Dayton area activities abound on Saturdays in December

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  • 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – 
A holiday theme is at the forefront of things to do in the Dayton area on Saturdays in December. Displays to dazzle and events to entertain provide ample opportunities to stay active and involved throughout the course of the month.
Dec. 1
The Arthritis Foundation’s Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis starts out at Bellbrook Middle School, 3600 Feedwire Road, Bellbrook. Be part of the largest holiday 5K race series aimed to fight arthritis. Registration costs vary from $20 to $30 and participants are encouraged to wear a holiday-themed costume. The Web site, www.arthritis.org/ohio/events-in-your-area, will have a link to the Dayton event to register. For more information about the Jingle Bell Run of Dayton, contact Lindsay Albrinck Lee at lalbrincklee@arthritis.org or call 513-399-8097.
We Care Arts presents the Cookie Walk Homemade Cookie Sale at 3035 Wilmington Pike, Dayton, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. We Care Arts supporters provide homemade gourmet cookies for the event which can be purchased by the pound. Proceeds benefit We Care Arts and its mission “to turn disabilities into possibilities through art.”
The Kaleidoscope of Cultures is a free Sinclair Choral Concert at 8 p.m., at the United Christian Church, 8611 Hoke Road, Clayton. The event includes a chorale, a hand-bell choir, a brass quartet and an orchestra honoring the holidays from many cultures. 
Dec. 8
Christmas at Fulton Farms, 2393 State Route 202, Troy, features a farmer’s market, horse-drawn wagon rides through the trees and a Christmas tree patch from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A live nativity scene is open for viewing from 2 to 8 p.m.
Handmade Holiday Dayton, 700 East 4th Street, Dayton, with more 30 Artisan Vendors also includes craft displays, holiday desserts and more. The event runs from 5 to 10 p.m. and admission is free.
Mr. Popper's Penguins is a family musical presented by Town Hall Theatre, 27 North Main Street, Centerville, at 3 p.m. Ticket costs are $10 for children, $13 for students and seniors and adults for $15. See more at townhalltheatre.org. 
Dec. 15
Santa visits the 2nd Street Market, 600 East 2nd Street, Dayton, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Also at the Market, more than 40 vendors offer a unique selection from delicious lunch options to fresh vegetables, meats and eggs, artisan breads, cheeses, flowers, bottles of wine, delectable sweets and home décor.
The Manger World Nativity Traditions, 300 College Park Ave, Dayton, in the University of Dayton’s Roesch Library building, is free and open to the public. This year's Nativity exhibits, in the Marian Library on the seventh floor from 1 to 4 p.m., “will explore a different look—a touch of originality, creativity and magic where culture and religion meet.”
The National Museum of the United States Air Force, 1100 Spaatz St, Wright Patterson AFB, offers free guided tours of the museum daily and last approximately one hour and 15 minutes. Tours are available of each of the museum’s galleries and advance registration is not necessary.
Dec. 22
Riverscape Ice Skating, 111 East Monument Avenue, Dayton, is the area’s largest outdoor ice rink and provides ice skating opportunities from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Admission fee is $5 daily; ice skate rental is $2 daily and children, ages three and younger, are free with a paying adult
Experience the magical Wintergarden Wonderland Windows featuring the magical Rike's department store holiday windows, one of the area's longest-running holiday traditions, at the Schuster Center, 1 West 2nd St, Dayton. Admission is free and open from noon until 4 p.m. Hours are subject to change. Call 937-228-7591 to confirm.
A Carillon Christmas, one of Dayton’s iconic events, showcases thousands of Christmas lights, traditional holiday fare, Santa Claus, live music, historical craft demonstrations and more. Activities will be available from 5 to 10 p.m. at Carillon Park, 1000 Carillon Blvd, Dayton. Admission cost information and more is available online at www.daytonhistory.org/events/special-events/a-carillon-christmas.
Dec. 29
Light Up Middletown is a drive-through fantasyland holiday light display at Smith Park, 500 Tytus Ave, Middletown, from 7 to 9 p.m. Themed displays include a floating Sea Serpent in the reflecting lake, Santa’s Workshop, American Flag, Penguin Village, deer leaping over the roadway, helicopter, whales and more. Admission is by cash donation.
Sound Bites: Short Talks about Art are short, 20-minute, free talks given by museum guides at the Dayton Art Institute, 456 Belmonte Park North, Dayton, beginning at 1:30 p.m. “Chinese Tomb Wall Tile” is the theme for this month’s sound bite and the museum’s entrance rotunda is the meeting place for the event. Topics subject to change. Call 937-223-4ART (4278) for more information.
Whispering Christmas, from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Fort Saint Clair Park, 135 Camden Road, Eaton, displays more than two million Christmas lights in a drive-through setting. Admission is free, donations are accepted.