TINSELTOWN, ‘NOT JUST’ ROCK EXPO COMING TO OAKS THIS WEEKEND

The following events are planned for the upcoming week throughout the region:

• Tinseltown returns to The Fairgrounds at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks starting Friday and continuing through Dec. 31. Tinseltown Holiday Spectacular presented by Dietz & Watson will once again offer an immersive event where guests can stroll through a winter wonderland of lights, check off their holiday shopping list, dine on festive treats and beverages, meet Santa Claus, and much more. Larger-than-life sculptures include a 60-foot light tunnel, glowing baubles, Santa’s sleigh, a walkthrough Liberty Bell and illuminations representing Philly sports teams.Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy two brand-new winter experiences: ice-skating and a two-lane ice slide. Mistletoe Marketplace will offer unique holiday gifts such as hand-crafted ornaments, custom artwork, wintertime clothing and decor. Tickets start at $19.99 for adults and $14.99 for children 5 to 13 at TinseltownHoliday. com. Admission is free for children 4 and under.

All ticket buyers will be required to select a designated arrival window when purchasing.

• The 36th Annual Thanksgiving “not just” Rock Expo — Record and CD Show 2022, the largest musical collectibles show east of the Mississippi, will be held Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Greater Philadelphia Expo

Center, Oaks. Dealers from all across the U.S., Canada and Europe are expected to participate, offering a large selection of new and used, rare, collectible and common records, CDs, DVDs, tapes, 45’s, 12″ singles, posters, T-shirts, books and memorabilia in all types of music. Admission is $5each day. Admission to the preshows Friday from 10:30 a.m. to noon and Saturday from 8:30 to 10 a.m. is $15 per day. For more information, see notjustrockexpo. com.

• Historic downtown West Chester transforms into a wonderland aglow with thousands of twinkling lights during Chester County Hospital Lights Up Holiday Weekends. dozens of immersive experiences. For more information, visit greaterwestchester. com.

• The Pennsylvania Philharmonic Big Band presents “Holiday Swing” on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at the Miller Center for the Arts at Reading Area Community College. They will be performing popular big band hits and holiday favorites like “White Christmas,” “Sleigh Ride” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” and swing era hits like “In the Mood,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” and Duke Ellington’s “Nutcracker.” Tickets are $35 at millercenter.racc. edu.

• The Santander Performing Arts Center, Reading, presents World Ballet Series: Nutcracker on Sunday at 6 p.m. and Lightwire Theater’s “A Very Eclectic Christmas” on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Nutcracker will be performed live by a multinational cast of 50 professional ballet dancers gathered to bring this most beloved holiday tradition to life. This family-friendly experience accompanied by Tchaikovsky’s timeless music features more than 150 hand-sewn costumes, hand-crafted sets and classic Marius Petipa choreography. “A Very Eclectic Christmas” follows the story of a young bird named Max and his family as they begin their journey south for the winter. When Max gets blown off course and ends up at the North Pole, his adventure begins. Dancing toy soldiers, caroling worms and performing poinsettias light up the stage in this tale of family, friendship and hope set to timeless holiday hits, including Nat King Cole, Mariah Carey and Tchaikovsky. Lightwire Theater is internationally recognized

for its electroluminescent artistry, poignant storytelling and performances in complete darkness. For tickets and more information, see santander-arena.com. • Historic Pennypacker Mills is hosting holiday tours through Jan. 8. Uncover the story behind Christmas of the past (1850), present (1910) and the future (1920) and how each timeframe coincided with former Pennsylvania Gov. Samuel Pennypacker’s life. See an 1850s Christmas when Samuel Pennypacker was a young boy and there were a few homemade ornaments on the Christmas tree. Along the way you’ll see a Noah’s Ark like the one son Bevan received as child and a note from young daughter Lida about what presents they were given. In 1910, Samuel Pennypacker became a grandfather with the birth of his only grandchild. The tree will be decorated with handmade and purchased ornaments, gold and red beads for shine, and presents under the tree. A putz scene tells the story of Christmas Eve. In the 1920’s, see how Christmas decorations changed with the use of electric lighting, telephones and the first radio broadcast. See printed gift wrap and tinsel garlands for the first time. Throughout the mansion Christmas is celebrated with decorations that reflect the influence of lady’s magazines, such as Lady’s Home Journal. A large centerpiece graces the dining room table along with a turkey, which was enjoyed every Christmas Day. Hours are 10a.m. to 4p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 1to 4 p.m. Sundays. Admission is free. For more information, see montcopa.org/pennypackermills.

• Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center presents “The Butterfingers Angel” through Dec. 23. Created by William Gibson (“The Miracle Worker”), one of America’s major dramatists, this touching, funny and highly imaginative retelling of the Nativity story is presented from a fresh and richly creative point of view. The action follows a freespirited Mary who had decided that men and marriage were not for her, a suddenly cautious Joseph, who contends that he is too old for his intended, and a flustered boy-angel who directs each scene from a prompt book and can only manage to get the most strangled, bleating sounds from his trumpet. Enhanced by a talking tree, sheep and a donkey, along with traditional Christmas music, this original theater piece is both secular and sacred. For more information, see uptownwestchester.org. • The Reading Railroad Heritage Museum, Hamburg, will present its holiday exhibit, “Nostalgic Christmas Trains,” starting this weekend. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 4p.m. Sundays. Vintage and modern model trains in six sizes will operate in a holiday setting. A special feature is a vintage collection of rare Plasticville buildings and accessories from the 1950s. It tells the history and development of Plasticville buildings and their popular use in model railroading and Christmas displays. Admission includes outdoor tours of the railyard led by experienced guides, weather permitting. Cost is $7for adults, $6 for seniors, $3 for ages 5to 12and free for children 4and younger. For more information, see www. readingrailroad.org.

The fun kicks off on Black Friday when the West Chester Borough Balladeer Carolers will roam downtown from 5 to 7 p.m. To celebrate Small Business Weekend in West Chester, Friday through Sunday, street-level metered parking will be free and retail stores will give away free, reusable shopping bags with any in-store purchase. Five of the bags will contain a ticket to redeem a $50 VISA gift card. Saturday’s activities include roaming carolers from noon to 2 p.m., as well as a free outdoor concert with The Uptown Singers! at 2 p.m. on the steps of the Historic Chester County Courthouse. That’s followed by Santa’s 3 p.m. cruise through the historic streets on a truck with First West Chester Fire Company. Visitors can also tour West Chester’s professional gingerbread house competition and vote for their favorites at six downtown venues. Presented by the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce, Chester County Hospital Lights Up Holiday Weekends in West Chester is a monthlong celebration featuring

The “not just” Rock Expo comes to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks this weekend.

Visitors walk among the light displays at Tinseltown, which opens Friday at The Fairgrounds at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks.

Visionary guitarist Julian Lage marks the arrival of his September album “View With a Room” with the “View with a Room in Concert” tour. The new record sees Lage fulfilling a longstanding goal to, as he’s put it, “have lush orchestration combined with an organic sense of improvisation and the agility of a small ensemble” by adjoining his core trio of Roeder and King with legendary guitarist Bill Frisell. Having previously collaborated in several different contexts, including duo concerts and projects devised by John Zorn, the two musicians homed in on a shorthand musical vocabulary rich with references spanning The Beach Boys, Keith Jarrett’s American and European Quartets and George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass.” All that led them to craft a subtle, eloquent weave that expertly manifests Lage’s enhanced vision in atmospheric and incisive ways throughout the new collection which he’s showcasing on this trek.