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

This week in West Alabama, Nov. 30-Dec. 6, holiday events swing into gear, with Hilaritas in UA's Moody Concert Hall, the downtown Tuscaloosa Christmas parade, Dickens Downtown in Northport, All is Bright at Midtown Village, the Christmas tour of historic homes, and more.

MUSIC

FRIDAY

Hilaritas: 7:30 p.m., Moody Concert Hall, UA campus. Long-standing holiday tradition featuring jazz and choral renditions of seasonal music. Tickets $15 general, $10 for seniors (55 and up), $5 for UA students, faculty and staff. 205-348-7111. ua.universitytickets.com.

Whiskey Myers, Adam Hood, Adam Raitiere: 8 p.m., Alabama Theatre, 1817 Third Ave. N., Birmingham. Tickets, $46 and up, through www.ticketmaster.com. www.alabamatheatre.com.

SATURDAY

Jake Austell: 6-9 p.m., The Venue Tuscaloosa, 6052 Watermelon Road. www.venuetuscaloosa.com/events.

SUNDAY

Service of nine lessons and carols: 6 p.m., Christ Church Tuscaloosa, 605 Lurleen B. Wallace Blvd. N. Advent service with mostly light fare; the nine carols include hymns, choral anthems, and readings.

Stillman College Choir’s Annual Christmas Candlelight Concert: 6 p.m., Birthright Alumni Hall on the Stillman campus, 3601 Stillman Blvd., Tuscaloosa. The choir is directed by Jocqueline K. Richardson, with accompaniment by Christopher Dixon. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. www.stillman.edu.

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

All is Bright celebration: 6-8 p.m., free, Midtown Village, family-friendly holiday event on the green. All proceeds from will go to the Disabled American Veterans. Performance by Tuscaloosa Community Dancers, Christmas tree lighting, music from DJ, joined by Santa at 7:30 p.m. for a sing-along celebration.

15th Annual Evening of Arts 'n Autism: 6-8:30 p.m., Cypress Inn Pavilion, 501 Rice Mine Road N., Tuscaloosa. Local and regional professional and student artists, silent auction, food and drink, and live folk music by The Vulcan Eejits. Tickets are $15 each, or $25 per couple, with proceeds going to help prepare individuals with autism for what comes next. For more, call 205-247-4990. www.artsnautism.org.

Pure Products reading with Michael Martone, Alina Stefanescu and Madeline Simms: 6:30 p.m., Black Warrior Brewing Company, 2216 University Blvd., downtown Tuscaloosa. Free, and all ages welcome.

Jo Koy: 8 p.m., Alabama Theatre 1817 Third Ave. N., Birmingham. Tickets, $38 and up, through www.ticketmaster.com. www.alabamatheatre.com.

THURSDAY-FRIDAY

Leanne Morgan: 7 p.m. each night, BJCC Concert Hall, Birmingham. Tickets, $21 and up, through www.ticketmaster.com. www.bjcc.org.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

Eighth Annual Eight by Eight Art Show: Drish House, 2300 17th St., Tuscaloosa. Artists submit works measuring 8 by 8 inches, retailing for $88 each, along with other artworks at varying size and price. Artists are often asked to donate work for fundraisers and special events; this show is to support the artists, with 100 percent of sales going directly to them. The show will be 6-8 p.m. Friday, and noon-2 p.m. Saturday. Artists will visit, and there'll be food vendors, activities for kids, and a hot chocolate stand. Suggested donation $5. www.eightxeight.art.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY

Tuscaloosa Children's Theatre performing "Elf the Musical Jr.": 7 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Bama Theatre. Tickets $20 premium — first 10 rows, center aisle ― $15 general, $10 students and seniors. www.tuscaloosachildrenstheatre.net/tickets.

