Future events
local stage
Becker’s Shadyside Restaurant, 998 N. Gallatin Ave. Extension, Uniontown, will present a night of dinner theater on Friday, Dec. 20. Stagecoach to the Stars Productions will perform the Christmas play, “Miracle on 34th Street.” Dinner will begin at 6 p.m. with the show following at 7 p.m. The package for dinner and the show is $25 per person, which does not include the tip. The restaurant will also present religious plays one Sunday afternoon each month. The next play entitled “Early One Sunday Morning” will be presented on Sunday, Dec. 22. A buffet brunch will be served at 12:30 p.m. followed by the play at 2 p.m. Actors from the Stagecoach Production Company will perform. The cost is $16 per person, which does not include the tip. Reservations are required for both shows. Call 724-438-0931 for directions, information or reservations.
music
The Point Marion Lions Club will host a “Music Jamboree” fund-raising event at the skating rink in Point Marion every second Saturday of the month. The event will begin at 6 p.m. and will feature an open-stage portion from 6 to 7:30 p.m. A feature group or band will play from 7:45 to 8:45 p.m. These events will continue every second Saturday of the month through June 2003. There will be music from the staff band and unexpected guests. There is a $2 donation at the door. The kitchen opens at 5:30 p.m. To participate in the open stage, book a band or perform in the feature portion, call 724-725-5737 or 1-304-599-0795.
“Symphony on Wheels” will travel to Pittsburgh on Saturday, Dec. 21, to attend the “Holiday Pops” concert. A holiday tradition that grows more popular every year, Heinz Hall is transformed into a winter wonderland by the sounds of the season. The audience will enjoy such favorites as music from “The Nutcracker” and holiday classics like “Jingle Bells” and “Silent Night.” An audience sing-a-long will follow. Deadline for purchasing tickets for this concert is today. Ticket cost is $42 for seating in the grand tier or orchestra level. Bus transportation from the Uniontown Mall is available for a charge of $17 for a round-trip ticket. Call Susan at Communities in Schools at 724-437-2540 for reservations.
The Hitchin’ Post at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa near Farmington will feature a variety of live band entertainment for Friday and Saturday nights, kicking off tonight with Metro. The entertainment lineup will include Krave will on Saturday; Big Guns on Friday, Dec. 20; Good Guys on Saturday, Dec. 21; Flavor on Friday, Dec. 27. Metro will close the monthly entertainment on Saturday, Dec. 28. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the bands play from 8 p.m. to midnight. Cover charge is $5. For further information on the entertainment or to reserve a guestroom, call Nemacolin Woodlands at 724-329-8555, toll free at 1-800-422-2736 or visit the Web site at www.nemacolin.com.
art
The Flatiron Building in Brownsville houses two museums. The Heritage Center tells the story of the two major eras of history relating to the making of America. The Westward Expansion (National Road era) and the Coal, Coke, River and Railroad (Industrial era) offer changing exhibits every two months. For more information, call 724-785-9331. The Frank L. Melega Art Museum located in the upper level of the historic Flatiron Building offers Melega’s original art of many mediums focusing on the industries of the area. Reproductions and limited-edition reproductions are available for sale in the gift shop.
“The Mad Potter’s Tea Party” exhibit will be held through Saturday, Dec. 21, at 64 Crayons Cultural Center, which is located at the Thompson House, 815 Water St., Brownsville. The exhibit includes pottery, paintings, prints and drawings by Judith Hopson and friends. Most of the works on display may be purchased in time for holiday gifts.
Uniontown Art Club will take a tour at Youghiogheny Station Glass and Gallery at 900 W. Crawford Ave., Connellsville, from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday.
odds & ends
“Common Lives of Uncommon Strength: The Women of the Coal and Coke Era of Southwestern Pennsylvania” by Dr. Evelyn A. Hovanec is available for sale at the Coal and Coke Heritage Center located at Penn State Fayette Library. Arrangements can be made for personal inscriptions for gift giving. Also available are copies of the 56-minute VHS video “Silver Cinders: The Legacy of Coal and Coke,” which features many familiar sites in Fayette County. A variety of Christmas ornaments, reproduction maps and blueprints and sets of wooden collectibles, featuring a coal tipple, coke ovens, company store, stable, house and outhouse can be purchased at the center. Hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 724-430-4158 for more information.
