Today’s entertainment picks:

Today’s entertainment picks:

v Holiday parade and tree lighting, 6:30 p.m.: Family festivities will take place on Central Square and inside 20 Federal Place in downtown Youngstown. The parade will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by the tree lighting and other events.

v “A Christmas Carol,” 7:30 p.m.: The Dickens classic on stage ($15, $12 for seniors) at Youngstown Playhouse; 330-788-8739. Save your ticket stub and bring it to Hopewell Theatre for a $2 discount on “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

v “It’s a Wonderful Life,” 7:30 p.m.: Meanwhile, the other Christmas classic is on stage ($15, $12 for seniors) at Hopewell Theatre, 702 Mahoning Ave., Youngstown; 330-746-5455. Save your ticket stub and bring it to the Youngstown Playhouse for a $2 discount on “A Christmas Carol.”

v Christmas in the Square, 5-8 p.m.: Horse-drawn wagon rides, music, fun for kids and a holiday parade at 5:30 p.m. mark this event on Courthouse Square in downtown Warren.

v “How the Drag Queen Stole Christmas,” 8 p.m.: The bawdy but beautiful original holiday musical ($15), with fresh updates to spoof current events, opens at Calvin Center, 755 Mahoning Ave., Youngstown. Rust Belt Theater Company is limiting each show to just 100 seats for a more immersive experience. Call 330-507-2358 for tickets.

“Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD” (8 p.m., ABC): Coulson and the team find themselves stranded on a mysterious ship in outer space, and that’s just the beginning of the nightmare to come as season five begins with a two-hour episode.

TV listings, C3

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Authors, poets to read at gallery

YOUNGSTOWN

Lit Youngstown will present poet-writers Christopher R. Alonso, Sara Tracey and William R. Soldan at Soap Gallery, 117 S. Champion St., at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. After the three writers read, there will be an open mic session.

Square dancers to offer lessons

NILES

The Niles Friendly Squares, a local square dance group dedicated to keeping alive the unique American art form, will begin a second session of weekly square dance lessons. The introductory session will be Jan. 9 from 7 to 9 p.m. Each session builds upon the previous session and will include learning new steps along with review and practice each week to help attendees master the moves. The sessions are designed to cover all the steps in the Basic Square Dance Program. Gene Hammond will be the instructor. The Tuesday evening sessions will run through April. There is a fee of $6 per person per lesson.

The Friendly Squares also sponsors monthly dances with alternating dances, or tips, for new dancers to practice their skills as well as tips for more experienced dancers. All the lessons and monthly dances are at the Niles SCOPE Center, 14 E. State St. To sign up for lessons or for information, contact Gene or Frankie Hammond at 330-506-3370.