*Methuen Festival of Trees: Through Dec. 6 at 13 Branch St., Methuen. Enjoy 200-plus festively decorated holiday trees, plus raffles, a holiday store and so much more! Purchase your tickets at Methuenfestivaloftrees.com.
*Methuen Memorial Music Hall Open House: Dec. 5, 7-9pm. Celebrate the holidays with a performance by the Phillips Academy Fidelio Society. Sing-alongs, raffles, light refreshments. Free. 192 Broadway.
*Merry Music Hall Christmas Concert: Dec. 6 at 7:30pm and Dec. 7 at 3pm. Annual holiday celebration featuring trumpets, organ and soprano Maggie Finnegan. Reserved seating $35 and $25. Tickets on sale now at MMMH.org. 192 Broadway.
*City of Methuen Tree Lighting: Dec. 7, 5-8pm at The Loop. Live music, sleigh rides, pony rides, holiday train rides, games, food trucks and photos with Santa. Organized by the Methuen Rec Department.
*Giving Tree for homebound seniors: Through Dec. 15, stop into the Methuen Senior Center’s main lobby and take a gift tag (or tags) representing the wishes and needs of the city’s homebound seniors. Help make someone’s holiday truly special! The center is located at 77 Lowell St.
*Light Up Methuen Holiday Tree Decorating Contest: Event runs Dec. 6-Jan. 2. This Methuen Rotary Club fund-raiser encourages sponsors to decorate a tree on behalf of their business, school, home, etc., for this citywide holiday contest. Tree photos will be published on the Rotary’s Facebook page and voted on by the public. Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 trees. Wreath sponsorships are also available. Visit methuenrotary.org for info.
*Nevins Library Giving Tree: It’s the library’s yearly tradition of sponsoring a gift drive to benefit homeless children in the Merrimack Valley who are served by Emmaus Inc. Did you know that the average age of a homeless person in Massachusetts is 8 years old? Through its shelters and housing programs, Emmaus has served thousands of children since 1985, and on any given night 300 adults and children call Emmaus home. If you’d like to help spread holiday joy, just drop by the Children’s Room by Dec. 11, choose a Wish List item to purchase and put it unwrapped under the tree by Dec. 12.
*Holiday Craft Fair: Dec. 13 at Methuen High, 11am-3pm. Vendor spots available. Contact the Methuen Scholarship Foundation via their Facebook page.
*“A Christmas Carol:” The Methuen Young People’s Theatre presents a musical adaptation of the Dickens classic Dec. 18 and 19, 7pm and Dec. 20, 4pm. Tickets on sale Nov. 15 and are $15 ($5 for children 12 and under. Reserved seating at MMMH.org. 192 Broadway.
*NH Phil’s Holiday Pops concerts: Dec. 20 and 21, both at 2pm at Salem (NH) High School’s Seifert Performing Arts Center. This year’s New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra program sparkles with seasonal favorites and classical treasures alike — from Tchaikovsky’s “Waltz of the Flowers” and “Trepak” from “The Nutcracker” to the annual Christmas Sing-Along. Tickets: $5-$35. Nhphil.org.
CHURCH EVENTS
*Methuen Catholic: Christmas Celebration, Dec. 13, 5-7pm at St. Lucy’s Church, 254 Merrimack St. Lessons and carols, children’s pageant, potluck, games, songs. Sign up to bring a dish. Contact Karl at faithformation.stm@gmail.com. Christmas Eve Mass, 4pm at both St. Monica’s and St. Lucy’s; Christmas Eve Midnight Mass at St. Lucy’s; Christmas Day Masses are 9am at St. Monica’s, 10:30am at St. Lucy’s, and 10:30am Spanish Mass at St. Monica’s.
*First Baptist Church: Christmas Eve service, 7-8pm at 30 Park St. Bring the family; all are welcome!
