With the holidays hard upon us, the Baltimore area is revving up for some serious celebrating, from seasonal music and art markets to film screenings, “Nutcracker” performances, and about a million tree lightings and Santa appearances. Whether you’re 8 or 80, whether you’re on a tight budget or money is no object, whether your seasonal highlight is the observation of Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, the following calendar and its 50 events should keep you blissfully in the holiday spirit.

Ongoing

Christmas Village in the Inner Harbor Baltimore’s German-style Christmas market returns to the Inner Harbor, featuring more than 50 merchants, seasonal delicacies like gingerbread and mulled wine, a pair of Christmas trees, and a giant, heated festival tent where even more festive fun can be had. Begins Thanksgiving Day, open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, until 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Dec. 24 (closed Nov. 28, Dec. 5 and 12) at West Shore Park, 501 Light St. Free admission except for the tent, which is $5 on weekends for adults 18 and older. baltimore-christmas.com.

Friday

Black Friday Block Party Shopping specials from many Harbor East merchants. plus food and wine, music from the Shirleta Settles Band, kids’ activities, even a free DIY hot chocolate bar. 11 a.m.-3 p.m., President and Aliceanna streets. Free. harboreast.com.

Bazaart Holiday Art Market More than 40 regional artists and craftspeople, many selling the sort of stuff you’d find on display inside the American Visionary Art Museum, which is kinda the definition of cool. Noon-6 p.m., also 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday at AVAM, 800 Key Highway. Free. avam.org.

Festival of Trees Hundreds of lavishly decorated Christmas trees, wreaths and gingerbread houses, available for purchase, or just to be stared at. Plus live music, dance and other entertainments, along with kiddie rides and a resident Santa Claus. Proceeds benefit the Kennedy Krieger Institute. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. through Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday at the Maryland State Fairgrounds, 2200 York Road in Timonium. $7-$15. festivaloftrees.kennedykrieger.org.

North Pole Lights Walk Meander through a winter wonderland, complete with Santa’s cabin, a gingerbread house, an enchanted fairy garden, Polar Bear Central and a visit from Prancer, one of Santa’s finest. 4:30 p.m.-7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Dec. 23 at Willow Oak Flower & Herb Farm, 8109 Telegraph Road in Severn. $5-$7. willowoakherbs.com.

Saturday

Miracle on 34th Street lights up The best holiday lights in Baltimore can be found in Hampden, where the holiday spirit is measured in inventiveness and kilowatt hours, and no one is immune from the rampant goodwill. 5 p.m. on 34th Street, east of Falls Road. On display throughout the holiday season. christmasstreet.com.

Miracle on Main Street Westminster gets itself all festive to kick off the holidays, with activities that include a free screening of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (3 p.m. at the Carroll Arts Center, 91 W. Main St.) and the Jingle Bell Run, a mile beginning at Hersh and Pennsylvania avenues (4:55 p.m., $15). It all leads to the Holiday Electric Parade (5 p.m., along Main Street) and tree lighting (on Locust Lane, following the parade). westminstermd.gov.

Holiday Train Garden Train gardens are a Baltimore firehouse tradition, and one of the best — featuring multiple trains, local businesses, a “working fire” and a subway — opens at the Fire Museum of Maryland, 1301 York Road in Lutherville. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays through the end of the year. $6-$14, free for kids under 2. firemuseummd.org.

Nov. 30

Melissa Etheridge: Merry Christmas, Baby The Oscar- and Grammy-winning singer-singwriter performs songs from her holiday album, “A New Thought for Christmas,” including “Merry Christmas Baby,” “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” and “O Night Divine.” 8 p.m. at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, 801 Chase St. in Annapolis. $90-$110. marylandhall.org.

Dec. 1

Holly Jolly Trolley Lights Tour Soak in the festiveness during a two-hour trolley tour that hits all the Baltimore holiday hot spots, including downtown, Harbor East, Fells Point, Canton, Mount Vernon and Hampden. 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. through Dec. 3, also Dec. 8-10, 14-17 and 21-31. Pickup and dropoff in front of Royal Sonesta Harbor Court Hotel’s Formula Espresso Cafe, 550 Light St. $15-95-$29.95. Tickets through eventbrite.com.

Holly Jolly First Friday and Light Up Parade Kick off Havre de Grace’s holiday celebration by enjoying extended store hours, roaming carolers and all sorts of vendors. 4:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. in the area centered at Pennington Avenue and Franklin Street, with the parade starting at 6 p.m., followed by a tree lighting with Santa and Mayor William T. Martin. explorehavredegrace.com.

