Courtesy Photo by Bronwyn Woolman Alpena Civic Theatre presents "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play," Thursday through Sunday. Pictured, from left, are Lucas Moquin, David Usher, Bill Powell, and Bruce Michaud.

∫ Art in the Loft, on the third floor of the Center Building at 109 N. 2nd Ave. in Alpena, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Classes are also offered, and can be viewed online. Visit artintheloft.org, email director@artintheloft.org, or call 989-356-4877 for more information.

∫ Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan is closed to the public now through mid-January for the installation of the new “Discover Northeast Michigan History” exhibit. There will be no “Season of Light” exhibit this year. The Besser Museum is located at 491 Johnson St., Alpena. Call 989-356-2202, or visit bessermuseum.org.

∫ Mark and Lucia Behmer are the Thunder Bay Arts Gallery Featured Artists for Decemeber. The gallery features more than 20 local artists’ work on display and for sale. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Visit thunderbayarts.org or call 989-354-2586.

∫ The Dragonfly Art Gallery, located at 116 E. Main St. in Harrisville, is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The Dragonfly’s last day of operation will be Saturday, Dec. 21, due to staffing shortages.

Today, Dec. 10

∫ The Association of Lifelong Learners hosts Mexican Train Express dominoes from 9:15 to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays.

∫ Great Start Collaborative Playgroup is held weekly at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays at Alpena County Library.

∫ TOPS #1614 Alpena welcomes new members who are looking for support in their weight-loss journey. Meetings are held every Tuesday morning at the First Presbyterian Church at 1600 W. Chisholm St. in Alpena. Weigh-ins start at 9:45 a.m. and meetings start at 10:30 a.m. There is no obligation to join if you attend your first meeting. For more information, call 989-255-4787.

∫ Potential homeowners can find out the steps they need to take to get closer to homeownership from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Tuesday at the Habitat for Humanity offices at 2630 U.S.-23 South in Alpena.

∫ Every Tuesday, practice ukulele at 10 a.m. at the Harrisville branch of Alcona County Library, with ukuleles available for checkout, and players of all skill levels invited to join.

∫ Alpena Senior Citizens Center offers quilting at 10 a.m. and Spitzer at 12:30 p.m. each Tuesday.

∫ Good Grief is a grief support group at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, at Friends Together, 105 Prentiss St. Call 989-356-3231 for more information.

∫ The Alpena Lions Club hosts their weekly meetings at noon on Tuesdays at First Presbyterian Church, Alpena. Visit alpenalionsclub.com or the Alpena Lions Club on Facebook. For detailed membership information, call 989-464-5313.

∫ MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena has launched “Life As Improv,” a new, eight-week adult support group. The free support group will be held from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, now through Dec. 17. Sessions are held in the Behavioral Health Conference Room at MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena. The final Dec. 17 session will be held at Joshua Tree Studio and Spa, 112 W. Chisholm St., Alpena. Registration is required. Call 989-356-8193 or email karen.nowicki-compeau@mymichigan.org.

∫ Sewing Club meets from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the Alpena County Library’s Makerspace. This club is open to all skill levels, ages 10 and up. Bring your sewing marchine, if you have one, and supplies. Registration is required by calling Barb Brege at 989-255-8969.

∫ ALL will host Book Lovers, led by Carey Rapin, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Tuesday at M. Briggs Center. New attendees are warmly welcomed to this gathering. Feel free to bring books for a book swap.

∫ Alpena County Library hosts Tinker Tuesday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Participants must be age 5 or older.

∫ Bay View Center hosts a diversity support meeting at 4 p.m. each Tuesday. This weekly meeting is for those in the LGBTQ community, their families, and supporters, at Bay View Center, 710 N. 2nd Ave. If you have questions, call 989-340-0955.

∫ Friends Together presents Learn with Friends from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month. Today’s topic is Caregiver Support. Join Friends Together and guest speaker Annie Hepburn for an opportunity to mingle with other caregivers and learn about resources and tips to help prevent caregiver burnout. This free event is open to the public and will be held at Friends Together and via Zoom. To register, call 989-356-3231.

