation processes, Dudley’s photography focuses on the — sometimes imperceptible —changes in human experience through the accretion of time and experience. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. 301-

698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

”With Teeth” — through Dec. 31, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Photography by Jillian Abir MacMaster, a PalestinianAmerican photographic artist from Frederick whose exhibition is a look into invulnerability and displays of protection and survival through something as ubiquitous as facial expression. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. 301698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

”Life Forms” — through Dec. 31, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. A photographic exploration, by Ed Palaszynski, into the diversity and complexity of life and Ed’s response to the question, “What does life look like?” 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. 301-

698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

”The Colors of Our World” — through Dec. 31, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. The works in this exhibition are a response to the Clustered Spires Quilt Guild’s 2022 challenge to themselves to incorporate all seven colors of the rainbow in works that illustrate their discoveries about color and pattern. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. 301-6980656 or delaplaine.org.

Frederick Camera Clique Members Exhibition — through Dec. 31, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Photographs by beginners to semi-professional photographers. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine. org.

Courtesy photo

Frederick Camera Clique Members Exhibition runs through Dec. 31 at the Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Shown here, “Spiral Ascension,” by Jennifer Eddins.

”Season to Season” — through Jan. 1, Blanche Ames Gallery, 4880 Elmer Derr Road, Frederick. For gallery hours, call 301-473-7680, email bagalleryappointment@gmail.com or visit frederickuu.org.

Crestwood Gallery Fall Exhibit — through Jan. 6, Crestwood Center, 7211 Bank Court, Frederick. Original works of art, including oil, watercolor, mixed media, wood carvings, and photography from some of Frederick’s most talented artists. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. 240-215-1460 or frederickhealth.org.

”Variable Palettes” — through Jan 6, Adams County Wine Shop, 25 Chambersburg St., Gettysburg, Pa. Featuring the work of Dorothea Barrick. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. adamscountywinery.com/ events.

“Concinnity” — Jan. 6 to 29, with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Jan. 7 and an artist talk from 7 to 8 p.m. Jan. 19. Paintings by Kesra Hoffman and photographs by Teke Hoffman that consider those moments that arrest our attention and call us to stop and take a breath. NOMA Gallery, 437 N. Market St., Frederick. 301-471-7124. ”Lore” — through Jan. 8, Gallery 115 at the Y Art Center, 115 E. Church St., Frederick. Features 15 artists from around the world including London, New York City, Wyoming and Maryland. Artists reimagine traditional folklore and explore original contemporary myth through a variety of perspectives. Artworks include an eclectic range of media including short film and an interactive installation. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. https://www.instagram.com/ gallery_115_y.

”Joseph Holston: Color in Freedom, Journey Along the Underground Railroad” — through Jan. 14, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. In this exhibit, Holston leads his audience through four movements that deepen our understanding of America’s Black enslaved people’s experience. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission and parking are free.301739-5727 or wcmfa.org.

“The Poetry of Place: Paintings” — through Jan. 15 at Gallery B, 7700 Wisconsin Ave., Suite E, Bethesda. Loriann Signori is a painter of place and luminosity. Her work is based on traditional methods defined by colorist tendencies, aiming for continual transformation. Her paintings consistently are an emotional interpretation of time and place. 301215-6660, bethesda.org/bethesda/

gallery-b-exhibitions.

”Relief From the Heat” — through Jan. 22, Kentlands Mansion, 320 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg. Works by the Washington Water Color Association. Viewing is by appointment 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 301258-6425 to schedule an appointment. gaithersburgmd.gov.

“Beneath the Forest” — through Jan. 27 at the FAC Art Center at 5 E. Second St., Frederick. Pamela Moulton’s solo show makes use of textiles and found materials to weave a narrative about connectivity and environmentalism. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 301-662-4190, frederickartscouncil.org.

”Winter Nights, Winter Lights” — through Jan. 29 at The Mansion House Art Center & Gallery, 480 Highland Ave., City Park, Hagerstown. Valley Art Association members’ show. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. valleyartassoc. org or 301-797-2867.

”From the Pages of PAN: Art Nouveau Prints, 1895-1900” — through Jan. 29, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. This exhibition features brilliant lithographs, etchings and woodcuts by renowned artists such as Auguste Rodin, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Signac, Georges Seurat, Käthe Kollwitz, Peter Behrens and Aubrey Beardsley, among others. Works encompass the art nouveau movement, expressionism, post-impressionism, and symbolism and give a view of the both artistic and intellectual life of this period. From the collection of the Richard H. Driehaus Museum, organized by Landau Traveling Exhibitions. Free admission. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. Closed Dec. 24-25 and Dec. 31Jan. 1. Go to wcmfa.org.

