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

This week in West Alabama, Dec. 14-20, the Alabama Choir School performs its winter concert Saturday; the Prentice Concert Chorale performs Handel's "Messiah" Sunday; Christmas Afloat resets Saturday, after last week's bad weather; the Druid Ukes perform holiday music in a singalong at DCBC; and SantaCon 2023 rolls out.

MUSIC

FRIDAY

An Elvis Christmas: 7 p.m., $25, Druid City Music Hall, 1307 University Blvd., Tuscaloosa. Tribute artist Jerome Jackson. www.druidcitymusichall.com.

SATURDAY

The Alabama Choir School Winter Concert: 7 p.m., $15, Moody Concert Hall, UA campus. Featuring a variety of seasonal pieces, including traditional holiday carols, spirituals and songs from around the world, contemporary and popular. The choir consists of children in the first through 12th grades. For ticket information, see www.alachoirschool.org, or acstickets.ludus.com.

Emily Wyrick and Jud Cameron: 6-9 p.m., $10 in advance, $20 at the gate, The Venue Tuscaloosa, 6052 Watermelon Road. Proceeds will benefit Habitat for Humanity Tuscaloosa. Outdoor show; patrons are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs. www.venuetuscaloosa.com/events.

SUNDAY

Handel's "Messiah": 3 p.m. Trinity United Methodist Church, 729 Paul W. Bryant Drive, Tuscaloosa. Performed by the Prentice Concert Chorale, with orchestral accompaniment. Suggested donation $20 at the door, though any amount will be accepted. Students admitted free.

Pentatonix: 7 p.m., BJCC Arena, Birmingham. Tickets, $21 and up, through www.ticketmaster.com. www.bjcc.org.

WEDNESDAY

Trans-Siberian Orchestra: 3 and 7:30 p.m., BJCC Arena, Birmingham. Tickets, $49 and up, through www.ticketmaster.com. www.bjcc.org.

Jim Brickman: 7:30 p.m., Lyric Fine Arts Theatre, 1800 Third Ave. N., Birmingham. Tickets, $35 and up, through www.ticketmaster.com. www.lyricbham.com.

LOCAL EVENTS

ONGOING

Holidays on the Plaza: Outdoor ice-skating rink, Government Plaza, 618 21st Ave., downtown Tuscaloosa. Runs through the holiday season, and into the new year. Skating sessions are $15 each, except Tuesday Family Skate Days, when they're $12 each; military $12. Season passes available for $85, good for the whole 2023-24 season. Group rates are also available. Adjacent to the free-to-attend Tinsel Trail, with decorated trees throughout the plaza, as a fundraiser for Tuscaloosa One Place. Schedule, prices and more at www.holidaysontheplaza.com/calendar.

THURSDAY

Holiday Open House: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Alabama Museum of Natural History, Smith Hall, UA campus. Admission is free all day. Crafts and activities will be available from 2-4 p.m. For more, contact Joyia Davis at joyia.davis@ua.edu or 205-348-6383.

Third Annual Holiday Open House: 5-8 p.m., Northport City Hall, with the Grinch, Santa, Anna, Elsa, Olaf and more, including crafts, a train ride, Grinch Golf, hot chocolate, popcorn, and a movie.

Christmas with C.S. Lewis: 7:30 p.m. Lyric Fine Arts Theatre, 1800 Third Ave. N., Birmingham. Featuring Daniel Payne. Tickets, $32 and up, through www.ticketmaster.com. www.lyricbham.com.

THURSDAY-FRIDAY

SantaCon 2023: Kickoff event 7 p.m. Thursday, at Druid City Brewing Co. Drop off toys and other items for Turning Point of West Alabama: unwrapped/unopened toys for ages up to 18, or home and bath supplies for mothers. For more on Turning Point, see www.turningpointservices.org. SantaCon pub crawl will begin Friday at The Houndstooth, 6 p.m. Costumes are required.

FRIDAY

Merry Roll Tide Party: 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Paul W. Bryant Museum, 349 Ninth St., UA campus. Trent Richardson will be signing autographs from 6-8 p.m. First 50 guests will receive a scratch-off discount card to be used in-store, ranging from 10 to 25 percent off. Food, drinks, crafts (including card-making; cards addressed to Tide athletes, coaches or mascots will be delivered to them), games, and raffle prizes including a football autographed by Tua Tagovailoa and DeVonta Smith; a Shaun Alexander bundle; fan gear spirit pack; Alabama home decor bundle; puzzles, bubbles, swords and more. For more information, call 205-348-4668 between 8 a.m.-4 p.m., or email Tasha at lcreedy@ua.edu.