Ohiopyle State Park will once again be lighting the falls for park visitors to enjoy on Christmas Eve, Tuesday, Dec. 24. The falls will be lit from 6 to 10 p.m. Park staff will warm this holiday season by providing hot chocolate to all visitors during the event. For additional information about the event, contact the park office at 724-329-8591 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The book, “Point Marion … From the Beginning,” is currently for sale. The 490-page volume that includes the genealogy and history of the area begins with the Indians and ends with the year 1999. It details not only the borough of Point Marion, but also the surrounding area because Point Marion was once located within the boundaries of Springhill Township in the former state of Virginia. The book is available at The Book Store in the Cherry Tree Plaza, Smithfield Pharmacy in Smithfield, Kendall Floral, Clar-Mac Sales and the Point Marion Hardware in Point Marion, New Geneva Pottery in McClellandtown and Riverrun Books and Prints in Greensboro.
Geezers’ Writing Workshops have been moved to Tuesdays from 6 to 8:30 p.m. The workshops are free, but individual-tutoring sessions for writers may be arranged for other times at reasonable rates. These will also be held at Geezers’ Literary Book Shop, which is located on the third floor of the Thompson House in Brownsville. For more information, contact Dr. Fred Lapisardi at 724-785-9010 or e-mail Geezersbks@worldnet.att.net.
The “Carpathian Cookery” cookbook, now in its 10th printing, is again available for sale. The 330-page cookbook now features a protective plastic cover and includes sections on Christmas customs and recipes (and Easter customs and recipes), traditional Rusyn foods and other ethnic dishes and many other recipes of St. John’s parishioners. Many paska and kolachi recipes, as well as meatless dishes and Lenten recipes, are included. The price of this cookbook is $13 plus $2 postage and handling. To order, send a check or money order to Ethnic Craft Club, St. John Byzantine Catholic Church, 185 E. Main St., Uniontown, Pa. 15401 or call 724-438-6027 for more information.
The Friends of the Brownsville Free Public Library are currently selling packets of note cards. A hand-drawn sketch of the library is displayed on the front, with the inside left blank. One packet includes 12 note cards for $5. They can be purchased at the library or from any member of the organization. The organization is also conducting a membership drive. They meet the first Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. in the library. For more information concerning the note cards of the “Friends,” contact Barry Blaine, librarian, at 724-785-7272.
Mount Macrina Manor Cookbooks will be available for purchase in December for only $10. The book offers a collection of more than 300 recipes from residents, employees and their families. Proceeds of the sale benefit the residents of Mount Macrina Manor. For additional information or to place an order, call Christie at 724-430-1125.
A covered dish dinner and dance will be held on New Year’s Eve on Tuesday, Dec. 31, at the Bullskin Township Senior Center, which is located along Route 982 in Connellsville. Guests are asked to arrive by 11 a.m., bring a covered dish and donate $1. The dinner will begin at 11:30 a.m. followed by the dance from 1 to 3 p.m. The event will feature hoedown square dancing, slow dancing, polkas, waltzing, line dancing and clogging. Music and figure calling will be provided by the Dave Dahl Trio.
A New Year’s Eve Party and Round & Square Dance will be held from 9 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, to 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1. The event will feature food, hats and noisemakers. A $7 donation per person will include food, refreshments and dancing. The Dave Dahl Trio will provide music and figure calling.
Christmas Sport Card and NASCAR Collectible Show will be held through Tuesday, Dec. 24, in the Uniontown Mall. The show will feature both old and new sports cards. There will be a large offering of autographs in all sport areas. The show will feature stand-up framed pictures and different sizes of NASCAR cars and trucks. Dealers will also be buying collections.