“Crosscurrents: Works by Emma Barnes, Madeleine Speicher-Willis, and Billy Friebele” — through Feb. 3, King Street Gallery at Montgomery College, 930 King St., Silver Spring. Includes a broad range of mediums, from traditional painterly processes to cast concrete to video. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed Dec. 24 to Jan. 2. 240-567-1374, mieke. gentis@montgomerycollege.edu, cms. montgomerycollege.edu/arts-tpss/ exhibitions.

“The Hot Button” — through August 2023, Hot Button Gallery, 129 E. German St., Shepherdstown, W.Va. Carol Williams exhibits textiles and poster art that reflect her passion for social responsibility through artistic communication. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. The artist will be available for conversation at these times. anothercarolwilliams.com.

Happiest Holidays

fromthe Frederick Arts Council

Art Center. Photo taken by Mel B Photography

WAREHOUSE CINEMAS

NEWS AND EVENTS:

$7 TUESDAYS

Any movie, including Dolby Atmos. All day. Anytime.

SPECIAL EVENT:

“Santa’s Elf Workshop” Get Warehouse Merchandise for holiday gifts for you and your family! During this time we will have showtimes of Elf!

Saturdays, December 24th from 10am to 1pm

CHRISTMAS EVE EVENT: "The Polar Express" Saturday, December 24th @ 9AM, 10AM and 11AM

FILM LEAGUE PRESENTS:

"Planes, Trains and Automobiles" Wednesday, December 28th @ 7 PM and 7:30 PM

‘I Heard the Bells’ is rich in detail and emotional depth

BY ERIK ANDERSON Special to The News-Post

December is always flooded with cheesy, “feel good” Christmas movies that recycle the same vapid romcom plots over and over. This year, Fredericktonians have a unique chance to skip “feel good” in favor of soul-nourishing, thanks to “I Heard the Bells,” a new Christmas movie by Sight & Sound Films with a strong local connection.

Set during the Civil War, the film follows the family life of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (played by Stephen Atherholt), the 19th-century Massachusetts poet who is widely thought to be the most famous writer of his time, due to an extensive oeuvre of uplifting verse.

With some justice, his poetry has been criticized for being overly sentimental by fellow writers of both his own time and ours. For the sake of reaching astounding emotional heights, he frequently sacrifices other important values, such as historical accuracy and realism.

But what “I Heard the Bells” makes clear is that his sentimentality is far from empty. Within beautiful cinematography that captures both the cozy and bitter aspects of New England winters, the film reveals a complex man who earns the stirring hope that permeates his poetry.

A scene from “I Heard the Bells,”

Warehouse Cinemas is an independently owned cinema that offers a unique, premium movie going experience by providing first-run movies + retro films, leather recliner seating w/ seat warmers, high-quality picture and sound, including Dolby Atmos, a modern-industrial décor, and premium food and drink options, including movie themed cocktails, wine and a 28-tap self-serve beer wall. Visit us at warehouscinemas.com or scan the QR Code for this week’s feature films.

Following the sudden death of his wife, Fanny (Rachel Day Hughes), in a harrowing accident that is difficult to watch onscreen, he emerges from the throes of his deepest despair by discovering the legacy of faith she left for him and their family.

It’s unfortunate that any short summary of the plot must necessarily sound a bit too pat. The film hews very close to history. Much like the sinking of the Titanic, the poet’s

triumphant rediscovery of faith and the famous resulting poem are known spoilers. The film’s official trailer takes us quickly from Longfellow writing melancholily that Christmas “is no more for me,” to him penning the lines, “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep,” as the bells of Christmas morning rekindle his faith.

From that bird’s eye view, the plot can be summed up tritely: “Bells make a sad poet happy again.” But the bells are the final piece of a large emotional and spiritual jigsaw puzzle that the film takes its time assembling in rich detail. And

knowing the outcome does not leave the viewing experience bereft of charming surprises.

While audiences anticipate the main plot points, it’s impossible to prepare for the depth of love Henry and Fanny show for one another or the sincerity with which they approach their faith. The soldout, opening-day audience at Regal Westview in Frederick was so captivated by the effusive warmth of the Longfellow family, many were moved to sing the film’s Christmas carols aloud in the theater.

