Holiday Musical
‘Noel the Musical’ takes the stage on Monday, Dec. 17 at 7:30 p.m. in the Mary Stuart Rogers Theater at Gallo Center for the Arts. This brand new holiday family musical is the touching story of a young girl who is preparing for her starring role in a school Christmas performance, when her mother disappears. Set in London, as the little girl tries to find her mother, she encounters a diverse group of homeless folk who have lost their way in life. With a gorgeous score, Noel is a heart-warming poignant message of love that teaches us all to find the joy in our own lives and to rediscover the magic of Christmas. For ticket information, call 209-338-2100. The Gallo Center is at 1000 I St., Modesto.
Peppa At Bob Hope
Peppa Pig Live, now one of the most successful family theater tours in North American history with more than 500,000 tickets sold to date, will continue its record-breaking run when it plays the Bob Hope Theatre on Sunday, Dec. 16. Just in time for the holiday season, “Peppa Pig’s Surprise” (www.peppapigliveus.com), the newest live stage show based on Entertainment One’s (eOne) top-rated series airing daily on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr., will visit cities across the United States, including Stockton, Dallas, Houston and Chicago. Tickets will be sold at the Stockton Arena Box Office and online at Ticketmaster. Most tickets and VIP packages, which include meet-and-greets with the characters, are available.
Relay Challenge
Oakdale High School, 739 W. G St., Oakdale will again be the host site for the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life in 2019 and teams from Oakdale, Riverbank, Escalon, Waterford and beyond are encouraged to get involved. As an incentive, a ‘Dash for the Stash’ Challenge is underway, running now through Dec. 31. Anyone who registers online and raises $25 is automatically entered into a drawing for a vintage American Cancer Society ‘swag bag’ full of Relay For Life-themed items. Hours for the combined Oakdale-Riverbank-Escalon-Waterford Relay For Life scheduled in 2019 have changed. Always slated over a 24-hour period for past Relay events, the 2019 edition is scheduled for 9 a.m. to midnight on Saturday, April 27. Team captain meetings will resume in January.
Toy Collection
Join the holiday effort and help local Realtor Kevin Benziger fill his ‘Super Kev’ Trailer with toys for the young fire victims in Butte County. Now through Dec. 21, the effort is aimed at collecting new, unwrapped toys to be delivered to the kids of Paradise. Those wishing to help can bring any new, unwrapped toy to Academy Mortgage at 102 Grove Ave., Oakdale or call Benziger for more information, 209-848-3673.
Blue Star Effort
There is still time to help the Mid-Cal Blue Star Moms collect items to send items to service members for the holidays. The group is also accepting names for any active duty troops who will not be home for Christmas; those serving both stateside and overseas. Donations of coffee, hot drink mixes, and non-perishable food items are being sought as well tax-deductible monetary donations to help with postage for mailing the packages and other expenses. Monetary donations can be made through the website, www.midcalbluestarmoms.org or mailed to their post office box, PO Box 1745, Oakdale, CA 95361. For more information about the effort, visit www.midcalbluestarmoms.org/care-packages. You can also call 209-336-3221 to learn more about when and where to drop off donated items.
Library Activities
Bring your little ones for some Toddler/Preschool Dance Fun on Monday, Dec. 17, at 11 a.m.; enjoy “rockin’ out” to some favorite Story Time music as well as trying the hula, the Twist, or perhaps a “Jingle Bell Rock” at the Oakdale Library, 151 S. First Ave., Oakdale. Festive fun will continue with a Children’s Craft event on Wednesday, Dec. 19 at 3:30 p.m.; children are invited to paint a wood ornament ideal for hanging on the wall or a tree. There will be several different patterns to choose from and all the colors necessary for unique personalization. And, all week, Dec. 17 through 22, don’t forget to “Find the Missing Reindeer Antlers” hidden in the Children’s Library, and get a small prize.
Food Drive
Save Mart and FoodMaxx stores are hosting the annual Holiday Give. Share. CARE! Drive, making it easier for shoppers to donate. At checkout, customers can tear off a coupon and hand it to the cashier. A coupon for $2 feeds one person breakfast; $3 feeds one person lunch; and $5 feeds one person dinner. The coupon shoppers choose will be added to their grocery bill, and the tax deductible contribution will be noted on their receipt. One hundred percent of all donations go to the local food bank assigned to each store. Locally, Save Mart stores in Oakdale and Riverbank are participating in the campaign. Donations at checkout are underway now and will end Friday, Dec. 28.
Crane Tours
The first through third Saturdays and Sundays of the month, the popular Sandhill Crane Wetland Tours are staged at Woodbridge Ecological Reserve, 7730 W. Woodbridge Road, Lodi. Online registration is available for those wishing to participate in guided tours, which run through February. A one-day Lands Pass must be purchased to attend and instructions are available on the same website. Tours fill fast and registration may be done as much as six weeks in advance. To register or for more information, visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/regions/3/crane-tour.
Dance Sessions
Golden Agers weekly dances are open to those 50 and older from throughout the Central Valley and are now hosted at St. Frances of Rome Church, 2827 Topeka St., Riverbank. First time guests are admitted free. The annual membership fee is $12 and each Wednesday members pay $5 and non-members can enjoy a few hours of music and dancing for $6. The Golden Agers meet from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Toastmaster Meet
The local REO Speechtrain Toastmasters Club gathers for regular meetings every Wednesday morning, 6:30 a.m. to 7:45 a.m., at Perko’s Cafe, Patterson and Oakdale roads, Riverbank. This is a fun way to learn the self-confidence and skills needed for public speaking. All are invited to come and check out the group. The next meeting will be Wednesday, Dec. 19. For more information, call (209) 869-8200.
Weight Loss Support
All are invited to the weekly meetings of TOPS, Take Off Pounds Sensibly, 1034 that gathers each Monday from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the United Methodist Church, 1480 Poplar Ave., Oakdale. The group features help with weight loss in a supportive setting. Residents of Oakdale, Riverbank, Escalon and beyond are welcome to attend. Call Audrey Oliver at 209-765-7838 for information. You can also visit www.tops.org.
