Painting event taking place in park

Visit the Abe Martin Lodge in Brown County State Park on Wednesday, Dec. 4 from 5 to 8 p.m. and learn to paint a holiday picture.

Social hour begins at 5 p.m., followed by painting from 6 to 8 p.m. Soda, beer, wine and cocktails will be sold.

The cost is $50 per person and includes supplies, hors d’oeuvres and one drink.

Reservations are required by Tuesday, Dec. 3. Call 812-988-4418 for more information or to sign up.

Holiday event scheduled at local winery

Nashville Wine Club members are invited to Country Heritage Winery, 225 S. Van Buren St., for a Wine Club Pickup event on Wednesday, Dec. 4 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. There will be wine, food, music and more.

Members are encouraged to wear a sweater for an ugly Christmas sweater contest and bring a gift for a white elephant gift exchange.

For more information, call 812-988-8500.

Benefit auction for children set for Dec. 6

Out of the Ordinary, 61 S. Van Buren St. will host the 41st annual Children’s Christmas Benefit Auction on Friday, Dec. 6 at 6 p.m.

All proceeds from the auction ensure that Brown County families in need have a new item of clothing for Christmas.

For more information, call 812-778-9730.

Local inn hosting special holiday dinners

STORY — The Story Inn, 6404 State Road 135 South, will host Victorian candlelight holiday dinners on Fridays and Saturdays, Dec. 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 from 5 to 9 p.m.

Guests can enjoy the special dining experience in a dining room illuminated exclusively by candles and oil lamps. Inn staff will be dressed in authentic Victorian garb and traditional Christmas music will be played from the piano.

For more information, call 812-988-2273 or visit storyinn.com.

Live Christmas show set at Playhouse

All through December, the annual holiday show “Believe: The Magic of Christmas” will be at the Brown County Playhouse, 70 S. Van Buren St. The family-friendly production features singing, dancing, special effects lighting and more. Dates include:

• Fridays, Dec. 6, 13 and 20 at 7:30 p.m.
• Saturdays, Dec. 7, 14 and 21 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.
• Sundays, Dec. 8, 15 and 22 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $21.50 for adults and free for children 10 and younger. Beer, wine, champagne, mixed drinks and concessions are sold in the auditorium.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit browncountyplayhouse.org.

Santa Claus is coming to town on a train

MORGANTOWN/HELMSBURG — The Indiana Rail Road Company will operate the 30th annual Santa Train the weekend of Friday, Dec. 6.

The train will arrive at the Morgantown fire station at 6:30 p.m. Friday and depart at 8 p.m. The train will arrive in Helmsburg near the Jackson Township fire station at 8:45 p.m. and depart at 10 p.m. At each stop, children and their families are invited to board the stationary train and visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

The Helmsburg General Store, 2268 W. Main St. in Helmsburg, will be open late for the Santa Train. Food and hot drinks will be available.

For more information, visit facebook.com/IndianaRailRoad.

Art and craft sale happening this weekend

Willow Manor, 72 Willow St., will host a holiday art and craft sale on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Senior residents bring their lifelong experience, varied artistic talents and unique vision to this event, including goods such as paints, paper, fabric, beads, rocks, wood, handspun wool, soap, roof slates, upcycled clothing and vintage window screens.

Free, convenient parking is available.

Home tour returns for second year

The Christmas Log and Country Home tour is returning for its second year on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Five homes and one church will be open for the tour, which raises money for the Brown County Historical Society.

Tickets are $15 and available at the Brown County Visitors Center, 211 S. Van Buren St., or the Brown County History Center, 90 E. Gould St.

Call 812-988-2899 for more information on how to get tickets.

Shop at gallery during open house

All are welcome to a holiday open house at Trilogy Gallery, 120 E. Main St. on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Trilogy offers an array of unique gifts made by independent artisans from all over the United States. Refreshments, special savings and gift ideas will be offered.

For more information call 812-988-4030.

Holiday wine market set at gallery

The Brown County Art Gallery, 1 Artist Drive, will host the third annual Uplands Winter Wine Market on Saturday, Dec. 7 from noon to 5 p.m.