While Longfellow’s personal faith

Courtesy photo

journey is the focus of the film, it also provides a window into the Union zeitgeist during the Civil War. The poet himself is credited by many historians with rousing strong unified northern opposition to slavery, a point that is brought dramatically to bear in the film when a man who escaped enslavement reads a Longfellow poem at a political gathering.

Keen-eyed observers will recognize nine members of Frederick’s own Monocacy Field Music as the fife and drum corps leading the film’s military recruitment parade. Though their faces are onscreen for mere seconds, the steady beat of their music builds tension over the course of a threeminute scene that sets in motion the Longfellow family’s direct involvement with the war.

With a 110-minute runtime and a few frightening, violent scenes, this Not-Rated film may not be for the entire family, but “I Heard the Bells” strikes a very refreshing note among a backdrop of otherwise disappointing holiday fare.

Erik Anderson is a freelance writer in Frederick who cares about few things more than the history of his community. Email him at erikanderson07@gmail.com.

scene from “I Heard the Bells.”

Courtesy photo

A

WHOLE SMOKED COUNTRY CURED HAMS FOR SALE

Thursday Dec. 22

ETCETERA

Longest Night Service — 7:30 p.m. at Evangelical Reformed Church United Church of Christ, 11 W. Church St., Frederick. There will be gentle music, readings, and a time for quiet reflection in the main sanctuary. There will also be an opportunity to light a candle in memory of a loved one, as a sign of hope. A time of refreshment and fellowship will follow the service.

FAMILY

Winter City Lights Holiday Festival — 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 4501 Olney-Laytonsville Road, 4501 Olney-Laytonsville Road, Olney. Guests can explore 200,000 square feet of displays covering 18 beautifully decorated acres. Highlights include a 52-foot programmable Christmas tree featuring a canopy of lights and light show, an enchanted 1.5-mile trail through the woods featuring holiday displays and lights, a musical light show every 30 minutes, a snow tubing slide, concessions, lumberjack axe throwing and 14 bonfire areas for getting cozy and enjoying s’mores.  $39-$48. 888-720-1112. info@wintercitylights.com. wintercitylights.com.

FESTIVALS

Annual Festival of Lights — 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple and Visitors Center, 9900 Stoneybrook Drive, Kensington. 400,000 lights will illuminate the grounds beginning at dusk each day, Monday through Sunday. Creche displays featuring nativities from around the world. Decorated Christmas trees, a wide array of performances (see website for schedule). dctemple.org/festival-of-lights.

FILM

Wonder Book Classic Film Series: “A Christmas Carol” (1951, PG) — 7:30 p.m. at Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Ebenezer Scrooge, a curmudgeonly, miserly businessman, has no time for sentimentality and largely views Christmas as a waste of time. However, this Christmas Eve he will be visited by three spirits who will show him the errors of his ways. Cast: Alastair Sim, Jack Warner, Kathleen Harrison. (1 hour 26 min.) $7. 301-600-2828. bhiller@cityoffrederick. com. weinbergcenter.org/ shows/a-christmas-carol-1951.

THEATER

“Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins” — 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at New Spire Arts, 15 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Join ESP Theatre in their holiday tradition of bringing Hanukkah stories to life with this actively staged reading of “Hershel and the Holiday Goblins” by Eric Kimmel. On the first night of Hanukkah, weary traveler Hershel Ostropol eagerly approaches a village to join the celebrations, but finds not a single candle is lit! Goblins have taken over the synagogue!

All ages.

Free. 301-305-1405. christinem@esptheatre.org. weinbergcenter.org/shows/hershel-and-the-hanukkah-goblins.

“Jimsy the Christmas Kid” — 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at New Spire Arts, 15 W. Patrick St., Frederick. It’s two days before Christmas when Jimsy, an orphan, bubbling with enthusiasm, arrives at the home of the 1st Citizen (aka Mr. Prim and Proper bank president Abner Sawyer) and his dutiful wife, Judith. who gave up celebrating Christmas years ago. Join ESP Theatre for its actively staged reading of this holiday gem by Leona Dalrymple. All ages. Free. 301-305-1405. christinem@esptheatre.org. weinbergcenter.org/shows/jimsy-the-christmas-kid.

“Miss Bennet Christmas at Pemberley” — 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. By Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon. Directed by Suzanne Beal. As the family gathers at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Darcy to celebrate Christmas, Mary - the bookish middle child of the Bennets - finally has her day. Set two years after the events of “Pride and Prejudice,” this winning sequel with period style and modern wit is sure to delight Jane Austen fans and newcomers alike.  $32. 301-694-4744. zcallis@marylandensemble.org. marylandensemble.org.

