Take a Shopping Break & Enjoy the Weather

We’re down to the wire and hopefully you have all your Christmas shopping wrapped up. Take a break from fighting crowds in the malls or credit card fraud at Target and enjoy the warm temperatures this last weekend before Christmas.

Shoppers wait in line while shopping at Toys R Us in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Ultimate Guide for Good (Photo: Coexist Campaign)

Coexist Gift Guide for Good

If you aren’t done shopping, here’s a last-minute suggestion. Coexist Campaign has created an Ultimate Guide for Good — gift ideas that give back to those in need. The guide includes more than 30 holiday gift ideas for her, him, host, baby and more. Two local organizations in the guide include Coexist Campaign, located in Georgetown, which is selling coffee and T-shirts., and Hand In Hand Soaps, which is located in Alexandria. Each $13.95 bag of coffee provides a week of education to a child in an area of conflict, while every $25 T-shirt provides two weeks, and each $22 bar of sustainably-sourced and natural soap donates one bar to a child in need.

A Candlelight Christmas

2012 Candlelight Christmas (Photo: Strathmore)

With the splendor of brass, organ, percussion and the 200-voice Washington Chorus, A Candlelight Chrismas is a beloved holiday event features Christmas classics, sing-alongs, and the magic of the candlelight processional. The Washington Chorus continues its long tradition of supporting and supplementing the music programs of area high schools by welcoming the Robinson Singers under the direction of Michael Horanski from the James R. Robinson >Secondary School in Fairfax.

Dec. 22 at 5 p.m., 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. respectively at The Kennedy Center Concert Hall, 2700 F St. NW, and Dec. 23 at the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available here and cost $15-$70.

The Lion, the Unicorn and Me

“The Lion, the Unicorn and Me” at the WNO features from left, Norman Garrett as the Elk, Ian McEuen as the Hippo, Lisa Williamson as the Flamingo, Soloman Howard as the Lion, Deborah Nansteel as the Cat, Patrick O’Halloran as the Stagehand and Wei Wu as the Lizard. (Photo: Scott Suchman)

Most everyone knows the story of the Nativity, but probably not from the donkey’s point of view! As the world’s first Christmas nears, an angel is conducting an important interview: who among all the animals can lead Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem? Will it be Lion, fearsome ruler of the jungle? Or might it be Unicorn, graceful steed to lovely maidens? It’s certainly not Donkey, whose only humble gift is a small but sturdy back. In the Washington National Opera’sThe Lion, the Unicorn and Me with the birth of a very special king on the horizon, and one bright star blazing the way to a crowded inn, Donkey soon discovers that miracles can happen anywhere — even right in front of his nose. Washington National Opera Artistic Director Francesca Zambello brings this award-winning children’s book to vibrant life in this heartwarming, world premiere holiday family opera.

Dec. 22 at 2 p.m. at the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are $49-$64.

A Christmas Carol

Edward Gero as Ebenezer Scrooge and James Konicek as the Ghost of Jacob Marley in the Ford’s Theatre 2013 production of “A Christmas Carol.” (Photo: Scott Suchman)

Ford’s Theatre has delighted Washington audiences with A Christmas Carol for more than 30 seasons. Join the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future as they lead the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge on a journey of transformation and redemption. Originally conceived by Michael Baron, this music-infused production captures the magic and joy of Dickens’s Yuletide classic. Acclaimed Washington stage actor Edward Gero returns to play Scrooge.

Now through Jan. 1, 2014, at Ford’s Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on weeknights and 2 and 7:30 p.m. on weekends. Tickets are available at here from $63.85-$103.70.

Christmas with the Consort

The Washington Bach Consort’s Christmas performance (Photo: Washington Bach Consort)

For the holiday season, enjoy music for harp, percussion and the angelic voices of the Washington Bach Consort at Christmas at the Consort as they celebrate the 100th anniversary of Benjamin Britten’s birth and present for the first time a colorful Christmas cantata by American composer John La Montaine.

Dec. 22 at 3 p.m. at National Presbyterian Church, 4101 Nebraska Ave. NW. Tickets are $23-$65 only at the door beginning at 1:45 p.m.

Washington Symphonic Brass

The Washington Symphonic Brass (Photo: National Philharmonic)

Join the Washington Symphonic Brass for its annual performance at Strathmore. Some of the East Coast’s finest brass and percussion players will surround you with the sounds of the holiday from all parts of this great Concert Hall.

Dec. 22 at 4 p.m. at the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets cost $28-$50. Children 17 and under are free at the door.

Mount Vernon by Candlelight

Christmas at Mount Vernon. (Photo: Mount Vernon)

Experience Washington’s most festive holiday event — Mount Vernon by Candlelight! Meet people from George Washington’s world including Martha Washington and Nelly Custis as you tour the mansion in the evening. The popular seasonal tradition includes music, dancing, holiday treats, and a chance to meet Aladdin the Christmas Camel. An expert Mount Vernon guide will walk you along candlelit lanes, sharing the history of Christmases past as you approach Washington’s beloved home. After the mansion tour, guests are invited to partake in 18th-century dancing in the greenhouse and enjoy the crisp evening air near an outdoor bonfire, complete with caroling, cookies and cider.

Through Dec. 22 from 5-8 p.m. at Mount Vernon Estate, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon. Tickets are $22 for adults and $15 for children 11 and under.

The Washington Ballet’s The Nutcracker

Students of The Washington School of Ballet in Septime Webre’s The Nutcracker. (Photo: Stephen Baranovics)

For years, generations of Washingtonians have grown up loving — and introducing loved ones to — The Washington Ballet’s The Nutcracker. This one-of-a-kind Nutcracker, set in 1882 Georgetown, stars George Washington as the heroic Nutcracker, King George III as the villainous Rat King, Anacostia Indians, frontiersmen and many other all-American delights. Set to the iconic music of Pytor Ilych Tchaikovsky, the vibrant performance features scenic designs by Peter Horne, costume designs by Judanna Lynn and lighting design by Tony Tucci. Discover, rediscover and celebrate this all-American Nutcracker production. A holiday must-see!

Now through Dec. 29 at the Warner Theatre, 513 13th St. NW. Tickets $42-$143 are available here.