thedailytimes.com : Your 24/7 news source

— The 2009 Fantasy of Trees (this year's theme: "Jingle All the Way Home") takes place from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today, 3-9 p.m. Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Knoxville Convention Center, on Henley Street between Clinch and Cumberland avenues in downtown Knoxville. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 4-12, and proceeds benefit East Tennessee Children's Hospital. For more information, call 541-8385, and go online to www.etch.com/Fantasy.cfm for a full list of events.

— Friday, as part of the Last Friday Art Walk in downtown Maryville, the Streamliners Orchestra will present a "Big Band Christmas" concert at The Capitol Theatre, 127 W. Broadway Ave. The band begins at 8 p.m., following classic holiday music and dance videos at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door; call 980-1966 for more information.

— Theatre Knoxville Downtown will present the stage play "Christmas Belles" -- written by Jones, Hope and Wooten about three not-so-jolly sisters in a small Texas town who learn the full meaning of the holiday season. Performances take place at 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays starting this Friday and running through Dec. 13. The playhouse is located at 319 N. Gay St. in downtown Knoxville; admission is $10 for Thursday and Sunday performances and $15 for Friday and Saturday shows. For more information, visit www.theatreknoxville.com.

— Upcoming holiday performances at The Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay St. in downtown Knoxville: Friday, it's the Moscow Ballet's "Great Russian Nutcracker" at 7:30 p.m.; tickets are $27.50-$99 ... Dec. 4, pianist Jim Brickman will present his "Beautiful World Christmas" concert; tickets are $47 and $79 ... Dec. 8, rockabilly/swing group the Brian Setzer Orchestra will perform its "Christmas ROCKS!" concert; tickets are $47.50 ... Dec. 22, the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra will present its annual "A Swingin' Christmas" performance; tickets are $29.50.

— The downtown Knoxville "Celebration of Lights" kicks off at 5 p.m. Friday on Market Square in downtown Knoxville, with the opening of the Christmas village; the lighting of the 38-foot tall tree and Krutch Park; and the "WDVX Holiday Ho-Ho-Hoedown" featuring performances from The Holloway Sisters/Outta the Blue, Early Morning Stringdusters, The Leadbetters and Freddy Smith and his Holiday Chicken. The show is free and open to the public. The Market Square outdoor ice skating rink will be open.

— H.O.M.E. Inc. and the Martin Luther King Jr. Center of the Hall community will sponsor "HOME for Christmas 2009," a celebration of community pride, at 6 p.m. Saturday at the MLK Center, 209 E. Franklin St. in Alcoa. The center will be decorated, the tree will be lit and refreshments will be served. For more information, call 983-1953.

The City of Alcoa's Christmas tree lighting ceremony, known annually as "Springbrook Splendor," will take place at 6:15 p.m. Monday (rain date is Tuesday) in the Upper Fields area of Springbrook Park, where the trails will be lit with luminaria. Following the ceremony, there will be special music, refreshments, visits with Santa Claus and train rides for the children. It's free to attend.

— The Blount County Festival of Trees, the centerpiece of which is the lawn of the Blount County Courthouse, which will be illuminated with a display of live Christmas trees of all sizes, colors, and decorative themes, kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Thursday on the courthouse lawn and will feature music, refreshments, visits with Santa Claus and train rides for the children. For information on entering a tree in the festival, please contact Cookie Crowson at the Parks & Rec. Office at 983-9244. Attending the festival kick-off is free.

— The downtown Knoxville Christmas parade will take place at 6 p.m. Dec. 4. A free block party follows along the 100 block of Gay Street.

— The Arts and Culture Alliance will present its Sixth Annual Holiday Extravaganza from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 4 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 5, featuring fine crafts and handmade gifts, live music and dance. It takes place at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay St. in downtown Knoxville, and admission is free. For more information, call 523-7543.

