Johnstown Symphony Orchestra’s Community Strings ensemble will perform from 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, at The Russell House in Moxham. Courtesy photo

Friday, Dec. 12

The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art will present Art After Dark from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12, at 1210 11th Ave., Altoona. Light refreshments, live entertainment by Rumble and Scream, paintings by Tabitha Shimer and a myriad of local artists and vendors will be featured. Registration is encouraged but not required at www.sama-art.org/altoona. A $15 donation is requested. For more information, visit the SAMA website, call (814) 946-4464 or email altoona@sama-art.org.

The State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, will officially open a new exhibit, “Revolutionary Things,” Friday, Dec. 12. This exhibition will allow visitors to discover the pivotal role Pennsylvanians played in shaping the course of a nation, and is scheduled to remain open through August 2026. Visit statemuseumpa.org for more information.

The Cathedral Festival Choir will present “Advent of Christmas” at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12, at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Altoona. The program will include music, readings and dance. Admission is free; freewill offering will be accepted.

Blair County Historical Society will host Live Holiday Music Nights at Baker Mansion from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12, at the Baker Mansion History Museum, Altoona. Admission is $5 per guest and can be paid at the door. Live holiday music, homemade desserts, and open-house tours will be available each evening. For more information, visit

www.blairhistory.org/events or the Baker Mansion’s social pages.

The Altoona Association of Model Railroaders is hosting a series of Holiday Model Train Display Open Houses 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12 and 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13. Come see the train layouts in Altoona at 2930 S. 10th Ave., the corner of 30th St. and 10th Ave. Stop by and enjoy some hot chocolate and cookies! Admission is free, donations are always appreciated. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/TheAAMR or www.theaamr.org.

Tickets for five-piece powerhouse Treaty Oak Revival’s 2026 U.S. tour will go on sale at noon Friday, Dec. 12, 2025 at ticketmaster.com. The 25-city trek will include a performance Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026 at Bryce Jordan Center, State College. The tour features support from Wade Forster and Huser Brothers. For tickets and additional information, visit treatyoakrevival.com.

Saturday, Dec. 13

Be inspired by the magic of the season by coming to Winter’s Glow at The Arboretum at Penn State. The community event offers paid and free activities, including live music and local food vendors, and will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13.

Indoor and outdoor activities include a “Handmade Holidays” crafting workshop, two wreath-making workshops, a pop-up print shop featuring cards crafted in the gardens by nature-sketching students, drinks and treats by Idou Coffee, and musical performances by Bells of Grace and Walter Survivor.

Visit the Arboretum’s event webpage to preregister for the paid workshops, which range from $5 per craft to $35. Any participation fee covers the cost of materials.

Marek Pundzak, director of horticulture operations at the Arboretum, said the theme for Winter’s Glow and winter displays focus on showcasing plants in the collection that provide seasonal interest throughout the winter months.

“We incorporate locally grown cut trees to enrich open plaza spaces and the Overlook Pavilion. This year’s selections include Korean fir and Douglas fir, both known for their beautiful needles and texture,” Pundzak said. “Our signature feature, a 22-foot Blue Spruce fountain tree, will greet visitors with 2,000 warm-white-lights, creating a stunning focal point that can be seen from Park Avenue as you approach the Arboretum.”

Additional highlights include conifers such as Yezo spruce, “Mission Blue” Colorado spruce, Korean pine, Himalayan pine and Hinoki false cypress. Container displays created by the horticulture team will feature dwarf evergreens, red-twig dogwood stems, holly leaves and berries and dried seedheads collected from the gardens and surrounding meadows at the Arboretum.

Community-made ornaments will be featured on the CommuniTREE display in the lobby at the Palmer Museum of Art during the Winter’s Glow celebration.

Public parking in the Katz Lot is free for Winter’s Glow.

The Arboretum at Penn State’s light and landscape stay on for visitors to enjoy evening strolls until 9:30 p.m. and pre-dawn walks from 5:30 to 7:30 a.m. in the gardens through Jan. 18, 2026.

