• The Tamaqua Community Art Center will be a busy place during Tamaqua's Upcoming Spirit of Christmas Festival. The festival will be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Activities will include a meet and greet with Santa on Friday; performances of "The Rented Christmas" by members of the Tamaqua Area Community Theatre on Friday and Saturday; and an artist open house and vendor fair on Saturday and Sunday. For more information, call 570-668-1192.

• St. John's Lutheran Church, South Avenue, is currently planning for the eighth annual nativity display. The display will be open to the public Saturday and Sunday, from noon until 5 p.m. Members of the church willing to display their nativities may bring them to the church Thursday and Friday, from 3 to 7 p.m. each day. Items on display are made of wood, tin, glass, ceramic and cloth, along with the traditional crèche.• Lehighton Area Lioness Lions club's annual Breakfast with Santa being held at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Lehighton Recreation Center. The Blue Mountain Health System will also hold a basket raffle in conjunction with the raffle. All attendees must purchase a ticket. For tickets or more information, please call Betty at 610-379-4284 or Alicia at 570-325-8685.• Palmerton is gearing up for another spectacular Christmas in the Park. This is the event's third year. Food, crafts, choirs singing, and a horse-drawn wagon are all part of the activities leading up to the tree lighting at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. Rain date is Sunday.• The Jim Thorpe Area Chamber of Commerce's Olde Time Christmas in Josiah White Park will be held Dec. 4, 5, 6, 12 and 13.• The Nesquehoning Lions Club is holding its annual Christmas tree lighting event at 6 p.m. Saturday at St. Patrick's Cemetery. Join in the lighting of the tree and to sing Christmas carols. The ceremony is dedicated to service men and women who never made it home for the holidays. Meeds Church invites participants to light refreshments afterward. For information, call 570-669-9919.• Heritage Hill Senior Community, 800 Sixth St., Weatherly, will host a holiday open house from 1-4 p.m. Sunday. Experience "Christmas Magic" at the community and visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus and live reindeer. Sing and dance along to sounds of the holiday season and enjoy some hot cocoa, cookies and candy canes. Be sure to bring your camera. This event is free and open to the public; however, space is limited. RSVP by calling Rachael Kapes at 570-427-4500.• Summit Hill The borough's Christmas Tree Lighting program, conducted by the Summit Hill Recreation Commission, will be held at 6 p.m. Sunday.• Freedom Community Church invites children and their parents to a free community Christmas party at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Lehighton Annex Building auditorium, 110 N. Third St., Lehighton. Free backpacks with toys and essentials will be given out to the first 70 children who attend. Cookies, crafts, games and hot chocolate will be available. For more information contact the Rev. Mark Akers at 610-714-9834 or visit

www.freedomchurchpa.org.Submit event information at

tneditor@tnonline.com.