Special Events
Carrboro Cybrary Benefit Night — Dec. 4, 5-9pm. Sales benefit the Carrboro Cybrary. Ten Thousand Villlages in Eastgate.
Chatham Studio Tour — Dec. 6-7, 13-14. Visit with artists in their workspaces. chathamstudiotour.com
Daniel Boone Merchants Association Christmas Crafts Show — Dec. 6-7. Bring a can of food to benefit OCIM Samaritan Relief Food Pantry. Big Barn Convention Center off Old Hwy 86 in Hillsborough.
Tree Benefit — Dec. 6. NC-grown Christmas trees and wreaths sold, proceeds benefit a Chatham County College Fund for Chatham students. Preorder trees at bynumfrontporch.googlepages.com
Holiday Faire — Dec. 6, 10am-4pm. Fun, games, and gifts. Emerson Waldorf School, 6211 New Jericho Road, Chapel Hill. 967-1858, www.emersonwaldorf.org
St. Matthew’s Festival of the Society Tree — Dec. 6, 10am-5pm; Dec. 7 1-5pm. Handmade items for sale, carols and more. Proceeds benefit charity. www.stmatthewshillsborough.org
Corks for Kids NC — Dec. 7, 6:30pm. Champagne dinner at Acme Food & Beverage. $75/person plus tax and gratutity. Group seating 4-8 people. Reservations 968-1884. corksforkidsnc.com
Sunday Afternoons at the Seymour Center — Dec. 7, 3pm. Carol Woods Jazz Combo presents Dixieland tunes with guest Foster Owen on banjo. Seymour Center, Chapel Hill.
Youth Concert — Dec. 13, 5pm. Piedmont Youth Orchestra presents string ensemble concert at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 300 Rosemary St in Chapel Hill. Free. 942-5010.
Holiday 5k and Family Fun Run — Dec. 14, 2pm, registration at noon. Proceeds benefit the Chapel Hill Senior League. T-shirts for 400 racers, face painting, refreshments and arts and crafts. Registration and information www.sv5k.com
Nightlight Arts & Crafts Fair — Dec. 21, 2-6pm. All artists invited to sell works. Submissions of description, website links and photos due Dec. 7. nightlightinfo@gmail.com, www.nightlightclub.com
Pittsboro First Sundays — 12-4pm. Food, arts and crafts and music on Hillsboro Street. 260-9725, pittsboroshops.com
Holiday Shopping in Hillsborough— Holiday shopping and events www.holidaysinhillsborough.com
Dance
NC Squares— Dec. 13, 8-11pm Lesson at 7:30pm, $7/$5 students. at Pleasant Green Community Center, Durham. www.ncsquares.com
Contra — Dec. 12, 7:30-11pm. Triangle Country Dancers present the Morrison Brothers with caller Adina Gordon. Carrboro Century Center. $7-9, www.tcdancers.org
Contra — Dec. 19, 7:30pm. Music by the Donnybrook Lads. Carrboro Century Center. 967-9948. www.csda-dance.org $8
Contra — Dec. 26, 7:30-11pm. Triangle Country Dancers present Bob Head, Mara Shea and others with caller David McMullen. $7-9. www.tcdancers.org
The Chocolate Factory — Jan. 17, 2 and 6pm. Studio A Dancers present an adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. East Chapel Hill High Auditorium. $5, tickets available www.dancecentre.net/blog
Ballroom — Fourth and fifth Thursdays, 7-9:30pm. Seymour Senior Center, 2551 Homestead Road, Chapel Hill. 968-2070. $2
Carrboro DanceJam — First Fridays. Free-style dance. Balanced Movement Studio, 304 W. Weaver St, upstairs. 968-8776
Havana Nights — First and third Thursdays, 10pm. Cuban Salsa. Mansion 462, 462 W. Franklin St. 967-7913, www.mansion462.net
Salsa/Mambo — Third Saturdays, lesson 8pm, dance 8:30-11pm. Fred Astaire Dance Studio, 4702 Garrett Road, Durham. salsa_4u2 AT yahoo DOT com, 358-4201, $7
Triangle Stardusters Ballroom Dance — Second Saturdays, 8-11pm. Fred Astaire Dance Studio. 24702 Garrett Road, Durham. $7 members, $12 guests. Couples and singles welcome. 942-7232
