NEORocks! and WJCU 88.7 FM is teaming up with 48 Hour Virtual Music Fest to present its annual holiday concert. Kicking off on the evening of Dec. 18 via Facebook Live, this two-day concert features performances from 48 local artists such as Ray Flanagan, Michael McFarland and Angelle Sheridan. Along with lifting up people’s spirits at home and giving musicians a chance to perform, the event benefits the Hunger Network. Donation based, Dec. 18-20, 8:45 p.m., facebook.com/events
Apollo’s Fire: Christmas Sugarloaf on Mountain
Enjoy a winter concert like no other during Apollo’s Fire virtual performance of Christmas On Sugarloaf Mountain: An Irish-Appalachian Celebration. The orchestra utilizes instruments such as fiddles, medieval harps, bagpipes along with a singing choir to tell the story of settlers from Ireland coming to America. As part of its virtual video concert program, this never-before-released performance from 2018 features detailed close-ups and high-quality sound production that helps bring the singers and instrumentalists into your home. Available for virtual viewing beginning Dec. 18. $10-$18, available Dec. 18-30, 216-320-0012, apollosfire.org
CLE Market at Crocker Park
Along with all the other festive activities happening throughout Crocker Park such as a photo-op with Santa and his sleigh or nightly light shows through Dec. 31, a special pop-up market showcases more than 100 local businesses. Find last-minute holidays gifts from local makers and artisans such as clothing from Love By Liza, sauces from The Blonde Italian and much more. The market runs Thursdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. until Dec. 20 and then daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Through Dec. 29, 172 Crocker Park Blvd., Westlake, 440-835-9343, crockerpark.com/clemarket
Cleveland Ballet’s The Little Nutcracker
Experience the historic ballet that perfectly captures the Christmas season through this special performance by the Cleveland Ballet. The Little Nutcracker has been making stops around different local venues throughout the month of December and this weekend it’s hitting up the Great Lakes Science Center on Friday and Saturday for two live performances each night. Choreographed by the Cleveland Ballet’s artistic director, Gladisa Guadalupe, this classic tale gets a fresh adaptation that you won’t want to miss. $75-$650, Dec. 18 & 19, 6 & 8 p.m., 601 Erieside Ave., Cleveland, 216-694-2000, greatscience.com
Happy For The Holidays at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History
For science lovers, the best holiday gift is learning something new about the natural world. Come and check out the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s newest permanent exhibit titled, Current Science, in which the museum’s curators create an ever-changing display of the buzz going on in today’s science world. The new permanent exhibit opens this weekend alongside a series of other festive on-going events such as a chance for kids to write Christmas letters to the museum’s new dinosaur mascot, Happy The Helper or a special presentation at the planetarium all about space blizzards and ice phenomenons in space. $14-$17, through Dec. 31, 1 Wade Oval Drive, Cleveland, 216-231-4600, cmnh.org