Blair County Historical Society will hold a Christmas Tea at the Baker Mansion at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, at the Baker Mansion History Museum. This is a special afternoon tea experience featuring select recipes from the Baker family and an open-house Christmas tour with living historians portraying members of the Baker family. Tickets are $30 per guest and can be found online at www.blairhistory.org/events. Alternatively, guests can call or email the Baker Mansion to purchase tickets via cash, check, or card.

That Oldees Band will perform from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13 at The Heidelberg Country Club, 812 Frankstown Road, Altoona. There is a $5 cover charge. Food by Rob’s Catering/Grill will be available.

Visitors of all ages can explore the wonder of winter traditions and stellar alignments in the State Museum of Pennsylvania’s Planetarium program, Season of Light. This show traces the history and astronomy behind holiday customs involving illumination–from the burning Yule log and sparkling Christmas tree lights to the ritual of the Hanukkah menorah and the Star of Bethlehem. The show will be presented from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13 and Sunday, Dec. 14, 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19 and 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20 and Sunday, Dec. 21. Planetarium shows are $4 per person in addition to general admission. Tickets must be purchased at the main entrance at least 10 minutes before showtime. For more information, visit statemuseumpa.org

The Blair Concert Chorale will present “Gloria in Excelsis Deo,” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13 at First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 12th Avenue and 14th Street, Altoona. Altoona Brass Collective will join the Chorale in presenting John Rutter’s Gloria as well as other pieces of traditional holiday music including Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus. Tickets are available at Thompson Pharmacy (Hollidaysburg and Chestnut Avenue), through Eventbrite, at the door the night of the performance and from chorale members. Admission for adults is $20, $10 for students.

“Mark Milovats’ Christmas Wonderland” will be presented at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, at the Mishler Theatre. For tickets and more information, visit mishlertheatre.org or call the box office at 814-944-9434.

The show features Milovats’ soaring and powerful voice and uncanny humor, as well as his 15-piece Holiday Pops Orchestra, the Santa Belle Dancers, his Elfin Children’s Choir, the Pitt Dance Team and special guests Rocky Bleier and more.

The Metropolitan Opera’s award-winning series of live performance transmissions continues at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, with a presentation of Umberto Giordano’s “Giordano” at The State Theatre, State College. For tickets, visit https://tickets.thestatetheatre.org/c/dr3ggtj2.

Inclined to Sing, the Johnstown Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Johnstown Symphony Chorus will all feature at the JSO’s Holiday Pops concerts, 3 p.m. matinee and 7:30 p.m. evening performances, Saturday, Dec. 13. Tickets are available at johnstownsymphony.org or by calling the box office at 814-535-6738.

“The Nutcracker” will be staged by The Performing Arts School of Central Pennsylvania Nittany Ballet at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, in Eisenhower Auditorium at Penn State.

This year, guest artists from Pacific Northwest Ballet, Sarah Gabrielle-Ryan and Mark Cuddihee; and Penn State musical theater students Alex Iozzio and Zach Doran join Nittany Ballet’s largest cast yet. More than 100 students, ages 3 to 18 from the Centre County region, will dance the beloved ballet.

Tickets are $40 for adults, $34 for those 55 and older, and $29 for students and those 18 and younger. Avoid the $4-per-ticket online service fee by calling 814-863-0255; or buying in person from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays at Eisenhower Auditorium.

Sunday, Dec. 14

Johnstown Symphony Orchestra’s Community Strings ensemble will perform from 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, at The Russell House in Moxham. For more information, visit johnstownsymphony.org.

The Bellwood Community Choir will present their annual Holiday Concert “Jingle All the Way” at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14 at the Bellwood-Antis Elementary School, Martin Street, Bellwood. In addition to selections by the Adult Choir, there will be music by the handbell choir and the Bellwood Community Children’s Choir. The adult and handbell choirs are directed by Richard Bower, former choral music instructor at the Bellwood-Antis School District. “Christmas on Broadway” and other traditional songs will be featured. Admission to the concert is free.

