CALENDAR

By Ann Curran, Contributing Editor

FALLINGWATER TOURS AND MORE
Friday, April 24, 2009 through Thursday, November 26, 2009
Want to find out how Edgar Kaufmann, the Pittsburgh department-store owner and civic leader, lured architect Frank Lloyd Wright into the woods of Fayette County to build a historic house suspended over a gushing stream? Catch either lecture, "Fallingwater: A Place for Renewal," every Thursday at 2 p.m., or "Fallingwater Faces," Fridays at 2 p.m., through November to find out how. Want to see the house, too? Or, what about Wright's other creation in the neighborhood, Kentuck Knob? Want to peruse "Meadow Run Photography," an exhibit of photos by Fritz Kinzel of the Laurel Highlands in the Visitors Center of Fallingwater June 19-Aug. 21? Or do you just prefer to wander the 20 miles of trails on the Bear Run Nature Reserve property. You can do all of that, too. But first, remember that more than 153,000 people traipsed through Fallingwater last season, so the caretakers, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, insist on advance tickets or reservations. (House tours: Mon.-Tues., Thurs.-Sun., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. )
Tickets: Adults, $18; children 6-12, $12; grounds pass, which does not include a formal tour: $8; lectures, $18 (with house tour, $8). Options include group prices, in-depth tours ($55), sunset and brunch tours ($10)
(1491 Mill Run Road, Mill Run, Fayette County
Ticket phone #: 724/329-8501
Tickets online: fallingwater.org)

PITTSBURGH BANJO CLUB
Wednesday, November 25, 2009 at 08:00PM
People pay to hear these guys and gals play under the direction of club founder Frank Rossi, who was inducted into the National Four-String Banjo Hall of Fame. But you can listen for free any Wednesday this month at Allegheny Elks Lodge No. 339 on the North Side. It’s a rehearsal for the group, which sings and plays trumpets, tubas and bass guitars as well as banjos. These musicians play toe-tapping music from the 1920s, referred to as the Golden Age of the Banjo, and lead a sing-along. Refreshments/drinks are available. Reservations suggested for groups.
(400 Cedar Ave
Ticket phone #: 412/321-1834
Event Website: thepittsburghbanjoclub.com)

SUNDAY BINGO PARTY
Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 09:00PM
Sunday, November 29, 2009 at 09:00PM
Want to do a Pittsburgh thing and multitask, too? Go play bingo, bowl and listen to music at a Sunday Bingo Party, which runs until midnight at Arsenal Bowling Lanes any Sunday in November. Described in The New York Times as a place “where old-school bowling vibe meets night club atmosphere,” Arsenal features special events every night of the week. On Sundays you get to play free bingo and hear disc jockey Paul “Mockster” Nelson or Corey “Swank Cat” LeChat play country, rock, pop and more. If that’s not enough, you can bowl, too.
Tickets: $8 for all-you-can-bowl.
(Arsenal Bowling Lanes, 212 44th St., Lawrenceville.
Event phone #: 412/683-5992
Event Website: arsenalbowl.com)

WINTER FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS:
Friday, November 13, 2009 through Sunday, January 3, 2010
The Big Daddy of light festivals in terms of crowds is clearly the Winter Festival of Lights at Oglebay Resort & Conference Center. Celebrating its 25th year, the festival boasts a million lights and 70 displays on a 6-mile drive through 300 acres. The tallest display? A 60-foot poinsettia wreath and candle. Oglebay’s festival has attracted a million visitors from 36 states and some 3,000 tour buses. The resort is gradually converting its displays to LED lights, which use 85 percent less energy and last longer. Besides the lights, visit the Nativity scene, Christmas Tree Garden, Mansion Museum and Wilson Lodge, which serves a nightly buffet. Nov. 13-Jan. 3: Sun.-Thurs., dusk-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., dusk-11 p.m.
Tickets: free; donations accepted
(465 Lodge Drive, Wheeling, W.Va.
Event phone #: 800/624-6988
Event Website: oglebay-resort.com)