The State Theatre Center for the Arts, 27 E. Main St., Uniontown, will sponsor a food drive to benefit the Fayette County Community Action Food Bank. Residents are asked to bring their non-perishable donation to the State Theatre in downtown Uniontown. The theater’s administrative hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The theater will also accept donations at “The Nutcracker” tonight and at “Cabaret” on Friday, Dec. 20. The first 80 people to make a donation will receive a gift compliments of the State Theatre.
The Friends of the Uniontown Library are selling personalized children’s books for the Christmas holidays and year-round gift giving. The books can be selected and ordered online at http://www.rwrinnovations.com/ from your home computer. Insert the promotional code word “Friends” on the order form. Using this code does not change the price of the books. There is a wide selection of books available. Please order early to receive your books for Christmas. Sample books can be viewed in the children’s room of the Uniontown Public Library.
A doll collection display featuring antique dolls provided by Betty Porter will continue until Jan. 10 at the Flatiron Building Heritage Center, 69 Market St., Brownsville. For more information about the display, call the Flatiron Building at 724-785-9331 or Betty Porter at 724-785-7436.
Hoe-down square dancing, slow dancing, polkas, waltzing, line dancing and clogging will be held from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, at the Ohiopyle Community Center. The donation is $4 per person. Children 12 and under are admitted free of charge. Music and figure calling will be provided by the Dave Dahl Trio.
The Fayette County Historial Society has several publications available for purchase during the holiday season. “Fayette County: A Video History,” an educational video of more than 90 minutes about the history of Fayette County, is filled with hundreds of photographs, interview with historians and residents from throughout the county plus profiles of many towns and communities.
Produced under the guidance of Fayette County Historical Society Inc., it is available at the Fayette Chamber of Commerce, Caol & Coke Heritage Center at the Penn State Library, Connellsville Area Historical Society, Smock Historical Society, Uniontown Public Library or from the Fayette County Historical Society by calling 724-439-4422. The book, “Abel Gray: A Romance of the National Road,” written by A.F. Hill in 1876, as a serial in the Uniontown newspaper “Genius of Liberty,” was reproduced by the Fayette County Historial Society in 1998 as a book. The 135-page fictional novel includes accurate depictions of the National Road. For information on these and other publications, which are available (or can be sent), contact the Fayette County Historical Society Inc., P.O. Box 193, Uniontown, Pa. 15401 or call 724-439-4422.
Rich Farms Lightscape Festival of Lights will be held through Jan. 15, including all holidays from 5 to 10 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday and 5 to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The festival will showcase two miles of holiday scenes and forests with live actors performing parts in scenes such as a Nativity, the North Pole and Dickens Village.
At the end of the tour, a bonfire, Christmas music, hot chocolate and a sound and light show await. Horse and carriage rides are available from the festival area. Prices to enter festival grounds are $5 per carload. For directions to Rich Farms or for additional information on the festival, call 724-564-7644.
area
stage
“A Beauty and the Beast Christmas” will be presented through Sunday, Dec. 29, at Gemini Children’s Theater at The Factory, 7501 Penn Ave., Point Breeze. Performances will be held at 1 and 3 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. The cost is $7 per person. For more information, call 412-243-6464.
music
The Voices of St. Vincent are currently holding auditions for all sections of the chorus. Rehearsals are every Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:45 p.m. in the St. Vincent Archabbey Basilica in Latrobe. Rehearsals are required.
For additional information or to schedule an audition, call Joseph Bronder at 724-532-6600.
Westmoreland Symphony’s “Home for the Holidays,” featuring holidy pops and classical favorites, will return to the stage at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, at the Palace Theatre, 105 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Greensburg. Ticket prices range from $10 to $36 and can be reserved by calling the WSO office at 724-837-1850.
“A Musical Christmas Carol” will be presented by Pittsburgh CLO at Byham Theater, Pittsburgh, through Sunday, Dec. 22. Hours are 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday; noon 4 and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 2 and 6 p.m. Sunday.