— Robin Bullock, one of the world's most respected Celtic instrumentalists, will return to The Palace Theater, 113 W. Broadway Ave. in downtown Maryville, for his annual "Celtic Christmas Celebration" at 8 p.m. Dec. 5. Tickets are $13 in advance and $15 at the door. Call 983-3330 for more information.

— Blount County's Appalachian Ballet Company will presents its 38th annual "Nutcracker" production, in conjunction with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, at 8 p.m. Dec. 5 and 2 p.m. Dec. 6 at the Civic Auditorium, 500 Howard Baker Jr. Ave. in downtown Knoxville. Tickets are $25, $35 and $40. For more information, call 982-8463.

— The Orchestra at Maryville College and the Maryville College Community Chorus will combine forces for their annual holiday concert at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7 at First Baptist Church of Maryville, 202 W. Lamar Alexander Parkway downtown. Admission is $10 for adults and $7.50 for seniors.

— The City of Maryville Tree Lighting ceremony will take place at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 7 (rain date is Dec. 8) at the pedestrian bridge at Pistol Creek Station, below The Daily Times building leading to the Blount County Public Library. The program will feature music, refreshments, a candy hunt for kids ages 2-12, visits with Santa Claus and more. The event is free and open to the public.

— The 2009 Maryville/Alcoa Jaycees Christmas Parade will take place at 11 a.m. Dec. 12. Line up begins at 9 a.m. on Joule Street and Rankin Road, and the route begins on Joule, crossing Calderwood Street into New Midland Plaza, right onto North Cusick Street, right onto West Broadway Avenue and through downtown Maryville, making a right onto West Lamar Alexander Parkway and ending at New Providence Presbyterian Church. For more information, e-mail jcschristmasparade@yahoo.com.

— The 2009 Nativity Pageant, a professionally directed pantomime drama with a cast of more than 90, authentic costumes, live animals, realistic sets, a 20-member orchestra and a 200-voice choir, will be staged at 3 p.m. Dec. 13 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14 and 15 at the Civic Coliseum, 500 Howard Baker Jr. Ave. in downtown Knoxville. Admission is free, but because performances begin in total darkness, patrons are asked to arrive early to find their seats.

— Circle Modern Dance will present its 18th annual "Modern Dance, Primitive Light" at 8 p.m. Dec. 17 and 7 and 9 p.m. Dec. 18 and 19 at The Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Ave. in Knoxville's Fort Sanders neighborhood. Tickets are $13/$8.50 for students and seniors in advance, and $15/$10 at the door. For more information, call 524-7615.

— The Palace Theater in downtown Maryville will continue its annual holiday tradition with the screening of two classic holiday films. "White Christmas," starring Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney, will be screened at 7 p.m. Dec. 17 and 19; admission is $5 for adults/free for children ages 10 and younger with an adult. At 7 p.m. Dec. 18, the Jimmy Stewart holiday favorite "It's a Wonderful Life" will be screened; admission is $5 for adults/free for children ages 10 and younger with an adult. Call 983-3330.

— The classic 1951 version of the holiday film "A Christmas Carol" will be screened at 8 p.m. Dec. 18 and 19 and 2 p.m. Dec. 20 at The Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay St. in downtown Knoxville. Admission is $8 adults/$6 kids and seniors. For more information, call 684-1200.

— The Maryville-Alcoa-Blount County Parks and Recreation Department is now accepting registration for the "Santa Call the Children" program, an annual event that's become a community tradition and allows kids ages 3-7 an opportunity to enjoy a special telephone call from Santa Claus. Registration applications are available at Parks and Recreation, 316 S. Everett High Road in Maryville, with the deadline set for Dec. 1. Children ages 3-5 will be called between 5-9 p.m. on Dec. 8, with 6- and 7-year-olds receiving calls from 5-9 p.m. Dec. 10. For more information, call 983-9244.

Calling all holiday event organizers! Want to see your holiday event listed in editions of Weekend through the end of the year? Fax them to us at 981-1175 or e-mail them to: steve.wildsmith@thedailytimes.com.