Maryland couples looking for a special date night or moms’ night out can enjoy a live concert, sip and paint night, a holiday open house, live performance and more.
Check out our top picks for events worth hiring a babysitter in December below.
1 Thursday
Straight White Men
Select days Dec. 1-18. Three brothers and their father gather for Christmas to drink eggnog, play video games and wrestle. But when one brother seems to buckle under the pressures of achievement, it becomes clear that these men are wrestling with something larger than each other. $20-69. Check website for times. Studio Theatre, Washington, D.C. 202-232-7267, studiotheatre.org
Special Holiday Sip and Print
Make a holiday card. Light hors d’oeuvres provided. BYOB. $45. 6:30pm. Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, Annapolis. 410-263-5544, marylandhall.org
Peter White’s Christmas
Peter White returns to Annapolis with Rick Braun and Euge Groove for his annual performance. Jazzy versions of seasonal classics. $49.50. 6:30 and 9:30pm. Rams Head on Stage, Annapolis. 410-268-4545, ramsheadonstage.com
2 Friday
Bellwether Dry Goods Open House and Quilt Sale
Dec. 2-4. Shop selection of over 100 handmade quilts. Light refreshments. Free. 10am-4pm. Bellwether Farm, Lothian. 410-867-0665, bellwetherdrygoods.com
Handel’s Messiah, Baltimore
Dec. 2 and 4. Handel’s beloved and revered “Messiah,” performed by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. $35-99. Fri., 7:30pm; Sun., 3pm. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, Baltimore. bsomusic.org
3 Saturday
Handel’s Messiah, Annapolis
Dec. 3-4. The USNA Glee Club combines with the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra and soloists from the Metropolitan Opera Company to present selections from Handel’s “Messiah.” $21-36. Sat., 8pm; Sun., 3pm. U.S. Naval Academy Main Chapel, Annapolis. usna.edu/Music
Merry Motown
Champagne, hors d’oeuvres and Motown hits from the band NightLife. Proceeds from ticket sales to benefit local charities. $100. 8pm-midnight. Blackwall Hitch, Annapolis. 410-263-3454, theblackwallhitch.com/annapolis/blackwall-bash
4 Sunday
Christmas in the Barn
Abisso Hall will be transformed into a holiday bazaar with vendors, food, music, wine tasting, shopping and more. Free. Noon-4pm. Linganore Winecellars, Mt. Airy. 301-831-5889, linganorewines.com
Holiday Open House
Walk through the restored 1738 historic site decorated for the holidays. Free. 1-5pm.
Belmont Manor & Historic Park, Elkridge. belmontmanormd.com.
Motown & More: A Holiday Celebration
Vocalists Gene McBride, Vic Frierson, Karen Linette, Deborah Poole-Williams and Micah Smith come together to recreate classics and develop new musical arrangements. $35. Doors open at 6:30pm; show starts at 7:30pm. Rams Head on Stage, Annapolis. 410-268-4545, ramsheadonstage.com
5 Monday
King Lear
As age begins to overtake King Lear, he decides to divide his kingdom amongst his children. Misjudging his children’s loyalty and finding himself alone in the wilderness, he is left to confront the mistakes of a life that has brought him to this point. $15, members; $20. 7pm. Folger Shakespear Library, Washington D.C. 202-544-7077, folger.edu
6 Tuesday
Holiday Tours
Dec. 6-31. Tues.-Sat. 11am-4pm. Tour mansion rooms decorated by local garden clubs. $1-4. Montpelier Mansion, Laurel. 301-377-7817, history.pgparks.com/sites_and_museums/Montpelier_Mansion.htm
The Stoop’s Die Hard Holiday Show
Cocktails and live music, stoop stories and screening of “Die Hard.” $20. 7pm. The Senator Theatre, Baltimore. Stoopstorytelling.com
9 Friday
Camelot
Dec. 9-Jan. 22. The legend of King Arthur and his young bride Guinevere tells the story of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table. The breaking of the spell of Camelot reveals the complexity and the struggle when ideal meet reality. $38; $33, students; $23, children. Check website for times. Compass Rose Theatre, Annapolis. 410-980-6662, compassrosetheater.org/shows
10 Saturday
Santa Speedo Run
This annual run through downtown Annapolis ends with live music and a party at O’Briens. Participate or cheer on the runner. Bring an unwrapped children’s toy or book to donate. Register to run/walk. $25. 10:30am. City Dock, Annapolis. Santaspeedorunannapolis.com
Holiday Teas at Montpelier Mansion
Dec. 10-11. See Montpelier decorated for the holidays, then enjoy prix fixe menu of foods and loose-leaf teas. Reservations required by Dec. 7.$25-29. Noon and 3pm. Montpelier Mansion, Laurel. 301-377-7817, history.pgparks.com/sites_and_museums/Montpelier_Mansion.htm
Pints & Panic
Enjoy Heavy Seas beer while visiting 20 vendors at the brewery for holiday gift shopping. $5 pre-registration includes a souvenir pint glass and ticket for your first beer. Noon-4pm. Heavy Seas Beer, Halethorpe. hsbeer.com/happenings#calendar
Candlelit Caroling Celebration
Live music, treats, wine bar and more. $20. 6-9pm. Adkins Arboretum, Ridgely. 410-634-2847, adkinsarboretum.org
The Second City’s Twist Your Dickens
Dec. 9-31. Tues., Wed., Thurs., and Fri. The Second City parodies Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol for an interactive experience. $39-49. 7pm. The Kennedy Center, Washington D.C. 202-467-4600, kennedy-center.org/calendar/event/TRTSN
11 Sunday
A Candlelit Christmas
Dec. 11-22, select days. Features Christmas classics, sing-alongs, a candlelight processional and combination of brass, organ, percussion and a 200-voice Washington Chorus. $18-72. Times vary. The Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C. kennedy-center.org
Click next below for more events Dec. 12-31
