Sutliff offers open house
A Christmas Open House is scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Sutliff Museum, located on the second floor of the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library, 444 Mahoning Ave. N.W., Warren.
This year's holiday decorations feature an authentic Victorian feather tree and silk Christmas greeting cards from the 1880s. The delicate tree is hung with antique blown glass ornaments collected over many years. The silk greeting cards are in pastel colors and feature flowers and scenes quite unlike modern Christmas cards. Some are hung with cords and some are fringed all around. They exemplify the elegance associated with the "Gilded Age" of the late 19th century. The Sutliff's Victorian Christmas tree is hung with strings of real popcorn and the parlor is decorated with greenery and candles.
Visitors may enjoy light refreshments as well as the atmospheric step back in time to Christmases past. For more information, call 330-399-8807, Ext. 121.
Book looks at history of Strouss'
A new book looks at the history of an old Mahoning Valley retailer.
''Strouss': Youngstown's Dependable Store'' ($19.99, The History Press) by Thomas Welsh Jr. and Michael Geltz looks at the downtown store where 20th century shoppers sipped chocolate malts, enjoyed the dramatic view from the store's mezzanine and watched the city's Thanksgiving Day parade. Both Welsh and Geltz are professional writers and editors based in Youngstown.
They will talk about the book at 10 a.m. Saturday at Kravitz Delicatessen, 3135 Belmont Ave., Liberty, for an event sponsored by the Ethnic Heritage Society. They also will do a book signing from 2 to 4 p.m. Dec. 15 at Barnes & Noble, 381 Boardman-Poland Road, Boardman.
Concert raises cash for food bank
The Youngstown Area Community Concert Band and Stambaugh Chorus will perform for the second Holiday Concert of Giving to raise money to feed hungry families in Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties at 4 p.m. Sunday at Stambaugh Auditorium, 1000 Fifth Ave., Youngstown.
The Youngstown Area Community Concert Band, conducted by Joe Pellegrini, and the Stambaugh Chorus, under the direction of Hae-Jong Lee, will perform many holiday favorites, and there will be a special appearance from Santa Claus.
Cash donations will be collected at the door, and all proceeds will be donated to Second Harvest, which is able to distribute $15 worth of food to families that need it most this holiday season for each dollar donated.
Seuss, Dickens merge at Penn State Shenango
The worlds of Charles Dickens and Dr. Seuss merge in the Penn State Shenango Drama Club production of ''A Seussified Christmas Carol.''
The play by Peter Bloedel mixes elements of both authors' work as well as pop culture references and is performed by a mix of student actors and puppets. It is directed by Jeanne Zingale.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the campus' auditorium, located at the corner of Silver Street and Shenango Avenue, Sharon, Pa. Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for students and senior citizens and $4 for children ages 11 and younger. Those who bring a non-perishable food item for donation to the Community Food Warehouse of Mercer County will receive $1 off the admission price. For more information, call 724-983-2836.
Akron offers jazzy Christmas concert
Pianist "Jingle" Joe Augustine, trumpeter Jack "Frost" Schantz, vocalist "Peppermint" Patty LaNasa and more musicians from the University of Akron School of Music are combining their musical talents for Jingle Jazz at 3 p.m. Sunday at E.J. Thomas Hall, 198 Hill St., Akron.
The concert will include jolly, jazzy selections from Duke Ellington's "Jazz Nutcracker" by the UA Jazz Ensemble, Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" by the Joe Augustine Trio and other seasonal favorites.
Tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for non-University of Akron students and free for UA students with their Zip cards. For tickets or more information, call 330-972-7570.