The Nutcracker will be performed at Durham Hall, SIU Edwardsville Dec. 8-9.

DEC.  7

Paper Airplane Competition
Fri. 6-10 p.m.
Riverbender Community Center, 200 W. 3rd St., Alton
$10

Fold a paper airplane. Decorate and name it and enter it in the distance and display competition. Plus, meet a real-life U.S. Air Force pilot in honor of International Civil Aviation Day. For more information, call 618-465-9850, ext. 212.

Free HIV Testing
Fri. 8:30 a.m.
Madison County Health Dept., 101 E. Edwardsville Road, Wood River
Free

Confidential testing to determine the presence of HIV. For more information, call 618-692-8954, ext. 2.

Friday at the Movies: ‘Holiday Inn’
Fri. 9:30-11 a.m.
Glen Carbon Centennial Library, 198 S. Main St.
Free

Enjoy coffee and donuts as you watch the 1942 Bing Crosby movie. For more information, call 618-288-1212.

Interactive White Christmas
Thur. 7 p.m.
Wildey Theater, 252 N. Main St., Edwardsville
$15; seniors $12; students $10

Everyone gets a free goodie bag with special props to use during the annual showing of the movie. For more information, call 618-307-1750.

DEC.  7-8

ALT Presents ‘Smoke/Mountain Homecoming’
Fri. 7:30 p.m.; Sat. 2-4 p.m.
2450 N Henry St., Alton
$25; youths $12

Alton Little Theater brings back the Singing Sanders Family. For more information, call 618-462-3205.

DEC.   8

Christmas Ugly Sweater 5K
Sat. 8-11 a.m.
Trinity Lutheran Ministries, 600 Water St., Edwardsville
$35

Wear you ugliest sweater and run to benefit Edwardsville Neighbors-In-Need and Glen-Ed Food Pantry while enjoying Christmas music, hot cocoa, and cookies. For more information, call 618-656-2918.

Model Train Show
Sat. 10 a.m-3 p.m.
Glen Carbon Village Hall, 180 Summit Ave.
Free

See the trains running on the 18×27 foot HO Scale layout. For more information, call 618-476-9228.

RiverBend Bluegrass Band
Sat. 7-9 p.m.
Jacoby Arts Center, 627 E. Broadway, Alton
$1-

Cabaret seating to hear the traditional five-piece bluegrass band. For more information, call 618-462-5222.

Old Belleville Historical Luminary Walk
Sat. noon-3 p.m.
Downtown Belleville
Free

Abend and Garfield streets will be lined with luminaries. You can expect strolling carolers, hot chocolate, candy canes, and Santa. For more information, call 618-233-6769.

Elizabethan Christmas
Sat. 7:30 p.m.
Godfrey First UM Church, 1100 Airport Road, Godfrey
Free

Enjoy the sounds of the Great Rivers Choral Society as they perform Christmas music. For more information, visit grcs-sing.org.

ASO Christmas Concerts
Sat. 4-5 & 7-10 p.m.
Hatheway Cultural Center, 5800 Godfrey Road, Godfrey
Free

The Alton Symphony Orchestra presents two concerts: the Jingle Bell Concert for children from 4-5 p.m. and “In the Nick of Time” Holiday Concert from 7-10. For more information, call 618-467-2326.

Large-Scale Model Train
Sat. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Oliver C. Joseph, Inc., 3795 IL-15, Belleville
Free

The Gateway Garden Railroad Club offers a giant layout of large-scale trains bigger than the Lionel’s you remember. Show continues into December. For more information, call 618-233-8140.

DEC.  8-9

The Nutcracker Performed
Sat. 2 & 7; Sun. 2 p.m.
Durham Hall, SIU Edwardsville
$20; children $15

The University will host the classic Tchaikovsky ballet performed by Turning Pointe Academy of Dance. For more information, call 618-650-5555.

Arrival at Camp River Dubois
Sat. & Sun. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Lewis & Clark State Historic Site, 3500 New Poag Road, Hartford
Free

Come celebrate the arrival of Lewis and Clark at the site where William Clark and his men arrived at Riviere a Dubois. Event includes re-enactors portraying life in the camp. For more information, call 618-251-5811.

Christmas Pickers’ Market
Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
St. Clair Event Center, 1550 E. State Rte. 15., Belleville
Free

Everything from fine antiques to plain old junk. For more information, call 618-830-7552.

DEC.  9

Bethalto Spirit Victorian Christmas Walk
Sun. 4-7 p.m.
213 N. Prairie St., Bethalto
Free

Stroll through the downtown area, view the storefront decorations, costumed characters, and snacks. Special activities for children including Father Christmas. For more information, call 618-377-8051.

Tribute Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Sun. 3 and 7 p.m.
Enjoy Church, 3303 Homer Adams Pkwy.,
Alton
$15

The show combines the thunder of rock with the beauty of classical. For more information, call 618-465-5433.

L&C Gospel Choir Debut Concert
Sun. 4 p.m.
Hatheway Cultural Center, 5800 Godfrey Road, Godfrey
Free

The new choir at Lewis and Clark Community College is under the direction of Brenda Lancaster. For more information, call 618-468-4731.

Visit Santa in Columbia
Sun. noon-5 p.m.
Miller Flege House, 140 S. Main St.
Free

Kids can visit with Santa and then enjoy crafts and refreshments. For more information, call 618-281-7144, ext. 134.

–Metro East Calendar of Events Dec. 5 – Dec. 9–