Baltimore County Tree Lighting Not only does the tree get lit, not only is there music and dancing, not only is there hot chocolate and cookies, but Santa arrives — by fire truck! 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at Olympic Park, 1 W. Joppa Road in Towson. Free. towsonchamber.com.

Magical Holiday Express The B&O Railroad Museum pulls out all the stops for the holidays, with decorations, model trains and train rides — often accompanied by Santa, Frosty or some other notable. New this year: a 30-foot Christmas tree you can walk through. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 31 (closed Christmas Eve and day). $12-$20, free for kids under 2. Train rides are $2-$10. borail.org.

Little Italy Christmas Tree lighting Free cookies, hot chocolate and roasted chestnuts, plus carolers from the Baltimore Choral Arts Society and an appearance by Santa. 7 p.m. at High and Stiles streets. Free. promotioncenterforlittleitaly.org.

Dec. 2

Jingle Bell Hayride So much more than just a hayride. You also get to savor warm drinks, roast marshmallows, enjoy the holiday decorated farmhouse and — to make the day even more perfect — meet Santa and Mrs. Claus. 10 a.m.-noon at Kinder Farm Park, 1001 Kinder Farm Park Road in Millersville. $5, free for kids 3 and under. kinderfarmpark.org.

Kwanzaa Cultural Festival A day of music, games, exhibits, dance, art, storytelling, food and other activities, all celebrating Baltimore’s African-American culture. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Student Center at Morgan State University, 1700 E. Cold Spring Lane. Free. eventbrite.com.

Dec. 3

Roots Cafe Christmas show Music from local singer-songwriter faves Letitia Van Sant and Georgie Jessup (who will doubtless perform some songs from her album, “When Santa was a Pagan”). 5 p.m. at An Die Musik Live, 409 N. Charles St. $10. andiemusiklive.com.

Handel’s ‘Messiah’ Bach in Baltimore performs Handel’s enduring holiday masterpiece, “Hallelujah Chorus” and all. 4 p.m. at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 811 Cathedral St. $25. bachinbaltimore.org.

Mayor’s Christmas Parade Mayor Catherine Pugh presides over a parade featuring floats, bands, local TV and radio personalities, more than 100 Harley Davidson motorcycles and (of course) Santa. 1 p.m., beginning at Poly/Western high schools on Cold Spring Lane, then heading south and east into Hampden along Falls Road, 36th Street, Chestnut Avenue and 37th Street. mayorschristmasparade.com.

Merry Mart A juried crafts market, offering all sorts of marvelous, handmade holiday gifts. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. Includes a drop-in arts workshop for kids from noon to 5 p.m. Free. creativealliance.org.

Motown & More: A Holiday Celebration Vocalists Gene McBride, Vic Frierson, Karen Linette, Deborah Poole-Williams and Micah Smith perform a host of Motown classics and more, reprising such memorable songs as The Temptations’ “Silent Night” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song,” Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas” and Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby.” 7:30 p.m. at Rams Head On Stage, 33 West St. in Annapolis. $35. ramsheadonstage.com.

Dec. 4

Holiday Tales Arts on Stage presents a multicultural collection of stories celebrating Christmas (“The Gift of the Magi” and “The Nutcracker”), Hanukkah (“The Soul of A Menorah”) and Kwanzaa (“The Kwanzaa Kite”). 10:15 a.m. and noon at Kraushaar Auditorium at Goucher College, 1021 Dulaney Valley Road in Towson. $9. artsonstage.org.

Holiday double features A run of Christmas-themed double features at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Parkway, 5 W. North Ave., begins with “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (7:15 p.m.) and “Trading Places” (9:30 p.m.), then continues on Dec. 11 with “Scrooged” (7:15 p.m.) and “Bad Santa” (9:30 p.m.), and Dec. 18 with “Home Alone” (7 p.m.) and “Die Hard” (9:30 p.m.). $10 per film, $16 for both. mdfilmfest.com.

Dec. 5

Christmas with Choral Arts A longstanding Baltimore holiday tradition, with the full chorus and orchestra conducted by new music director Anthony Blake Clark. 7:30 p.m. at the Baltimore Basilica, 409 Cathedral St. $25-$75. baltimorechoralarts.org.

