Recently in Holidays Category

Fans of the 1960's British rock band, the Beatles, may want to head to The Grove Theatre on New Year's Eve.

The newly formed tribute band, 4 Lads from Liverpool, will be performing at 9 p.m. at the Theatre, 276 E. Ninth St. in downtown Upland.

The Los Angeles-based tribute band premiered in San Francisco in October.

It is made up of seasoned tribute Beatles performers, many of whom have been playing as one of the Fab Four for many years, according to a Grove news release.

The band will perform songs from each of the Beatles' major musical periods, which are accompanied with a costume change.

The show will open with a set of songs from the early Hamburg days with the Beatles dressed in their black leather jackets and pants.

John, performed by Peter George, will sing lead on the opening song "Rock and Roll Music," wearing a toilet seat around his head.

The show also includes clips from the old 1960s shows and commercials.

Doors open at 8:30 p.m.

Tickets are $50 and include light hors d'oeuvres and midnight champagne. Non-alcoholic beverages will also be available.

Senior and group discounts are available.

Tickets can be purchased by calling 909-920-4343, by visiting the box office or on the website at www.grovetheatre.com

Box office hours are from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.

The George M. Gibson Senior Center will be celebrating the holiday season with their annual Breakfast of the Holiday Spirit at 9 a.m. Dec. 22 at 250 N. 3^rd Ave. in downtown Upland.

Of course, Santa Claus will be attending.

Seating is limited and tickets are required for entry.

Tickets are $3 per person.

The breakfast is for seniors 55 years and older.

The annual San Antonio Heights Holiday Sing-Along will be held at 8:30 p.m. Dec. 24, Christmas Eve, on the front lawn of Fire Station 12 at Euclid Avenue and 24^th Street.

The sing-along will kick off  with "Jingle Bells" and close with "Silent Night" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." In between, there will be about two dozen other holiday favorites.

The event is free, and song sheets and refreshments are provided.

Those who want to bring a guitar, portable keyboard, bells or other sounds of the season are permitted to do so. Singers are encouraged to dress very warmly and bring a chair if needed.

For more information call 909-920-9530.

Teresa Tims, president of TDR Mortgage in Upland, is offering families and friends of members of the armed forces a special gift this holiday season.

They can stop by the office at 180 D. St. from 2 to 7 p.m. on Friday to receive a free video and family portrait to send to their loved ones serving in the military.

Professional Photographer Kerstie Kooiman will donate her time to take the photos.

For more information call 909-920-3500.

The Scheu Family YMCA of Upland is helping to brighten the lives of local children this holiday season.

They are working with Healthy Start and the Upland Partnership for Youth Development to try and provide gifts for children in need.

The deadline to drop the gifts off is 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.

People interested in donating can stop by the Y at 1150 Foothill Blvd. and pick a child.

Gifts are not to exceed $20 and must be wrapped.

They must also be labeld with the name of the child along with the family identification number.

Gift ideas will be provided along with the name and age of each child.

Family gifts are to be groupd together in a large bag with the family number marked on an attached label.

For more information call the Y at 909-946-6120.

Upland-based animal rescue charity Helping Out Pets Everyday is in need of foster homes for their rescued dogs and cats.

The all volunteer organization places homeless dogs and cats in temporary foster homes until their forever home is found.

HOPE pays for all medical expenses, but foster owners will need to provide the indoor home, food and litter.

They are also asked to take the foster pet to HOPE's Saturday adoption days at PetSmart, 1935 N. Campus Ave. in Upland.

Fostering dogs and cats gets them out of crowded shelters where they are at risk of being euthanized, according to HOPE.

People who cannot foster but would still like to help out can make monthly contributions to help pay for boarding costs.

The charity will be a beneficiary of PetSmart's photos with Santa from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 10-11 and Dec. 17-18.

Pet owners will receive a photo of their pet with Santa in a holiday frame for $9.95.

Half of the proceeds go to HOPE.

For more information on HOPE or fostering call 1-800-811-4285 or visit www.helpingoutpetseveryday.com

Western Christian High School's Associated Student Body will be decorating a Christmas Tree inside the Upland City Hall chambers at noon Tuesday.

They will be joined by the school's Hilltop Faith singing group, who will perform Christmas carols and pass out candy canes.

Every year the students decorate the tree inside City Hall, 460 N. Euclid Ave.

The San Antonio Heights Star has been lit, letting residents as far as Orange County know the holiday season has officially begun.

The 75-foot star rests on Ken Petschow's property above the unincorporated San Bernardino County community north of Upland.

Every year, the star remains lit until "the end of the epiphany," which is usually the first week of January.

The star has been a holiday staple in the community since its first appearance in 1958.

The star has undergone numerous changes and renovations over the years.

Petschow and his family inherited the tradition when they purchase the "Star" house in 1996.

In October 2003, the star and Petschow's home were destroyed in the Grand Prix fire.

Petschow was able to resurrect the star after receiving help from generous residents and the girl scouts.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 785 N. San Antonio Ave. in Upland is hosting its 19^th annual Christmas Nativity Art and Music Festival Thursday through Saturday.

There will be more than 1,000 nativity scenes on displays, children's activities as well as live performances.

Local schools performing include Pioneer, Serrano and Upland Junior High School choirs, Chaffey High School Choir, Upland High School Madrigals, Upland High Chorale as well as the Upland High School Pipe Band.

Church groups will include St. Anthony's Catholic Church Choir and The Accidentals of the First United Methodist Church.

Various choirs from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will also perform including Upland Stake Primary Children's Choir, Upland Stake Youth Choir and the Upland Stake Spanish Choir.

The Festival concludes on Saturday with its annual "Hallelujah" Chorus and Community Sing Along at 8 p.m.

Festival displays are open from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. Hours for Saturday are from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Performance times are from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 12:30 to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday.

The public is invited and admission is free.

For more information call 909-227-2598.

The 35^th annual City of Upland Christmas Parade and Craft Faire "Storybook Christmas" will spread holiday spirit in downtown from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

The parade will be at 11 a.m.

Breakfast with Santa will be from 8 to 10 a.m. at the George M. Gibson Senior Center, 250 N. 3^rd Ave. Breakfast is $5 and includes pancakes, sausage, juices and coffee.

After breakfast, Santa will have a special treat for each child.

Attendees are asked to register in advance with Recreation and Community Services department at 909-931-4280.

A free event featuring Santa and his friends will follow the craft faire at 5:45 p.m. at the Metrolink station in downtown.

There will be more than 50,000 lights decorating the Metrolink train as well as live entertainment by Metrolink and the Moultrie Academy of Music and Dance.

They will start the night off with Christmas carols at 5 p.m.

Attendees can take a new unwrapped toy to be donated to the firefighters' Spark of Love toy drive.

For more information call the Upland Fire Department at 909-931-4180.

Downtown Upland is at 9^th Street and 2^nd Avenue.