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Don't miss the 17th annual PAFA print sale. (Photo by G. Widman for GPTMC)

The Printmaking Department of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) presents its annual Holiday Student Print Sale this Friday, December 3rd from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The sale, held in the print shop on the sixth floor of PAFA’s Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building, features cards, etchings, lithographs, stamp prints and woodcuts hand-crafted by the academy’s students.

All prints are under $100. Pick up a one-of-a-kind holiday gift for any art lovers on your list, or else treat yourself.

In addition, raffle tickets to win a print by PAFA faculty will be available. An exclusive shopping hour for PAFA members will be held from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Broad and Cherry Streets
www.pafa.org

Explore international holiday traditions at the Penn Museum. (Photo courtesy Penn Museum)

Inject some global flavor into your holiday spirit with the Penn Museum “Peace Around the World” PECO World Culture event this Sunday, December 5th from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Visitors receive a “passport” and itinerary to visit seven countries via seven international speakers, exploring holiday traditions from around the world.

The day features a Middle Eastern hand drumming workshop, Balinese dancing, storytelling, face painting by Martha Stewart-acclaimed Peanutbutter, balloon art, international family crafts like silk scarf painting, and free cupcakes for children. Guests can also enjoy a 10% discount at the Pepper Mill Café.

The event is is free with museum admission ($10 general admission; $7 senior citizens [65+]; $6 students [with ID] and children [6 to 17]; free for children under 6, members, and PennCard holders).

Penn Museum
3620 South Street
www.penn.museum

Midtown Village is celebrating the holidays with an evening of shopping, dining and free treats at the “Strut Off the Holidays” event tomorrow night, Wednesday, December 1st from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

The Mummers perform at 12th and Walnut streets at 5:30 p.m., 13th and Walnut streets at 6:00 p.m. and 13th and Chestnut streets at 6:30 p.m. plus various Midtown Village establishments in between.

Participating retailers will be featuring complimentary treats like holiday cookies, hot mulled cider and candy canes. Also look out for local craft spotlights at Open House — trunk show and jewelry demo — and Verde — live chocolate-making. Plus, Midtown Village restaurants, bars and pubs will have food and drink specials if you need a quick energy boost from all that taxing merry-making.

Midtown Village
13th and Sansom Streets
www.midtownvillage.org

Sample all the latkes, sour cream and applesauce you can stomach. (Photo by M. McClellan for GPTMC)

Celebrate Hanukkah — or just, you know, an occasion to eat tons of fried potatoes — at the 8th annual Latkepalooza this Sunday, December 5th from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Gershman Y.

Sample gourmet latkes from popular Philadelphia restaurants; participants include Sabrina’s Cafe, Estia, Delicatessen, Snackbar, Bar Ferdinand, MidAtlantic, and — back this year — Jones. More than 3,000 latkes will be served.

New at the event is the Jewish Bakeoff, a contest for Philadelphians to submit their most scrumptious Jewish desserts in three categories: apple cake, mandel bread or rugelach. All entries will be judged by Michael Solomonov of Zahav, Roz Bratte of Homemade Goodies By Roz and Michael Spector of Delicatessen. The first prize winner gets a $25 gift certificate to famed Fante’s Kitchen Wares Shop in the Italian Market. And, of course, bragging rights.

Sample latkes until you’re greased out, and then stay for the live music courtesy of the West Philadelphia Orchestra. There will also be children’s events: puppet-making, coloring crafts and storytime at 2:30 p.m and 3:15 p.m.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $5 for kids, and free for children under 5. The bakeoff entry fee is an additional $5.

Gershman Y
401 S. Broad Street
www.gershmany.org

“That Pretty Pretty; or, the rape play,” by Theatre Exile, is a show perfectly suited to our times.

The play, which runs through December 5th at Christ Church Neighborhood House in Old City, is a wild ride of darting back and forth, crossed story lines, unpredictable scenes, shocking goriness and bizarre interjections. At times it feels like you’re watching a Youtube video, until you’re distracted by a pop-up ad. It’s no wonder that the playwright, Sheila Callaghan, describes the play as a “visceral rather than intellectual” experience.

There is plenty to wrap your brain around, though, as long as you can hang onto it during the wild ride. The first scene opens in a hotel room where two ex-strippers proceed to murder a drunken anti-abortionist. Then it re-plays, word for word, as two men swap roles with the would-be heroines and murder a woman.

The story unfolds from there as the audience slowly discovers what is real, what is fake, and what is being created in a character’s head (the scene with the scantily clad strippers Jell-o wrestling can only be the product of a man’s mind!). One man and one woman each seem to be blogging about their murderous exploits, and it isn’t until near the end that the pieces start to come together about how exactly this story is being created. But the fun is in the journey and not knowing what to expect next.

The fun is also in Jane Fonda (clad in purple spandex), who flits through the play offering guidance to the characters; it’s in the 80’s music and culture that the characters are steeped in; it’s in the scene-shifting set and brilliant use of video and projection to create environments; it’s in the ridiculous twists on current events.

“That Pretty Pretty” is a raucous and bawdy show that drags you along for a bumpy ride and offers no apologies. It’s a fun piece of theater that works your brain and embodies today’s never-ending media stream. And did we mention it’s fun?

