SPOTLIGHT:  2013 BARDSTOWN ROAD AGLOW
On Saturday, Dec. 7 from dusk until 10 p.m., people from all walks of life will come together to celebrate Bardstown Road Aglow’s 28 years in the Highlands. Each year, the Highland Commerce Guild “elves” encourage boutiques, eateries and businesses along Bardstown Road, Baxter Avenue, Barret Avenue and Douglass Loop to stay open late on the first Saturday in December and offer holiday merriment with live entertainment, food, drink and discounts. This year’s title sponsor, Four Roses Bourbon, will host the 4th Annual Holiday Cocktail Contest in area restaurants and bars. Two trolleys with holiday musicians will offer free rides, and there will be a decorating contest for every kind of business, from car garage to eatery to doctor’s office. The 3rd Annual Lighting of the Holiday Tree takes place at 5:45 p.m. on the corner of Bardstown Road and Grinstead Drive. Santa and his elves will cycle from the tree-lighting to Bearno’s, arriving in time for the Park Community Credit Union Winter Wonderland at 6 p.m. All Santa picture proceeds will benefit Gilda’s Club of Louisville, and $5 will be donated for every official Aglow T-shirt purchase. For more information, visit www.bardstownroadaglow.com or call (502) 721-8636. (Highlands)

 


SUNDAY, DEC. 1
CHRISTMAS AT THE GALT HOUSE HOTEL
140 N. Fourth St., 10 a.m.-8 p.m., $14.99-$48.95 (children ages 12 and under Free for many events). Holiday spirit is in full force at the Galt House Hotel, from the larger-than-life KaLightoscope luminaries to the Snow Fairy and her castle in the Christmas Village to the Candy Cane Forest with 100 animated characters, a talking tree and the Peppermint Express train ride! The event, which runs through Jan. 1, features restored figures from old department store holiday windows, a new green screen game for guests, and the Colors of the Season Holiday Dinner Show. For details and tickets, visit www.christmasatthegalthouse.com or call (502) 589-5200. (Downtown)


TUESDAY, DEC. 3
CLOTH DIAPERS 101
Rainbow Blossom, 3046 Bardstown Road, 10:30 a.m.-Noon, Free. Interested in cloth diapering but overwhelmed by the amount of information out there? Learn about the different systems of cloth diapering. For more information, visit www.rainbowblossom.com or call (502) 498-2470. (Highlands)

TEEN MINDFULNESS YOGA
Rainbow Blossom, 3046 Bardstown Road, Dec. 3 and 10, 4:15 p.m.-5:45 p.m., $6 per class/$10 for two people.  Instructor Sarajean (SJ) Zocklein will show teens how to practice yoga and meditation, and ways to slow down during the week and rest better at night; she will also discuss healthy methods to manage stress and navigate conflict. Zocklein is a Louisville native who has returned after three years mentoring teens and young adults at Yale University. Participants should wear loose clothing and bring a mat. For more information, visit www.rainbowblossom.com or call (502) 498-2470. (Highlands)


WEDNESDAY, DEC. 4
DINING OUT FOR LIFE
Dine at one of the Dining Out for Life participating restaurants on Dec. 4 and a generous portion of your bill (25 percent or more) will be donated to House of Ruth, whose mission is to provide housing and social services to those with or affected by HIV/AIDS. If you can’t join Dining Out for Life but would like to support local individuals living with HIV/AIDS, you can donate via the House of Ruth website. Donors will be entered in a drawing for a seven-night stay in an oceanfront Puerto Vallarta condo, including round-trip air fare from Louisville. For a full list of restaurants, visit www.houseofruth.net. For more information, contact Katrina Hutchins at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (502) 587-5080. (Various)

LOUISVILLE DULCIMER SOCIETY
Locust Grove, 561 Blankenbaker Lane, 1 p.m., $5 ($3 for Friends of Historic Locust Grove). This annual concert by the Louisville Dulcimer Society will help kick off the holiday season. Arrive early to get a good seat! For more information, visit www.locustgrove.org. (Blankenbaker)

