5 Things

Nathan Cushing — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:00:09 +0000

Buying gifts, wrapping gifts, baking, traveling—this week is a big bag of stress balls. If you do manage to catch some downtime and are looking for things to do, then get ready to do all of the things! We have dancing, a taste of the bizarre, Elvis, and an annual reminder that life is rather wonderful after all. It’s the 5 Things, pre-Christmas holiday super-spectacular mega awesome edition!

1. Holiday Guide

What is this, some kind of a joke, you say? You’re giving me a link to a guide list within a guide list? You bet I am! It’s not because I’m lazy (well, sorta…), but because I don’t want to overwhelm you with a bunch of holiday events. So. If you want to find out about the awesome lights at Lewis Ginter, or the hours and cost of ice skating downtown, plus more, head to the Holiday Guide—it’s a thing…within a thing!

Through Christmas • various times
All over RVA
Prices for events and activities vary

2. Elvis at 21

It seems that just about everyone has attempted an Elvis Presley impersonation at least once in their life. No matter if you’re a thin Elvis, fat Elvis, or non-Elvis fan, I think we can all appreciate that he was a musical and cultural icon, one of the first in the Television Age. 56 black-and-white photos taken by Alfred Wertheimer in 1956 will be on display at the VMFA starting on Christmas Eve and through January. Sadly, this photo won’t be one of them.

Opens Sat., Dec. 24 • regular hours
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
$5 - $8 (free for VMFA members)

3. Balliceaux Christmas Blowout with Amazing Ghost

I’m typically not a live music or a dance around a large number of other people kind of guy. The drinks are typically too few and the people far too many. However, with the stresses of looming holiday horrors nigh, I just might be inclined to give a dance party a try. The kind folks at Balliceaux are having a Christmas Blowout, which features, among other things, a tacky holiday sweater contest. Tacky sweaters AND dancing!?! The Ancient Romans would be sooo jealous.

Fri., Dec. 23 • 10pm
Balliceaux, 203 N. Lombardy Street
FREE (21+)

4. Bizarre Market Holiday

Did you remember to get Aunt Edna a gift? WHAT! You didn’t? Fret not forgetful fellow, there’s still time to get something cutesy and craftsy at the Bizarre Market Holiday! Head to Chop Suey in Carytown, go upstairs, pull the first Michael Chabon book that you see off the shelf and a secret door will open. Ok, not really. Just go upstairs and you will find a room filled with bizarry, awesomey stuff. It’s a good place to find rare holiday finds. Peruse the bookshelves when you’re done too, you know, because books are cool and stuff.

Thru Sat., Dec. 24 • Thur: 10am - 6pm, Fri. & Sat. 10am - 8pm
Chop Suey Books, 2913 W. Cary Street
FREE to enter

5. “It’s a Wonderful Life”

The 1946 Frank Capra film, while a ubiquitous component of Christmas now, was not uniformly loved at its release (The New Yorker disparaged the film). The movie met with reinvigorated interest in the 1970’s and 1980’s and boom it’s now up there with A Christmas Story for the all-time most watched Christmas celluloid. People love it this much. To get the original experience, the Byrd is showing the film for $2 on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Sat., Dec 24 - Sun., Dec. 25 • Sat: 7:15pm showtime ; Sun: 7:15pm & 9:45pm
Byrd Theatre, 2908 W. Cary Street
$2.00

photo by jeffesp0

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