Classic songs of Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald

What A Wonderful World – Celebration of Christmas with Louis and Ella will be at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9. The show features Longineu Parsons and his band, with Tina Fabrique, who is a Broadway singer from New York, who plays the role of Ella Fitzgerald.  They will sing the songs of Christmas along with the classic hits of both Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Performance begins at 7 p.m. Odell Williamson Auditorium is located on the campus of Brunswick Community College, 150 College Road, N.E., Bolivia.

To purchase tickets, visit https://bccowa.com/ or call 910-755-8513.

Get to Know Your Government: Learning Leland

As part of a new initiative to help residents learn about how their local government works, the town of Leland is hosting a town hall forum — Get to Know Your Government: Learning Leland. The forum will begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6 in the council chambers at Town Hall, located at 102 Town Hall Drive.

The forum will focus on the basics of the town of Leland's government structure and include Q&A with town management. Participants will learn about the council-manager form of government, town council's decision-making process, town responsibilities versus county responsibilities, and much more.

The forum will cover a wide range of topics, from the broader role of local government in North Carolina, to the specifics of how certain processes are structured in the town of Leland. This information will be disseminated through a variety of public outreach strategies, both digitally and in-person.

The goal of this new initiative is to engage more with community members and help bridge the understanding of how their local government works. Town Hall forums will be held quarterly.

For more information, visit https://www.townofleland.com/get-know-your-government-learning-leland.

Brunswick Civil War Round Table

Surrender at Appomattox through Reconstruction will be the discuss at the next Brunswick Civil War Round Table meeting.

The topic will be "The Legacy of Appomattox," which would be summarized by guest speaker Beth Parnicza, a noted historian, and Chief of Education and Visitor Services at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park.

Parnicza graduated from West Virginia University in 2011, specializing in historic interpretation through social and digital media. She has served as a park ranger and historian at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Park. Parnicza is a prestigious member of the Advisory Board at the University of Virginia’s John L. Nau Center for Civil War History.

The surrender at Appomattox at the end of the Civil War as a critical chapter in the country’s history. It also marked the beginning of the Reconstruction period that would continue tensions and uncertainty for both the North and the South on the return to unification.

Reconstruction did become a reality. This period lasted from 1865 to 1877 under three presidents. It wasn’t welcomed by Southerners, and there were many complex problems throughout this period.

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6 at the Hatch Auditorium on Caswell Beach. Registration begins at 6:15 p.m. The visitor fee is $10, which can be applied toward the $25 annual membership dues which can include a spouse. For more information, email John Butler at Brunswickcwrt@gmail.com or call 404-229-9425.

Southport Winterfest

Events for Southport Winterfest include the following:

• Walk through a winter wonderland at the Candy Cane Garden Party, featuring four-foot candy canes decorated by local community members. The event is sponsored by Southport Garden Club, and will be held 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6 at Keziah Park, 113 West Moore St. Details: southportgardenclub.org.

• The State Port Pilot annual Cookie Contes will be held 3:30-5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7 at the Southport Community Building. Come vote for your favorite. Free.

• Bring your children to enjoy Supper with Santa’s Elves, 5-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 209 Atlantic Ave. Parents will be able to drop their children off, shop at local stores, or have a romantic dinner. The children will enjoy a pizza dinner and watch a movie.The cost is $5 per child.

• Showing of the Christmas movie, "Polar Express" will be held at dusk Thursday, Dec. 8 on the Fort Johnston Garrison Lawn. Chairs/blankets are encouraged. Hot chocolate will be provided.

• Take a historic holiday tour through the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport, 204 E. Moore St. The event begins at 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9. Space is limited. To register, please call 910-477-5151.

• Light Up the Night Christmas Parade will be held Friday, Dec. 9. Children can begin boarding the fire engines at the Southport Fire Station at at 5:30 p.m. The parade begins at 6:30 p.m. The parade route will be Waterfront Park, down Howe St., back to the Southport Fire Station. Following the parade, children are invited to visit with Santa.

• The Winter Craft Festival will be held 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10 in Franklin Square Park, 130 E, West St. There will be homemade arts and crafts, homegrown winter vegetables, cut flowers, homemade baked goods, honey, jellies, and pickles, and much more.

• Children can get into the holiday spirit when visiting Southport’s Santa’s Workshop, 10-11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 10 at 209 Atlantic Ave. Children can make ornaments, decorate cookies, and create other fun crafts.

• The Brunswick Arts Council will be sponsoring the Winterfest Performing Arts program. Enjoy the performing arts, including instrumentals, singing, and dancing, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10 in Franklin Square Park.

• The Holiday Quilt Show will be held noon-5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10 at the Southport Community Building, 223 E. Bay St. Free, open to the public. Two community-made quilts, made by over 50 volunteers, will be raffled off during this event. The quilt blocks are based on illustrations from Patt Carney's two coloring books "Color Me Southport" and "Color Me Southport Part Two." Raffle tickets are six tickets for $10. To purchase raffle tickets, visit southporthistoricalsociety.org. Proceeds for the fundraiser will enable educational programs at Southport Historical Society and Fiber Arts Department at Brunswick Community College.

• The Old Brunswick County Jail will be decorated for the season and will offer tours, 1-6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10. The jail was built in 1904 when Southport was the county seat, located on the corner of Nash and Rhett streets.

• For the 28th year, the Southport Winterfest Flotilla, sponsored by Cape Fear Yacht Club, Downtown Southport, Inc., and the City of Southport will illuminate the waterfront. Bring chairs and blankets to enjoy the beauty of Christmas lights bouncing off the water. The flotilla will be 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, 7 p.m. at the Southport Waterfront. The flotilla route will showcase vessels from Old American Fish to Marker 19 near the Southport River Hotel, then return to Old American Fish and the Yacht Basin. Students from the Southport Elementary School Art Program will be judging the sail, power, and paddle boats of the flotilla.

For more information, visit http://cityofsouthport.com/ or call the Southport Visitors’ Center at 910-457-7927.

Blood drive

John E. Jacobs American Legion Post #68 Leland will be sponsoring a blood drive to support the American Red Cross Blood Drive.

All blood types are needed this holiday season and there is a substantial need for blood products.

The blood drive will be held 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9 at WWAY's community room, 1224 Magnolia Village Way, Leland.

Ugly Sweater Party

Do you have an "ugly" sweater? Come show off your most festive one at the Ugly Sweater Party, 7-9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9 at the Leland Cultural Arts Center, 1212 Magnolia Village Way, Leland. Enjoy your favorite holiday tunes and original rock songs with live music from Holy Heat. Adults and children can enter the ugly sweater competition for a chance to win prizes from local businesses. Tickets are $15 and available online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/live-at-the-center-ugly-sweater-party-tickets-440912429947 or at the center.

Movie in the Park

The movie "The Poplar Express" surrounded by the magic of Leland in Lights will sure to be an enjoyable time. The movie will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10 at Founders Park, 113 Town Hall Drive, Leland. Bring a blanket or chairs, and a picnic, or purchase food from the First Bite food truck. After the movie, the Leland Express train will be running 7:30-8:30 p.m. The event is free.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Brunswick things to do: A tribute to Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald