With the December 21 event designed to inspire holiday cheer and nostalgia through the crooning of classics including "O Tannenbaum" and "Stille Nacht," guests of Davenport's German American Heritage Center are invited to join the fun of the German Holiday Sing-Along, a celebration of beloved compositions presented in the final "Kaffee und Kuchen" program of 2025.

A group of dedicated student dancers will bring their talents to Galesburg's Orpheum Theatre on December 19 and 20 when Monmouth, Illinois' Dancer's Studio presents two performances of The Nutcracker, the timeless holiday ballet by composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Closing 2025, and opening 2026, with an arresting and enthralling collection of surreal paintings and sculpture, Rock Island's Quad City Arts Center will house the Boone & Zahn exhibition from December 12 through January 30, treating gallery attendees to a series of remarkable works by the Chicago area's Berthold Boone and Moline's David Zahn.

For the Davenport's final new exhibition of 2025, the Figge Art Museum will be taking an up-close-and-personal look at some of its most arresting in-house works in A Surreal Lens: Photography from the Figge Collection, a celebration of the medium on display in the Lewis Gallery from dacember 20 through June 21.

Lauded for such top-10 Billboard smashes as The Ugly Organ and Happy Hollow, and hailed by Medium for their "innovative sound that blends angular melodies with often searingly emotional lyrics," the Nebraska-based indie rockers of Cursive headline a special December 21 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, their live performances inspiring Spectrum Culture to rave, "At a Cursive show, there is no weak material."

A dazzling tribute show that blends the biggest hits from every era with the joy and sparkle of the holiday season, the yuletide stage spectacular Christmas in Taylorville lands at Davenport's Capitol Theatre on December 19, delivering breathtaking visuals, special effects, and holiday surprises that bring the season to life for families, die-hard Taylor Swift fans, and music lovers of all ages.

Returning to Moline with four performances of three spectacular presentations, the live, multi-sensory musical experience known as the Candlelight Concerts series enjoys its latest Quad Cities engagements at the city's First Congregational Church, the December 19 and 20 events boasting Christmas Special featuring "The Nutcracker" and More on Friday at 6:30 p.m., Tribute to Adele on Friday at 8:30 p.m., and Christmas Classics on Saturday and 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.

A thrilling seasonal performance that blends the beauty of traditional carols with high-octane rock anthems, cinematic classical re-imaginings, and heartwarming favorites, the Blue Violin Candlelight Christmas Extravaganza comes to the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts on December 23, delivering a one-of-a-kind holiday concert experience that's bigger, brighter, and bolder than ever before.

Going to the cineplex or staying in and streaming this weekend? Every Thursday morning at 8:15 a.m. you can listen to Mike Schulz dish on recent movie releases & talk smack about Hollywood celebs on Planet 93.9 FM with the fabulous Dave & Darren in the Morning team of Dave Levora and Darren Pitra. The morning crew previews upcoming releases, too. Or you can check the Reader Web site and listen to their latest conversation by the warm glow of your electronic device. Never miss a pithy comment from these three scintillating pundits again

Thursday, December 4: After a week off, a lightning-round discussion of Wicked: For Good, Rental Family, Train Dreams, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, Sentimental Value, Eternity, and Zootopia, and previews of Five Nights at Freddy's 2, Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, Hamnet, Merrily We Roll Along, and Fackham Hall ... the latter, because lof the FCC, a title the boys pronounce ve-e-e-ery carefully.

 

A two-evening celebration of the Swedish tradition based on the legend of Saint Lucia, Queen of Light, the 2025 Lucia Nights Festival in Bishop Hill will, on December 12 and 13, deliver a seasonal treat featuring live music, a barn dance, a chili supper, a tree-lighting ceremony, carriage rides, and much more.

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