BILL FRISELL’S BIG SUR QUINTET
Clifton Center, 2117 Payne St., 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m., $24-$32. Considered by many to be the greatest guitarist in jazz, Bill Frisell will perform with his all-star quintet a suite of works commissioned by the Monterey Jazz Festival. Frisell’s work has kept him at the forefront with a hybrid style and folk-like vernacular drawing on country, hymns, jazz and blues. For tickets, visit www.cliftoncenter.org or Carmichael’s Bookstore, 2720 Frankfort Ave. (Clifton)


THURSDAY, DEC. 5
HCM EASTERN STAR HOLIDAY BAZAAR
Highland United Methodist Church, 1140 Cherokee Road, 4 p.m.-7 p.m., Free.  The Highlands Community Ministries Eastern Star Holiday Bazaar will feature multiple vendors including Stella & Dot, Thirty-One Gifts, Lil Bee Designs, Scentsy, and Origami Owl.  Gift basket raffles will include a Spa Basket and a Night-On-The-Town Basket, and a silent auction will include classroom artwork. The event will benefit the HCM Eastern Star Computers for Kids Campaign. For more information, visit www.hcmlouisville.org. (Highlands)

MARTINIS AND MISTLETOE
Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, 715 W. Main St., 5 p.m.-8 p.m., $20, (Free for KMAC museum members). Join in the fun at this festive annual event sponsored by Finlandia Vodka.  Shop for the holidays at the KMAC Boutique, enjoy special music, give-aways, martinis and hors d’oeuvres.  For more information, visit www.kmacmuseum.org or call (502) 589-0102. (Downtown)

MELODY WALKER AND JACOB GROOPMAN
Clifton Center, 2117 Payne St., 7:30 p.m., $10.  Walker and Groopman make music that brings together folk and pop, old time music and Southern rock, with undertones of samba and Afrobeat. Their first album, “Gold Rush Goddess,” was included on many critics’ lists of the best Americana recordings of 2012. Information and ticket sales at, www.cliftoncenter.org, or Carmichael’s Bookstore, 2720 Frankfort Ave., (502) 896-6950. (Clifton)


FRIDAY, DEC. 6
FIRST FRIDAY TROLLEY HOP
Downtown Art Zone, Main and Market streets between Campbell and 10th, and along Fourth Street between Main and Broadway, 5 p.m.-11 p.m., Free. The Republic Bank First Friday Trolley Hop takes place on the first Friday of each month, rain or shine. The hop is free and open to the public; trolleys may be boarded at any stop along the route. Most galleries close around 9 p.m., but restaurants, clubs and shops stay open later.  For more information, visit www.firstfridaytrolleyhop.com. (Downtown)

AUTHORS WHO WRITE FOR TEENS
Carmichael’s Bookstore, 2720 Frankfort Ave., 7 p.m., Free.  Katie McGarry, author of the popular “Pushing the Limits” and “Dare You To,” returns to sign “Crash Into You,” an explosive new tale. Aimee Carter is the author of the popular “Goddess Test” series for teens. Her new highly anticipated novel, “Pawn,” is the first in a new series called “The Blackcoat Rebellion.” Colette Ballard’s debut novel “Running on Empty,” is already receiving glowing reviews.  Julie Kagawa, the internationally bestselling author of the Iron Fey series, will be signing “The Iron Traitor,” her sixth full-length novel in the series.  For more information, visit www.carmichaelsbookstore.com. (Crescent Hill)

URINETOWN THE MUSICAL
Youth Performing Arts School, MainStage Theatre, 1517 S. Second St., Friday, Dec. 6, and Saturday, Dec. 7, 7:30 p.m., $9-$12 (senior and student discounts available).  A tale of greed, corruption, love and revolution: Urinetown is set in a time when water is worth its weight in gold. Citizens must pay to use the public amenities with prices set by one overreaching company (the Urine Good Company) until a young man decides he has had enough, and leads a revolution to give everyone the “freedom to pee.” Urinetown takes a satirical look at issues that affect us every day, using an outrageous perspective and modern wit. Appropriate for ages 10 and up. For more information, visit www.ypas.org. (Downtown)