Visitors can taste wines from across the Indiana Uplands, sample specialty foods from local artisans, and shop for Indiana wines, wine accessories and more.

Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door and include tastings from nine wineries, a complimentary glass and a donation to the gallery foundation. A tasting accompaniment plate can be purchased for an additional $5.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit indianauplands.com/event/uplands-winter-wine-market-2019.

Shop for antiques at holiday open house

Brown County Antique Mall, 3288 State Road 46 East, will host a holiday open house on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The mall’s three buildings will be filled with special sales, refreshments, giveaways, photo-ops, music and more.

For more information, call 812-988-1025.

Santa returns to annual breakfast

Brown County Inn, 51 State Road 46 East, will host Breakfast with Santa on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 7 and 8 from 8:30 to 11 a.m.

Patrons can enjoy the inn’s breakfast buffet, hot chocolate bar and visit with Santa.

Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 812-988-2291.

Kids can stuff stockings downtown

Children of all ages are invited to follow a map to more than 25 local businesses through the Village of Nashville on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Kids can collect treats, ornaments, toys and more to stuff their Christmas stockings.

Only 300 tickets are sold for this event. Ticketholders will receive a commemorative Christmas stocking.

For more information, call 812-988-4882 or visit browncountygives.org.

Annual run scheduled at state park

Run the 20th annual Reindeer Romp on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 1 p.m. beginning and ending at the Brown County State Park Nature Center.

All are welcome to participate in the 8K run or 5K run/walk. Race-day registration is $25 per person.

Register at the YMCA or online at signmeup.com/132271.

For more information, call 812-988-9622.

Holiday Cafe celebration set at library

Join the Brown County Public Library, 205 Locust Lane, on Sunday, Dec. 8 from 1 to 5 p.m. for an afternoon of holiday cheer at a Holiday Cafe.

Hot chocolate and cookies will be served. Julia Bentley, associate professor of music, and students from IU Jacobs School of Music will sing a special 100th birthday tribute to the library. Music will begin at 2 p.m.

Call the library at 812-988-2850 for more information.

Steele’s Country Christmas returns to site

BELMONT — T.C. Steele State Historic Site, 4220 T.C. Steele Road, will host Steele’s Country Christmas on Sunday, Dec. 8 from 1 to 4 p.m.

The event will feature cookies, mulled cider, crafts and holiday music. Visitors can tour T.C. Steele’s home all decked out for the holidays, as well as see Steele’s original artwork in his Large Studio.

St. Nicholas and Belsnickel will be on site from 1 to 3 p.m. to take photos with visitors. The Little Studio will have a “scherenschnitte” — intricate paper cutting — demonstration by visiting artist Dale Cochran and a display of his hand-cut paper Christmas cards from 1 to 4 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased at the Singing Winds Visitor Center at the historic site. Tickets are $2 for members, $10 for non-member adults, $8 for non-member seniors (ages 60+) and $5 for non-member children (ages 3 to 17).

For more information visit tcsteele.org or call 812-988-2785.

Annual Christmas concert set in December

The Brown County Community Band will perform its annual Christmas concert on Sunday, Dec. 8 at 2:30 p.m. at the Brown County High School auditorium, 235 Schoolhouse Lane. The concert is the band’s annual gift to the community and is free to the public.

Refreshments will follow the concert and guests can expect a visit from Santa.

For more information, contact Bill Schnackel at 765-490-0789 or [email protected].

Make holiday cocktails at distillery

Join Hard Truth Hills, 418 Old State Road 46, for a two-hour interactive experience with cocktails, trivia, gingerbread decoration, gift-wrapping races and a white elephant gift exchange on Dec. 12, 13, 18, 19 and 20.

For $35, each guest will learn how to make four holiday-themed cocktails while keeping warm with two cocktail samples, two full drinks and a buffet of holiday snacks.

To participate in the white elephant gift exchange, guests are asked to bring a silly, inexpensive — $5 or less — gift.