“That Pretty Pretty; or, the rape play”
November 17th-December 5
www.theatreexile.org

Christ Church Neighborhood House
20 N. American Street
www.christchurchphila.org

Get your tickets now for The Pennsylvania Ballet's The Nutracker. (Photo by B. Krist for GPTMC)

The holiday season in Philadelphia is incomplete without Pennsylvania Ballet’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, an Academy of Music tradition in its 42nd year. Opening night is December 4th, and performances continue through December 31st.

World-class dancing meets sumptuous costume and set design, with a cast of characters to enchant each audience member. From the sinister Mouse King to the handsome prince, plus the delectable residents of the Land of Sweets — over which the Sugarplum Fairy reigns supreme — the ballet taps into the heart-warming holiday spirit for everyone.

The performance’s setting at the gold-and-crystal-encrusted Academy of Music adds a level of luxury befitting a holiday night outing. The hall is the country’s oldest known opera house, modeled in 1857 after Milan’s La Scala.

This season there are over 20 Nutcracker performances. Take advantage of the new Nutcracker Family Packs: save 20% with your purchase of at least four tickets for performances December 26th through the 31st, plus get a special discount to Buca di Beppo Italian restaurant two blocks from the theater.

Philadelphia offers many warm ways to celebrate the holidays, from tree lightings to light shows to the Christmas village at Dilworth Plaza. But The Nutcracker is one of the most poignant holiday traditions, made special to Philadelphia by our own elite dancers and historic Academy. Don’t miss it.

Pennsylvania Ballet’s The Nutcracker
www.paballet.org

Academy of Music
1420 Locust Street
www.academyofmusic.org

There’s always one tricky person on your list. You know the type. They say they have everything and really don’t need another sweater or picture frame. So, instead of presenting an unwanted knickknack, consider offering up an experience.

City Food Tours offers five different walking and tasting tours that are designed to introduce people to the food and flavors of the city. Options include an introduction to classic Philly food, an exploration of Northern Liberties and even a beer tasting tour. Click here for more information.

Philly Homegrown has created a guide that features edible gifts from around the region. You can see the full guide here, or check back daily to see all the gifts featured on uwishunu. We’re also giving away an At Home with Steve Poses prize pack, so make sure to enter! Contest ends Friday, December 10.

The Eastern State Penitentiary Winter Adventure Tours are open December 1-March 14. (Photo courtesy ESP)

The Eastern State Penitentiary will launch the 2010-2011 Winter Adventure Tour season with a gingerbread house competition on Wednesday, December 1st at 11:00 a.m.

Three local pastry chefs will present their individual takes on gingerbread versions of the Penitentiary. The contest is free with admission to a Winter Adventure Tour ($12 for adults, $10 for seniors, students and kids 7-12 $8). Visitors are invited to vote on their favorite of the elaborate creations, and get tips on how to build their own at home. The winning gingerbread penitentiary will be announced on the Eastern State website.

Eastern State’s Winter Adventure Tours run from December 1st through March 14th, pairing groups of 25 with an expert tourguide. The tour route includes the cellblocks, center surveillance hub, Al Capone’s Cell, Death Row and the newly restored Alfred W. Fleisher Memorial Synagogue. There are even photographs on display of the prison inmates’ holiday celebrations.

Tickets are available online, by phone, or at the Penitentiary. Tour reservations are recommended.

Eastern State Penitentiary
22nd Street and Fairmount
www.easternstate.org

Thanksgiving is now behind us, which means that the we are firmly in the midst of that time of year known as the “Holiday Season.” The annual return of these chilly days and celebratory evenings means that it’s time to start amassing gifts for family members, friends and coworkers. This year, Philly Homegrown has created an Edible Gift Guide to help you find the perfect, most delicious gift for every single person on your list.

For the next two weeks, we’ll be featuring a different product from the gift guide here on uwishunu each day. Today’s item isn’t so much edible on its own as it is designed to help you create many tasty things. It’s Chef Steve Poses’ wonderfully comprehensive book, At Home: A Caterer’s Guide to Cooking and Entertaining. It’s just the thing for those people who love to cook and entertain.

What’s more, Chef Poses has given us a signed copy of his book and one-hour entertaining consultation to give away to a lucky winner. The consultation is pretty darn exciting too. He’ll talk you through your upcoming holiday party, coaching you through the basics of how much wine to buy and as well as the more tricky details, like how to get a plated dinner on the table for 12 people without breaking a sweat.

Click here to enter. The giveaway will run through Friday, December 10 at 5 p.m.

The Vienna Boys Choir will perform at the Kimmel on Friday. (Photo courtesy Kimmel Center)

The Vienna Boys Choir holiday program takes place at the Kimmel Center this Friday, December 5th at 7 p.m.

The 100 or so 10- to 14-year-olds will sing classics like “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “Silver Bells”, in addition to French, Italian and Russian carols. It promises to be the perfect mood-setting for the cusp of the Christmas season.

The Vienna Boys Choir was founded in 1498 in Austrian Emperor Maximilian I’s court. Since then, the troupe of choristers has expanded to include four touring choirs, and boast a collective sound that exhibits “astonishing vocal range,” according to The Washington Post.

Treat yourself, and your family, to a special holiday musical experience.

Kimmel Center
Broad and Spruce Streets
www.kimmelcenter.org