CHRISTMAS IN HERSHEY
Friday, November 13, 2009 through Thursday, December 31, 2009
Are you dreaming of a chocolate Christmas? Hershey, Pa., is the place for you. Hersheypark will become Hersheypark Christmas Candylane with a holiday village, 30 rides, Santa Claus and nine live reindeer. Not to mention live entertainment, games, shops, food and a light show with 127,000 lights and a 50-foot Kissmas tree dressed in Hershey Kiss ornaments. Go for a day or settle in at the Hershey Lodge or The Hotel Hershey. Book a breakfast with Santa or a seat at a dinner theater showing the musicals Christmas in Chocolate Town and Holiday with Dickens. And maybe catch pianist Jim Brickman at the Hershey Theatre on Mon., Dec. 21. Then there’s The Museum on Chocolate Avenue and Hershey Gardens’ National Christmas Tree Walk through Sun., Dec. 27, with evergreens decorated with ornaments from 50 states and the District of Columbia. And, trust me, you’ll find chocolate around each corner. 
(27 W. Chocolate Ave., Hershey
Event phone #: 800/437-7439
Event Website: christmasinhershey.com)

WINE FOR TURKEYS AND SATURDAY QUICKIE
Saturday, November 28, 2009 at 01:30PM
Did you know you don’t have to choose white wine for your turkey dinner on Thanksgiving? In fact, you might match your wine with your stuffing or dressing. Deb Mortillaro, a Culinary Institute of America grad who entertains 65 guests on Turkey Day, will enlighten your wine choices at Wine for Turkeys. Need more help? Stop by Dreadnought Wines in the Strip District for a Saturday Quickie. Owner Mike Gonze will guide you through four wine tastings with cheese selections from Pennsylvania Macaroni Co. Reservations required.  
Tickets: Wine for Turkeys: $45; Saturday Quickie: $20.
(2013 Penn Ave., Strip District
Ticket phone #: 412/391-8502
Event Website: dreadnoughtwines.com)

OVERLY’S COUNTRY CHRISTMAS
Friday, November 20, 2009 through Friday, January 1, 2010
Harry Overly of Armbrust, Westmoreland County, got carried away with decorating his house for the holidays. (His kids loved it.) And he kept going for more than 50 years. In 1992, the display moved from his home to the Westmoreland Fairgrounds, where, this year, the event shines forth with some 2.4 million lights on 15 acres. While at the Overly home, the display raised $1 million for the Free Care Fund at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and for Westmoreland Regional Hospital. Now proceeds provide free visits to Overly’s Country Christmas for families at risk in Westmoreland and neighboring counties, and support the Juvenile Probation Center in Greensburg and other troubled-youth programs. Sun.-Thurs., 5:30-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 5:30-11 p.m.
Tickets: Donation: per car, $10; mini-buses, limo or motor-home $12
(116 Blue Ribbon Lane, Greensburg
Event phone #: 724/423-1400
Event Website: overlys.com)

RITE AID CELEBRATION OF LIGHTS
Friday, November 20, 2009 through Sunday, January 3, 2010
The Rite Aid Celebration of Lights at Hartwood Acres boasts 400 displays, some ranging from 3- to 40-foot tall on a 3.2 mile stretch with more than 2 million lights. Allegheny County Parks Department will add three sports-related displays this year: a football player running for a touchdown, a hockey goalie interacting with a player with a puck and a NASCAR scene. There’s no definite affiliation on the players (black and gold won’t show up at night). Don’t even ask about a baseball display. The Celebration of Lights benefits the Salvation Army’s Project Bundle-Up as well as Children’s Miracle Network, St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality and others. The show is open every day, including Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.  Sun.-Thurs., 6-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 6-11 p.m.
Tickets: Donation: per car, $12; per person on bus, $5; per person on a bus from a nonprofit, $3
(200 Hartwood Acres, Indiana Township
Event phone #: 412/350-2455
Event Website: alleghenycounty.us/parks)

