Don't Miss It!

The Purdue Christmas Show is marking 81 years of being one of the biggest, liveliest invitations around to join in the spirit of the holidays. December festivities at Purdue also involve tubas, gingerbread and Holidays Around the World. There's plenty to share in and plenty to celebrate. Don't Miss It!

This installment of Don't Miss It! provides information through winter break. The next installment is to appear Jan. 12, the opening day of spring semester.

DECEMBER 1-7

Sports week. In basketball, the first week of December is ACC/Big Ten challenge time in basketball, and both Purdue teams play at home -- the men against NC State at 9 p.m. Tuesday and the women against Florida State at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The men also play North Florida at 2 p.m. Sunday. In wrestling, SIU-Edwardsville comes calling at 1 p.m. Saturday. $. Purdue Athletics

BCC Cultural Arts Festival

DECEMBER 2 and 4

Chamber Music Recitals from Purdue Bands & Orchestras bring a special blend of precision and grace to stage. Both at 7 p.m. Details

DECEMBER 5

The BCC Cultural Arts Festival will grow from the Black Cultural Center's semester focus on -- and research tour into -- the cultural mix that is Trinidad and Tobago. The theme is "Unmasking Blackness Through Rhythm, Culture and Celebration." 7 p.m. $. Details

DECEMBER 6

The two orchestras of Purdue Bands & Orchestras will present the imaginative "Symphonie Fantastique" by Hector Berlioz plus works by Samuel Barber, Richard Strauss, Johannes Brahms and Jean Sibelius. A very strong starting five. 8 p.m. Details

DECEMBER 6-7

The 81st annual Purdue Christmas Show from PMO. What can we say? Generations have loved this. Let it show, let it show, let it show. Four performances. $. Details

DECEMBER 8-14

Sports week. Hoops are hot in the last week of classes before a letup during most of final exams.
* Men's basketball hosts IPFW at 7 p.m. Monday, then Arkansas State at 7 p.m. Wednesday. $. Men's basketball
* Women's basketball will aim to clip the wings of the Kansas Jayhawks at 7 p.m. Thursday. $. Women's basketball

DECEMBER 8-19

The Rueff Galleries in Pao Hall will feature a juried exhibition of works in various media by Indiana and Illinois high schoolers, plus a trio of MFA theatre students will show their talents. Details

DECEMBER 8-22

Tuba Christmas

Holidays at the Union will bring the traditions so many love, including the tree, gingerbread house, Holidays Around the World and Breakfast with Santa.
* Dec. 8: Christmas tree arrives at PMU about 12:30 p.m. Gingerbread house complete or nearly complete.
* Dec. 9: Tree lighting ceremony at 11 a.m. Great Hall.
* Dec. 9-10: Live holiday music. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Great Hall.
* Dec. 10: Holidays Around the World. Food, music, crafts, etc., associated with holidays from many cultures and traditions. 4-7 p.m. North Ballroom.
* Dec. 13: Breakfast with Santa indeed offers breakfast at a small cost, but it also offers a free visit with Santa (photos allowed), holiday crafts and story time. Talk about eyes all aglow. 8-10:30 a.m. Great Hall.

DECEMBER 12

Holiday Cheer and All That Jazz, plus Tuba Christmas heralds the season with a complementary tandem of delightful musical approaches. Tuba tunes at 7 p.m.; Purdue Jazz Bands’ annual holiday concert, featuring many cultures and nationalities, at 8 p.m. STEW, Loeb Playhouse. Details

DECEMBER 12-13

"Winter Dance Works" will feature Purdue student performances of choreographic creations by faculty members in the Division of Dance. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. matinee Saturday. $. Details

DECEMBER 13

The Klezmatics will bring several klezmers-ful of energy and exuberance to the playing of a fine musical tradition in "Happy Joyous Hanukkah." 8 p.m. STEW, Loeb Playhouse. $. Details

The Klezmatics

DECEMBER 15 to JANUARY 11

Sports outlook. Frankly, this is an excellent time to be basketball-crazy. Most of the culture and entertainment folks will be taking a well-deserved, well, maybe they get to slow down a bit.
* Women's basketball is host for a pre-holiday World Vision Classic on Dec. 19-21. Wright State, Denver and UC Irvine will visit Mackey Arena for this round-robin, each team playing on each of the three days. After that, the women will get back to action with home games against Big Ten opponents on Jan. 1 and Jan. 4. $. Women's schedule
* Men's basketball plays Notre Dame on Dec. 20 in the Crossroads Classic doubleheader in Indianapolis; Butler vs. Indiana leads off at 2:30, then the Boilermakers and Irish get after it at 5:15 p.m. $. Crossroads Classic -- The men then have four home games during break, and mini-plan tickets plus four tough opponents make these games very appealing. $. Men's schedule | Mini-plan information
* Jan. 9-10. As the transition to a new semester comes, swimming and diving will host Michigan State (free), and indoor track and field will stage the Gene Edmonds Cup ($). Purdue Athletics

A PEEK AHEAD

JANUARY 12-17

The 25th anniversary Purdue Jazz Festival will celebrate big with some world-class guest artists. $ for some shows. Details

JANUARY 19

This is the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, and events surrounding the occasion will be announced.

JANUARY 16-31

Purdue Convocations says "Let's get busy" right away and warm up the winter. First there's Chris Potter on Jan. 16 in conjunction with the Jazz Festival. Then, brace yourself: "Disney's Beauty and the Beast" on Jan. 20; ETHEL's Documerica, part of this year's "If/Then: Decoding Our Future" Purdue series, on Jan. 24; and a remarkable local collaboration of theatre, "3 Stories High," set for Jan. 28 to Feb. 1. Details

These and other events, plus other timely information, are listed in the Purdue Today calendars under "Events" at www.purdue.edu/newsroom/purduetoday.