The Altoona Community Band will perform two public Christmas concerts in Altoona and Hollidaysburg in December. The first concert will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, at St. Mary’s Church, 312 Clark St., Hollidaysburg. The second performance will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17, at First Baptist Church, 1209 17th St., Altoona. Admission to both concerts is free of charge.

BCAF’s Family Theatre at the Mishler will present “A Seussified Christmas Carol” at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14. For tickets and more information, visit mishlertheatre.org or call the box office at 814-944-9434.

The “Sounds of Christmas 2025,” featuring an exciting blend of music, costumes and dance, will be an unforgettable experience at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, at the Palace Theatre, Greensburg. As always, the 22-piece Latshaw Pops Orchestra will be center stage and joined by a talented group of singers and dancers performing favorite Christmas songs and carols. A visit from Santa Claus will make your holiday experience complete. Tickets start and $30 and can be ordered online at https://westmorelandculturaltrust.org

On tap for December

The remarkable story of the Patriot Daughters of Lancaster will be presented at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16, at Centre Furnace Mansion. The illustrated presentation details the remarkable story of the Patriot Daughters of Lancaster, a Ladies Aid Society that served from 1861 to 1865 and continued to honor veterans for years after the war. Featuring authentic period photographs, documents and artifacts, narrated by Mike and Jeanne Cassidy in Civil War-period dress. Through dramatic readings from eyewitness accounts, letters, and newspaper articles, they bring to life the voices and experiences of Lancaster’s women on the home front.Seating is limited. For more information and to RSVP, visit https://form.jotform.com/251834463924159

Cirque Dreams presents their holiday spectacular Holidaze at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18 at Bryce Jordan Center, University Park. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.

A brand-new musical retelling of Charles Dickens’s holiday classic “A Christmas Carol” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18 and Friday, Dec. 19 at The Palace Theatre, Greensburg. The lushly orchestrated Broadway-style score by Steve Parsons and witty lyrics by John Popa breathe new life into the beloved tale. This brand new adaptation is even more epic, magical, and joyous than the story of Christmas redemption you thought you knew. For tickets, visit ttps://westmorelandculturaltrust.org/events/wpa-christmas-carol/

The Academy of Sacred Music will present a Messiah Sing Along at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19, at the Hollidaysburg Church of the Brethren, 1028 Penn St., Hollidaysburg. There is no admission charge, but a freewill offering will be collected. The music is the familiar G.F. Handel’s “Messiah,” but the members of the audience will hear their own voices ring out as they sing the “Hallelujah” and other choruses from the Christmas portion of the three-part oratorio. Bob Long, founder of the academy and Hollidaysburg native, will conduct.

Although attendees are not required to sing, the academy is encouraging members of choirs and choral groups to bring their Messiah scores and support the concert. Anyone who wants to be part of the event is invited to attend. A few scores will be available for participants to borrow.

Along with audience participation, the concert will feature soloists Julie Hanlon soprano, Arlene Huth, mezzo-soprano, Thomas Delahoy, tenor and James White, bass. Asa Carns will provide accompaniment on the organ, along with a string quartet. The Messiah offers a unique opportunity for people to enjoy a timeless classic. All are welcome to attend and sing along or just listen.

“The John Denver Tribute Christmas Concert” with Chris Collins and Boulder Canyon will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19, at the Mishler Theatre. For tickets and more information, visit mishlertheatre.org or call the box office at 814-944-9434.

Rocket Blasters will be performing from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20 at The Heidelberg Country Club, 812 Frankstown Road, Altoona. There is a $5.00 cover charge. Food by Rob’s Catering/Grill will be available.

P&J Productions will present “Ornament – The Premiere Trans-Siberian Orchestra Tribute” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20 at The Mishler Theatre. For tickets and more information, visit mishlertheatre.org or call the box office at 814-944-9434.

