The Arts of the Pamlico kicks off the holiday season this week with the sounds and stage events at the Historic Turnage Theatre. Bundle up and grab some warm popcorn and scrumptious treats all month long!

Friday and Saturday, warm your heart with the heart-warming love stories of “A Little Night Music,” presented by East Carolina University Opera at 7:30 p.m. each evening and 2 p.m. on Saturday. This Stephen Sondheim musical is not to be missed! Tickets are available online or at the theatre and are going fast. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with sweet treats and the sounds of Broadway sung by ECU music students in the Gallery. Then join us after the play for comedy in the Gallery by ECU’s SWISH comedy group, led by Jake Weddle.

Holiday happenings continue on Nov. 20 with the City of Washington’s Light Up the City event. Lights and festive music on Main Street under the theatre marquee at 5:30 p.m. begin a night of festivities. After the lights come on, and Rachel K’s Bakery cookies and cocoa fill your tummy, join us inside the theatre for not one, not two, but three, free music and stage performances. The River City Ringers, led by Sally Love, will ring in the season with their glorious hand bells. Then sip your favorite beverage and try out desserts from AOP’s Sugar Magnolias in the Art Café’ while Sassy Southern Sound brings and sings in the holiday season in the Turnage Gallery. Wait, there’s more — at 7 p.m., a true classic, “A Christmas Carol,” performed by the AOP Players, takes the stage. The free show is directed by Natalie Stewart and costumed by Jeffery Phipps. Donations appreciated.

Looking for gifts? View and shop the art works of AOP’s 54^th-annual Fine Arts Show featured in all galleries among the artfully decorated Christmas trees — some adorned with handmade ornaments you can buy.

Or make a gift: on Nov. 27, join Liz Reed in AOP’s Creation Station backstage to make clay angels shown here. You can register for this clay hand building by calling us at 252-946-2504. And on Dec. 1, AOP’s annual Children’s Holiday Shop starts at 11 a.m. where kids can drop by and shop for local art followed, by the movie “Elf” at 3 p.m. for a $5 ticket.

After Thanksgiving, holiday events keep going and going throughout November and December at AOP. Catch AOP’s Christmas floats in local holiday parades on Dec. 1 in Washington and Dec. 2 in Bath, featuring “Little Mermaid,” “Wizard of Oz” and Bubblegum Theatre youth actors and family members. Take in the Historic Bath Site festivities at Bonner Point and the Bath Holiday Boat Flotilla in Bath harbor at dark.

All December, $5 movies are offered including “Elf,” “Polar Express,” “A Christmas Story” and, just before Christmas, laugh out loud with National Lampoon’s “Christmas Vacation” sponsored by Curtis McLawhorn Engineering. This year there will be two showings of “Polar Express:” on Dec. 8 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., each for $5, with bells for kids who believe. Don’t miss The Rich Company’s snow machine out front, too!

So mark your calendar for five full weeks of holiday cheer with concerts, movies and Broadway on the Big Screen with a debut of Cirque du Soleil performances. And wrap up your season with I.C. Comedy’s New Year’s Eve, Eve performance on Dec. 29.

For more information about the Arts of the Pamlico’s upcoming events, call us at 252-946-2504 or visit www.artsofthepamlico.org or find on Facebook.

Debra Torrence is the executive director of Arts of the Pamlico.