Friday Dec. 23

ETCETERA

Festivus at the Xtivus! — noon to 10 p.m. at Tenth Ward Distilling, 55 E. Patrick St., Frederick. We’ve got a lot of problems with you people! Come out for Tenth Ward’s favorite holiday, air your grievances, and test your feats of strength. Enjoy Seinfeld-inspired cocktail specials and ... the infamous Festivus pole. 301-233-4817. monica@tenthwarddistilling.com. fb.me/e/2jdBgcMaW.

FAMILY

Christmas at the Roundhouse — noon to 4 p.m. at Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum, 296 S. Burhans Blvd., Hagerstown. See the trains of Christmas on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Jan. 29 Admission $6.00 adults $1.00 for children 4 through 16 Free for children 3 and under. 240-674-1882. davem301@yahoo.com. roundhouse.org.

Winter City Lights Holiday Festival — 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 4501 Olney-Laytonsville Road, 4501 Olney-Laytonsville Road, Olney. Guests can explore 200,000 square feet of displays covering 18 beautifully decorated acres. Highlights include a 52-foot programmable Christmas tree featuring a canopy of lights and light show, an enchanted 1.5-mile trail through the woods featuring holiday displays and lights, a musical light show every 30 minutes, a snow tubing slide, concessions, lumberjack axe throwing and 14 bonfire areas for getting cozy and enjoying s’mores.  $39-$48. 888-720-1112. info@wintercitylights.com. wintercitylights.com.

FESTIVALS

Winter Lights Festival — 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Seneca Creek State Park, 11950 Clopper Road, Gaithersburg. Also Sunday through Thursday 6 to 9 p.m. and Saturday 6 to 10 p.m. Tickets must be purchased in advance for a specific date. 3.5-mile drive through a woodland setting past more than 450 illuminated displays and trees that light up the night. (Closed Dec. 25.) $15 per car Monday through Thursday, $25 per car Friday and Saturday. gaithersburgmd.gov.

Annual Festival of Lights — 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple and Visitors Center, 9900 Stoneybrook Drive, Kensington. 400,000 lights will illuminate the grounds beginning at dusk each day, Monday through Sunday. Creche displays featuring nativities from around the world. Decorated Christmas trees, a wide array of performances (see website for schedule). dctemple.org/festival-of-lights.

MUSIC

Eric Byrd Trio Performs “A Charlie Brown Christmas” — 8 p.m. at Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick. What has become an annual tradition in the DMV returns to the Weinberg Center again this holiday season. For years now, Washington-native Eric Byrd has been performing the iconic soundtrack from “A

Charlie Brown Christmas” with his trio at venues across DC, Maryland, and Virginia. The show begins with a screening of the Peanuts holiday classic followed by a live performance of the Vince Guaraldi masterpiece score, complete with choral accompaniment during “Christmastime is Here.” $20-$30. 301-600-2828. bhiller@cityoffrederick.com. weinbergcenter.org/shows/eric-byrd-trioperforms-a-charlie-brown-christmas.

THEATER

“Countdown to Christmas” — 6 p.m. at Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, 5 Willowdale Drive, Frederick . Dinner 6 p.m., show at 8 p.m. A stroll down memory lane as stories of Christmases past are shared and the true meaning of the season is remembered. It’s a feel-good show for the entire family. Also, 6 p.m. Saturdays, and 12:30 p.m. buffet, 2:15 p.m. show first, third and fifth Sundays. $50 Fridays and Sundays; $53 Saturdays. 301-662-6600. wayoffbroadway.com.

“Miss Bennet Christmas at Pemberley” — 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. By Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon. Directed by Suzanne Beal. As the family gathers at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Darcy to celebrate Christmas, Mary - the bookish middle child of the Bennets - finally has her day. Set two years after the events of “Pride and Prejudice,” this winning sequel with period style and modern wit is sure to delight Jane Austen fans and newcomers alike.  $32. 301-694-4744. zcallis@marylandensemble.org. marylandensemble.org.

Saturday Dec. 24

ETCETERA

Living Grace Church Christmas Eve Service — 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Natelli Family YMCA , 3481 Campus Drive, Frederick . Living Grace Church (Lutheran-Episcopalian ministry) in Urbana invites families and individuals to share this early evening service celebrating the birth of Christ.  240-285-9758. Douglasjones.dj51@gmail. com.

livinggraceurbana.org.

