Most seasonal events are taking a break while we transition from carving pumpkins to turkeys, but there’s still plenty to do about town. This weekend is jam-packed with chances to hear live music of nearly any genre. You can bop around plenty of markets and sales in searching of the perfect gift for the upcoming holidays, and while it’s just November, you can ask Santa if you’ve made the nice list.
Want to see your event included in What You’ll Do? We pull these ideas off our community calendar, which you can find on the right side of WYDaily.com. Submitting to the calendar is free and easy, so make sure to add upcoming events for your group or organization.
Music and Film
The Williamsburg Regional Library is paying tribute to William & Mary alumna Glenn Close with their newest Thursday Afternoon Film Series. This week’s film is Dangerous Liasons (1988), which features Close and John Malkovich as aristocrats in pre-revolutionary France. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards.
Head over to Aroma’s Coffeehouse & Café for Open Mic Night, every Thursday evening starting at 7:30 p.m. If you’re not brave enough to perform, you can order dinner, desert or a beverage and watch others display their talents.
The second performance on Opera in Williamsburg’s Il Trovatore is Friday night at 8 p.m. at the Kimball Theatre. Read the full story on the project here.
Swing over to the Williamsburg Classic Swing Orchestra Concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The 16-piece authentic big band will play music from the height of the swing era, plus some popular swing hits of today. The concert will be at the Kimball Theatre.
The Brian Wilson Band will perform Sunday at the 2nd Sundays Arts & Music Festival, which occurs the second Sunday of most months on Prince George Street. Wilson is a local recording artist who has achieved international renown, and is excited to return the Hampton Roads area to perform original funk, blues and soul music. His band will play at 2 p.m.
For classical music fans, go listen to Beethoven’s “Choral Fantasy” and Mass in C Major performed by the Williamsburg Choral Guild. The 85-voice chorus will be joined by a chamber orchestra and six vocal soloists. Also on the program is Mozart’s “The Little Masonic Cantata,” sung by the men of the Guild with tenor and bass soloists. A pre-concert discussion begins at 3 p.m., followed by the music at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Warhill High School Auditorium.
The Williamsburg Youth Orchestras kicks off its 2013-2014 season with a performance featuring all five of its string and symphonic ensembles 4 p.m. Sunday at the Kimball Theatre. The Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Paul Bhasin, performs Copland’s Outdoor Overture, “Procession of the Nobles” by Rimsky-Korsakov, and a concerto by Telemann. Chamber Strings, conducted by Karey Sitzler, presents Charterhouse Suite by Vaughn Williams.
Shopping
More than 100 families have collected their wares for the Williamsburg Montessori School Yard Sale. Furniture, housewares, clothing, toys, books and appliances will all be up for sale at 1425 Richmond Road, starting at 8 a.m.
Also on Saturday is the Biennial Bazaar hosted by the Williamsburg United Methodist Women. The event offers a silent auction, a wide variety of items, and a bake sale. There will also be a drawing on a large jar of pennies to benefit missions.
The Toano Farmer’s Market, on the corner of Forge and Richmond roads, is open year-round 8 a.m. Saturdays. It showcases Bob’s Sausage Company, Rainbow Eggs, Heidi’s Home Grown, plus an array of produce vendors during the year.
‘Tis (Almost) the Season
Gear up for the winter holidays at Yankee Candle on Saturday — Santa Claus will arrive by horse-drawn carriage at 9 a.m. There will be rides in Santa’s sleigh, a mini-animal petting zoo, and a Ringling Brothers clown. Children waiting to tell Santa what they want for Christmas can enjoy sing-alongs and free hot chocolate and cupcakes.
This weekend is also Historic Yorktown’s Holiday Open House Weekend from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. You can work on your holiday shopping with special sales and door prizes, and check out the decorations and entertainment. The Yorktown Market will operate with extended hours — 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. — and offer holiday items in addition to its usual array of fresh produce, meat and seafood, baked goods, coffee, specialty cut flowers, quality art and more.
Athletics
The Tribe Men’s and Women’s cross-country teams will lead the Massey Cancer Center 5K Run on Friday. The race for research will start at 5:15 p.m. at Zable Stadium at William & Mary.
Tribe Volleyball takes on James Madison on Friday night. William & Mary will battle the Dukes at 7 p.m. at Kaplan Arena.
This weekend is the Tribe Invitational for William & Mary’s Men’s Tennis team. The event will be held Friday through Sunday at the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center in Williamsburg.
Learn Something New
The W-JCC GED/Adult Education Program is holding a free math seminar for adults. No registration is required for the event, which takes place at 9:30 a.m. Friday.
Join members of the Williamsburg Bird Club for a free bird walk from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday at New Quarter Park. Walkers will spot ducks, heron, eagles and more at Queens Creek followed by a walk through woodlands and meadows to see song birds and birds of prey.
Learn about perfume from the past with Rebecca Suerdieck, local historian and educator. Suerdieck will be sharing her knowledge with members and friends of the Jane Society North America Southeastern VA Region from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the New Town Barnes & Noble.
Health and Wellness
The CHX4CHNG Women’s Leadership Council presents A Woman’s Quest Wellness Symposium. Starting 7:30 a.m. Saturday, the event will include two keynote addresses and 30 breakout sessions on a variety of subjects related to women’s health.
Williamsburg-James City County Community Action Agency is offering a free event for wellness screenings, information and open enrollment for healthcare. Celebrate Healthcare will be at the James City County Recreation Center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
Saturday is not the official National Eating Healthy Day, but the American Heart Association’s Hampton Roads office and Ferguson Enterprises will celebrate then at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Galleries. To encourage healthy practices every day of the year, there will be free live cooking demonstrations to teach and tastings to inspire, as well as blood pressure screenings for participants.
If You Build It…
Beyond Bricks, a LEGO creative play center, is holding its grand opening from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Open Play admission will be half-off, and there will be raffles, face painting and balloon creation too. Read more about Beyond Bricks here.
