Regional events include sports card show, CoComelon Live, CraftForms art, plenty more – Reading Eagle
The following events are planned for the upcoming week throughout the region:
• The Philly Sports Card and Memorabilia Show will be held Friday through Sunday at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, Oaks. The show is the nation’s longest-running sports memorabilia show, established in 1975. It features over 200 dealer booths encompassing all areas of sports collectibles, both vintage era and modern day. More than 20 professional athletes, including Phillies, Eagles and Flyers players, as well as celebrities will be on hand for autograph signings and personal photo opportunities and meet-and-greets. Hours are 3 to 8 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. General admission tickets cost $10 Friday, $15 Saturday and $10 Sunday, or $30 for a weekend pass. Friday sneak peek admission, starting at 1 p.m., costs $25. Children under 12 are admitted free with a paid adult. For more information, see phillyshow.com.
• CoComelon Live! JJ’s Journey comes to Santander Arena, Reading, on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Inspired by “CoComelon,” the most-watched entertainment brand on YouTube, this Broadway-style musical production encourages audiences to get out of their seats and sing and dance along as JJ and his family are putting on a show where JJ is writing his own song and he needs a little help. In the end, JJ learns that by using his imagination, he can create, solve problems and can have wonderful adventures, proving that with a little help from your family and friends, you can make your dreams come true. Tickets start at $32 at santander-arena.com.
• The KU Presents! performing artists series at Kutztown University presents Danu: An Emerald Isle Christmas on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in Schaeffer Auditorium on campus. The show offers a taste of the centuries-old celebrations of music and dance throughout the holiday season across Ireland. Hailing from historic County Waterford, Danú is one of the leading traditional Irish ensembles of today, well-known for a vibrant mix of virtuosity, energy and empathy featuring high-energy performances that mix ancient Irish music and new repertoire. Tickets are $38, $32 for seniors and students. For more information, see kupresents.org.
• Valley Forge Dance Theatre will present its 42nd annual “Nutcracker Ballet” on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Colonial Theatre, Phoenixville. The family-friendly edition runs one hour with no intermission. Santa will be in the lobby for a meet-and-greet and pictures prior to the show, from 6 to 7 p.m. Tickets are $17 at thecolonialtheatre.com or at the door.
• After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the region’s most famous hometown Christmas parade returns to downtown West Chester on Friday at 7 p.m. Ranked by USA Today as one of the best places to experience the arrival of Santa, this year’s West Chester Christmas Parade will feature Saint Nick with his own treehouse complete with a 20-foot zip line, and 18-foot span antlers on Rudolph. Visitors will delight in floats with local flair and performances by almost a dozen regional high school and college marching bands, cheer squads and dance teams. Other participants include extreme jump rope artists and world-class BMX riders. West Chester’s holiday tree will be lit just before the parade at 6:30 p.m. on the steps of the Historic Chester County Courthouse, with performances by the West Chester University Gospel Choir and West Chester Area School District Elementary Honors Choir. The parade begins on Market Street at New Street, where it heads east toward Matlack Street and completes its one-mile loop heading west on Gay Street through the heart of West Chester’s historic district. For more information, visit www.gwcc.org.
• The Valley Forge Beer and Cider Fest will be held Saturday from 2:30 to 6 p.m. at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, Oaks. The event includes samples from local, national and international beer and cider makers, an ugly sweater contest, a meet-and-greet with Santa and food trucks. General admission tickets are $50 in advance or $60 at the door. Upgrades are also availalble, and designated driver tickets cost $15. For more information, see valleyforgebeerfest.com.
• The documentary “Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon” will be shown Monday through Wednesday in select theaters. This film is the untold story of how “The Man in Black” saw the light. It focuses on a critical period in the country music legend’s life and career when he went from singing hymns in the cotton fields to playing sold-out stadiums. At the mountaintop professionally, a cycle of depression and drug addiction left Cash in the lowest valley personally. Featuring never-before-heard conversations with the Man in Black himself, the documentary follows Cash’s road to redemption and return to his faith, as country music stars Marty Stuart, Wynonna Judd, Tim McGraw and many others share their insights into the life and legacy of the artist, man and friend. For participating theaters, show times, tickets and more information, see fathomevents.com.