Agnostic Front with Raw Brigade will be featured at 7 p.m. Dec. 20 at McGarvey’s Bar & Grill. Tickets are at: https://centralpaticket.com/events/agnostic-front-with-raw-brigade-violent-way-mcgarveys-12-20-2025

The Moore Brothers will perform from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 27, at The Heidelberg Country Club,

812 Frankstown Road, Altoona. There will be a $5 cover charge. Food by Rob’s Catering/Grill will be available.

Families are invited to ring in the New Year early at the Noon Year’s Celebration at the State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Wed., Dec. 31. The event will feature crafts, trivia games, and a dance party. The festive countdown will culminate with a special appearance by Pennsylvania’s state insect, the firefly, dropping in at noon–the ideal way to celebrate the New Year without staying up late!

The museum will close after the firefly drop at noon. Tickets for the Noon Year’s Celebration are $6 for all visitors age 1 and up. In conjunction with the Noon Year’s Celebration, the Planetarium will offer multiple showtimes for “Passport to the Universe.” This exhilarating flight through a precise, virtual re-creation of our universe is an astounding visual adventure through space. Planetarium shows are available at $4 per person plus admission, with showtimes starting at 9:30 a.m. For more information, visit statemuseumpa.org

Jason Aldean’s Full Throttle Tour 2026 will stop at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College on Jan. 29, 2026. Tickets are on sale now at https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/02006329BE913221.

The Harlem Globetrotters are bringing their traveling world-famous show to the court of the Bryce Jordan Center on

Feb. 24. Tickets for the 100th anniversary tour are on sale now at ticketmaster.com.

Tickets are on sale now for Split State Productions presentation of “Chicago,” on Feb. 6, 7, 8, 12, 13 and 14 at The Lamp Theatre, Irwin. To purchase tickets, visit https://www.lamptheatre.org/split-stage-productions.

Ongoing events

Saturday Card Club, 10 a.m. first Saturday of each month. SAMA-Ligonier. $5 a session. Registration is not required, but can be made by calling 724-238-6015 or emailing ligonier@sama-art.org.

Model Train Open House, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. every Saturday. Alto Model Train Museum Association, 1117 Ninth Ave., Altoona. Visits can be arranged by calling 814-942-2676.

Games Night, noon-4 p.m. Last Saturday of every month. Gallery on Gazebo, 140 Gazebo Park, Johnstown. Free.

Yoga in the Museum, 10:30 a.m. to noon, first Sunday of every month at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art in Altoona. Arya Yoga Studio will lead participants while surrounded by artwork for an hour-long session of yoga, and time afterward to reflect and enjoy the other galleries available at the museum. Guests will receive a free drink token to be used at Levity Brewing. Guests must bring their own mat. Cost: $15 donation to the museum.

Art Trivia, 7 to 9 p.m. third Tuesday of the month at Levity Brewing, 411 11th Ave, Altoona. Show off your

knowledge of all things art and compete against other teams in this fast-growing event. No registration required; just show up. Donations welcome but required.

Tired of crafting alone? Crafternoon is held from 1 to 3 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month at Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art Altoona. In this free event, crafters of all mediums are invited to bring their current craft to the museum and work on it with other like-minded artists.

SAMA Altoona is in the Brett Building, 1210 11th Ave., Altoona.

Preschool Storytime and Craft Hour for young art enthusiasts and their families is held from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesdays at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art Altoona. This event is ideal for ages 3-6 and children must be accompanied by an adult. The event is free; no registration required.

Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art Altoona is in the Brett Building, 1210 11th Ave., Altoona. Hours are noon to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. The museum is an accessible facility and is open to the public free of charge. Donations are accepted to help support SAMA’s free and low-cost educational services, cultural event programming, and regional artistic exhibitions. For more information, visit https://www.sama-art.org or call (814) 946-4464 or email altoona@sama-art.org and like us on Facebook and Instagram @SAMAaltoona.