Christmas Eve Services — 5 p.m. to 11:55 p.m. at Buckeystown United Methodist Church, 3440 Buckeystown Pike, Buckeystown. Join us for Christmas Eve Worship at 5 p.m. (Carols start at 4:30 p.m.) and 11 p.m. buckeystownumc.org.

CALENDAR

FAMILY

Christmas Shopping with Alpacas — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Shepherd’s Purse Alpaca, 7971 Bennett Branch Road, Mount Airy. The barn as well as the It’s Alpaca! boutique will be open, and shoppers will have the opportunity to meet the alpacas and shop in a low-key environment. The boutique offers a variety of alpaca products, including sweaters, hats, gloves, yarn, stuffed animals, and other toys and accessories. 301-452-1874. info@shepherdspursealpacas.com. shepherdspursealpacas.com/whatsnew. htm.

Christmas at the Roundhouse — noon to 4 p.m. at Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum, 296 S. Burhans Blvd., Hagerstown. See the trains of Christmas on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Jan. 29 Admission $6.00 adults $1.00 for children 4 through 16 Free for children 3 and under. 240-674-1882. davem301@yahoo.com. roundhouse.org.

Train Garden — noon to 5 p.m. at Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Co., 702 N Main St., Mount Airy. Every weekend through Dec. 31, except Christmas and New Year’s Day. Parking and entry in the lower level of the fire station. mavfc.org.

Winter City Lights Holiday Festival — 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 4501 Olney-Laytonsville Road, 4501 Olney-Laytonsville Road, Olney. Guests can explore 200,000 square feet of displays covering 18 beautifully decorated acres. Highlights include a 52-foot programmable Christmas tree featuring a canopy of lights and light show, an enchanted 1.5-mile trail through the woods featuring holiday displays and lights, a musical light show every 30 minutes, a snow tubing slide, concessions, lumberjack axe throwing and 14 bonfire areas for getting cozy and enjoying s’mores.  $39-$48. 888-720-1112. info@wintercitylights.com. wintercitylights.com.

FESTIVALS

Annual Festival of Lights — 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple and Visitors Center, 9900 Stoneybrook Drive, Kensington. 400,000 lights will illuminate the grounds beginning at dusk each day, Monday through Sunday. Creche displays featuring nativities from around the world. Decorated Christmas trees, a wide array of performances (see website for schedule). dctemple.org/festival-of-lights.

Sunday Dec. 25

FAMILY

Christmas at the Roundhouse — noon to 4 p.m. at Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum, 296 S. Burhans Blvd., Hagerstown. See the trains of Christmas on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Jan. 29 Admission $6 adults $1 for children 4

through 16. Free for children 3 and under. 240-674-1882. davem301@yahoo.com. roundhouse.org.

Train Garden — noon to 5 p.m. at Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Co., 702 N Main St., Mount Airy. Every weekend through Dec. 31, except Christmas and New Year’s Day. Parking and entry in the lower level of the fire station. mavfc.org.

Winter City Lights Holiday Festival — 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 4501 Olney-Laytonsville Road, 4501 Olney-Laytonsville Road, Olney. Guests can explore 200,000 square feet of displays covering 18 beautifully decorated acres. Highlights include a 52-foot programmable Christmas tree featuring a canopy of lights and light show, an enchanted 1.5-mile trail through the woods featuring holiday displays and lights, a musical light show every 30 minutes, a snow tubing slide, concessions, lumberjack axe throwing and 14 bonfire areas for getting cozy and enjoying s’mores.  $39-$48. 888-720-1112. info@wintercitylights.com. wintercitylights.com.

FESTIVALS

Annual Festival of Lights — 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple and Visitors Center, 9900 Stoneybrook Drive, Kensington. 400,000 lights will illuminate the grounds beginning at dusk each day, Monday through Sunday. Creche displays featuring nativities from around the world. Decorated Christmas trees, a wide array of performances (see website for schedule). dctemple.org/festival-of-lights.

Monday Dec. 26

CLASSES

FAC After Hours & Yogamour: Restorative Yoga with Soundbath — 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at FAC Art Center, 5 E. Second St., Frederick. Take a break and join a Gentle Yoga Flow led by Michelle Jackson on the main level while enjoying art work that adorn the walls of this historic space. This is a practice available to all levels which includes beginners. Some yoga mats available. $15. 301-662-4190. wiegand@frederickartscouncil.org. yogamour.org/public-yoga-classes.