• CraftForms 2022, the 27th International Juried Exhibition of Contemporary Fine Craft, opens Friday and runs through Jan. 21 at the Wayne Art Center. The exhibit showcases works in basketry, ceramics, decorative fiber, furniture, glass, jewelry, metal, mixed media, paper, wearable art and wood. A preview party is scheduled for Friday from 7 to 10 p.m., and a juror’s lecture and meet-the-artist reception is Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Also on view will be “Attraction to Abstraction 2022,” a CraftForms companion show of large abstract paintings by WAC adult students and community members. Admission is free. For more information, see www.craftforms.org.
• The GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Reading, presents its Handcrafted Holiday Market on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. This one day pop-up shop is centered around artists and makers selling high-quality handmade gifts for the holiday season. The event will have a pay what you can admission fee. There will also be hands-on holiday workshops in various art forms, live demonstrations, holiday-themed interactives like handmade wreath-making and Christmas ornaments, kids programs and family activities, live music, holiday-themed films and a pop-up restaurant by Catering by DoubleTree. Holiday films will be shown in the GoggleWorks Film Theatre. For more information, see goggleworks.org.
• The Oley Valley Community Library Holiday House Tour will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Spend the day enjoying the architecture, arts and antiques in a celebration of the rich history of the Oley Valley. Tour booklets cost $20 in advance at oleyvalleylibrary.com or $25 the day of the event at the library, Evelyn & Harriet’s and New Spirit/Old Soul.
• The Historic Pottstown Annual Holiday Tours offered by Pottstown GoFourth! will be held on Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Online tickets are available at www.pottstowngofourth.com/tickets. Tickets will be exchanged for the official tour map between 12:30 and 3 p.m. on the day of the tour only at St. James Lutheran Church, 1101 E. High St., Pottstown (back entrance). A shuttle service will be provided to those interested, courtesy of Tompkins VIST Bank and Pottstown Area Rapid Transit. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 day of tour at St. James.
• Dickens Festival, a free family event in which Narberth is transformed into 1840s London, as Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim and all the characters from “A Christmas Carol” roam the streets, will be held Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. There will be horse-drawn carriage rides, holiday crafts, carolers, period vendors and food, dancers, musicians, ballet performances, puppet shows, magicians, puppeteers and a free Dickens-themed scavenger hunt for children. For more information, see narberthonline.com.
• The Reading Choral will be joined by a 19-piece orchestra and the Boyertown High School Select Choir for Handel’s Messiah on Sunday at 4 p.m. at Boyertown High School. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for students at readingchoral.org.
• St. John’s Lutheran Church, Phoenixville, presents Mainstreet Brass in concert Sunday at 4 p.m. Mainstreet Brass’s Christmas concerts have become popular traditions. This holiday program includes performances of the nostalgic music behind those classic animated television shows for kids and families, a look back at the Christmas music that echoed in the great halls of Elizabethan England and inspiring arrangements of some of the best loved carols. There is no admission charge, but a free-will offering will be received to help support St. John’s Concert Series.
• The annual Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest Holiday Show, Mindi Abair’s “I Can’t Wait for Christmas” Tour, comes to the Miller Center for the Arts at Reading Area Community College on Saturday at 7 p.m. The show will feature the influential, multi-genre saxophonist/singer-songwriter celebrating the season with special guests Vincent Ingala, Lindsey Webster and Adam Hawley. Inspired by the TV holiday specials she grew up with, Abair has selected the three artists to bring “that classic little-bit-of-everything vibe to create a memorable show,” she said. Tickets are $59 at www.millercenter.racc.edu.
• The Southern California-based Christian rock band Switchfoot is bringing its first ever holiday tour to the Santander Performing Arts Center, Reading, on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. The show will feature popular Christmas classics along with a set of the band’s greatest hits. Formed in 1996, their alternative rock/pop blend and insightful, Christian-inflected lyrics have catapulted the band to the top of the charts and earned them a place among top rock acts of the early millennium. Tickets start at $39 at santander-arena.com.
• Building a Better Boyertown’s annual holiday event, Chillin’ on Main, is set for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors of all ages can enjoy an enchanting stroll down Philadelphia Avenue and stop by some of the festively decorated shops to find that perfect gift. For additional shopping opportunities, visit one of the many craft and gift vendors lining the avenue. Local businesses and non-profits will be offering a variety of games, crafts and activities for children and their families, and there will be a petting zoo. Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive at 11 a.m. to pose for photographs. Blitzen’s Holiday Bar will offer holiday drinks for those 21 and older. Chillin’ on Main is free to attend. Some activities may incur a fee. For more information, see boyertownpa.org.