Ticket prices range from $20 to $36. For more information, call 412-456-6666.
The Westmoreland Youth Symphony will present its first concert of the Christmas season at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
This night also marks the debut of newly appointed music director, Warren Davidson, who used his diverse muscial background to direct the children ages 11 to 19 on opening night concert music. Cecilian Hall on the campus of Seton Hill University in Greensburg is the performance place, while tickets can be purchased at the door at $15 for a family pass, $6 for adults and $4 for students and senior citizens. For more information on the concert, contact the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra representative at 724-837-1850 or visit the Web site at www.westmorelandsymphony.org.
Chinese piantist Yin Cheng Zong’s visit to the St. Vincent College Concert stage has been rescheduled from Saturday, March 29, 2003 to Saturday, March 22, 2003. The concert will be held at 8 p.m. in the Science Center Amphitheatre. To inquire about this concert or other furture performances in the 30th season of the St. Vincent College Concert Series, contact the box office at 724-537-4565.
art
Greensburg Art Center Gallery at 230 Todd School Road, Greensburg, will feature its own instructors in an exhibit entitled “Teachers in Our Midst.” The show will continue through Feb. 8. This is an off-the-wall show, which means paintings purchased can be removed immediately. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday; 7 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday; and noon to 3 p.m. Saturday. For directions or information, call the gallery at 724-837-6791 or visit the Web site at greensburgartclub.org.
The Three Rivers Arts Festival Gallery will hold “Angels and Other Creatures,” an interactive community project showcasing the large-scale sculptures by artist Cheryl Capezzuti and the works of Pittsburgh community residents. The show runs through Feb. 14 and is free and open to the public. An opening reception will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. today that will feature improvisational music by Lisa Miles, Capezzuti’s collaborator. Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday, or by appointment on Saturdays. Call the Three Rivers Arts Festival at 412-281-8723 for additional information on this exhibition.
odds & ends
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Schenley Park is staying open every Friday until 9 p.m. Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, the 13-room Victorian glasshouse and gardens in Schenley Park, is open year-round Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phipps is closed Mondays. Phipps admission rates are $6 for adults, $5 for seniors age 60 and older, $4 for students with ID and $3 for children ages 2 to 12.
Children under 2 and Phipps members are admitted free. For more information about the conservatory, call 412-622-6914 or visit online at www.phipps.conservatory.org.
Overly’s Country Christmas light display will sparkle at the Westmoreland Fairgrounds in Greensburg Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4 to 11 p.m. through Jan. 6. The cost is $8 per car. For information, call 1-800-968-3759.
Oglebay Winter Festival of Lights will shine at Oglebay Park in Wheeling, W.Va. The display will be featured from dusk to 11 p.m. nightly through Jan. 5. A donation is requested. Call 800-624-6988 for more information.
Eckerd Celebration of Lights will be featured at Hartwood Acres in Allison Park. Hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 6 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday through Jan. 12. The cost is $10 per car. For more information, call 877-LITEUP4.
“The New Nutcracker,” featuring new costumes and new sets, will bring this holiday classic alive at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh.
Performances presented by the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre will be held through Sunday, Dec. 29. Ticket prices range from $10 to $66. For more information, call 412-456-6666.
A “sled riding” party will be held every Friday from 6 to 8:30 p.m., weather permitting, at Herrington Manor State Park in McHenry, Md. The event is sponsored by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, State Forest and Park Service.
A bonfire, snack vendors and sleds for rent will be available at the sled riding area, located near the headquarter’s office. For more information, contact the Herrington Manor State Park headquarters at 301-334-9180.
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium announced its annual Indoor Kids Zoofari will be held from Saturday, Dec. 21, to Friday, Jan. 3. Many activities, including the chance to meet the animals, the animals performing wacky activities, a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus and a noon New Year’s Eve celebration will be featured. For a complete list of scheduled activities, directions or ticket information, visit www.pittsburghzoo.com or call 412-665-3640.