Turkey and all, Thanksgiving is but a nibble compared to the twinkle-lit feast of festivities to come.
Clear off the dishes: It's time for the next course of recipes made of equal parts peppermint and good times with friends and family.
Or step out like the marching band in a Christmas parade. Things to taste, see and do crowd the table -- a spread that extends from today's garnishments into the new year with room for everybody, all across the state.
Santa will be your server, and here's the menu complete with not-so-secret ingredients for some of the season's favorite fare.
MENU
APPETIZERS
The last slice of November comes topped off with a choice of choral harmonies, twinkle lights, fuzzy-bunny pajamas and a sprinkling of BB shot, or zesty rock guitars:
• River City Men's Chorus Christmas celebration, 3 p.m. today and 7 p.m. Monday and Thursday at Second Presbyterian Church, Little Rock. Details at rivercitymenschorus.com. Call (501) 377-1080.
• Festival of Trees, Monday-Dec. 9 at the Fairfield Bay Conference and Visitor Center near Greers Ferry. Details at ffbchamber.com. Call (501) 884-4202.
• A Christmas Story, Wednesday-Dec. 25 at Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Little Rock. Details at therep.org. Call (501) 378-0405.
• Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert, The Ghosts of Christmas Eve, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Verizon Arena in North Little Rock. Details at verizonarena.com. Call (800) 745-3000.
• Christmas comedy, Sorry, Wrong Chimney, through Dec. 31 at Murry's Dinner Playhouse, Little Rock. Details at murrysdp.com. Call (501) 562-3131.
• Theatre Squared production of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations with six actors performing 40 characters, Wednesday-Jan. 1 at Walton Arts Center's Nadine Baum Studios, Fayetteville. Details at theatre2.org. Call (479) 443-5600.
• "Collage Art by Arkansas Artists" exhibit in memory of Amy Edgington, through Dec. 16 at Wildwood Park for the Arts, Little Rock. Details at wildwoodpark.org. Call (501) 821-7275.
• "True Faith, True Light: The Devotional Art of Ed Stilley" exhibit of folk art musical instruments made of saw blades and pot lids, through 2017 at the Old State House Museum, Little Rock. Details at oldstatehouse.com. Call (501) 324-9685.
RUDOLPH'S LIGHT-UP
LITE HORS D'OEUVRES RECIPE
Ingredients:
• Enchanted Land of Lights and Legends drive-through light show through Dec. 31 at Jefferson County Regional Park, Pine Bluff. Details at pinebluffcvb.org. Call (870) 536-7600.
• Holiday Lights at Garvan Woodland Gardens, 17 acres and millions of light through Dec. 31, Hot Springs. Details at garvangardens.org. Call (501) 262-9300.
• Lights of the Ozarks carriage rides and hot chocolate through Dec. 31 around Fayetteville's town square. Details at thelightsoftheozarks.com. Call (479) 521-5776.
Directions: Whisk along -- or stop for a look-see.
ENTREES
December is a full platter of dishes -- and seconds, and thirds and start all over:
• Snow Village and Train Exhibit, Friday-Dec. 24, at Gaskins Switch Village, Eureka Springs. Details at eurekaspringshistoricalmuseum.org. Call (479) 253-9417.
• The Elves and the Shoemaker, Friday-Dec. 18 at Arkansas Arts Center Children's Theatre, Little Rock. Details at arkansasartscenter.org. Call (501) 372-4000.
• Holiday Hangout with performers including The Bottle Rockets and Cory Branan, Friday and Saturday at The White Water Tavern, Little Rock. Details at whitewatertavern.com. Call (501) 375-8400.
• Arkansas Craft Guild Christmas Showcase, Friday-Dec. 4 at the Statehouse Convention Center, Little Rock. Details at arkansascraftguild.org. Call (870) 269-4120.
• Arkansas Choral Society concert, portions of Handel's Messiah, 7:30 p.m. Friday at First Pentecostal Church, North Little Rock. Details at lovetosing.org. Call (501) 376-8484.
• Fort Smith Symphony concert, A Classic Christmas, 7:30 p.m. Saturday at ArcBest Corp. Performing Arts Center, Fort Smith. Details at fortsmithsymphony.org. Call (479) 452-7575.
• Vintage music band The Side Street Steppers, 2 p.m. Saturday at Elizabeth's Restaurant, Batesville, benefits the Ozarks Foothills Film Festival. Details at ozarkfoothillsfilmfest.org. Call (870) 252-1189.
• Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham, 3 p.m. Dec. 4 at Verizon Arena, North Little Rock. Details at verizonarena.com. Call (501) 975-9000.
BUDDY THE ELF'S
POINTY-TOED
ROCKY-ROAD RECIPE
Ingredients:
• Broadway musical Elf, Saturday-Dec. 4 at Robinson Center Performance Hall, Little Rock. Details at celebrityattractions.com. Call (501) 244-8800.
• Elf the Musical Jr., children's show by Red Curtain Theatre, 7 p.m. Saturday at Heritage Arts Center, Leslie. Details at searcycountyarkansas.org. Call (870) 448-2557.
• Jingle Bell Run, 11 a.m. Saturday from the Clinton Presidential Center, Little Rock, benefits the Arthritis Foundation. Details at arthritis.org/arkansas. Call (501) 664-7242.
• Big Jingle Jubilee Holiday Parade with Olympic gold medalist Jeff Henderson as grand marshal, 3 p.m. Saturday from Second Street and Broadway, Little Rock, to the state Capitol for the capitol lighting ceremony and fireworks at dark, about 6 p.m. Details at holidaysinlittlerock.com. Call (501) 376-4781.