∫ A new women’s cancer support group is offered from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m on Tuesdays at MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena’s Cancer Center. All women with cancer are welcome. This is a safe, confidential, peer-to-peer support group.

∫ Cub Scouts meet from 6 to 7 p.m., and Boy Scouts meet from 6:30 to 8 p.m. each Tuesday at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 727 S. 2nd Ave., Alpena.

∫ Karaoke Night is from 7 to 10 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Black Sheep Pub in downtown Alpena.

∫ ALL’s Photography Club will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. at M. Briggs Center, and via Zoom. For the link, email all@alpenacc.edu.

Wednesday, Dec. 11

∫ ALL pickleball plays from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Call the ALL office at 989-358-7207 for details.

∫ Friends of the Library will have a used book store open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Wednesday on the third floor of the Alpena County Library. The book store is currently holding a Christmas special of five books for $3. The public is welcome.

∫ Alpena Senior Citizens Center exercise is from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

∫ Guys Like Us is a Wednesday morning coffee crew of men who are coping with cancer, meeting at 10 a.m., in-person at Friends Together and via Zoom. Call Friends Together at 989-356-3231 for the link.

∫ Join the Alpena County Library from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday mornings for Open MakerLab. If you have questions, call 989-356-6188, ext. 20.

∫ Alpena County Library offers Tech Help from noon to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

∫ ALL offers pinochle from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at M. Briggs Center with Julie Byrnes.

∫ S.T.E.A.M., formerly called Homeschoolers at the Library, will meet at 1 p.m. each Wednesday at the Harrisville branch of the Alcona County Library.

∫ Circle of Hope is a women’s only cancer support group that meets from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. each Wednesday at Friends Together. Call 989-356-3231, or drop in. No pre-registration is required.

∫ Alpena Sportsmen’s Club is a nonprofit located at 4260 M-32 West in Alpena, open to members and non-members. Skeet and sporting clay shooting are offered from 5:45 p.m. until dark on Wednesdays, and from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, text Joel Suszek at 989-255-4928 or Jeff Welch at 989-255-6068.

∫ The Besser Male Chorus will perform a Christmas concert at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at First United Methodist Church, 167 S. Ripley Blvd., Alpena. Freewill donations are joyfully accepted.

∫ Rich Rider hosts Open Mic Night from 7 to 10 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Black Sheep Pub, 113 S. 2nd Ave., downtown Alpena.

Thursday, Dec. 12

∫ Community Walking Club meets at 9 a.m. every Thursday in the parking lot of the Harrisville branch of the Alcona County Library.

∫ Join the Alpena County Library Youth Services Department at 9:15 a.m. each Thursday for Weekly Storytime. Come for a few stories, then stay for an activity or craft! All ages are welcome.

∫ Join the Alpena County Girlfriends at 10 a.m. on Thursdays for coffee and conversation. This is a women-only group whose purpose is to make friends and socialize with women from Alpena County and the surrounding areas. Please contact Betty at 734-693-2869 for weekly location.

∫ Join ALL for Spitzer from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Thursday at M. Briggs Center, led by Marilyn Klingshirn.

∫ Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel will have their Christmas gathering at noon on Thursday, Dec.12 at the First United Methodist Church on Ripley Boulevard in Alpena. A catered luncheon will be offered for $14. Reservations were due Monday to Ruth LeBarre by calling or texting her at 989-506-8876. Payment is due at the door on the day of the gathering unless you choose to bring your own lunch. The group will collect Toys for Kids or a monetary donation can be made to Toys for Kids. Music will be provided for your listening pleasure. This will be the last meeting of the year. The group will not meet again until April 10, 2025.

∫ Pinochle and bridge are held at 12:30 p.m. on Thursdays at Alpena Senior Citizens Center.

∫ Needles and Threads group is held from 2:30 to 4:30 pm every Thursday at the Grand Lake branch of Presque Isle District Library. Bring your latest knitting, crocheting, sewing, needlepoint, or other crafts. Call 989-734-2477, ext. 2 with questions. The library is at 18132 Lake Esau Highway, Presque Isle.