Mixology classes are for guests 21 and older. Reservations are required. Guests must bring valid I.D. and the credit card on the reservation to check in for the event.

To make a reservation as a gift, contact the tours and tastings center at 812-720-4840‬.

Audubon Society hosting event at state park

All are welcome to take part in the Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 8 a.m. at the Brown County State Park Nature Center.

This is the world’s largest citizen science project. Join birders and explore the park’s natural areas, trails, lakes and shores to estimate the numbers and kinds of birds spending holidays in Brown County.

Lunch will be at the Abe Martin Lodge as lists are tallied and submitted to the Audubon Society.

Beginner birders are welcome; bring binoculars.

For more information, call the park at 812-988-5420.

Eat breakfast with Santa in the park

The Abe Martin Lodge in the Brown County State Park will host a breakfast with Santa on Sunday, Dec. 15 from 9 to 11 a.m.

Adult meals are $13.99; they’re $6.99 for kids ages 4 to 10. Reservations are recommended. A $7 entry fee per car will be charged at the park gate.

For more information call 812-988-4418.

Craft show to benefit feeding program

Creekside Retreat, 2450 State Road 46 East, will host the Holiday Arts and Craft show on Saturday, Dec. 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The show will feature local artisans. A portion of the proceeds will go toward the purchase of food for the Brown County Weekend Backpacks program, which sends local children home with backpacks of food for the weekend. Food donations also may be dropped off at Creekside beginning Sunday, Dec. 1 to Dec. 14.

For more information, call 812-200-3157.

Local church to host Christmas choir, service

SPEARSVILLE — The Adult Choir and the Youth Choir of Unity Baptist Church, 7361 Spearsville Road, will join together to celebrate the birth of Jesus through song on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 9:30 a.m.

This will be an extended part of the regular Sunday worship service. Sunday School for all ages will follow.

Unity Baptist will host a Christmas Eve service on Tuesday, Dec. 24 at 7 p.m. The service will feature singing Christmas songs, scripture readings, special music and candle lighting.

Holiday open house to feature many artists

YELLOWWOOD — Artists Monique Cagle, Rosey Bolte, Dixie Ferrer, Amy Greely and Michele Pollock will join together on Saturday, Dec. 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a holiday open house at Sleepy Cat Studio, 4687 Yellowwood Road.

Visitors will be able to view and purchase an array of unique, handcrafted fine arts.

For more information, visit sleepycatstudio.com.

Winter hike series beginning at state park

Meet at Strahl Lake in Brown County State Park on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 11 a.m. for the first hike of the park’s Winter Hike Series.

Hikers will visit Kelp Village, a small village once existing in the boundaries of the park. The hike is approximately 1 1/2 miles on easy terrain. Participants need to dress for the weather and “bring their archaeologist’s eye” as they explore the area in search of ruins.

For more information, call 812-988-5240.

Santa Claus to visit Hard Truth Hills

Visit with Santa on Saturday, Dec. 21 from 2 to 8 p.m. at Hard Truth Hills, 418 Old State Road 46. No reservations are required. For more information, visit hardtruthhills.com.

Comedy show set at Story Inn

STORY — Story Inn, 6404 State Road 135 South, will host comedians David Brooks, Patrick Murray and Peter Hienz for a holiday comedy show on Saturday, Dec. 28 from 8 to 11 p.m.

Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are $15 for online presale or $20 at the door.

Call 812-988-2273 or email [email protected] to reserve a space.

This event is sponsored by Eight One Two Hop Farms.

New Year’s Eve festivities scheduled

New Year’s Eve party plans are developing in Brown County:

• Hard Truth Hills — New Year’s Lumberjack Bash, 9 p.m. to midnight, $10-$35. Tickets and information: hardtruthhills.com.
• The Seasons Lodge — Dan Kirk Band, rock-n-roll music, 9 p.m. to midnight, dinner buffet from 5 to 9 p.m., $24.95.
• The 19th Hole — New Year’s Eve Bash, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., serving food until 11 p.m., drink specials, party favors and more.