MILL CREEK METROPARKS | December

Nov. 30 and Dec. 1: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Olde Fashioned Christmas at the Mill. Lanterman's Mill will be dressed in holiday finery for our traditional celebration. You'll have the opportunity to taste chestnuts roasted on an open fire, give Santa your wish list, purchase gifts for others, and be entertained by a juggler, a bagpiper, and other fine musicians. Call Ford Nature Center for more information.
Dec. 3: 1 to 4 p.m. Painting on Slate. Join Barb Messner for a painting lesson for beginners and experienced painters. A chalkboard will be the base for a snowman festooned with pine garland. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens to register. Fee: $14 park district residents, $17 nonresidents.
Dec. 7: 10 a.m. to noon. Feeling Festive. Children ages 6-10 are invited to create holiday gifts, decorations, and wrappings from natural and recycled materials. Cookies and drinks will be served. Call Ford Nature Center to register. Fee: $7.
Dec. 7: 10 a.m. Book discussion. "Hundred Dollar Holiday: The Case for a Joyful Christmas." Can you really have a more joyful and less expensive holiday? Read the "Hundred Dollar Holiday" by Bill McKibben and then join the discussion. Meet at Ford Nature Center.
Dec. 8-Jan. 5: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A Taste of the Holidays, this year's holiday theme at the Davis Center in Fellows Riverside Gardens, begins with an opening event on Sunday, starting at noon. Enjoy decorated Christmas trees, holiday music, floral displays, and model railroad train exhibits through Jan. 5.
Dec. 8: 2 p.m. Greening for the Holiday. Bring the family for this program with Kim Lewis of the Green Team to learn creative ways to green your holiday by using recycled materials. Participants will make their own candy dish using a 2-liter pop bottle and create their own decorative wrapping paper. All materials will be supplied, and cookies and refreshments will be served. Call Ford Nature Center to register. Fee: $4 per family or $2 per person.
Dec. 11: 7 p.m. Yellow Creek Park Concert. Join us at Yellow Creek Park Lodge for a festive evening of music by Ben Soriano.
Dec. 11: 8:30 to 10 a.m. Rise and Bloom. Start your day at Fellows Riverside Gardens with a brisk walk in the gardens. Savor a healthy breakfast of fruit and muffins afterward at the Garden Caf & eacute; while learning about pines. Call Fellows Riverside Garden to register. Fee: $5R, $7NR.
Dec. 11: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Poinsettia Day. On the eve of National Poinsettia Day, learn the history and culture of this popular plant. Discover the unusual new colors introduced this year. A holiday decoration to take home will be made using a poinsettia. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens to register. $16R, $21NR.
Dec. 12: 10, 10:45 or 11:30 a.m. Tales for Twos. Two-year-olds and their favorite adults will share milk and cookies as they listen to a wintertime story by our cozy fire. Call Ford Nature Center to register.
Dec. 12: 10 a.m. to noon or 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Kissing Ball. Prepare for holiday visitors by hanging a kissing ball in your entry foyer the way the colonists did. Marion Sebastiano will help you form a ball of fresh boxwood and decorate it with herbs and dried flowers that hold special wishes for friends that visit. A tag containing the meaning of the herbs will make it a heartfelt gift for a special person. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens to register. Fee: $30R, $39NR.
Dec. 13 or 14: Friday, 10 to 11 a.m. or 1 to 2 p.m.; Saturday, 10 to 11 a.m.. Pine & amp; Stars Garland. Children 3-5 years old will celebrate the season with their favorite adults by stringing a garland of pine cones, yellow stars and cranberries to hang indoors or out. A story and snack add to the festivities. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens to register. Fee: $7.
Dec. 14: 1:30 to 3 p.m. Musical Teasel Tree. Can you picture the seed heads from the teasel plant, which grows along the roadside, creating a holiday decoration that is sure to delight and entertain? Children 6 years and older will have fun constructing this ornament for table or mantle. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens to register. Fee: $9.
Dec. 14: Saturday, 7 p.m. Yellow Creek Park Christmas. Stories, crafts, and traditions will be shared during this holiday event. There will even be a surprise visit from "you know who." Meet at Yellow Creek Park Lodge.
Dec. 15: Sunday, 2 p.m. Stories of Yore. Many of the holiday traditions that we celebrate today have evolved from ancient customs. Storyteller Denise Kellerman will explain how people once celebrated the earth and the sinter season. Hot cider and cookies will be served after the storytelling. Meet at Pioneer Pavilion.
Dec. 17 or 18: Tuesday, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. or Wednesday, 1:30 to 3:30. Holiday Wreath with Hurricane. Fresh roses, babies breath and solal will combine beautifully into a wreath encircling a hurricane globe, making an elegant arrangement to grace your holiday table. Dolly Vivalo will instruct in making this centerpiece. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens to register. Fee: $28 NR, $36.
Dec. 20 or 21: Friday or Saturday, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Preschool/Primary Nature Hour: For the Birds! Preschool, kindergarten and first-grade children (ages 3-7) and their families are invited to join the fun as we listen to a special story and make ornaments for the birds. Help decorate an evergreen tree and take one special ornament home for your backyard birds. Call Ford Nature Center to register. Fee: $3 per family.
Dec. 21: 10 a.m. to noon. Flower Arranging with Marie. Candy canes gave Marie Borocz inspiration for this candlelight centerpiece, which she will help you make for your holiday table using fresh pine, and red, white and candy-striped carnations. A red velvet bow will be the crowning touch. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens to register. Fee: $25R, $32NR.
Dec. 21: 2 p.m. A Hike Through Middle Earth. Join Frodo, Gandalf, and members of the Fellowship on an imaginative hike through some of Tolkien's most memorable realms. Costumes are encouraged, but dress for the weather. Hike details will be provided at the time of registration. Call Ford Nature Center to register by Dec. 14.
Dec. 22: 5:30 to 8 p.m. Gardens By Candlelight. Twinkling candlelight will fill the night air as families enjoy a guided evening walk through Fellows Riverside Gardens in celebration of the beginning of winter. End the evening by warming up in the Davis Center with music, cocoa and treats. Bring mittens or a hat to donate to the Sojouner House. Call Fellows Riverside Gardens to register.
Dec. 22: 2 p.m. The "Gorge"us View. Follow the trail along one of the most scenic areas of Mill Creek Park, the gorge. Years of erosion by Mill Creek through the sandstone bedrock formed this valley, creating a unique environment. Meet at Lanterman's Mill parking lot. About 3 miles, moderate difficulty with steps and a boardwalk.
Dec. 29: 2 p.m. Goodbye 2002. Close out the year with a hike around beautiful Lake Cohasset. We'll explore the shoreline and keep a lookout for winter residents. Meet at Ford Nature Center. About 3 miles, moderate difficulty with hills and steps.