HOLIDAY BALLET: The Ballet Center will perform The Nutcracker Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 7 at 2 p.m. at Mt. Hope High School. This holiday classic is a children’s production for children, directed by Garance Nienhuis.

The Nutcracker will be presented complete with a growing Christmas tree, snow, a Mother Ginger with Ginger Cookies who appear from under her skirt, dancing flowers, a beautiful pas de deux by the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier, and a Mouse King who rocks the house. This production has adapted the “battle scene” for children in order not to scare the young audience members, but to make them laugh at the silly mice, especially the Mouse King.

Ticket are available at the door. The cost is $15 for general admission. Doors open 30 minutes before curtain. Tickets can also be reserved by calling 254-2847.

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CHRISTMAS CONCERT: Linden Place Mansion, 500 Hope St., will usher in the holiday season with a benefit concert featuring Michael DiMucci Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. Wine and desserts will be served as guests are serenaded by DiMucci in the ballroom. Tickets are $17 per person and can be obtained by calling 253-0390.

This special weekend and Linden Place’s holiday season will be ushered in with a Friday evening fundraiser concert and sing-a-long by singer DiMucci in the Linden Place ballroom. Wine and desserts will be served as guests are serenaded by the ever popular Mr. DiMucci. Please consult our website at www.lindenplace.org for further details or call the office at (401) 253-0390.

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HOMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS HOUSE TOUR: Linden Place Mansion’s Home for the Holidays celebration will be held Dec. 13 and 14 from noon to 5 p.m. Linden Place Mansion and a wonderful array of private homes, decked out for the holidays, will be open for the public’s viewing pleasure. The mansion will be decorated in a “Christmas Wedding” theme by volunteers from the Bristol and Bayberry Garden Clubs and designers Alfred Brazil and Lori Sendroff of Alfred’s antiques.

Participants will enjoy a living wax museum Dec. 13 featuring Linden Place’s History Kids dressed in period costume. These ever popular History Kids will be stationed throughout the mansion to answer questions about the museum and furnishings. Sunday’s musical entertainment lineup from Mt. Hope High School includes choral and instrumental music groups. For a perfect ending to their visit, guests can stroll across the driveway where fireside refreshments await them in the historic ballroom.

The event continues with a stroll through historic downtown Bristol’s shops and on to private homes open for viewing, from a stately brick home to an elegant federal period sea captain’s mansion.

Tickets $25 in advance and $30 the weekend of the tour and can be purchased through the Linden Place office and Museum Store or by calling (401) 253-0390.

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ANNUAL HOOP SHOOT: The Bristol County Elks Lodge No. 1860 will hold the local round of competition for the 37th annual Elks’ Hoop Shoot, the national, free-throw shooting contest for youngsters aged 8 through 13, to be held at Kickemuit Middle School Dec. 6. The event will begin at 1 p.m. with registration starting at 12:30. There is no entry fee and it is open to residents from, Bristol, Barrington and Warren

Over three million youngsters from throughout the country entered last year’s competition for boys and girls in age categories 8-9, 10-11 and 12-13. Eligibility is determined by the age a child will be on April 1, 2009. Each contestant has 25 shoots at the hoop. The boy and girl in each age group with the best scores advance through four tiers of competition to qualify for the national finals. All competitors must compete at the same time as the others in their age group. The competition will start with the youngest group and follow with the older ages.

Bristol County winners will compete against other contestants in the district competition in Jan. 2009 in Newport. Winners will advance through four tiers of competition in hopes of reaching the national finals. Names of the national winners will be inscribed on the Elks’ National “Hoop Shoot” plaque on permanent display in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.

Bristol County Elks Lodge has been successful in sending competitors all the way to the National Finals in the past and has had one finalist finish third place in the nation. For information call the Elks Lodge at 253-9805.

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HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS: Coggeshall Farm Museum, 1 Colt Drive (off Poppasquash Point) will be open Dec. 6 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. as part of a statewide event to benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. Admission to each site participating will be non-perishable food donations that will go to the Food Bank to help families this holiday season. View the event poster at www.preserveri.org.

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INSPECTION OF TOWN’S SEWAGE COLLECTION SYSTEM: The Bristol Water Pollution Control Department will be cleaning and conducting camera inspection of the Town’s sewage collection system during the months of November, December and January. The work is being completed by Truax Corporation and is being coordinated with the assistance of BETA Group, Inc. There will be no anticipated interruptions in service or other inconvenience to the residents or the system.

The project is being mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency and cleaning of the sewer system will reduce the potential for back-ups and overflows. In general, information obtained during this effort will allow the Town to continue to serve the community with their wastewater disposal needs.

Questions regarding this project may be directed to Matt Calderiso, superintendent of the Bristol Water Pollution Control Department, (401) 253-8877.

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CHRISTMAS TREE SALE: The Audubon Society will hold its annual Christmas Tree Sale Dec. 6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Environmental Education Center, 1401 Hope St. Trees are all fresh, fragrant and premium or No. 1 grade Balsam or Canaan firs (similar to Fraser) grown in Rhode Island.

Members of the Audubon Society of Rhode Island receive a 20 percent discount on merchandise in the center’s Nature Shop during this event. For information, call (401) 245-7500.

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WINTER CONCERT SERIES: The Greater Tiverton Community Chorus will present a concert Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Michael’s Church, Hope Street. The concert is part of the chorus’ winter concert series entitled “Classics for Christmas,” featuring Mozart’s Mass in C Major (“Coronation Mass”) with orchestra and soloists. The soloists are Joanne Arnold, soprano; Barbara Youmans, mezzo soprano; Fred Scheff, tenor; and Vaughn Bryner, bass. The program also includes works by Praetorius, Bach, Brahms and Beethoven, as well as traditional carols.

Tickets are $12 at the door or free for anyone under age 18. The chorus is directed by Beth Armstrong of Bristol and accompanied by Waylon Whitley of Providence. For information, call (401) 253-7987 or (781) 400-5536, or visit www.gtcchorus.org.

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ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: The Bristol Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) will celebrate its 117th anniversary of the founding of the chapter Dec. 8 beginning at 1 p.m. at Rogers Free Library, 525 Hope St. The Bristol Chapter is the longest running DAR chapter in Rhode Island founded on Dec. 17, 1891 and serves all of Bristol County.

Joan Prescott, the library’s director will be the guest speaker and special guests for the day will include Barbara Weaver, RIDAR State Regent and Elizabeth Candas, past National DAR Vice Regent. Guests are welcome.

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FALL CONCERT SERIES: The Roger Williams University Dance Theater will present its fall concert series titled “In Concert,” Dec. 4, 5 and 6 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 6 and 7 at 2 p.m. at the University’s Performing Arts Center, One Old Ferry Rd.

Dance students will perform works by accomplished guest artists Kate Weare and Janice Lancaster and by RWU dance faculty members France Hunter, Gary Shore and Melody Ruffin Ward. Student pieces by dance majors Christina Robson and Sarah Poekert will also be performed.

Tickets are $10 each or $5 for students and seniors. Seating is limited. For tickets and information, call Therese Pasqual, (401) 254-3626.