Lafayette’s Town Hall Theater’s presents Miracle on 34th Street through Dec. 28th. Contact the Town Hall Theatre Company Box Office for exact dates and times. 925-283-1557, www.thtc.org.

Moraga resident and world class flutist Carol Alban has organized a benefit concert for Christopher Rodriguez (pictured) who was hit by a stray bullet while attending a piano lesson in Oakland earlier this year and was left paralyzed. The concert will feature performances by Grammy-nominated pianist Matt Herskowitz, Bay Area Chamber Symphony Flutists Carol Alban and Nancy Tyler, Ann Licater (Native American and World Flutes), Paradiso (Didjeridoo) and Jazz vocalist Alvenson Moore. These musicians all performed together recently at a benefit concert at Carnegie Hall in New York. Also appearing will be famed bass player and Orinda resident Marc Levine, 11 year old singing sensation Gabi Wilson, Jazz vocalist Natasha Miller and other special surprise guest artists! Saturday, December 27th at 8:00pm- Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave., Oakland, Tickets at door. $10-$20 suggested donation.
www.myspace.com/benefitconcertinfo Free parking. All ages. Info: 510.542.7517
(If you miss it, Matt Herskowitz and Carol Alban will also be performing at the Orinda House on Sunday, Dec. 28th from 6-8pm)
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The Committee for Lectures, Art and Music at Saint Mary's College welcomes Steve Turre, the man widely considered this generation's finest trombonist, on Wednesday, January 14th. The performance takes place in the college's Soda Activity Center; curtain time is 8:00 p.m. A member of the Saturday Night Live Band since 1984, Turre teaches at the Juilliard School and maintains a full schedule of international touring. Turre has developed a signature sound and style; a powerful technician with a soulful tone and quick wit, Turre is perhaps the leading trombonist of this generation. A graduate of Acalanes High School in Lafayette, CA, Turre often returns to the Bay Area to visit family, conduct classes for middle and high school students and to perform before devoted fans in the local jazz scene. Tickets: $25 general; $20 seniors (65+); $12 Saint Mary's College faculty, staff and non-SMC students; $2 SMC students. For more information or to purchase tickets, please call 925.631.4381 or visit at www.stmarys-ca.edu (click on "Arts").

Joan Yao, a well known Chinese Brush Painter, calligrapher, and teacher, is currently having a small show at the Moraga Library through the end of December. She will have a rather extensive show at the Orinda Library Gallery in January. At that show, she will show more than 30 pieces of her recent work. Some of the pieces measure more than 4'x5'. Joan will offer a reception at the Orinda Gallery on January 4, Sunday form 3-5PM. At that time her long time teacher Ms. D. V. Xiao (granddaughter of the world renowned brush painting master Chang Dai-Chien) will be there. The public is invited to the reception and to view the exhibit.
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Illuminated Sculpture opens January 11 and runs through February 22 at the Bedford Gallery, Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek. The exhibit will showcase sculptures using a variety of forms of illumination including gases, incandescent light and emerging mediums like laser, plasma, fiber optics and light-emitting diodes (LED). Captured inert gases (e.g. neon, argon, helium) can yield a wide range of colors from vivid purple to sky blue to intense yellow. Bedford Gallery Curator Carrie Lederer says, “Engineered and constructed by masters of the medium, the artworks are captivating, mysterious, and enchanting. This exhibition is sure to bring delight and intrigue to our visiting community—both young and old.” Opening Reception: Sunday, Jan 11, 3-5 pm. Meet this innovative group of light artists, enjoy wine and hors d'ouevres Free for LCA members, Friends of the Bedford. General admission $5.
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The Moraga Art Gallery presents "Celebrate"– through January 4th. The Gallery is doubly featuring the work of 2 artists: Terri Durkovic, a jewelry designer following a life-long passion for creating wearable art. She is constantly collecting semi precious stones, pearls, shells, wood beads and precious metals to include in her designs. Natalia Udaltsova is a painter and artist who loves life and people, and this is reflected in her paintings. Moraga Art Gallery, 570 Center St,. Rheem Valley Shopping Center/ next to Longs Drugs Moraga. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 12-5 pm, 925.376.5407.
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"Objects of Affection," the new show at the Lafayette Gallery, 50 Lafayette Circle, opens on January 13th and runs through March 7th, 2009. A festive public reception will be on Feb 6, 2009, from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. The show coincides with Valentine’s Day celebrations. The viewer is treated to multiple canvases offering a fine art gift for your object of affection. For this special show, gallery artists create 12"x12" canvases with their personal interpretation of affection in all its many guises. Gallery Hours: 11–5 pm Tue. – Sat. 50 Lafayette Circle, 925-284-2788.