SATURDAY

Disney fine artist Clinton Hobart sketching and signing: 9 a.m., Izzy's Comics, Sports and Trading Cards, 2801-6 Lurleen B. Wallace Blvd., Northport. Hobart will have merchandise to purchase, and take sketch commissions. www.izzyscomics.com.

Krampusnacht Christmas Market: 10 a.m.-7 p.m., The Comic Strip, 503 Hargrove Road E., Tuscaloosa. Guest artists and visit from Santa.

Alabama vs. Georgia, SEC Championship Game: 3 p.m. Central, 4 p.m. Eastern, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta. Broadcast on CBS; streaming on fubo.tv.

SUNDAY

Historic Tuscaloosa’s annual Christmas Open House: 2-5 p.m., free, donations welcome. Featuring five historic Tuscaloosa properties. This year, the Holiday Open House will include children’s activities, live holiday music, free museum access, photos with Santa, and more. Structures open for tours are: 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; and McGuire Strickland House, 2828 Sixth St. www.historictuscaloosa.org/events-1/holiday-open-house.

"Johnny Cash — The Official Concert Experience": Presented by Broadway in Birmingham, 6:30 p.m., BJCC Concert Hall, Birmingham. Multimedia celebration using state-of-the-art technology lifting Cash's voice from archival concert footage and recordings, backed by a live on-stage band. With never-before-seen footage and on-screen narration by Cash’s only son, John Carter Cash, male and female vocalists will split singing duties to perform other Cash hits, as well as tunes by artists of the time including the Statler Brothers, Carl Perkins and June Carter Cash. Tickets, $30 and up through www.ticketmaster.com. www.bjcc.org.

MONDAY

47th Annual West Alabama Christmas Parade: "A Hometown Christmas," and county courthouse tree lighting, free and family-friendly. Tree lighting at 5:15; parade begins at 6:30, featuring floats, walking groups, marching bands, horse groups, and decorated vehicles, downtown Tuscaloosa, running from 11th Street and Greensboro, turning onto University Boulevard.

"Ragtime" auditions: 6 p.m., Wilson Carr Rehearsal Hall on the Martin Campus of Shelton State Community College 9500 Old Greensboro Road, Tuscaloosa. This concert-style performance will bring back many of the 2017 cast of the production by Theatre Tuscaloosa, so auditions will be for roles whose original performers can't participate. Actors should audition with 16 measures of a song for which their voice is suited. An accompanist will be provided to play sheet music. There'll be no dance audition, but actors may be asked to do cold readings. Check-in will be 5:30 p.m., with auditions beginning at 6. There will be two performances of the concert-style "Ragtime," 2 and 7:30 p.m.. Jan. 27 in the Bama Theatre, while Theatre Tuscaloosa conducts repairs on its Bean-Brown stage. For more, see www.theatretusc.com, or call 205-391-2277.

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

Dickens Downtown, 5-8 p.m., downtown Northport. The free, family-friendly event is a Victorian-style Christmas celebration inspired by Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." The event will include decorated storefronts, costumed performers, an appearance by Father Christmas, snow machines, a tree lighting and more. Members of The Rude Mechanicals will read holiday-related stories and poems around the fire in the Kentuck Courtyard of Wonders. Included will be an abridged reading of "A Christmas Carol," starting at 6:30.

UPCOMING

DEC. 7-10: Tuscaloosa Community Dancers will perform "The Nutcracker," at the Bama Theatre, 600 Greensboro Ave. www.tuscaloosadancers.com.

DEC. 9: Christmas Afloat, 5 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.

DEC. 10: Holiday Singalong, caroling in Capitol Park, free and family-friendly, returns after pandemic-driven hiatus. 1-2:30 p.m., with lyrics, song leaders and accompaniment provided.

DEC. 11: "Home for the Holidays," 7 p.m., tickets $30 to $40 (students free), Moody Concert Hall, UA campus, concert featuring the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra, Alabama Choir School, UA Choral Department and Tuscaloosa Community Dancers. www.tsoonline.org.

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.

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