TUSK CALENDAR: Who's playing and what's happening

LOCAL MUSIC

FRIDAY

The Fab Four (Beatles tribute band): 8 p.m., Alabama Theatre, 1817 Third Ave. N., Birmingham. Tickets, $21.50 to $56.50, through www.ticketmaster.com. www.alabamatheatre.com.

LOCAL EVENTS

ONGOING-JAN. 16

Holidays on the Plaza: Portable ice-skating rink and 200-decorated-tree Tinsel Train at 5-acre Government Plaza, 2106 Sixth St., through Jan. 16. Private parties and other holiday-related events will be included during some weeks. Admission to walk the Tinsel Trail is free, but skate passes are required to use the rink. Daily passes, including skate rental, are $15. A season pass is $85. Tuesdays will be Family Skate Day, when the pass goes down to $12 each. Retired and active duty military pay $12. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the last day of the event, Jan. 16, passes will be $10. www.holidaysontheplaza.com.

THURSDAY

Hometown Writers' Fair, featuring Wayne Flynt: 4-6:30 p.m., Tuscaloosa Public Library, 1801 Jack Warner Parkway, Tuscaloosa, hosted by Ernest and Hadley Booksellers. Historian and author Flynt will be speaking about his latest book, "Afternoons with Harper Lee," based on their long friendship, and the dozen years when Lee moved back to her home state after having a stroke. Flynt and his wife visited often at her assisted living facility in Monroeville, and began conversations about Alabama history and folklore, family genealogy, American literature, and many other topics. The book Flynt wrote is considered part memoir, part biography. Other Alabama-rooted authors will attend the writers' event, and there will be crafts for children and adults. www.ernestandhadleybooks.com.

Art Night: 5-8 p.m., free and family-friendly, first Thursday event celebrating art and artists in downtown Northport. At the Kentuck Art Center, 503 Main Ave., there'll be live music by Will McLelland; pop-up shops from local vendors including the Stitchin' Sisters, Hart and Hind, and Lee Garber-Ford; open artists' studios; cob oven pizza; and exhibits of studio artists' works in the Museum Gallery, and "Food for Thought" by select artists in the Community Teer Gallery. www.kentuck.org/art-nights.

Shelton State Christmas Concert: 7:30 p.m., free, Shelton Singers and Shelton State Jazz Ensemble, Martin Campus atrium.

FRIDAY

"Elf" (2003): 6 p.m., free, Midtown Village Green. Bring blankets for seating.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

Santa in the Park: 6-9 p.m., park admission charged. Lake Lurleen State Park, 13326 Lake Lurleen Road, Coker. Hot chocolate, popcorn, holiday decor, and a visit from Santa Claus. 205-339-1558.

FRIDAY AND SUNDAY

"Hilaritas": University of Alabama School of Music annual holiday concert, jazz and choral renditions of sacred and secular music. Performances at 7:30 p.m., Friday, and 2 p.m. Sunday, in the Moody Concert Hall, UA campus. Tickets $15 general, $5 for seniors and children, $3 for UA students, faculty and staff, through www.music.ua.edu/event/hilaritas-13.

SATURDAY

Clinton Hobart, artist signing/sketch opportunity: 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Izzy's Comics, 2801-6 Lurleen Wallace Blvd., Northport. Disney fine artist Hobart will sign art prints, or create original work on commission.

Ghosts of Christmas Past Ghost Hunt: 7-11 p.m., $50, Drish House, 2300 17th St., Tuscaloosa. Hosted by Southern Ghost Girl Tours and Paranormal Investigations. www.southernghostgirls.com.

SUNDAY

19th year of One-Stop Christmas Shop: 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Cypress Inn Pavilion, 501 Rice Mine Road, Tuscaloosa. More than 35 vendors in clothing and more, including hand-made works by local artisans. Free to attend, but donations and vendor fees will go to support the Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter and other local animal-rescue efforts. Images of items for sale are available through the Facebook event page.

