What’s Happening: Dec. 8
SHOP@USC sets Holiday hours
SHOP@USC will host a special HolidaySHOP to stock up on gifts and cards for your Panther fans, friends and family. Visit SHOP@USC from 8 to 11 a.m. on Dec. 10, 13 and 17 in the Upper St. Clair High School theater lobby. Items for sale include: specially designed greeting cards; holiday specialty items and Upper St. Clair spirit gear.
SHOP@USC (Showing How Opportunity Pays @ Upper St. Clair) is a nationally-recognized, fully-inclusive student-run business housed within Upper St. Clair High School’s Innovation Hub. Students in the Life Skills program and their regular education partners design and manufacture USC spirit-wear products while learning how to develop a business plan that includes all aspects such as pricing, marketing, sales and inventory of products. For more information, contact Michelle Zirngibl, SHOP@USC coordinator, at SHOP@USCsd.k12.pa.us.
AARP meeting
AARP Chapter #3016 meets the second Thursday of each month year-round at the Unity Presbyterian Church at 1146 Greentree Road in Green Tree. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. and meetings begin at noon. Light refreshments are available. Open to people 55 and older.
artist’s work to be on display
Jefferson Hills Public Library is showcasing the mixed-media paintings of South Hills artist Ebtehal Badawi.
Patrons will have the opportunity to meet the artist from 1 to 2 and 7 to 8 p.m. Dec. 12 at the library, 925 Old Clairton Road. Her original paintings and prints are available for purchase.
A native of Saudi Arabia, Badawi earned her master’s degree in industrial hygiene from West Virginia University, and she is pursuing studies in art therapy. Last year, she designed an anti-bullying and anti-racism poster that was posted in different schools in the Pittsburgh area to help students understand the power of unity.
For more information, visit ebartphotography.com.
Christmas at Christ
Christ United Methodist Church, 44 Highland Road, Bethel Park, will host a Christmas concert at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13 as the Chancel Choir and orchestra proclaim: Arise! Your Light Has Come. This concert is full of old favorites that we all know and love, newer works that will gain a special place in your hearts, and audience caroling. Fun for all ages, invite friends and family to this free public offering of Christmas music and holiday cheer.
Cookie sale
A cookie sale will be held in the community square at Christ United Methodist Church, 44 Highland Road, Bethel Park, from 9-11 a.m. Dec. 14. Homemade cookies will be sold for $8 per pound.
Breakfast with Santa
Christian Life Center, Christ United Methodist Church, 44 Highland Road, Bethel Park, will hold a Breakfast with Santa that includes a pancake breakfast from 9-11 a.m. Dec. 14. Cost is a donation, with proceeds benefitting Round Table Ministries. Sign up is not required.
Candlelight concert
Washington Festival Chorale has been rehearsing all autumn for it upcoming performances of “Candlelight Christmas,” scheduled for 7 p.m. Dec. 14 at Faith United Presbyterian Church, off East Beau Street in South Strabane Township, and at 7 p.m. Dec. 15 at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Peters Township.
Tickets for the performances are available for $10 at Citizens Library in Washington or at the door. Children ages 16 and under will be admitted for free.
Holy Trinity Cookie Sale
Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Cathedral will be selling cookies by the pound, nut rolls, apricot rolls, poppy seed rolls, nut horns, lady locks and more from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 14. Cookies will be sold at $10 per pound and all nut, apricot or poppyseed rolls will be $15 each.
Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Cathedral is located at 450 Maxwell Drive, Pittsburgh PA 15236, just off of Route 51 in Whitehall.
BP holiday concert
Bethel Park Community Foundation presents a holiday concert in the Dean Streator series of concerts at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 15.
Performing at the Bethel Park Community Center will be Community Band South, directed by Jim Bennett and Max Gonano; Bethel Park Top 21, directed by Todd Kuczawa; and handbell ringers of Southminster Presbyterian Church, directed by Richard Pinkerton.
USC concerts
The Upper St. Clair Performing Arts Department presents a series of concerts and performances by students of all ages. All start at 7 p.m. and are free and open to the public:
Dec. 9 – Boyce Orchestra Winter Concert, Boyce Middle School theater;
Dec. 10 – Fort Couch Band Concert, Upper St. Clair High School theater;
Dec. 11 – Boyce Winter Band Concert, Boyce theater;
Dec. 12 – Fort Couch/Boyce Winter Chorus Concert, high school theater;
Dec. 17 – High School Choir Concert, high school theater;
Dec. 18: Fort Couch Orchestra Concert, high school theater;
Dec. 19 – High School Winter Instrumental Concert, high school theater;
Jan. 8: Elementary Combined Choral Concert, high school theater;
Jan. 15: Combined Strings Concert, high school theater.
Women’s Club holiday auction
Dorothy Holden will once again serve as auctioneer at the Ruthfred Acres Woman’s Club Annual Christmas Dinner and Charity Auction on Dec. 11. She will be auctioning off beautiful holiday baskets and food items donated by members. All proceeds this season will be given toward the renovation of the Schoolhouse Arts Center in Bethel Park. The spirit of the season was also evident at the Club’s Nov. 12 meeting when members donated 57 toys and books to Operation Troop Appreciation for their annual holiday drive. The members of the RAWC take seriously their motto, “Better Homes and a Better Community.” For more Club information, please call Pat at 412-833-3034.