FESTIVALS

Annual Festival of Lights — 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple and Visitors Center, 9900 Stoneybrook Drive, Kensington. 400,000 lights will illuminate the grounds beginning at dusk each day, Monday through Sunday. Creche displays featuring nativities from around the world. Decorated Christmas trees, a wide array of performances (see website for schedule). dctemple.org/festival-of-lights.

Tuesday Dec. 27

CLASSES

Scottish Country Dance Class — 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Clover Hill Civic Association Building, 8122 Glendale Drive, Frederick . The Frederick Scottish Country Dancers invite you to learn traditional Scottish ballroom dancing. You don’t need to bring a partner with you, but you do need comfortable, soft-soled shoes. 202-320-9898. heatherwurzer@gmail. com. facebook.com/FrederickSCD.

FESTIVALS

Annual Festival of Lights — 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple and Visitors Center, 9900 Stoneybrook Drive, Kensington. 400,000 lights will illuminate the grounds beginning at dusk each day, Monday through Sunday. Creche displays featuring nativities from around the world. Decorated Christmas trees, a wide array of performances (see website for schedule). dctemple.org/festival-of-lights.

FILM

FAC After Hours: Art Center Bijou — 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at FAC Art Center, 5 E. Second St., Frederick. A weekly film screening curated in collaboration with documentary filmmaker Leah Michaels and FAC Associate SJ Wiegand. Each month presents films that fall under one general theme in order to cultivate discussion about film as a mode of artistic expression.  Doors open at 7 p.m., film starts at 7:30 p.m. Discussion afterward. There is a flight of stairs to reach the screening room.  301-662-4190. wiegand@frederickartscouncil.org. frederickartscouncil.org/ news-events/calendar-grid.

MUSIC

Acoustic Java Jam — 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Come on in with your acoustic guitar, mandolin, fiddle, violin, ...  Sip some coffee, or tea, and jam with us! All levels welcome! 18 and older. 301-600-7004. marchange-desir@frederickcountymd.gov.

Wednesday Dec. 28

FESTIVALS

Annual Festival of Lights — 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple and Visitors Center, 9900 Stoneybrook Drive, Kensington. 400,000 lights will illuminate the grounds beginning at dusk each day, Monday through Sunday. Creche displays featuring nativities from around the world. Decorated Christmas trees, a wide array of performances (see website for schedule). dctemple.org/festival-of-lights.

Thursday Dec. 29

FAMILY

Winter City Lights Holiday Festival — 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 4501 Olney-Laytonsville Road, 4501 Olney-Laytonsville Road, Olney. Guests can explore 200,000 square feet of displays covering 18 beautifully decorated acres. Highlights include a 52-foot programmable Christmas tree featuring a canopy of lights and light show, an enchanted 1.5-mile trail through the woods featuring holiday displays and lights, a musical light show every 30 minutes, a snow tubing slide, concessions, lumberjack axe throwing and 14 bonfire areas for getting cozy and enjoying s’mores.  $39-$48. 888-720-1112. info@wintercitylights.com. wintercitylights.com.

FESTIVALS

Annual Festival of Lights — 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple and Visitors Center, 9900 Stoneybrook Drive, Kensington. 400,000 lights will illuminate the grounds beginning at dusk each day, Monday through Sunday. Creche displays featuring nativities from around the world. Decorated Christmas trees, a wide array of performances (see website for schedule). dctemple.org/festival-of-lights.

MUSIC

Appalachian Chamber Music Festival: Festive Cheer — 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Zion Episcopal Church, 300 E. Congress St, Charles Town, W.Va. A selection of jolly and uplifting music to celebrate the yuletide season. Family-friendly concert. Selections include original arrangements by ACMF artist Sinead Frost of some holiday classics, Corelli’s Christmas Concerto and “Winter” from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.  $25 adults, under age 16 free with purchase of adult ticket. manager@appalachianchamber.org. appalachianchamber.org.

Friday Dec. 30

FAMILY

Christmas at the Roundhouse — noon to 4 p.m. at Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum, 296 S. Burhans Blvd., Hagerstown. See the trains of Christmas on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Jan. 29. 240-674-1882. davem301@yahoo.com. roundhouse.org.

Winter City Lights Holiday Festival — 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 4501 Olney-Laytonsville Road, 4501 Olney-Laytonsville Road, Olney. Guests can explore 200,000 square feet of displays covering 18 beautifully decorated acres. Highlights include a 52-foot programmable Christmas tree featuring a canopy of lights and light show, an enchanted 1.5-mile trail through the woods featuring holiday displays and lights, a musical light show every 30 minutes, a snow

tubing slide, concessions, lumberjack axe throwing and 14 bonfire areas for getting cozy and enjoying s’mores.  $39-$48. 888-720-1112. info@wintercitylights.com. wintercitylights.com.

