Ryan ChartrandBundle up in your scarves and mittens and make your hot cocoa, because the holiday season is here. Look no further than the Cal Poly campus for a little holiday spirit. The December event line up will help add merry to your Christmas season.
1. Poinsettia Sale
Cal Poly’s annual poinsettia sale runs until the end of the quarter. It features over 2,500 plants. Students of the Poinsettia Agricultural Enterprise Project started growing the plants in spring and sell them for the holidays at the Poly Plant Shop. They are also available at the Campus Markets. We have some really fun unique varieties that can’t be found in stores – we have oranges and pinks as well as the classic reds and whites everybody enjoys,” said environmental horticulture senior Lisa Segler. Prices range from $6 to $60 and sizes range from 4-inch pots to poinsettias as tall as four feet.
The plant shop will be open every day except Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Poly Plant Shop open house is Dec. 5. They’re showcasing holiday plants and other Cal Poly products like honey to support the Ag department,” Segler said.
2. A Modern Gospel Christmas
House of Prayer Church is hosting their 11th annual Christmas Gospel concert. The concert will feature House of Prayer’s gospel choir and a six-piece band.
It’s like no other event that is happening on the Central Coast in that we mix gospel songs and some Christmas songs and fuse it together in a way that is not really seen here in this area too often,” said Kevin Gridiron, music director for House of Prayer Church. Expect a hand clapping, foot stomping good time.”
The event will be held at the Christopher Cohan Performing Arts Center Friday, Dec. 5 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25.
3. Cal Poly Choirs’ Christmas Celebration
The Cal Poly Choirs will be performing their annual Christmas Celebration Dec. 6. The University Singers, PolyPhonics and The Early Music Ensemble will be accompanied by the Cal Poly Brass Ensemble. A Capella group Take It SLO and Cal Poly’s Barbershop Quartets will also perform.
Cal Poly composer Meredith Brammeier will debut a new song A Christmas Lullaby” performed by the PolyPhonics.
The show is Saturday, Dec. 6 at 8 p.m. in Harmon Hall of the Christopher Cohan Performing Arts Center. Student tickets are $10 and general are $17 and $20.
4. ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’
Ballet Theatre San Luis Obispo will be presenting their performance of ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’ Dec. 6-7.
This is the fifth year that we are doing the production. It is a full length holiday production; it includes ‘Winter Concerto’ and ‘Le Patineurs,’ which is a ballet within a ballet and ‘The 12 days of Christmas.’ It is all told through dance,” said Blair London assistant director of Ballet Theatre San Luis Obispo.
The performance will feature 70 dancers all from the San Luis Obispo area. Their ages range from 4 to 84, London said.
It has ballet, ballroom dance, swing dance it has comedy it has touching moments, it has everything,” London said. It will get you in the holiday mood quickly and get you into the holiday spirit.”
Performances will be held at Spanos Theatre Saturday, Dec. 6 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 7 at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $18- $33.
5. The Joyous Sounds of Christmas
The Vocal Arts Ensemble will be performing ‘The Joyous Sounds of Christmas’ Sunday, Dec. 7 at 3 p.m. at the Christopher Cohan Performing Arts Center. The choir will sing traditional carols as well as Christmas songs from around the world.
6. The Nutcracker
The Civic Ballet of San Luis Obispo will be presenting ‘The Nutcracker’ at the Christopher Cohan Performing Arts Center. The ballet has been performed in San Luis Obispo for over 30 years. The performances are Saturday, Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tickets range from $25 to $41.
7. Forbes Pipe Organ Holiday Concert and Sing-Along
The Vocal Arts Ensemble, Central Coast Children’s Choir and University organist Paul Woodring will perform at the second annual event. The concert is interactive and all audience members are invited to participate. People actually have the opportunity to stand up and sing along to carols and tunes they are familiar with and kind of help celebrate the holiday season,” said Melody Klemin of the Performing Arts Center. From experiencing last year it really is a remarkable feeling and sound when you are sitting there singing along with roughly a thousand other people to Christmas carols there is just something heart warming about it.”
The performance will be held Sunday, Dec. 21 at 3 p.m. at the Christopher Cohan Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $12 and proceeds will benefit the Performing Arts Center’s Youth Outreach program and the two community choirs participating.