The fifth annual “Hort! Christmas” event will be 7 p.m. Friday at Mother Stewart’s Brewing Co. It celebrates the spirit of the season and heritage of Springfield through live music and hosted by legendary former WBLY DJ Dick Hatfield, also known to some as The Imperial Debubba.
The One More Time Swing Band will play Christmas classics by Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. Hatfield, one of the area’s top storytellers, will show his collection of vintage movies and slideshows about life in downtown Springfield from the 1940s to the 1970s.
“Hort! Christmas” is free and usually brings in a big crowd.
Have yourself a jazzy little Christmas
One of the most popular holiday music events the past few years has come courtesy of Springfield native Todd Stoll. He’ll lead the entire Springfield Symphony Jazz Orchestra for its “Swingin’ Sounds of the Holidays” concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Mother Stewart’s. Admission is free.
It was five years ago when Stoll, a Springfield native who works for Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City, performed the first such show with friends. That eventually led to the creation of the Jazz Orchestra, which began in 2019 and has become one of the area’s most popular live attractions and led to helping form this past summer’s initial Springfield Jazz and Blues Festival.
Expect familiar favorite seasonal tunes with a different twist and possibly discover some new ones. It’s a chance to catch the entire group, which only performs a handful of times here each year.
Watch the skies for the Santa fly-in
Santa’s preferred transport for delivering gifts is his sled pulled by eight tiny reindeer, but you’re supposed to be asleep, so you’ve likely never seen it. Sunday is the opportunity to see him fly in on a different type of aircraft – an open-cockpit biplane during a fly-in event, 2-4 p.m. Sunday at the Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport.
The free event will offer family fun including coloring activities and refreshments. For more information, go to www.facebook.com/people/Springfield-Beckley-Municipal-Airport.
Oesterlen Festival of Lights to open
The third annual Oesterlen Festival of Lights will open Friday and run through Christmas Day, 6-9 p.m. on the Oesterlen campus, 1918 Mechanicsburg Rd.
Attendees can see more than 30,000 lights turn the 100-acre campus into a winter wonderland. This activity is free and family-friendly.
Other events and activities
-Joe Waters Christmas Blues will perform from 7-9 p.m. Friday at the Market Bar at COHatch
-Saturday will be the final day of the season for Holiday in the Market, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at COHatch; Holidays at the Hatch, noon to 4 p.m. at the Hatch Artist Studios; and Mother’s Holiday Market, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Mother Stewart’s.
-Santa will be at the Heritage Center of Clark County, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
-The Ohio Performing Arts Center’s 33rd annual performance of “The Nutcracker” will be 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Clark State Performing Arts Center.
-Holiday Ice Show, 11:45-1:15 p.m. Sunday at the NTPRD Chiller, 301 W. Main St.
-The Speedway Ice Skating Rink will operate 5-8 p.m. Thursday and Sunday and 5-9 Friday and Saturday. Carriage rides will be 6-9 p.m. Wednesdays. The rides will start outside the Courtyard by Marriott and the cost is $5 and free for ages 10-under.
Go to www.facebook.com/holidayinthecityspfld/ for more information on Holiday in the City events and schedules.
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