Hower House holiday
The University of Akron’s Hower House museum is all gussied up for the holidays.
The Second Empire Italianate mansion, long the home of the family and descendants of industrialist John Henry Hower, is decorated in the theme “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” It’s offering self-guided tours from noon to 3:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 29, except for Dec. 23 to 26.
The last tour of the day starts a half-hour before closing.
The Cellar Door Store, offering Victorian-style gifts, will be open.
Admission is $8, or $6 for seniors 65 and older and $2 for students and children 7 and older. Younger children are admitted free with an adult. Parking is free.
Hower House is at 60 Fir Hill.
Where’s Kevin?
The return of some Christmas classics to local venues includes Home Alone, showing at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday in the Capitol Theater in Cleveland.
The 1990 movie stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin, a boy left behind as his large and chaotic family is taking off for a holiday vacation. Kevin then has to figure out how to get by in their absence — and what to do about two low-lifes (Daniel Stern and Joe Pesci) bent on robbing his home.
While some have complained about the sadism underlying the more violent slapstick moments, it nonetheless became a huge hit, spawning a second Home Alone 2 with Culkin, Stern and Pesci, and three more movies — two for TV — with new casts.
Make surprise balls
Looking for an inexpensive gift you can make for adults and kids? Perhaps you remember surprise balls from your childhood. They were great fun.
The balls are made from strips of crepe paper that are wrapped around small gifts. When the recipient unwinds the ball, the prizes come tumbling out.
To learn how to make them, visit www.notmartha.org/tomake/surpriseball/.
Or if you would rather buy them, check out http://surpriseballs.com/crazy-face-surprise-balls.html
Swinging and jingling
Popular Cleveland jazz singer Helen Welch returns to the Akron Civic Theatre, 182 S. Main St., for an evening of swinging, jazzed-up holiday tunes in the Akron Civic Theatre's intimate Cabaret.
Welch, with help from her trio of Rock Wehrmann on piano, Bryan Thomas on bass and Chris Baker on drums will regale concertgoers with swinging takes on classics such as Winter Wonderland, Boogie Woogie Santa and I'll Be Home for Christmas.
Welch's smooth, honeyed vocals and warm stage presence have proved popular enough to sell out one show, so a second was added at 8 p.m. Thursday.
Tickets are $25, or the date-night special of two for $40. Call the Akron Civic box office at 330-253-2488 for tickets.
Learn about wild teas
The Wilderness Center in Wilmot is welcoming the first day of winter with a discussion on teas made from pine, spice bush and more from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday.
The Wild Edibles Meet-Up discussion will be led by Joann Ballbach and Barb Vitcosky, and will include sampling. The meeting, at Wilderness Center’s Interpretive Building, 9877 Alabama Ave. SW, is free and open to the public.
Call 330-359-5235, ext. 20 or email barb@wildernesscenter.org for more information.