Weekend Adventures in Bradenton, December 3-5

BRADENTON -- December is here and there's plenty of Christmas spirit in the air. There will even be a nice little cold front to help set the mood. The Russian School of Ballet will perform the Nutcracker and there's a Christmas Festival in the Village of the Arts. Grab your warm apple cider, it's time for a Weekend Adventure in Bradenton!

The Village of the Arts hosts "An Old-Fashioned Village Christmas" this weekend featuring the Manatee Players' Dickens Carolers, The Bowery Boys Quartet and Karen Klosky. Enjoy the special vintage holiday Christmas collections on display – quilts, trees, ornaments, toys and fashions.

See Santa by the fireplace, enjoy a Christmas tea room and much more. Join them Saturday for an special Holiday Artist Market featuring unique art and hand-crafted gifts.

This unique neighborhood will be transformed into a Christmas village and guests will undoubtedly be swept up in the Christmas spirit. Grab the family and start the holiday season, while taking in some truly spectacular local art and food goodies.

An Old-Fashioned Village Christmas
Friday, 6-9:30 p.m.
Saturday,11a.m. - 4 p.m.
Village of the Arts
Between 9th Ave and 13th Ave
Bradenton
Admission is free
www.villageofthearts.com

It's not Christmas without the Nutcracker. This holiday staple is a longstanding tradition and over the years the Manatee area has been blessed with some truly amazing renditions. This Saturday you can see the School of Russian Ballet perform the classic holiday tale at Braden River High School.

The event will feature inmternational guest performers including former Principal dancer of the Sarasota Ballet of Florida, and Director of the School of Russian Ballet, Sergiy Mykhaylov as the Nutcracker Prince and Mayara Pineiro, former Soloist dancer of the National Ballet of Cuba, as the Sugar Plum Fairy.

The School of Russian Ballet strives to introduce the classical ballets of the great masters to a new generation of audiences. Their world-renowned Chroegrapher, Vadim Fedotov, is a three-time winner of the Laureate Choreography of the Ukraine and was educated at the Moscow Institute of Art.

The Nutcracker Ballet
Braden River High School
6545 53 Ave E Bradenton
Saturday, 1:00 p.m. (one hour show). Ticket Prices: $10 all ages
Saturday, December 4 at 6:00 p.m.(full length ballet).Ticket Prices: $21 ages 12+ $10 ages 3-11
Tickets
Info: 941-962-6664


Get set for an enlightening evening under a star-spangled sky with the Starry Night Hike at Robinson Preserve. This easy stroll will take participants on a walk though Robinson in the dark night, searching for planets, stars, and other heavenly bodies. Learn about the winter sky’s constellations and hear the stories behind these incredible designs. This program is suitable for all ages. Please RSVP by calling (941) 748-4501 ext. 8.

Starry Night Hike
Robinson Preserve
(941) 748-4501 ext. 8
Friday
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
website

The Bowery Boys Quartet