∫ ALL’s Happening will be held from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Thursday at St. Bernard’s Friendship Room, 322 W. Chisholm St., Alpena. ALL will celebrate its 12th annual dinner with the clients of The Friendship Room. Social hour will begin at 3:30 p.m., with dinner to follow at 4 p.m. Membership generosity in the past has resulted in contributions in excess of $1,000 per year. If writing a check, make it payable to All Saints — Alpena, and write Friendship Room in the memo line. Gifts cards from these merchants would also be appreciated: Gordon Food Service, Meijer, Walmart, or a Dial-A-Ride voucher. Or bring any of these food items: baked beans, chicken or beef broth, butter, or mayonnaise.

∫ Sewing Club meets from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Alpena County Library’s Makerspace. This club is open to all skill levels, ages 10 and up. Bring your sewing marchine, if you have one, and supplies. Registration is required by calling Barb Brege at 989-255-8969.

∫ Thursday Eve Serenity Group meets from 7 to 8 p.m. every Thursday at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 351 Wilson St., Alpena. If a problem drinker has or is affecting your life, Al-Anon can help you. Meetings are anonymous and confidential. Call 989-354-5476.

∫ Take a step back in time to the 1940s and enjoy some Christmas nostalgia with Alpena Civic Theatre’s “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.” The holiday treat is showing Thursday through Sunday only. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets to this production are just $10 each. Reserve your tickets by calling the ACT box office at 989-354-3624. Alpena Civic Theatre is located at 401 River St., Alpena.

Friday, Dec. 13

∫ ALL pickleball plays from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

∫ Friends Together will host a Downtown Popcorn Factory from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the parking lot at 105 Prentiss St., Alpena. Santa, Mrs. Claus, and an elf or two will be on hand, with the smell of fresh kettle corn and the sound of holiday music in the air. Kettle corn will be $10, caramel corn will be $15, and Chicago mix will be $15. Proceeds of the popcorn sale go to support Friends Together’s vision of a community where no one faces cancer alone.

∫ Exercise is at 10 a.m. at Alpena Senior Citizens Center. Then at noon, Mahjong is played, and pinochle starts at 12:30 p.m.

∫ Presque Isle District Library’s Posen branch offers knitting and crocheting from 10 a.m. to noon on Fridays. All levels are welcome. If you have questions, call 989-734-2477.

∫ On Fridays, Storytime and Craft for Kids meets at 10:30 a.m. at the Harrisville branch of the Alcona County Library.

∫ Order your Christmas cookies by noon on Friday to pick up from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 125 W. Ontario St., Rogers City. Two dozen in a box are $15. To pre-order, call 989-734-3929 and leave a message with your name, phone number, and the quantity needed. Drop-ins are welcome as well.

∫ ALL hosts contract bridge from 12:30 to 3 p.m. on Fridays at M. Briggs Center.

∫ The Hillman VFW Post 2356 hosts its Friday Night Fish Fry from 4 to 7 p.m. every Friday night, with your choice of fish or shrimp, potato, coleslaw, roll, and drink. The fish fry is open to the public, and the cost is $12 for the fish dinner or $14 for the shrimp dinner.

∫ ALL hosts square dancing from 4 to 6 p.m. For more information, call the ALL office at 989-358-7207 or email all@alpenacc.edu.

∫ The Alpena Downtown Development Authority is excited to announce the days and times that Santa will be in his house in Culligan Plaza this December. Each Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m., Santa’s house will be open for visitors. Visitors can stop in to take their photo with Santa, drop off a letter, and tell him what they’d like for Christmas this year. Santa will be in his house, which is located in Culligan Plaza on the corner of 2nd Avenue and Chisholm Street, right next to the City’s Christmas tree, on the following dates: Friday, Dec. 13 from 5 to 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 14 from noon to 4 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 20 from 5 to 7 p.m.; and Saturday, Dec. 21 from noon to 4 p.m. The events are free and open to people of all ages. There will be elves on hand to help hold coats, take photos, and assist with the events. Alpena Alcona Area Credit Union and the Alpena High School Key Club are providing volunteers to make Santa’s visits possible. Santa also has a mailbox in front of his house where families can drop off their letters to Santa at any point leading up to Christmas.