LE PLUS EXQUIS DIAMOND GALA
Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 06:00PM
Guests at Le Plus Exquis Diamond Gala, which translates to the most-exquisite gala, will be treated like stars as they enter this black-tie-optional affair on a red carpet with cameras flashing and onlookers greeting them. Inside, the area’s finest jewelers will display gems to gasp over, to try on and maybe even to buy. Later there’s a diamond fashion show and diamond raffle. Guests will enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres, champagne, specialty drinks and luscious desserts prepared by chef Kelly James. Hey, you can dance it off, too. The gala benefits Cribs for Kids, which provides cribs for the needy and also offers parents information on safe sleeping for infants and young children to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and accidental suffocation. State Sen. John R. Pippy (37th District) and his wife, Kathy, will host the gala. . Reservations required.
Tickets: $100
(Pittsburgh Athletic Association, 4215 Fifth Ave., Oakland.
Ticket phone #: 412/322-5680, ext. 5
Tickets online: sids-pa.org)

THE MEDALLION BALL
Friday, November 27, 2009 at 06:00PM
The Medallion Ball, which celebrates its 46th birthday this year, honors young women who have completed at least 100 hours of volunteer work. Sponsored by the St. Lucy’s Auxiliary to the Blind, the nonsectarian event awards the teens with the Joan of Arc Medallion, which will be presented by Bishop David A. Zubik of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. A serious formal with white gloves, modest dress and black-tie escorts, the event takes place Fri., Nov. 27, at the Hilton Pittsburgh. The auxiliary president, Annie Hanna Engel, and its ball chairs, Kelly Hanna Riley and Mollie Hanna Lang, are all former recipients of the Joan of Arc Medallion. The event benefits Blind & Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh. Reservations required.
Tickets: $175 and $250; Special Joan of Arc table for 10, $3,500.
(600 Commonwealth Place, downtown.
Ticket phone #: 412/418-6957
Event Website: stlucysauxiliary.org)

LET THE MEN COOK!
Friday, December 4, 2009 at 05:00PM
Sewickley’s Light Up Night on Fri., Dec. 4, takes an enlightened approach, featuring a Let the Men Cook! event at Sweetwater Center for the Arts. While you’re off shopping, a group of all-male, volunteer “gourmet chefs” will prepare a delicious meal, served there from 5 to 9 p.m. The shopping opportunities continue at Sweetwater’s annual holiday mart until 10 p.m. The dinner benefits Sweetwater.
Tickets: Adults, $12; children 12 and under, $6
(200 Broad St., Sewickley
Event phone #: 412/741-4405
Event Website: sweetwaterartcenter.org)

BEN AVON HOLIDAY HOUSE TOUR
Saturday, December 5, 2009 at 10:00AM
The Ben Avon Holiday House Tour is one serious event. The Avon Club, which sponsors the tour of seven, seasonally decorated homes, calls this a “carbon-neutral event.” Club members have calculated just how much carbon dioxide is generated in the homes during the tour through lighting and heat, as well as the average driving distance per patron. To make up for those carbon emissions, they buy renewable energy credits and feel better about the whole event. Many homes on the tour date back to the 1900s, and one is even supposedly haunted. Proceeds from the house tour benefit the Ben Avon community, including local schools and the Meals on Wheels program. Sat., Dec. 5, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; a candlelight version with the lights turned off is from 6 to 9 p.m.
Tickets: $20 in advance; $25 at door
(Tour starts at the borough hall, 701 Church Ave., Ben Avon.
Event phone #: 412/720-0602
Event Website: benavon.org/avonclub)

SATURDAYS WITH SANTA
Saturday, December 5, 2009 at 11:00AM
Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 11:00AM
Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 11:00AM
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 11:00AM
Venture over to the National Aviary on Saturdays in December and you’ll find Santa hanging out with a group of penguins. Your child can even pose for a photo with them too. The day also includes a take-home treat, crafts and admission to all exhibits. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Regular Aviary hours: Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun., noon-5 p.m.
Tickets: $10. $5 more if an Aviary photographer takes the picture.
(700 Arch St., North Side
Ticket phone #: 412/323-7235
Tickets online: aviary.org)