Dec. 7

Washington Monument lighting Baltimore’s grandest marble Christmas tree gets lit for the holidays. With music, food and fireworks, a celebration of the first order. 5 p.m.-8 p.m. in Mount Vernon Place, 600 block of Cathedral St. Free. promotionandarts.org.

MICA Art Market Some seriously distinctive holiday gift shopping, with buyers able to choose from the work of more than 275 students, alumni, faculty and staff of the Maryland Institute College of Art. Featuring jewelry, illustrations, paintings, prints, posters, sculptures, mosaics, stationery, t-shirts, ceramics, books, toys and more. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. through Dec. 9, noon-7 p.m. Dec. 10 at MICA’s Brown Center, 1301 Mount Royal Ave. Free. events.mica.edu.

Dec. 8

‘A Celebration of Christmas’ Live Arts Maryland presents an evening of music from the Annapolis Chorale, Annapolis Chamber Orchestra and even an audience singalong, plus special guests Doug LaBrecque and soprano Amy Cofield. 8 p.m. at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, 801 Chase St. in Annapolis. $57. liveartsmaryland.org.

Christmas at Ladew Enjoy the work of local floral designers and garden clubs, on display in the 270-year-old Manor House, then pick up some decorations for your own home at the annual Greens Sale. Includes complimentary cider and cookies. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. through Dec. 10 at Ladew Topiary Gardens, 3535 Jarrettsville Pike in Monkton. $4-$13, free for kids under 2. ladewgardens.com.

Dec. 9

Holidays at Hampton:Through the Generations Recalling the years from 1783 to 1948, when Hampton was owned by the Ridgely family, each room of the mansion will be decorated to reflect a different era. Carolers and musicians will be performing, and families will be able to work on crafts. 10 a.m.-8 p.m., also 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 10 at Hampton National Historic Site, 535 Hampton Lane in Towson. Free. nps.gov/hamp.

Spirits of Christmas Past Holiday Haunted Pub Crawl The Ghost of Christmas Past from Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” takes visitors on a tour of Fells Point’s most haunting establishments. 7 p.m., also Dec. 15-16, 22-23. Departs from the sidewalk outside Max’s sidebar, 731 S Broadway. Ages 21 and over only. $20. baltimoreghosttours.com.

‘A Colonial Christmas’ Two concerts in one present Christmas as it was celebrated 250 years ago. The first half showcases the holiday’s spiritual side, the second the more secular aspect, how it was celebrated in taverns and by wassailing mobs. 5 p.m. at Grace & St. Peter’s Church, 707 Park Ave. (Also 7 p.m. Dec. 23 at The Four Hour Day Lutherie, 4305 Harford Road) $10-$16. endrismusic.com.

Dec. 10

‘Hanna and the Moonlit Dress’ This children’s musical is based on the Israeli children’s book “Hanna’s Sabbath Dress,” by Itzhak Schweiger-Dmi’e. Children can join in the singing and crafts-making to help ring in Hanukkah. 3 p.m. at the Gordon Center for Performing Arts, 3506 Gwynnbrook Ave. in Owings Mills. $10-$15. jcc.org/gordon-center.

Dec. 14

‘A Swingin’ Klezmer Chanukah’ Woodwind specialist Seth Kibel, joined by Sean Lane on piano, Bob Abbott on double bass and Tim Jarvis on drums, preps you for a swingin’ holiday season. 8 p.m. at An Die Musik Live, 409 N. Charles St. $10-$15. andiemusiklive.com.

Dec. 15

Great Russian ‘Nutcracker’ Tchaikovsky, as only the Moscow Ballet can present him. 7 p.m., also 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Dec. 16 at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center at the Hippodrome, 12 N. Eutaw St. $47-$199. france-merrickpac.com.

Dec. 16

Family Holiday Concert The Columbia Orchestra performs Christmas carols, Hanukkah songs, highlights from “The Nutcracker” (with help from Dance Connections) and more holiday favorites. 10:30 a.m. at the Jim Rouse Theatre, 5460 Trumpeter Road in Columbia. $10-$15. columbiaorchestra.org.

Holiday Open House at the William Paca House The Pacas welcome visitors into their home for Revolutionary-era games, music and light refreshments. 4 p.m.-7 p.m. at the William Paca House, 186 Prince George St. in Annapolis. $10. annapolis.org.

