Jewelry is just some of what you’ll find at the annual Art on the Hill sale. Photo by Elizabeth Fraser

Art on the Hill
6-9 p.m. Friday. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. East End Community School, 195 North St., Portland, free admission. seaportland.org
The Society for East End Arts invites you to shop locally at its giant, annual three-day sale on Munjoy Hill. Roam through a remarkable array of jewelry, artwork, pottery, fiber works, photography, apparel, pet products and countless other unique and handmade items by nearly 90 artists and makers. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the show, and you’re guaranteed to find something for everyone on your shopping list, including yourself.

Rebecca Rinaldi, Alyssa Rojecki, Seth Crockett and Brian McAloon in City Theater’s production of “It’s a Wonderful Life: Live from WVL Radio Theater.” Photo by Audra Hatch

‘It’s A Wonderful Life: Live from WVL Radio Theater’
7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Through Dec. 15. City Theater, 205 Main St., Biddeford, $20. citytheater.org
City Theater presents an old-fashioned golden age of radio “broadcast” version of Frank Capra’s iconic “It’s a Wonderful Life.” You’ll find yourself in 1945 on Christmas Eve where a blizzard has kept WVL’s radio actors from making it to the studio in time for the show. Will a small and mighty group of four station staffers be able to conjure up 32 characters and countless scenes with just their voices and some sound effects? Head to the charming, historic theater in Biddeford to find out.

Left to right: Jeffrey Kazin, David Parker and Amber Sloan in The Bang Group’s ” Nut/Cracked” Photo by Yi Chun Wu

The Bang Group’s ‘Nut/Cracked’
7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday. The Dance Hall, 7 Walker St., Kittery, $25, $20 seniors, kids. thedancehallkittery.org
For an entirely wild and sensational twist on “The Nutcracker,” get down to Kittery for a performance of “Nut/Cracked.” The show is presented by New York City’s rhythm-based theatrical dance company The Bang Group, which boldly weaves Tchaikovsky’s original score with music by Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller and others. There will be tap dancing, singing and some outside-of-the-box pointe shoe moves during a show that’s become a hilarious holiday tradition at the Dance Hall.

Some of the items that will be available during the Shaker Christmas Fair on Saturday. Photo courtesy of Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village

Shaker Christmas Fair
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, 707 Shaker Road, New Gloucester, free admission. maineshakers.com
Going to the Shaker Christmas Fair is not only a wonderful shopping experience but also a history lesson, as the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, established in 1783, is the only remaining active Shaker community in the world. At the annual holiday fair, you’ll find several signature items, including beer-batter bread and Sister Frances’ famous fruitcake, as well as Shaker cooking herbs, pickles, jellies, old-fashioned candy, woodenware, furniture, knit goods, ornaments, decorated balsam wreaths and homemade donuts. You can also duck into the white elephant room to shop for used items, proceeds from which will benefit local food pantries.

A festive runner hits his stride during the annual Holiday Dash 5K in Portland. Photo by Dave Dostie

10th Annual Holiday Dash 5K
11 a.m. Sunday. Eastern Promenade, Portland, $40, 21-plus. trails.org
Here’s a fun way to support Greater Portland’s 70-mile network of trails while also getting some exercise, then stuffing your face afterward. Portland Trails is teaming up with Ri Ra for their annual Holiday Dash 5K, and whether you run or walk, your registration includes a hearty, postrace brunch, complete with a beverage ticket, at the Irish pub on the Portland waterfront. You’ll also be gifted a stylish beanie. The race will take place regardless of what mood Old Man Winter is in, so be ready. The race starts and finishes on the Eastern promenade trail by Thames Street.


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