Enjoy an Old-fashioned German Christmas in the Maeystown Historic District on from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4. (Photo courtesy of Maeystown)

DEC.  2

Pictures with Santa

Friday, 6-8 p.m.

Chris Erwin State Farm, 970 E. Airline Drive, Suite B, East Alton

$5

Santa will be on hand for photos with children. The fee is $5 or bring a new, unwrapped towy to be donated to a local children’s charity. For more information, call (618) 259-1357.

Messiah, Christmas Carols and Sing Along

Friday, 7:30-9 p.m.

First United Methodist Church, 1200 S. Liberty St., Jerseyville

Free

Join in the Christmas portion of Handel’s oratorio along with holiday carols and songs. For more information, call (618) 401-1450.

DEC.  2-4

A Christmas Story

Fri. 7:30 p.m.; Sat. 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Sun. 2 p.m.

Wildey Theater, 252 N. Main St., Edwardsville

$15 adults; $12 senior; $10 child under 13

Curtain’s Up Theater Company presents the Christmas favorite. For more information, call (618) 795-4356.

Christmas House Tour in Columbia

Fri. 6-10 p.m.; Sat., 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Columbia, Ill.

$15

Enjoy a self-guided tour of five homes decorated for the holiday season. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact: Jan Crawford (618) 719-3378 or Mary Fitzgerald (618) 281-1952.

DEC.  2-11

“Don’t Talk to the Actors”

Fri. & Sat. 7:30 p.m.; Sun. 2 p.m.

Alton Little Theater, 2450 N. Henry St., Alton

$17 adults; $10 students

Jerry Przpezniak and his fiancee are a couple of Buffalo greenhorns suddenly swept up in the whirlwind of New York’s theater scene. For more tickets, call (618) 462-3205.

DEC.  2-27

Drive through Rock Springs Park

Friday, 6-9 p.m.

2100 College Ave., Alton

$7 for cars and small vans

Drive through Rock Spring Park to see more than 2.5 million lights adorning trees and lighting displays throughout the park. For more information, call (618) 465-6676.

DEC.  3

The Metro Singers Concert

Saturday, 7-9 p.m.

St. Paul UCC, 127 St. Paul St., Columbia

Free

Enjoy an evening of Christmas music followed by refreshments in Fellowship Hall. For more information, call (618) 660-5790.

Children’s Christmas Party

Saturday, 3 p.m.

Collinsville Memorial Library, 408 W. Main St.

Free

Children and families invited for a storytime, Christmas crafts and a screening of “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” There will be snacks and a visit from Santa Claus. For more information, call (618) 344-1112.

Barn Dance

Saturday, 6:30-10 p.m.

RiverBender Community Center, 200 W. 3rd St., Alton

$10; family $15

Learn to line dance. Wear your flannel to receive $5 off admission. For more information, call (618) 465-9850.

Model Railroad Club Open House

Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Old Glen Carbon Firehouse, 180 Summit St.

Free

Visitors are welcome to view trains running on the Metro East RR Club’s HO Scale model railroad. For more information, call (618) 476-9228.

Elf Workshop for Kids

Saturday, 1-5 p.m.

Jacoby Arts Center, 627 E. Broadway, Alton

$20 per child

Youths aged 5-12 can make holiday gifts while their parents shop. To register, call (618) 462-5222.

DEC.  3-4

Olde Alton Art & Craft Fair

Sat., 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Alton High School, 4200 Humbert Road

$2 on Sat., $1 on Sunday

Crafters from Illinois and Missouri offer Christmas items. Free parking. For more information, call (618) 474-6996.

DEC.  4

Old-fashioned German Christmas

Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Maeystown Historic District

Free

Participate in the Weihnachts Fest, a traditional German Christmas, with music, carriage rides, live entertainment and German food. The lighting of the village weinachtsbaum, a Christmas Tree, will be at 4:30 p.m. For more information, call (618) 458-6660.

DEC.  7

St. Louis History Club

Wednesday, 6 p.m.

Blum House, 414 W. Main St., Collinsville

Free

The topic for the St. Louis history club will be Christmas in St. Louis. For more information, visit www.collinsvillelibrary.org.

— Metro East Events —