Tiny Tots Winter Camp - (4‑8 Yrs) Lafayette Community Center
Let it snow ... kids will be warm and cozy and kept busy with winter crafts, fun games, and cooking projects! Please bring a lunch and we will cook our own snack. Mon & Tues: 12/29-12/30 9am‑1pm $70 + $2
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Spanish Winter Camp: Dec 29-30. Holiday art, games and fun taught in Spanish! The Spanish Immersion Winter Day Camps are designed to give children a unique opportunity to learn or improve their Spanish language skills Ages 4+. Maximum of 16 students per session. Viva el Espanol! Spanish Language Center, 3451 Golden Gate Way
Lafayette. 925-962-9177.
www.LamorindaSpanish.com
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Sunday Family Hike- Sunday, Dec. 28 “Redwood to Cosmos” 9am - 11am: (8 years & up) “Little Tike Family Hike” 1:30pm - 2:30pm: (5 years & up. Hike the redwood-laced trails near Chabot to hidden, historic sites. Experience the ecosystem walking through the beautiful, shady paths of the Redwood Regional Park, led by a naturalist from the East Bay Regional Park District. Tickets are $5 plus General Admission to Chabot Space & Science Center. To register, call the Chabot Box Office at 510.336.7373 Be prepared for uneven surfaces and trails. Closed toe shoes recommended. Dress in layers for weather: hat, sunscreen, walking shoes, water container. Walk will be outside, rain or shine. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Green Rheem film night- “The Future of Food” January 8th, 6pm wine and appetizers and at 7pm the movie starts. The movie offers an in-depth investigation behind the unlabeled, patented, and genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade. Green Rheem is organized by Generation Green, Sustainable Moraga, Sustainable Lafayette, and Parents for a Safer Environment. Rheem Theater, 350 Park Street, Moraga (Rheem Shopping Center) Pre order Tickets for $14: www.sustainablelafayette.net/events/green-rheem.html or purchase at ticket office for $17.
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The commonwealth Club of California presents: Problems with Progress: A Historical Perspective on the Presidency. Thursday, January 15 at the Veterans Memorial Hall, 3780 Mount Diablo Blvd in Lafayette (6:00 p.m. reception, 6:30 p.m. program.) As the nation prepares to inaugurate the first African-American president, Americans wonder if our country can truly become colorblind. How will Obama’s victory shape American history? How far have we come as a result of this past election, and how much farther do we still need to go? Join a quintessential American historian as he unveils the pitfalls and triumphs this election has delivered upon the American psyche. Co Organizer: The California Historical Society. Tickets are $12 for members, $18 for non-members, $7 for students. For tickets, visit
commonwealthclub.org or call (415) 597-6705.
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A community celebration to mark the historic inauguration of Barack Obama, the first African-American U.S. President, will be held Jan. 20th 7:30 to 10:30 am, Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek. The event, which will include a live TV feed of the inauguration ceremony in the Hofmann Theatre, will be from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. The event is free but seating is limited and registration is required. To register, go online to http://www.walnut-creek.com/.

Orinda author Sally Small will discuss and sign copies of her new novel Two Sloughs. Thursday, January 15 at 4pm. Orinda Book, 276 Village Square, Orinda. 925-254-7606
www.orindabooks.com
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The Orinda Woman’s Club is currently welcoming applications for major beneficiaries of the funds of next year’s Festival of Trees Event held in November each year. Applicants must conform to specfic guidelines and the organization must benefit families, women and/or children. Demonstrate that the funds go directly to hands- on care. For details and to obtain an application form, please contact Adeline McClatchie, 925 254 1162
adeline@mcclatchie.com
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FREE Electronic Waste (E-Waste) Recycling Events in Contra Costa County (866) 335-3373 http://www.NoEwaste.com/ Saturday, January 3rd from 9am – 1pm Diablo Valley College, Overflow Parking Lot 7. 321 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill.