Planet Weekend Picks, Dec. 13-15

Craft beer expert Joshua Bernstein visits the Princeton Public Library and CoolVines Friday night.
Craft beer expert Joshua Bernstein visits the Princeton Public Library and CoolVines Friday night.

Friday, December 13

Beer Talk by Author Joshua M. Bernstein – Bernstein, author of “The Complete Beer Course: Boot Camp for Beer Geeks” will speak at the Princeton Public Library. A tasting will follow afterward at CoolVines on Spring Street. The Brooklyn-based beer, spirits, food and travel journalist will sign copies of his latest book that explores different styles of beers such as lagers, wheat beers, Belgians, IPAs, and sours.”The Complete Beer Course” demystifies beer, elementally breaking down the grains, yeast, hops, and techniques that cause beer’s flavor to spin into thousands of distinctively delicious directions. Josh will also examine the rise of craft beer in America and around the world. 7 p.m., library community room, free.

Holiday Open House, Blue Moon Acres – Enjoy complimentary locally sourced holiday cocktails, including eggnog. Light hors d’oeuvres, live music. Gift baskets will be discounted 15 percent all night and a portion of the markets proceeds donated to the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. Guests can also contribute canned food donations. 11 Willow Creek Road, Pennington, 4-7 p.m., free.

A Child’s Christmas in Wales – Holiday carols adorn a reading of the Dylan Thomas’s classic story.  This local favorite will be, as always, replete with snowballs, Christmas whiz-bangs, harrowing pranks and a heart-warming ending. This program is recommended for children ages 10 and older. Tickets $25 for adults, $10 for students. Trinity Church, 33 Mercer Street. Performances at 6 and 8 p.m.

A Christmas Carol – The holiday favorite is performed at McCarter Theatre Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. Tickets $20 and up.

An Evening of Readings and Carols with Westminster Choir College – Holiday music for choir, organ, and brass at the Princeton University Chapel. 8 p.m., tickets $40 and up.

Sound Bites with Sarah Donner, Jeannette Lynne, John Anealio, and Sheltered Turtle – The concert will feature a loose holiday theme. Doors open at 7:30 pm., concert starts at 8 p.m. Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon St. Special offer: Bring your receipt from any Terra Momo restaurant (Mediterra, Teresa Caffe or Eno Terra) from that evening and receive one free admission to the show per dinner entree. After the show, bring your ticket from the “Sound Bites” concert to Mediterra and receive one free tapas.

Saturday, December 14

Weather Cancellations -The reception at ArtWorks scheduled for today has been postponed until Dec. 21. Several area recycling and container facility centers have also canceled events. Check before you go in case your event has been postponed. If your event is postponed because the weather is bad, let us know and we will post it on Planet Princeton.

Holiday Science Lecture at Princeton University – Faster than the blink of an eye! – Seeing is believing – or is it? Every day we observe the world around us, but a lot of objects move either too slow or too fast for us to understand what is happening with just our eyes. Scientists and engineers have invented many tools that help us either slow down or speed up the action so that we can make more accurate observations. In this interactive presentation, we will learn about some different techniques for capturing images, and apply them to understanding how sounds are made, how things break, and the secret life of small organisms. Featuring Princeton Prof. Howard Stone and special guest Prof. Bonnie Bassler. Audience participation is a big part of this interactive show, and every kid gets a science related t-shirt! Ages 7 & up. Free and Open to the Public. Registration Required. To register, contact Erin Metro, Office of Community and Regional Affairs at emetro@princeton.edu. McDonnell Hall, Room A02, Princeton University. 10 a.m. or 1 p.m.

Leslie Kaminoff Visits the Princeton Center for Yoga and Health – Yoga educator offers three classes in one day. Fitness and the Breathing Body: Breath and Anatomy Workshop at noon. The Yoga of Walking: Foot Anatomy, Gait Analysis, and Re-Patterning at 2:30 p.m. Better Backbends Through Breathing at 5 p.m. $55; two sessions are $110; and three sessions are $150. Register online at www.princetonyoga.com. All sessions held at PCYH, Orchard Hill Center, 88 Orchard Road, Skillman.

Commemoration of Newtown Shooting, Coalition for Peace Action
– First anniversary of the shooting. Speakers include Reverends Carlton Branscomb, Dave Davis, Paul Jeanes, and Robert Moore. Combined choirs of Witherspoon Street Presbyterian, Nassau Presbyterian, and Trinity churches. Speakers at 1 p.m., potluck meal at 2 p.m. Drop off dish to share at 11:30 a.m.

Russian Winter Carnival at the Princeton Public Library
– A cultural celebration of Russia that will feature music, dance, acrobatics and more. All ages are welcome but children 8 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Community Room, 2 p.m., free.

Holiday POPS! with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra – The Princeton Symphony Orchestra presents its 2013 Holiday POPS! concert. The Princeton High School Choir will perform with the orchestra. 4 p.m., Richardson Auditorium, Princeton University, tickets $25 and up.

The Snow Queen – DanceVision’s popular performance of the holiday ballet, The Snow Queen returns. The Snow Queen tells the tale of a young girl’s courageous journey to rescue her beloved from the beautiful, yet evil Snow Queen. Based on the classic Hans Christian Andersen story, the ballet is performed to an original score and features unique projection artwork as its backdrop. The magical cast of characters- including robbers, a sorceress, doves, a raven, ice maidens, snow bees, a prince and princess, and even a devil- carries the audience on a journey from a lively Scandinavian village square to the Snow Queen’s frigid ice castle. Adults and children alike will revel in this fresh holiday tradition! Tickets $15 and up. Saturday at 7 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m., Kendall Main Stage Theater, The College of New Jersey.

Voices of Angels, American Boychoir Holiday Concert – Traditional holiday favorites with the Canadian Brass at Princeton University Chapel, 7:30 p.m.Tickets $20 and up.

Sunday, December 15

Bacon Lovers Cookbook Signing and Tasting at Terhune Orchards – Lawrenceville artist Janet Hautau and West Windsor author Stacey O’Brien visit Terhune Orchards to celebrate the publication of their new cookbook, “The Bacon Route: 620 Miles of Bacon Recipes”. The book signing is scheduled for 1 to 4 p.m. at Terhune Orchards winery tasting room, 330 Cold Soil Road, Lawrenceville. Visitors will be able to taste Terhune Orchards wines and sample bacon recipes from the book. Proceeds from the sale of the book go to the Curt’s Ride Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works to increase awareness about cancer and raise funds to find a cure for cancer. The foundation donates all the money it raises to the American Cancer Society.

Bravo! Strings Quartet – Princeton Symphony Orchestra presents Bravo! Strings Quartet. The players will demonstrate how string instruments make their sound, and talk about the way that musicians listen, communicate, and play together. For all ages. 2 p.m., Princeton Public Library Community Room, free.

Winter Concert, Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra – The orchestra performs works by Brahms, Bizet, Dvorak, Hofeldt, and Bernard. 3 p.m., Montgomery High School, Skillman, free.