The Arpd Darzs Singers will present Christmas Welcome Dec. 2, 2 pm at the S.C.State Museum; Dec. 12, 7:30 pm at Union United Methodist Church, and Dec. 17, 3 pm at St. Peters Catholic Church. All concerts are free and open to the public.

ART

The Columbia Museum of Art will present The Birds of America: Audubon Prints by Julius Bien through May 13. 799-2810 or www.columbiamuseum.org.

CHURCH/charity

North Trenholm Baptist Church will hold its 2006 Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Ministry through Nov. 20. Call 787-2133, or Samaritan's Purse, at

1-800-704-1268 or visit www.samaritanspurse.org.

First Presbyterian Church continues its Wednesdays at noon lunch service in Jackson Hall. Lunch begins at 11:30 am followed by a speaker from 12:25 to 12:50. A hot meal is $5. Soup and salad is $4. The Thursdays at noon lunch service also continues. 799-9062.

The National Kidney Foundation of SC will host a Jewelry & Handbag Show Fundraiser, Nov. 30, 10 am-3 pm in the Vista Room in The Suggs & Kelly Law Firm Building, 500 Taylor St. 799-3870.

The 27th Annual Thanksgiving Souper to benefit The Women's Shelter in its mission to help women build stronger lives will be 5:30-7:30 pm at Eastminster Presbyterian Church, 3200 Trenholm Road. Chick-Fil-A will provide hot, delicious chicken-noodle soup, crackers, and iced tea. The cost is $2 for adults & $1 for children. 779-4706.

Shady Grove United Methodist and St. John's Lutheran Churches will hold a Thanksgiving worship service Sun., Nov. 19, 7 pm at 1918 Shady Grove Rd. 781-4832.

DANCE

The Greater Columbia Chapter of the U.S. Amateur Ballroom Dancers Association (USADance) will hold dances on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month, from 7:30-10:30 pm at the Hugh Dimmery Memorial Center, 680 Cherokee Lane. The date this month is Sat., Nov. 25. Admission is $5, members & $8, non-members. Contact Patricia Hill 781-5248 or www.USADance.us.

Columbia Classical Ballet will present The Nutcracker Dec. 1, 7:30 pm; Dec. 2, 3 pm and 7:30 pm; and Dec. 3, 3 pm at the Koger Center. Tickets may be ordered by calling 252-9112 using a credit card or may be purchased at the Koger Center.

HOLIDAYS

The Harriet Hancock Foundation will present One Voice Chorus in the annual holiday concert Sun., Dec. 10, 6 pm at the Garden of Grace United Church of Christ, 1020 Atlas Rd. 771-7713.

The 53rd Annual Carolina Carillon Holiday Parade will be Sat., Dec. 2, 9:45 am-noon Gervais St. in downtown Columbia. 781-6122.

The State Museum will host the annual Festival of Trees, Nov.17-19.

MEETINGS

A women's business leads group is forming. Meetings are held the second Tuesday of every month at 12:30 pm. Categories will be protected. Call 803-261-0006.

Horrell Hill Family and Community Leaders Club meets the first Thursday of each month at 10:30 am. Contact Alice Williams, 776-7888, for the next meeting location.

Columbia's Parks and Recreation Toastmasters Club meets at noon on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at The Charles R. Drew Wellness Center, 2102 Walker Solomon Way. Contact Larry S. Thompson, 545-3095.

The Business Association of Columbia meets every Wednesday at the Summit Club for breakfast to share sales leads. Contact Ken Connor, 256-2354.

The Kiwanis Club of Richland meets the 1st & 3rd Mondays of each month at the Lizard's Thicket on Beltline. Call Ken Connor, 256-2354.

Capitol City Real Estate Investors meets the 2nd Thursday of each month, 6:30 pm at Saluda Shoals Park. 948-8033 or www.screi.com.

MUSEUM

The SC State Museum, 301 Gervais St., will present the new exhibit Hubble Space Telescope: New Views of the Universe through June 30. 898-4921.

MUSIC/entertainment

The Renaissance Foundation will host an appreciation breakfast Dec. 1 for the students who designed the art work for historic Bethel last spring. Students from colleges and universities throughout the Midlands created murals to temporarily replace the stained glass windows at the historic building, which was designed by John Anderson Lankford, the first registered African American architect in the United States. The appreciation breakfast will be hosted by Ralph Gilles, vice president of Jeep/Truck component design for Chrysler. Gilles was born in 1970 and is considered one of the foremost auto designers in the country. He is the designer of the Chrysler 300C, the 2005 Car of the Year.

Columbia Harmonizers male chorus/ensemble meets Thursdays, 7:30 pm at Shandon United Methodist Church, 3407 Devine St. 798-1538 or wstewart@sc.rr.com.

The Quest will be Nov. 18, 11-4 pm in Five Points. The event is free. 256-9747 or www.itsallinthenamestore.com.

The Eau Claire Ministerial Alliance & Harvest Time will host The Metro's Biggest Free Pizza Block Party, Sat. Nov. 18, 5-8 pm at the Benedict College Gym. Contact Margaret Harper, 754-2132 or Dorthea Lewis, 733-5449.

The SC Philharmonic will present Handel's masterpiece Messiah with the Columbia Choral Society, Sat., Nov. 18, 7 pm at the Koger Center for the Arts. 254-7445 or www.SCPhilharmonic.com.

Historic Columbia Foundation will offer Holiday Tours of Historic Homes Fri., Nov. 17-Sat., Dec. 30. Tours will be Tues.-Sat., 10 am-2 pm & Sun., 1-3 pm. 252-1770, ext. 24 or www.historiccolumbia.org.

The SC Philharmonic will present Club Swing Tues., Nov. 28, 7 pm at the Koger Center for the Arts. 254-7445 or www.SCPhilharmonic.com.

The Columbia Children's Theatre will present Cinderella Nov. 23-26 & Dec. 1-3. Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing, Feb. 9-11 & 16-18 at the Kathryn M. Bellfield Booker Washington Heights Cultural Arts Center. General admission is $6.

691-4548 or www.columbichildrenstheatre.com.

The Palmetto Concert Band will present their Fall Concert Sun., Nov. 19, 4 pm at the Koger Center for the Arts. Admission is free and open to the public. 777-4278.

SCHOOLS

Richland School District One will present Little Shop of Horrors, Nov. 29-30, 7 pm at Keenan Theatre. The cost is $5 for adults & $3 for students. 231-7510 or 231-7504.

TRAINING/education

USC's TRIO Programs will host The Keys to College workshop for students and adults Mon., Nov. 20, 6 pm at the Richland County Public Library. Free and open to the public. Contact Violette Hunter, 777-5127 or www.sc.edu/trio/.

The SC Women's Business Center will offer How to Start your Own Business in SC, a monthly seminar that will provide the tools and knowledge of how to start your own business, Wed., Dec. 13, 9 am-noon at The C.R. Neal Dream Center, 2430 Atlas Rd. A $25 advanced registration is required. 461-8900.

Midlands Technical College will host an Agency Fair Nov. 15, 9-2 pm at the Airport Campus in the Auditorium and lobby area of the Academic Center. Contact Kathy Brown, 790-7586.