Faith
Advent Lutheran — 9am Bible study classes for all ages, 10:30am worship service. Advent Holiday Boutique, Nov. 8, 9am-1pm. 230 Erwin Road. 968-7680. adventlutheranch.org
Buddhist Teachings and Meditation — Wednesdays, 7-8:30pm. With ordained monk and resident teacher Gen Kelsang Tilopa. The Kosala Mahayana Buddhist center teaches traditional Kadampa Buddhist practice. 711 W. Rosemary St. 619-5736, www.meditationinchapelhill.org
Discovering Buddhism: How to Meditate — Mondays, 7pm. Kadampa Center for the Practice of Tibetan Buddhism, 5412 Etta Burke Ct., Raleigh. www.kadampa-center.org
Meditation Practices of Tibetan Buddhism: Shinay, Tonglen and Deity Practice — Wednesdays, 7:30-9pm. Through November. 968-9426, www.piedmonktc.org
Film
Gatewood: Facing the White Canvas — 7pm, Dec. 9. Documentaries about artists Maud Gatewood and Mary Paulsen. The General Store Café. Dinner available. $3-5. www.chathamarts.org
Community Cinema — Second Thursdays at 7pm. Films documenting social issues. Monthly screenings of Independent Lens episodes at Open Eye Cafe, followed by panel discussions.
Health & Wellness
Cancer support — Weekly support free of charge for cancer patients and family. www.cornucopiahouse.org
The Compassionate Friends: Self-help support after the death of a child — Third Mondays, 7-8:30pm. Free and open to all adults grieving the loss of a child or sibling. Evergreen United Methodist Church. 967-3221, chapelhilltcf.org
WomanHeart — Fourth Thursdays, 12:30-2pm. The national coalition for Women with Heart Disease Support Group is free and open to any woman with any form of heart disease. 403 W. Weaver St. WH-ChapelHill@womenheart.org
Orange County Rape Crisis Support Group— A support group for survivors of childhood sexual abuse will begin in Jan 2009. Group limited to eight participants. Screenings will take place through mid-December. Contact 968-4647 or email groups@ocrcc.org for information.
Kids
Toddler Time — Thursdays, 4pm. Carrboro Branch Library. 969-3006
Preschool Story Time — Saturdays, 10:30am. Carrboro Branch Library. 969-3006
Express Yourself! — Saturdays, 10:45-11:15am, 11:30am-noon. Art program for ages 3-8 & their caregivers. Kidzu Children’s Museum, 105 E. Franklin St. 933-1455, kidzuchildrensmuseum.org $2
Literary
Twilight — Dec. 11, 7pm. The Movie/Book Club discusses the film and the Stephanie Meyer novel. Carrboro Cybrary. 918-7387, www.co.orange.nc.us/library/cybrary
Meet the Author Tea — Dec. 19, 3:30pm, Presenting Louise Hawes, author of Black Pearls: A Faerie Strand. A haunted re-imagining of classic fairy tales. Chapel Hill Public Library. 968-2780
Books Sandwiched— Meets first Wednesday of most months at 11am in the conference room of The Chapel Hill Public Library. 968-2780
Political
Forum on the economy and bailouts — Dec. 4, 7pm. Guest speaker, Scott A Weir. Chapel Hill Public Library, Email southplumb@gmail.com for directions.
Volunteers
RSVP 55+ Volunteer Program — Seeks volunteers to match other volunteers with opportunities for public service. 968-2056
Meals on Wheels — Seeks volunteers to deliver meals and/or bake simple desserts for recipients in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area. 942-2948
English as a Second Language Conversation Club — Seeks volunteers to talk with groups of international students Fridays from noon-2pm. University Methodist Church on Franklin Street. 967-1448, harwellja AT bellsouth DOT net