Holiday events: Tubas, Kwanzaa, tour of lights and more

Tour Tipton guided by Christmas lights

TIPTON - Visit downtown Tipton for the Tour of Lights Saturday. Among the many events are:

• Horse drawn carriage rides from 5 to 8 p.m.
• Live Victorian Christmas Cards and Civil War re-enactments from 5 to 8 p.m. in area business windows including scenes such as “Victorian Tea” (Ms. Molly's North), “Christmas Dreams” (Ms. Molly's South), “Christmas Ceasefire” (US Bank South Window) and “Civil War Courting” (A Place to Land).
• Old Cedar County Jail Open House and Bake Sale from 5 to 8 p.m.
• Community Soup Supper at St. Mary's (209 Mulberry St.) from 4 to 8 p.m. Come see Santa on Dec. 12th at the fire station or drop off your letters to Santa at Citizen's Bank from Nov. 28 until Dec. 20th
• Live Nativity at the Spear Barn sponsored by the Old Union School, Inc., the Stoplight Players and Junior Troupe. Food throughout downtown courtesy of Citizen's Bank, Liberty Trust and Savings Bank, and the Chamber of Commerce.
• Festive music downtown courtesy of the Calvary 4-Square Church, the Stoplight Café, the Apostolic Church of Tipton, and the High School Chorus, from 5 to 8 p.m.

Purchase a button at participating businesses through Saturday and be eligible to win a prize valued at $25 at each store. A list of participating merchants is available at www.tiptoniowa.us

Luther marks Kwanzaa with celebration

DECORAH - The Luther College annual Kwanzaa Festival will be held Saturday at 4 p.m. in the Dahl Centennial Peace Dining Room. The festival is open to the public.

Tickets are $12 for adults, $5 for students (with a board plan), $5 for children 6 to 12 years old and children 5 and under are free. Tickets are available at the Luther College Box Office Monday through Friday from 9 to 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with extended hours on Thursday until 7 p.m. or by phone at (563) 387-1357.

The festival is sponsored by the Luther College Diversity Center and organized by the Black Student Union and Beta Theta Omega. This year's theme is “Principles and Practices of Kwanzaa: Repairing and Renewing the World” and will honor Lawrence Williams, a Luther professor of Africana studies and history, who will retire at the end of the spring semester. The celebration will honor and recognize to his part in starting the Africana studies department at Luther College and his contributions and support of black activities in the school.

A Kwanzaa chapel service will be held today at 10:30 a.m., in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall on the Luther College campus. The service is open to the public with no charge for admission. This year's celebration will include a range of events, including a performance by the Luther College Gospel Choir, directed by Brendon Adams, a poem by Sharei Green, drumming by Dickson Kwatampora and Blessing Yakubu, a song by Andrew Peterson, a solo saxophone performance by Adam Ragheb and a piano solo by Aida Dominguez.

Kwanzaa is a seven-day African-American and Pan-African holiday celebrated by millions throughout the world from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1. It is an ancient and living cultural tradition that reaffirms the dignity of each person, the well-being of family and community, the integrity of the environment, and the meaning and value of a people's culture.

It's a very merry Tuba Christmas in I.C., C.R

In Cedar Rapids, the annual Merry TubaChristmas concert will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Westdale Mall, 2600 Edgewood Rd. SW, by JCPenney's. Tuba, sousaphone, baritone and euphonium players of all ages and skill levels are invited to participate.

There will be a rehearsal at 10 a.m. Saturday. Musicians are encouraged to dress for the occasion and decorate their horn accordingly. Merry TubaChristmas is holiday musical tradition marked in more than 180 cities in the United States and the world.

For more information call Jim Engelbach at (319) 377-2389 or visit www.crtubachristmas.com

In Iowa City, the annual Holiday Tubas concert on the steps of the Old Capitol will be at 12:30 p.m. today, regardless of weather. Tuba, sousaphone, baritone and euphonium players of all ages and skill levels are invited to participate. Bring and unwrapped toy to donate to Toys for Tots.

Meet Santa at Kernels stadium Saturday

CEDAR RAPIDS - Enjoy free hot chocolate, coffee and cookies while you meet Santa Claus in the Kernels Bimm Ridder Diamond Shop, located in Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium, on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Bimm Ridder Diamond Shop is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday through Dec. 23 and Christmas Eve from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Enjoy free hot chocolate; coffee and cookies.

The Bimm Ridder Diamond Shop is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday through Dec. 23 and Christmas Eve from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Santa's visit delayed because of winter storm

NEWHALL - Because of Wednesday's winter storm, the Newhall Lions Club has rescheduled Santa's visit for 5 to 7 p.m. Dec. 16 at the pavilion.