FESTIVALS

Winter Lights Festival — 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Seneca Creek State Park, 11950 Clopper Road, Gaithersburg. Also Sunday through Thursday 6 to 9 p.m. and Saturday 6 to 10 p.m. Tickets must be purchased in advance for a specific date. 3.5-mile drive through a woodland setting past more than 450 illuminated displays and trees that light up the night. (Closed Dec. 25.) $15 per car Monday through Thursday, $25 per car Friday and Saturday. gaithersburgmd.gov.

Annual Festival of Lights — 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple and Visitors Center, 9900 Stoneybrook Drive, Kensington. 400,000 lights will illuminate the grounds beginning at dusk each day, Monday through Sunday. Creche displays featuring nativities from around the world. Decorated Christmas trees, a wide array of performances (see website for schedule). dctemple.org/festival-of-lights.

MUSIC

Appalachian Chamber Music Festival: Works to Warm Us — 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Camp Hill-Wesley United Methodist Church, 601 Washington St., Harpers Ferry, W.Va. A concert to warm the body and soul with some foot-tapping favorites and poignant moments of reflection. Enjoy beloved works such as “Winter” from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons paired with Piazzolla’s tango-inspired “Winter” from the Southern Hemisphere.  $15 - $25. manager@appalachianchamber. org. appalachianchamber.org/ 2022-winter-residency.

FAC After Hours: See What Sticks Performance Art Workshop — 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at FAC Art Center, 5 E. Second St., Frederick. Performance artists, musicians, poets, actors — meet Frederick’s newest performance workshop and open stage. 301-662-4190. wiegand@frederickartscouncil.org. frederickartscouncil.org/ news-events/calendar-grid.

Saturday Dec. 31

CLASSES

Bang Class — 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Walkersville LIbrary, 2 South Glade Rd., Walkersville. Freedom Bang is a pre-choreographed fusion of boxing, HIIT, hip-hop, world dance, optional weighted gloves and just a touch of attitude.  Offering a wide range of intensity options to help you customize your workout. 301-600-8200.

awadding@frederickcountymd.gov. fcpl.org.

Zumba Saturdays at the Library — 10:15 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Ready to exercise! Ready to dance! Ready to shake off the pounds? Come on in for Zumba at the Library on Saturday mornings! 18 and older. 301-600-7004. marchange-desir@frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com/ event/zumba-saturdays-library-8.

ETCETERA

New Year’s Eve Murder Mystery Party — 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Dragon Distillery, 1341 Hughes Ford Road, Suite 108, Frederick. A 1920s-themed murder mystery party. $25-$45. 410-549-2722. murdermysterycompany@gmail.com. dragondistillerynye.eventbrite.com.

FAMILY

Christmas at the Roundhouse — noon to 4 p.m. at Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum, 296 S. Burhans Blvd., Hagerstown. See the trains of Christmas on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Jan. 29. 240-674-1882. davem301@yahoo.com. roundhouse.org.

Train Garden — noon to 5 p.m. at Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Co., 702 N Main St., Mount Airy. Every weekend through Dec. 31, except Christmas and New Year’s Day. Parking and entry in the lower level of the fire station. mavfc.org.

Winter City Lights Holiday Festival — 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 4501 Olney-Laytonsville Road, 4501 Olney-Laytonsville Road, Olney. Guests can explore 200,000 square feet of displays covering 18 beautifully decorated acres. Highlights include a 52-foot programmable Christmas tree featuring a canopy of lights and light show, an enchanted 1.5-mile trail through the woods featuring holiday displays and lights, a musical light show every 30 minutes, a snow tubing slide, concessions, lumberjack axe throwing and 14 bonfire areas for getting cozy and enjoying s’mores.  $39-$48. 888-720-1112. info@wintercitylights.com. wintercitylights.com.

Family New Year’s Eve Celebration — 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. at Adventure Park USA, 11113 W. Baldwin Road, Monrovia. Celebrate New Year’s Eve at Adventure Park U.S.A. Indoor attractions (laser tag, mini bowling, bumper cars, ropes course, rock wall, XD theater, frog hopper, gold rush playground) and mini golf. 301-865-6800. janine@adventureparkusa.com. adventureparkusa.com.

