The following is the first in a series of reviews of randomly selected, low-quality, made-for-TV Christmas movies. The most disconcerting element of the fictional universe of the 2011 ABC Family movie “12 Dates of Christmas”—the tale of a Manhattanite named Kate (Amy Smart) who goes on a blind date on Christmas Eve with the Perfect…

As I look back at some of the foolish things my friends and I did in our youth, I can only say, “What was I thinking???” One of the pranks many of us pulled was calling people and asking, “Do you have Prince Albert in a can?” Without even giving them a chance to answer,…

Saturday, Dec. 12 at 8 a.m. — POULTNEY — The holiday festivities continue in the community of Poultney. On Saturday, Dec. 12 from 8 to 11 a.m., the Poultney Woman’s Club will host breakfast with Santa. For over 30 years the Club has provided a hearty meal of scrambled eggs, sausage, home baked goods, orange juice, cocoa and…

Dec. 12, 13 — RUTLAND — Begin your holiday season with Shakespeare on Main Street as they present Charles Dicken’s timeless holiday classic in intimate “Readers Theatre” style at the Brick Box Theatre at the Paramount on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. In “A Christmas Carol,” Dickens explores the…

Saturday, Dec. 12 at 1 p.m. — RUTLAND — On Saturday, Dec. 12 from 1 to 3 p.m., Phoenix Books Rutland will host Andrea Chesman for a book signing and demo, complete with free samples of sourdough pancakes from her new book, “The Backyard Homestead Book of Kitchen Know-How: Field-to-Table Cooking Skills.” Chesman is also bringing samples…

Sunday, Dec. 13 at 3 p.m. — RUTLAND — The Vermont Symphony Orchestra kicks off its Sunday Matinee Series in southwestern Vermont this season with three performances at the Paramount Theatre in Rutland. The series opens with a Holiday Pops concert on Sunday, Dec. 13 at 3 p.m. featuring Anthony Princiotti conducting holiday favorites. Additional concerts are on Jan.…

Sunday, Dec. 13 at 10 a.m. — RUTLAND — College of St. Joseph will host the third annual Freezing Finals 5k walk/run on Sunday, Dec. 13 at the CSJ campus in Rutland. The fun run or walk will begin at the college’s Clementwood Mansion at 10 a.m. Registration starts at 9 a.m. Wear your warmest winter layers,…

Toys for Tots drop-off is located at Benson’s Chevrolet in Ludlow again this year. In Rutland, Toys for Tots is headquartered at Kinney Subaru on Route 7. The primary goal of Toys for Tots is to deliver, through a new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters that will assist them…

Sunday, Dec. 13 at 12 p.m. — RUTLAND — ARC Rutland Area and the Elks Club are holding a Christmas dinner dance for people with developmental disabilities and their families on Sunday, Dec. 13 from 12 to 4 p.m. at the Elk’s Lodge on Pleasant Street in Rutland. Good food, family and friends, music, dancing, gifts and…

Sunday, Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. — WEST RUTLAND — St. Bridget and St. Stanislaus Kostka Churches in West Rutland present a Christmas concert and pageant on Sunday, Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. at St. Bridget’s Church, 28 Church Street. The program will highlight soloists and the choirs of both churches performing various seasonal selections. The…

Sunday, Dec. 13 at 3 p.m. — BRANDON — The Brandon Festival Singers, under the direction of Gene Childers, present the 35th annual Brandon Carol Festival featuring traditional, contemporary and original music for the Christmas season on Sunday, Dec. 13, at the Brandon Congregational Church at 3 p.m. The 22-voice choir will be joined by other instrumentalists. This…

Saturday, Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. — SOUTH POMFRET — Two Upper Valley arts presenters, BarnArts and ArtisTree, are collaborating on Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. for an evening of Cabaret to be held at ArtisTree in South Pomfret. This is a Wassail Weekend 2015 event. ArtisTree’s Mark van Gulden, music director, celebrates “The Great American Songbook”…

Thursday, Dec. 10 — RUTLAND — Need some evening hours to shop for the rapidly approaching holidays? No problem! On Thursday, Dec. 10, participating shops in Downtown Rutland will be open until 7:30 p.m. or later. Get everything from clothing, shoes and accessories, jewelry, health and fitness, electronics, music, home and office, bath and body, children’s toys…

Thursday, Dec. 10 at 9 a.m. — RUTLAND — Do you have a small business, have thoughts about a business idea, or are looking for information to make that decision? BROC has a workshop in mind. Join the free, fun, educational workshop on Thursday, Dec. 10 and learn to bring more money into your household; make a…

Thursday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. — RUTLAND — Pianist and composer Jonathan Newell is hosting a concert at College of St. Joseph on Thursday, Dec. 10. Newell, a part-time instructor at CSJ, has been with the Adirondack Repertory Dance Theater since 1993. He gave his New York debut in 2009 at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall,…