‘It’s a Wonderful Life’
Members of Old Schoolhouse Players will perform “It’s a Wonderful Life” on Dec. 13, 14 and 15.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $16 for seniors and students, and $10 for children 12-and-under. Performance times in the Bud Allison Memorial Auditorium at the Mount Pleasant Community Center in Hickory will be at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 3 p.m. on Sunday. For ticket information, call 724-344-7467 or reserve online at www.osptheate.com.
The musical, written by Jack Sharkey and David J. Blackburn, is adapted from the original Frank Capra film classic. The musical is directed by Dan J. Kirk with musical direction by Ruth Ann Fox and choreography by Stacie Paronish.
Live Nativity in Bethel Park
Community of Christ, 3472 South Park Road, Bethel Park, is hosting a free drive-through live Nativity from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 14. Enjoy eight outdoor scenes with live actors and animals. Volunteers are sought to help set up the scenes on Dec. 7 and during the week before the event to prepare costumes ready, repair scenery and fill luminary jugs. For more information, contact Janet at 412-805-7194 or jmeyer374@gmail.com.
holiday concerts
Bethel Park School District will host a series of holiday music concerts, which are free and open to the public:
Independence Middle School Seventh Grade Holiday Concert – 7 p.m. Dec. 10;
George Washington Elementary School Holiday Sing-A-Long – 7 p.m. Dec. 11 at Bethel Park High School;
Independence Middle School Eighth Grade Holiday Concert – 7 p.m. Dec. 12
Neil Armstrong Middle School Fifth Grade Strings Concert – 6:30 p.m. Dec. 16 at Neil Armstrong, 5800 Murray Ave.;
Neil Armstrong Middle School Sixth Grade Strings Concert – 7: 30 p.m. Dec. 16;
Bethel Park High School Holiday Concert – 7 p.m. Dec. 18.
Panel discussion
The Youth Steering Committee of Upper St. Clair is hosting a panel discussion, “Vaping … Addictive, Dangerous and Deadly,” at 7 p.m. Dec. 11 at the Community and Recreation Center at Boyce Mayview Park. The program is free and open to the public.
Chanukah Toy Drive
Chabad of the South Hills is conducting its annual Chanukah toy drive for hospitalized and underprivileged children.
New, unwrapped toys can be dropped off from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday until Dec. 20 at 1701 McFarland Road, Mt. Lebanon. For more information, call 412-278-2658.
Christmas Bake Sale
St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church, 601 Boone Ave., Canonsburg, is having a Christmas Bake Sale and Cookie Walk from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 14. Advance orders are being taken for nut, poppy and apricot rolls. Please call 724-743-0231 by Dec. 8.
Chanukah Festival
The annual South Hills Lights Community Chanukah Festival is scheduled for 5 p.m. Dec. 22 at Potomac and Belrose avenues, Dormont.
Featured will be a concert with Oneg Shemesh from New York, along with the lighting of a 12-foot Menorah to be dressed in winter gear to be distributed to the needy. Hot latkes, doughnuts and hot drinks will be served, and every child receives chocolate gelt and glow-in-the-dark Chanukah swag.
The event is open to everyone. RSVP at www.chabadsh.com/lights or mussie@chabadsh.com, or by calling 412.344.2424. All advance RSVPs will be entered into a raffle.
Free dinner Christmas dinner
The Church of the Atonement, 618 Washington Ave., Carnegie, will be serving a dinner from 1-3 p.m. Dec. 25. Shut-ins, people with special needs and veterans who live in the neighboring areas are encouraged to call 412-276-0366 to order their dinners by Dec. 20. There is no charge for dinner or local delivery. Volunteers are also invited to help at the event.
Brews for a Chili Night
Tickets are on sale for the 10th annual winter beer-tasting fundraiser, scheduled from 6-8:30 p.m. Jan. 25 at Mt. Lebanon Public Library.
Brews for a Chili Night features more than two dozen types of craft beer and cider, plus a wide variety of chili, snacks and desserts. The RML Jazz band will perform. Tickets are available at the library’s front desk or online at mtlebanonlibrary.org/405/Brews-for-a-Chili-Night.
Regular tickets are $35 each. Special $50 tax-deductible sponsorship tickets are also available. Tickets will not be sold at the door.
All proceeds go to the Mt. Lebanon Public Library and support programs and materials serving many surrounding communities. The event is sponsored by Friends of the Mt. Lebanon Library.
For more information, contact Bob Hagerty, 412-417-5415.
TOPS meetings
Enjoy contests and speakers while losing weight for $5 per month with TOPS (Take off Pounds Sensibly) Chapter 475, which is celebrating its 50 anniversary this year. The group meets at 7 p.m. Tuesdays at Carnegie United Methodist Church, 415 Washington Ave., Carnegie. Weigh-ins at 6:15 p.m. For more information, call Francis at 412-818-7489.