Holiday open house at five historic Tuscaloosa properties: 2-5 p.m., free admission, to Old Tavern, 500 Nick's Kids Ave.; Battle-Friedman Home, 1010 Greensboro Ave.; Jemison Van de Graaff Mansion 1305 Greensboro Ave.; Murphy Collins Museum 2601 Paul W. Bryant Drive; McGuire Strickland House 2828 Sixth St. For more, see www.historictuscaloosa.org/events-1/2022HolidayOpenHouse.

Stillman College Choir Christmas Candlelight Concert: 6 p.m., Birthright Alumni Hall, Stillman campus. Free admission. Featuring soloist Diva Hall.

MONDAY

46th Annual West Alabama Christmas Parade, downtown Tuscaloosa: The tree lighting on the steps of the Tuscaloosa County Courthouse, 714 Greensboro Ave., will begin at 5:15 p.m. and the parade starts at 6:30 p.m. This year's theme is "A Retro Christmas." Grand marshals are Lyda Black, Clell Hobson Sr., Gary Minor and Samory Pruitt.

This Could Be You: Comedy show with open-mic, 8-11 p.m., Black Warrior Brewing Co., 2216 University Blvd., Tuscaloosa. Signup at 7:30. Hosted by Stand-Up Tuscaloosa and Compton Smith.

TUESDAY

Christmas Open House: 5-7:30 p.m., Tuscaloosa Galleria. Music by Northridge High School Choir and Cashmere Williams Jazz Duet. Pictures with Santa will be available 6:30-7:30. Raffle and more.

Dickens Downtown: 5-8 p.m., downtown Northport. Victorian-style Christmas celebration, with music and decor, holiday stories, treats, snow machine and more. www.kentuck.org.

WEDNESDAY-DEC. 10

Budweiser Clydesdales: Adams Beverages will bring the Budweiser Clydesdale draft-horse team to Tuscaloosa for four days of events. First they'll be at Winn-Dixie, 10 McFarland Blvd., from 3-5 p.m. Wednesday. Next, at Piggly Wiggly, 641 Bear Creek Raod, 4-6 p.m. Dec. 8. Then at the First Responders luncheon at Druid City Social, 301 Greensboro Ave., 1-3 p.m. Dec. 9, and then during a downtown Tuscaloosa parade, to benefit the Salvation Army, 2-4 p.m. Dec. 10.

UPCOMING

DEC. 8-11: "The Nutcracker," performed by Tuscaloosa Community Dancers, Bama Theatre; 7 p.m. Dec. 8 and 9; 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Dec. 10; 2 p.m. Dec. 11. www.tuscaloosadancers.com.

DEC. 9-18: "The Great Christmas Cookie Bake-Off," musical comedy presented by Theatre Tuscaloosa, Bean-Brown Theatre, Shelton State Community College Martin Campus. Tickets $24 general; $20 for seniors (60 and up), Shelton employees, and military; $16 for students and children; $8 for Shelton students. www.theatretusc.com. 205-391-2277.

DEC. 12: "Home for the Holidays," 7 p.m., Moody Concert Hall, UA campus. Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra's annual holiday concert, joined by the Alabama Choir School, The Prentice Concert Chorale, and the Shelton Singers. 205-752-5515. www.tsoonline.org.

DEC. 17: Christmas comedy movies at the Bama Theatre, as a fund-raiser led by the Junior League of Tuscaloosa. The 2003 "Elf" shows at 2 p.m., and the 1989 "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" at 7. Tickets for the "Elf" matinee are $12, and $15 for the evening "Christmas Vacation." www.jltuscaloosa.org/fundraisers/merry-bright-at-the-bama-theatre.

DEC. 17: Christmas Afloat, 5 p.m., lighted Christmas boat parade on the Black Warrior River. Boats cruise between the Woolsey Finnell Bridge and Lurleen Wallace Boulevard bridges, near the Amphitheater, and back. Visible from both Tuscaloosa and Northport banks.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: TUSK CALENDAR: Who's playing and what's happening