∫ A pasta dinner to support martial arts programs will be held from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Friday at the APlex, 701 Woodward Ave., Alpena. The meal includes your choice of pasta with meat sauce, chicken alfredo, or lasagna, with salad, garlic bread, drink, and dessert. This dinner will be dine-in or takeout. The cost for ages 13 to adult is $12 per person, or two for $22. Meals for children ages 5 to 12 are $10 each, and children under age 5 eat for free.

∫ Alpena Civic Theatre’s “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” is showing at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets to this production are just $10 each. Reserve your tickets by calling the ACT box office at 989-354-3624. Alpena Civic Theatre is located at 401 River St., Alpena.

Saturday, Dec. 14

∫ The Agent Orange Riders will host a pancake breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturday at the Alpena VFW Hall, 2900 Connon St., Alpena. This all-you-can-eat breakfast will be $10 per person. The menu includes pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, orange juice, and coffee. The public is welcome to attend.

∫ The Alpena Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Mich-e-ke-wis Park, 1302 State Ave. in Alpena. For more information, visit the Friends of the Alpena Farmers Market on Facebook.

∫ The Sunrise Side Co-op Market (indoor farmers market) is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday, with 40 vendors represented weekly for your bakery, farm products, wellness items and high-end gift needs, located in the blue marina building at 401 E. Chisholm St., Alpena.

∫ Find something for everyone on your list at the Country Christmas Craft Show from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday at Caledonia Township Hall, 6421 Gillard Road, Spruce. Shop local vendors and small businesses featuring crafts, jewelry, baked goods, wreaths, ornaments, home decor, stationary, soaps, candles, and more. This is a free admission event. Enjoy hot chocolate while you shop. Fat Freddies food truck will be on-site. Santa and Mrs. Claus are scheduled to visit from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. There will be door prizes.

∫ A Free Ride With Santa event will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Patchwood Plaza, 14797 State Street South, Hillman. Come see Santa, Sparky, and Chiefy the Reindeer. There will be free popcorn, hot chocolate, and treats, games and prizes, a coloring contest, and Christmas music. Bring your camera to take a free photo with Santa. For more information, call 989-742-3739. This event is sponsored by the Hillman Area Chamber of Commerce, Top O’ Michigan Insurance, Allband Communications, Cordes Forest and Farm LLC, Presque Isle Electric and Gas Co-op, Weiland Excavating and Snowplowing, Hillman Self Storage, Patchwood Plaza, and 4 C’s Wagons.

∫ Santa will be in his house at Culligan Plaza, accepting visitors from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

∫ The Nutcracker: A Sunrise Side Production, featuring over 100 local participants, will be held at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, at the Alpena High School auditorium. Tickets are on sale now. All seats are reserved. Call 989-356-1439 for reservations. Proceeds will benefit local nonprofit organizations. Also on Saturday, A Nutcracker Tea Party will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. in the Alpena High School commons. Desserts and hot drinks will be served. Children will meet the Nutcracker characters, do crafts, and receive an autographed poster. The cost for the tea party is $15 per child, and $10 per accompanying adult. Proceeds from the tea party will benefit the Vietnam Veterans Toys for Kids program.

∫ Alpena Civic Theatre’s “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” is showing at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets to this production are just $10 each. Reserve your tickets by calling the ACT box office at 989-354-3624. Alpena Civic Theatre is located at 401 River St., Alpena.

∫ Revolution Dance will host a Holiday Show featuring festive holiday music and dance at 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Alcona Community Schools Auditorium, 51 N. Barlow Road. There will be a holiday basket raffle, and cookies and cocoa after the show. The suggested donation for entry is $8 per person. If you have questions, call 989-272-8152.

∫ The APlex presents Comedy Night on Saturday, featuring Martha Johnson, Steve Lind, and Billy Reno. Music starts at 6 p.m. and the comedy show starts at 7 p.m. Admission is $10. Get tickets at aplex.org.

Sunday, Dec. 15

∫ Living Hope Church invites the community to its Children’s Christmas Program at 10 a.m., followed by a Family Christmas Lunch, at 1499 M-32, Alpena.