Helicon Winter Solstice Concert Helicon (Ken Kolodner, Robin Bullock and Chris Norman) get together for their 32nd annual reunion concert of seasonal Scottish, Irish, French Canadian, Appalachian and other world music. 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at Kraushaar Auditorium on the Goucher College campus, 1021 Dulaney Valley Road in Towson. $23-$30. kenkolodner.com.

Holiday Heap An opportunity to get some of the finest handmade crafts from regional artisans, more than 50 in all, courtesy of the Charm City Craft Mafia. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at 2640 St. Paul St. Free ($25 to get in an hour early). charmcitycraftmafia.com.

‘Home for the Holidays’ Thomas Wilkins, principal conductor of the Hollywood Bowl, conducts the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in such classics as “We Need a Little Christmas,” “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing,” “Sleigh Ride” and “O Holy Night.” With help from soprano Alison Buchanan and, naturally, the Baltimore School for the Arts’ tap-dancing Santas. 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., plus 3 p.m. Dec. 17 at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. $17.50-$75. bsomusic.org.

Tuba Christmas For the 33rd time, scores of tubas mass for an oompah-heavy holiday concert. 3:30 p.m. at the Inner Harbor Amphitheater, Pratt and Light streets. Free to listen, $10 to participate. (A second area gathering is set for 5 p.m. Dec.17 at Bel Air High School, 100 Heighe St. in Bel Air.) tubachristmas.com.

Dec. 17

‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’ Gian Carlo Menotti’s one-act opera, commissioned for NBC and first performed in 1951, is the story of a young boy and his mother, visited by the Three Kings on their way to bestow gifts on the Christ child. Performed by Opus Concert Theatre. Noon at Cabaret at Germano’s, 300 S. High St. $20. germanospiattini.com.

Charm City Klezmer Holiday Dance Party Music guaranteed to get you stompin’, with roots in Jewish East European culture. A more joyous atmosphere you won’t find anywhere. 7:30 p.m. at the Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. in Highlandtown. $15-$21. creativealliance.org.

David DeBoy and the Hons in ‘Crabs for Christmas’ Baltimore’s favorite Christmas song, performed live by the guy who wrote it. 6 p.m. at the Cabaret at Germano’s, 300 S. High St. $15. germanospiattini.com.

Dec. 19

A John Waters Christmas Happy holidays, from Baltimore’s favorite (and funniest) unregenerate degenerate. 8 p.m. at Baltimore Soundstage, 124 Market Place. $44-$49.50. baltimoresoundstage.com.

Dec. 21

Boister Annual Solstice Concert Anne Watts and company offer their unique takes on seasonal classics made popular by everyone from Eartha Kitt to Ray Coniff. Christmas cookies, too. 7:30 p.m, also Dec. 22. at An Die Musik Live, 409 N. Charles St. $10-$17. andiemusiklive.com.

Dec. 22

Cirque de la Symphonie Holiday Spectacular A high-flying, gravity-defying, gymnastically challenging celebration of the holidays, with music from the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra as backdrop. 8 p.m., also 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Dec. 23 at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. $17.50-$85. bsomusic.org.

Dec. 23

‘The Nutcracker’ The Ballet Theatre of Maryland offers its annual take on Tchaikovsky, dancing sugar plum fairies and marching toy soldiers, with music performed by the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra. Mingle in the lobby beforehand with Santa, carolers and (of course) the Nutcracker. 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. at the Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric, 140 W. Mount Royal Ave. $19.50-$54. modell-lyric.com.

‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ George Bailey and the citizens of Bedford Falls return in Frank Capra’s life-affirming 1946 holiday classic, in a screening to benefit the GEDCO Cares food pantry. 10 a.m. at The Senator Theatre, 5904 York Road. Free, but with a suggested donation of at least $5 worth of nonperishable food items. thesenatortheatre.com.

Kix-Mas The pride of Hagerstown, bringing big sounds and big hair back for their annual holiday gig at Rams Head Live, 20 Market Place. 9 p.m. $27.50. ramsheadlive.com.

Dec. 30

Kwanzaa celebration Embrace the season with African dance, storytelling, drumming, workshops and traditional crafts. Includes elder and quilter Joan Gaither discussing the African American histories captured in her story quilts from the exhibit “Emancipation Quilt: Freedom’s Cross Stitch,” presentations from Sankofa Dance Theater and artist Sallah Jenkins and an African Marketplace. Starts at noon at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture, 830 E. Pratt St. $5. lewismuseum.org.

ckaltenbach@baltsun.com

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