Looking for something to do to keep your visitors entertained? There’s shopping, an art film, a wine tasting and, of course, a variety of holiday events such as the Festival of Lights, Festival of Trees and the rooms decked in holiday style at the Oglebay Institute Mansion Museum, just to name a few
SHOP SMALL
Historically, the Saturday after Thanksgiving is known as Small Business Saturday — a perfect day to grab your holiday gift list and your wallet, and head out to support local entrepreneurs. Kick off your shopping day at the Wheeling Artisan Center, 1400 Main St., and enjoy free mimosas, coffee from Wheeling Coffee and croissants from Sarah’s on Main as you explore what the Artisan Center Shop has to offer. Then, check out the myriad of other small shops with wonderful treasures, such as: the Holiday Art Show and Sale at the Stifel Fine Arts Center and Schrader Environmental Education Center, the Jeweled Bird, Artworks Around Town, Nail City Record (and it’s Record Swap Saturday, too), any of the shops in the Centre Market area, Nini’s Treasures, Howard’s Diamond Center, Empress Emporium, Hughes Design and Gift Gallery, Mimi’s Hallmark and Gifts, Eckhart House … and, of course, there are plenty more! But these will get you started!
ROYAL ART
As part of the Exhibition on Screen series, Towngate Art House Cinema is showing “David Hockney at the Royal Academy of Arts,” this weekend. Showtimes are 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 23; 4 and 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 24; and 2 and 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 25. Widely considered Britain’s most popular artist, Hockney is a global sensation with exhibitions in London, New York, Paris and beyond, attracting millions of visitors worldwide. Featuring intimate and in-depth interviews with Hockney, this revealing film focuses on two blockbuster exhibitions held in 2012 and 2016 at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. $7; 304-242-7700; www.oionline.com
TROT OFF SOME TURKEY
The annual Turkey Trot 5k Fun Run/Walk is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 24, at Oglebay Good Zoo. Race day registration takes place at 9 a.m. at the main entrance of Oglebay Good Zoo; register online through Nov. 22.
WELCOME WINES
The Friday, Nov. 23, wine tasting at Good Mansion Wines, will offer some of Wheeling’s finest wines from the Good Mansion Wines portfolio for visiting friends and family from out of town to enjoy. Sample from wines that Good Mansion has been instrumental in bringing into the state, including rare Old World selections. Served with imported cheeses and our French baguettes. 6 p.m. $15 at the door, no reservations needed. www.goodmansionwines.com
FESTIVAL OF TREES
Take your visitors to the Festival of Trees at the Oglebay Institute Stifel Center, which has been transformed into a Christmas wonderland with trees, wreaths and garlands, all decorated by creative volunteers. Through Dec. 1, the festival is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. (Closed Thanksgiving Day.) Admission is free. Donations accepted. Several special events will take place throughout the Festival of Trees, including:
- Festival of Trees “Dine & Shop” Business & Civic Clubs Luncheon, noon-1:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 27: Kick off the holiday season, celebrate the spirit of giving and “shop small” with fellow business professionals and civic leaders at Oglebay Institute’s Holiday Art Show & Sale and Festival of Trees. Enjoy a buffet lunch in the historic Stifel Fine Arts Center among the beautifully decorated trees. $15. Advanced registration required. 304-242-4200; www.oionline.com
- Children’s Breakfast Among the Trees, 9-10:15 a.m. or 10:45 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Dec. 1. Meet Bigfoot at the Stifel Fine Arts Center. Delicious breakfast, special guests and themed crafts make the Children’s Breakfast Among the Trees an event to remember. $15.. Free to children 3 and under. 304-242-4200; www.oionline.com
HOLIDAY ART SHOW AND SALE
Visitors to the Stifel Center and the Schrader Center at Oglebay Park can look for gifts at the Holiday Art Show and Sale, now through Dec. 29. The holiday shopping event features hundreds of handcrafted items from dozens of artisans who set up shop in both locations for the holiday season. 304-242-4200; www.oionline.com
HALLS ARE DECKED
Oglebay Institute’s Mansion Museum in Oglebay Park is lavishly decorated for the holidays and open to the public for tours through Dec. 31. Professional decorators and talented amateurs have decorated 13 period rooms, hallways and staircases in this year’s theme, “Holiday Magic.” 304-242-7272; www.oionline.com
TUNED UP
The Wheeling Symphony Youth Orchestra will present its annual fall concert, featuring both the Sinfonietta and the Philharmonic orchestras, at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 26, at Vance Memorial Presbyterian Church, Wheeling. The concert is free and open to the public. The Sinfonietta, composed of middle school students, will perform an eclectic range of music. The Philharmonic orchestra, which features area high school students, will play Alexander Borodin’s In the Steppes of Central Asia, The Entrance of the Queen of Sheba by George Fredrick Handel, and Richard Meyer’s Ghosts of Brandenburg; wheelingsymphony.com.
LUNCH WITH BOOKS
The Tuesday, Nov. 27, Lunch With Books at the Ohio County Library, features the life of Rebecca Harding Davis, who is best known for her gritty short story “Life in the Iron-Mills,” set in her native Wheeling. Far less is known of her later career among elite social circles in Philadelphia, New York and Europe, or her relationships with American presidents and leading international figures in the worlds of literature and the stage. Wheeling historians Margaret Brennan and Rebekah Karelis will share the extraordinary life of this pioneering realist and examine Rebecca’s role as the leading member of the Davis family. The event starts at noon. Lunch With Books programs are free and open to the public. Attendees are welcome to bring a bag lunch, and complimentary beverages are provided. 304-232-0244; www.ohiocountylibrary.org