FESTIVALS

Middletown Valley Bank Krumpe’s Donut Drop 2023 New Year’s Event — 5

p.m. at Square, downtown, Hagerstown. Kids’ Zone in the lobby of the Md. Theatre, live music on the square, free Krumpe’s Donuts, AC&T Coffee & Hot Chocolate on the Square, Giant Donut Drops/fireworks grand finale. 301-790-2000. mdtheatre.org. Annual Festival of Lights — 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple and Visitors Center, 9900 Stoneybrook Drive, Kensington. 400,000 lights will illuminate the grounds beginning at dusk each day, Monday through Sunday. Creche displays featuring nativities from around the world. Decorated Christmas trees, a wide array of performances (see website for schedule). dctemple.org/festival-of-lights.

MUSIC

Appalachian Chamber Music Festival: Fire and Ice — 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at The War Memorial Building, 102 E. German St., Shepherdstown, W.Va. Ring in the new year with a journey from darkness into light. Inspired by cellist Janos Starker’s moniker “Fire and Ice”, this Slavic-influenced program features works that will both comfort and excite you as you reflect on the past year as well as provide inspiration for the year to come.  $15 - $35. manager@appalachianchamber.org. appalachianchamber.org/ 2022-winter-residency.

New Years Eve Bluegrass Concert — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Morgan Chapel United Methodist Church, 6750 Woodbine Road, Woodbine. Morgan’s Coffeehouse will host a special New Years Eve bluegrass concert featuring the Fruit Jar Howlers. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., music begins at 7 p.m. Lite dinner fare, desserts, snacks and beverages will be for sale throughout the evening. Free admission, donations encouraged. 410-970-2485. revjim@morganchapel. church.

Michelle Marshall’s Thunderdome Queen — A Tina Turner Tribute — 10:30 p.m. at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, 750 Hollywood Drive, Charles Town, W.Va. 21 and older. This soulful sultry act heats up the stage with its electrified high-energy, high-intensity dancing, note for note musical renditions and glamorous costumes, all re-creating the persona of Tina Turner. $25 and up. hollywoodcasinocharlestown.com.

Sunday Jan. 1

FAMILY

Christmas at the Roundhouse — noon to 4 p.m. at Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum, 296 S. Burhans Blvd., Hagerstown. See the trains of Christmas on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Jan. 29. 240-674-1882. davem301@yahoo.com. roundhouse.org.

FESTIVALS

Annual Festival of Lights — 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple and Visitors Center, 9900 Stoneybrook Drive, Kensington. 400,000 lights will illuminate the grounds beginning at dusk each day, Monday through Sunday. Creche displays featuring nativities from around the world. Decorated Christmas trees, a wide array of performances (see website for schedule).

dctemple.org/festival-of-lights.

Monday Jan. 2

CLASSES

FAC After Hours & Yogamour: Restorative Yoga with Soundbath — 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at FAC Art Center, 5 E. Second St., Frederick. Take a break and join a Gentle Yoga Flow on the main level while enjoying art work that adorn the walls of this historic space. $15. 301-662-4190. wiegand@frederickartscouncil.org. yogamour.org/public-yoga-classes.

FESTIVALS

Annual Festival of Lights — 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple and Visitors Center, 9900 Stoneybrook Drive, Kensington. 400,000 lights will illuminate the grounds beginning at dusk each day, Monday through Sunday. Creche displays featuring nativities from around the world. Decorated Christmas trees, a wide array of performances (see website for schedule). dctemple.org/festival-of-lights.

Tuesday Jan. 3

CLASSES

Scottish Country Dance Class — 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Clover Hill Civic Association Building, 8122 Glendale Drive, Frederick

. The Frederick Scottish Country Dancers invite you to learn traditional Scottish ballroom dancing. You don’t need to bring a partner with you, but you do need comfortable, soft-soled shoes. 202-320-9898. heatherwurzer@gmail.com. facebook.com/FrederickSCD.

FILM

FAC After Hours: Art Center Bijou — 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at FAC Art Center, 5 E. Second St., Frederick. A weekly film screening curated in collaboration with documentary filmmaker Leah Michaels and FAC Associate SJ Wiegand. Each month presents films that fall under one general theme in order to cultivate discussion about film as a mode of artistic expression.  Doors open at 7:00The film starts around 7:30After the film ends we hold a brief discussion. There is a flight of stairs to reach the screening room.  301-662-4190. wiegand@frederickartscouncil.org.