Modesto holiday tradition adds special extras this year at Gallo Center. See what
Get the Eat. Sip. Play. newsletter in your inbox
Available now: Sign up here for the best food, drink and entertainment coverage in Stanislaus County.
Central West Ballet has added some special treats to its annual “Nutcracker” production for its Saturday matinée performance at the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto. There’s even more holiday cheer to be enjoyed in the region Dec. 20-26.
‘Nutcracker’ extras
The final performances of Central West Ballet’s holiday tradition “The Nutcracker” — following Clara’s adventure to the Land of the Sugar Plum Fairy — are this weekend at the Gallo Center. The 2 p.m. Dec. 20 matinée performance comes with special offerings: a Sugar Plum Fairy Brunch and a Nutcracker Market.
Tickets for the extras, which do not include the performance, are available on the Central West Ballet website, listed below, and are $40-$50 for the brunch and market only; $70-$80, for the brunch, market and a post-performance event on stage with the cast, including snowfall and Sugar Plum Fairy goodie bags for children.
Tickets for the performance, $33-$79, are available at www.galloarts.org.
WHEN: 2 p.m. Dec. 20
WHERE: Gallo Center for the Arts, 1000 I St., Modesto
TICKETS: $40-$80
ONLINE: www.centralwestballet.org
Time for Three Christmas
Time for Three brings a holiday concert to the Gallo Center, with its soulful sound. The program includes beloved classics and the trio’s originals. Highlights include a bossa nova-inspired take on “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” an adaption of Bach’s Chaconne for solo violin, a funk-infused “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and more.
WHEN: 5 p.m. Dec. 21
WHERE: Gallo Center for the Arts, 1000 I St., Modesto
TICKETS: $45-$75
ONLINE: www.galloarts.org
Candlelight tours
The McHenry Mansion in downtown Modesto brings back its popular Candlelight Tours for the holiday season. The historic building will be decorated for a Victorian-era Christmas for the two-evening event.
WHEN: Tours begin at 5:30 p.m., with the last entrance at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20-21
WHERE: McHenry Mansion, 906 15th St., Modesto
TICKETS: $10, $5 age 10 and under
CALL: 209-577-5235
Miners Christmas
Columbia State Historic Park continues its holiday offerings with two days of a Miners Christmas, a demonstration of what Christmas in a Gold Rush town may have looked like in the 1850s. Listen to Christmas stories from miners, taste chestnuts roasted over an open fire and make old-fashioned crafts. Historic buildings of Columbia will be adorned in old-fashioned decorations. Father Christmas arrives by stage at 12:30 p.m.
WHEN: Noon-3 p.m. Dec. 20-21
WHERE: Main Street, Columbia
ADMISSION: Free
ONLINE: friendsofcolumbiashp.com
Holiday lights bus tour
The city of Escalon offers the sixth annual eTrans Holiday Tour D’Lights. The one-hour excursion will visit spots with festive holiday lights in the city. There will be music and hot beverages provided on board the buses and at the Escalon Community Center. The service can accommodate only 40 passengers each day, so it will be first come, first served.
WHEN: Departs 6 p.m. Dec. 19-20
WHERE: Escalon Community Center, 1055 Escalon Ave.
ADMISSION: Free
CALL: 209-541-6645