• North Little Rock Sertoma Christmas Parade and Northern Lights Festival, 3-5:30 p.m. Dec. 4, Main Street and downtown. Details at northlittlerock.org. Call (501) 758-1424.
• Jacksonville Christmas Parade, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 6 on Main Street, Jacksonville. Details at cityofjacksonville.net. Call (501) 982-4171.
Directions: Dish and dash; serve with best foot forward.
TRIMMINGS
It wouldn't be roast beast if it didn't come with Who pudding, as everyone knows from Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas. And pass the Who hash:
• Handbells concert with the Hallelujah Handbell Choir from First Baptist Church of Benton, 7 p.m. Dec. 8 at Garvan Woodland Gardens, Hot Springs. Details at garvangardens.org. (501) 262-9300.
• Art Garfunkel, 8 p.m. Dec. 9 at Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville. Details at waltonartscenter.org. Call (479) 443-5600.
• Arkansas Chamber Singers Holiday Concert, "Heaven Down to Earth," 7 p.m. Dec. 9 and 10, and 3 p.m. Dec. 11 at the Old State House Museum, Little Rock; also 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13 at Trinity Presbyterian Church, and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 15 at Our Lady of the Holy Souls Catholic Church, Little Rock. Details at ar-chambersingers.org. Call (501) 377-1121.
• Little Rock Musical Coterie concert with organists Stanley Cox, Bill McCandless and Adam Savacool, 11 a.m. Dec. 9 at Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church, Little Rock. Call (870) 403-2350.
• Broadway musical The Book of Mormon, Dec. 13-18 at Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville. Details at waltonartscenter.org. Call (479) 443-5600.
• Young Players musical, A Charlie Brown Christmas, through Dec. 17 at The Royal Theatre, Benton. Details at theroyalplayers.com. Call (501) 315-5483.
• Arkansas Symphony Orchestra concert, "Home for the Holidays," 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16-17 and 3 p.m. Dec. 18 at Robinson Center Performance Hall, Little Rock. Details at arkansassymphony.com. Call (501) 666-1761.
• Caroling in the Forest, 7 p.m. Dec. 17 at Pinnacle Mountain State Park near Little Rock. Details at arkansas.com. Call (501) 868-5806.
• Holiday Crafts Open House, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 17 at Plantation Agriculture Museum, Scott. Details at arkansas.com. Call (501) 961-1409.
• Art Porter Singers performance of Handel's Messiah, 5 p.m. Dec. 18 at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Little Rock. Call (501) 374-2891.
• Reels & Wheels Drive-In Movie screening of The Polar Express, 6 p.m. Dec. 23 at Hot Springs Memorial Field Airport, Hot Springs. Details at hotsprings.org. Call (501) 321-2027.
MOUSE KING'S
DOUBLE-CRUNCH
NUTLOAF RECIPE
Ingredients:
• Ballet Arkansas and Arkansas Symphony Orchestra production of The Nutcracker, Dec. 9 through Dec. 11 at Robinson Center Performance Hall, Little Rock. Details at arkansassymphony.com. Call (501) 666-1761.
• Western Arkansas Ballet production of The Nutcracker, 7:30 Dec. 10 and 2:30 p.m. Dec. 11 at ArcBest Corp. Performing Arts Center, Fort Smith. Details at waballet.org. Call (479) 785-0152.
• The Hip Hop Nutcracker with electric violin , 7 p.m. Dec. 22 at Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville. Details at waltonartscenter.org. Call (479) 443-5600.
Directions: Serve with snowflakes, sugarplums, chocolate, tea, candy canes and Mother Ginger.
DESSERTS
January sweetens the start of the new year with a sugar-dusted tray of temptations:
• First Day Hikes at more than a dozen state parks in Arkansas including Lake Catherine State Park near Hot Springs, Mount Magazine State Park near Paris and Lake Dardanelle State Park near Russellville. Details at arkansas.com.
• Broadway musical-comedy A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, Jan. 10-15 at Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville. Details at waltonartscenter.org. Call (479) 443-5600.
• Intimate Apparel, weekends Jan. 13-28 at The Weekend Theater, Little Rock. Details at weekendtheater.org. Call (501) 374-3761.
• Oaklawn live horse racing, Jan. 13-April 15, Hot Springs. Details at oaklawn.com. Call (800) 625-5296.
• Eagles founding member Don Henley, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 20 at Robinson Center Performance Hall, Little Rock. Details at ticketmaster.com. Call (800) 745-3000.
• Musical Sister Act, Jan. 25-Feb. 26 at Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Little Rock. Details at therep.org. Call (501) 378-0405.
• "Ansel Adams: Early Works" exhibit, Jan. 27-April 16 at Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock. Details at arkansasartscenter.org. Call (501) 372-4000.
• Harlem Globetrotters, 7 p.m. Jan. 31 at Verizon Arena, North Little Rock. Details at verizonarena.com. Call (501) 975-9000.
• Arkansas Symphony Orchestra "River Rhapsodies" chamber music concert of Strauss and Debussy compositions, 7 p.m. Jan. 31 at Clinton Presidential Center, Little Rock. Details at arkansassymphony.org. Call (501) 666-1761.
CINDERELLA'S WHIPPED CREAM AND CHIFFON RECIPE
Ingredients:
• Broadway musical Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, Jan. 13-15 at Robinson Center Performance Hall, Little Rock. Details at celebrityattractions.com. Call (501) 244-8800.
• Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Bridal Show, 12:30-5 p.m. Jan. 15 at the Statehouse Convention Center, Little Rock. Details at arkansasbridalcommunity.com. Call (501) 378-3807.
Directions: Turn out silky-smooth as meringue. Serve before midnight.
Style on 11/27/2016