MOUNT LEBANON HOLIDAY HOUSE TOUR
Wednesday, December 9, 2009 at 08:00PM
Some seven homes on the annual Howard Hanna Mount Lebanon Holiday House Tour will open their doors, all decorated for the holidays, on Wed., Dec. 9, from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. There’s a luncheon catered by Max & Erma’s at 11:30 a.m. and assorted auctions and a car raffle from noon to 2:30 p.m. at the Howard Hanna Real Estate office, 607 Washington Road, Mount Lebanon. The event benefits Children’s Hospital’s Free Care Fund.
Tickets: $17 in advance; $20 at door; tickets include admission to the homes and lunch; $5 for lunch without going on the tour.
(Howard Hanna Real Estate office, 607 Washington Road, Mount Lebanon
Ticket phone #: 412/561-7400)

TAKE OUT LASAGNA DINNER
Friday, December 11, 2009 at 04:00PM
The Sisters of St. Francis of the Providence of God understand the Christmas rush. They invite you to their fourth annual Take Out Lasagna Dinner on Fri., Dec. 11, from 4 to 6 p.m., at their motherhouse in Whitehall. Dinners include cheese or meat lasagna in marinara sauce, a roll and a brownie. Got time? Stop by the Sisters Craft Shoppe for handmade items including decorations, ceramics, crocheted blankets and the famous “scrubbies,” hand-crocheted pot scrubbers. The events benefit the sisters, who have served the South Hills for more than 85 years and operate the Franciscan Child Day Care Center and Franciscan Spirit and Life Center.   Reservations required. Reserve dinners by Mon., Dec. 7, 1 p.m.
Tickets: $6
(3603 McRoberts Road
Ticket phone #: 412/885-7232
Event Website: osfprov.org)

HANDMADE ARCADE
Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 11:00AM
With the holidays right around the corner, figuring out what to get everyone on your list is tough business. Luckily, Handmade Arcade, Pittsburgh’s largest craft fair, can help make the whole shopping experience a lot easier. This award-winning, indie craft fair features about 75 vendors and thousands of crafts, many from recycled or re-fabricated materials, ranging from jewelry and felted fashions to hand-bound books and even housewares. Shoppers who want to get a jump start to the day can purchase a pass for the Early Birdie Sale, which runs from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. 
Tickets: Free. Early Birdie Sale, $15.
(Hunt Armory, 324 Emerson St., Shadyside
Tickets online: handmadearcade.com)

PAN ORTHODOX CHORAL CELEBRATION
Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 05:00PM
Choirs from local Orthodox churches will sing songs about the birth of Christ as well as ethnic Christmas carols on Sun., Dec. 13, at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church in Mount Lebanon. Donations benefit Three Hierarchs Eastern Orthodox School.
Tickets: Free
(123 Gilkeson Road
Event phone #: 724/514-7554)

FIRST NIGHT
Thursday, December 31, 2009 at 06:00PM
Whether you call it the last night for the 2009 finale or the first night for the birth of 2010, you may want to gather your gang and head down to the Pittsburgh Cultural District, where the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust promises 150 programs in 50 locations—luckily, in case there’s a chill, 90 percent are indoors. You’ll find dance, comedy, theater, visual arts, kids activities, a parade, a gallery crawl, fireworks (of course) and no alcohol. More than 200 cities around the globe join in this sensible approach to the New Year. To get your First Night button, go to the box office at Theater Square, call 412/456-6666; visit firstnightpgh.org, or ask at some Giant Eagle stores.
Tickets: First Night button, $8. Kids 5 and under, free.
(655 Penn Ave., downtown
Ticket phone #: 412/456-6666 /
Event phone #: 412/456-6666
Tickets online: firstnightpgh.org
Event Website: firstnightpgh.com)