Christmas Interactive Murder Mystery: 7-10:30 p.m., $65, Drish House, 2300 17th St. Hosted by the Southern Ghost Girls. Dinner by Dillard's Chop House, with a Christmas-style punch included. Contact founder and owner Lesley Ann Hyde at lesleyhyde7480@gmail.com, or see www.southernghostgirls.com.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY, WEDNESDAY-DEC. 23

Alabama Ballet performing Balanchine's "The Nutcracker": BJCC Concert Hall, Birmingham. Performances at 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, accompaned by the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. Performances at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday; and 2:30 p.m. Dec. 21-23. Tickets, $45 and up, through www.ticketmaster.com. www.bjcc.org/upcoming-events/alabama-ballet-the-nutcracker. www.alabamaballet.org/nutcracker.

SATURDAY

Christmas at Izzy's Comics: 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Izzy's Comics, Sports and Trading Cards, 2801-6 Lurleen B. Wallace Blvd., Northport. Guest artists, sales, giveaways, and the Grinch from 2-3 p.m., for free photo opportunities.

Christmas Afloat: Postponed from previous Saturday due to bad weather, 4:30 p.m. Black Warrior River. Lighted boat parade beginning after dark, with a route between the Woolsey Finnell and Wallace bridges, and back again. Fireworks at the conclusion. Good places for viewing include near the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater, the Farmers Market, the Tuscaloosa Riverwalk and Northport Levee.

MONDAY

Holly Jolly Holiday Party: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., free and family-friendly, Mildred Westervelt Warner Transportation Museum, 1901 Jack Warner Parkway, Tuscaloosa. Visits with Father Christmas, hands-on ornament-making, live music from TCS Brass Quintet (10:30-11 a.m.) and Northridge Jazz Cats (1-1:30 p.m.), La Mexicana food truck, and display of a hybrid car courtesy of Townsend Honda and Townsend Nissan.

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

Carol-a-Long with Druid Ukes: 7-8:30 p.m., Druid City Brewing Co., 700 14th St., Parkview Plaza, Tuscaloosa.

UPCOMING

DEC. 21-22: Holiday movies at the Bama Theatre. "Dr. Seuss' The Grinch" (2018), rated PG, one hour 25 minutes, 2 p.m. Dec. 21; "The Santa Clause (1994), rated PG, one hour 37 minutes, 7 p.m. Dec. 21; "The Polar Express" (2004), rated G, one hour 40 minutes, 6 p.m. Dec. 22. For the "Santa Clause" showing, patrons can also buy a Golden Ticket, $20 per child, that include a kids' popcorn and drink, and a meet-and-greet with Santa and Mrs. Claus after the movie. Accompanying adults for children with Golden Tickets will only need to purchase a regular admission ticket. For each showing, the doors, box office and Bama Bar and concessions open an hour before screenings. Admission is $10 general, $9 for students and seniors, and $8 for Arts Council members. Season pass punch card tickets will be on sale for $70, good for any 10 films, in any upcoming series. The Bama Theatre is at 600 Greensboro Ave.

APRIL 18, 2024: Riley Green, Tracy Lawrence and Ella Langley, 7:30 p.m. Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater, Tuscaloosa. Tickets through www.ticketmaster.com, and at the Amp box office, 2710 Jack Warner Parkway, for $89.50, $79.50, $59.50, $49.50, and $39.50, plus fees and taxes.

APRIL 26, 2024: Travis Tritt, Chase Matthew, Frank Foster, 7 p.m., Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater, Tuscaloosa. Tickets through www.ticketmaster.com, or at the amp's box office, 2710 Jack Warner Parkway in downtown Tuscaloosa, for $99.50, $79.50, $59.50 and $39.50.

SEPT. 20, 2024: Cody Jinks, the Cadillac Three and Calder Allen, 7 p.m., Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater, Tuscaloosa. Tickets through www.ticketmaster.com, or at the venue's box office, 2710 Jack Warner Parkway, for $258, $158, $107.50, $87.50, $67.50, $47.50 and $33, plus taxes and fees. For more see www.mercedesbenzamphitheater.com.

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