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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 2025)
Holiday Happenings Holiday Open House 20 Ballet Fantastique , whose vibe % OFF * STOREWIDE Sat-Sun November 15 & 16 Saturday, 11/15 ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN! • Drawings for great prizes, including Down To Earth Gift Cards! • Cookies and cider while you shop (11am-2pm while supplies last) *Sale exclusions apply. See store for details. donate food 5th & Olive St 541-342-6820 here! downtoeartheugene.com Mon-Sat 10-6 Sun 10-5 Nov. 25-26 & 28-30 Graduate Eugene runs younger and more hip, is perform- ing a jazzy Nutcracker take off with Christmas in Toyland, which weaves together music from Duke Ellington’s jazzy 1960 album Nutcracker Suite with other holiday classics. Perfor- mances are 7:30 pm Saturday, Nov. 29, and Sunday, Nov. 30, at the Silva. Tickets are $22 to $120 at BalletFan- tastique.org. Dance not your thing? Eugene Symphony is offering two holi- day-themed shows, at wildly diff er- ent ends of the cultural spectrum. At 7:30 pm Sunday, Dec. 7, the orchestra, with guest conductor Andrew Bryan, performs John Debney’s score to John Favreau’s 2003 comedy fi lm Elf, as the holiday movie, starring Will Farrell, is projected above the Silva Concert Hall stage. For the more serious-minded, at 7:30 pm Thursday, Dec. 11, the orches- tra and chorus, conducted by the symphony’s new music director, Alex Prior, perform Handel’s Messiah, which is actually about Easter but is nearly always performed around Christmas. Finally, for an easy-viewing and budget-friendly family experience, take the kids — any age from birth to 12 years, accompanied by an adult — to Family Musical Adventures: Rhythms of a Winter Wonderland and experi- ence a percussion ensemble from the orchestra up close and personal in the Hult Center lobby. The fun runs from 11 am to noon Saturday, Dec. 13. Admission is free. Arrive after 10 am and the kids can enjoy a pre-show petting zoo of musical instruments, also in the lobby. For a lighter look at the holidays, check out O Christmas Tea: A British Comedy , which fl avors the season with the sharp humor of Monty Python and Mr. Bean. On a national tour, the show runs in the Hult Center’s Soreng Theatre at 3 pm and 7:30 pm Saturday, Dec. 6, and 3 pm Sunday, Dec. 7. Tick- ets are $24 and up at HultCenter.org. For a little more edge, try A Drag Queen Christmas , hosted by Nina West, which bills itself as the longest running drag tour in Amer- ica. It features Lexi, Shea Coulee, Jewels Sparkles, Crystal Methyd, Suzie Toot, Brooke Lynn Hytes and Lydia B. Kollins. Tickets start at $34 at HultCen- ter.org; for more cash you can add on the VIP Meet & Greet. Recommended age is 18 and over. The traditionally minded should check out Glad Tidings We Bring , as The Shedd celebrates the 20th anniver- sary, performing a straight-up Christ- mas show with music from carols to jazz and Tin Pan Alley. Artistic director Shirley Andress explained the show this way when she fi rst proposed it two decades back: “I’m tired of danc- ing Santas and silly reindeer. We can have fun, sure. But we also should have the history, the heart, the spirit, the sacredness and the love and wisdom of what Christmas is all about.” Shows are 7:30 pm Friday, Dec. 19, and 3 pm Sunday, Dec. 21. Tickets are $15.75 to $36 at TheShedd.org. More traditional music comes your way at 2:30 pm Sunday, Dec. 14, when Eugene Concert Choir performs Carols of Peace, an assortment of Dona Nobis Pacem (Grant Us Peace) choruses from such works as Bach’s B Minor Mass and Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, as well as the fi nale of Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem cantata and a “Song of Peace,” based on Sibel- ius’ Finlandia, and seasonal carols. Pre-concert activities kick off at 1:30 pm in the Hult lobby with compli- mentary Christmas cookies and hot peppermint tea, festive music by the Oregon Tuba Ensemble and a carol sing-along. Tickets are $29 to $56, $12 for students, at EugeneConcer- tChoir.org. The Eugene Gleemen performs Holiday magic for the whole family cacadehealth.org/festival HOLIDAY LIGHTS BRIGHTEN THE GARDEN AT SHORE ACRES STATE PARK. Photo by Bob Keefer 8 November 13, 2025 support.eugeneweekly.com
