Holiday Events at Lakeville Area Arts Center

This holiday season, join us at the Lakeville Area Arts Center for some fun events! Whether you want to attend a ballet with the family or a concert out on date night, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Make the season more magical with one of these great holiday events coming soon to Lakeville Area Arts Center.

November 29th: The Mini-Nutcracker

This hour-long event is perfect for the whole family to attend! Performed by Ballet Royale of MN and Twin Cities Ballet, you won't want to miss this abbreviated version of a holiday classic. Expose your children to the wonder and beauty of ballet with the Mini-Nutcracker. The show starts at 11 am and you can purchase tickets online here.

December 1st: Timothy Howe

This one-man show features the talented Timothy Howe on vocals, guitar, and ukulele. You won't want to miss this First Thursday Pub Night at Lakeville Area Arts Center! Timothy performs from 6-9 pm and tickets cost $7.

December 3rd: Monroe Crossing

This concert is filled with the airtight harmonies, razor sharp arrangements, and fun on-stage rapport people have come to expect from this popular musical group. Come out and see Monroe Crossing at the Bluegrass and Gospel Holiday Show. This is the perfect date night idea! The concert starts at 7:30 and tickets cost $29. You can learn more about Monroe Crossing band members here.

December 9th: An Old Fashion Christmas

If you love music and big brass bands, join us for the Lakeville Area Community Band's concert to help ring in the season. Under the direction of Janice Differding, the band will play a collection of classic songs to remind you of an old fashion Christmas. Ticket price includes complimentary holiday treats! Tickets cost $12 for general admission table seating and $8 for reserved balcony seating.

December 11th: SimpleGifts

The 15th Annual SimpleGifts Holiday Tour will be visiting Lakeville and you don't want to miss it! This six-member ensemble is led by award-winning musician Billy McLaughlin and features songs from their new CD “This Christmastide.” To learn more about this vocal group, visit their website. Tickets are $30 in advance and the concert starts at 6 pm.

December 15th—29th: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

This theatrical experience will have you rolling with laughter as it follows a young couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant. Adapted from the bestselling young adult book, if you're looking for a fun and family-friendly Christmas activity, this is it! To find out more specifics about the dates and times of the play, visit the event page.  

Ecourageing Your Child to Think Creatively

Creativity is an impactful and important component of a child’s development. Creativity involves forging new connections, expanding one’s wealth of knowledge, and fostering new creations. Encourage your child to explore the following activities that will help get their creative juices flowing:

Dance

Dancing is an activity that blends together creativity and fitness. Enroll your child in dance lessons to see them build strength, become more flexible, and flourish creatively. Dancing inspires kids to develop different connections and interpret and portray different emotions and ideas. It’s a great lifelong activity that blends creativity and athleticism.

Theater

To help enrich imaginations and develop creativity, enroll your kids in community theater shows and acting camps. Whether they are putting on plays at Thanksgiving dinner with the cousins or starring in school plays, you child can flourish by playing diverse characters, developing storytelling skills, and imaginatively interpreting ideas. Additionally, your child can hone language proficiency and memorization skills. These skills can help improve your child’s reading, writing, and communication abilities.

Music

The ability to sing, play instruments, and engage in music has long been connected to high academic achievement and high creative ability. Music has the ability to soothe, to inspire, and to help kids’ imaginations soar to great heights. Music also has the ability to help people of all ages empathize with a songwriter’s ideas and a singer’s emotions. Encourage your child to try new instruments and listen to different genres of music to ignite their creative spark!

Arts and Crafts

Arts and crafts can be a general term, but kids of all ages and interests can encourage their own imaginations by visual expression. Whether through paint, clay, or other mediums, children can develop many parts of their brains—and even personalities—by exploring art. Visual art engages many areas of a child’s brain, including parts that dominate decision making, physical movement, memory, and planning. Encourage your child to sketch, paint, and build. Try out activities that include color mixing, block-building, collage making, and more!

No matter your child’s interests, creativity can enhance every aspect and activity that your child encounters. By providing different resources and activities, your child will have the opportunity to explore new experiences.

To encourage your child to flex those creative muscles, encourage them to participate in the Lakeville Area Arts Center. Our theater and artful workshops can be an excellent companion to the upcoming school year. New classes will be starting soon. For more information on our performance opportunities and classes, check out the Lakeville Area Arts Center website today.

Must-See Summer Performances at the Lakeville Area Arts Center

For a fun and memorable summer, art, creativity, and spontaneity should be in abundance! Here are three upcoming theater performances that you must see this summer at the Lakeville Area Arts Center.

Snow White*

Presented by: Prairie Fire Children's Theatre

Camp dates: July 11-16

Performance dates: July 15-16

Why you should see it: A beloved fairy tale, the story of Snow White will be reimagined with the talented and creative minds at the Prairie Fire Children’s Theater. This theater classic depicts the story of Princess Snow White, a young girl cast away by a wicked and devious step-mother. Finding friendship with seven hard-working dwarves and love with a charming and handsome prince, Snow White must make her way home.

Register here.

Arsenic & Lace

Presented by: Expressions Community Theater

When: August 5-7 at 7:30 p.m., August 11-14 at 2 p.m.

Why you should see it: This classic black comedy is centered on Mortimer Brewster, a drama critic who must face his two homicidal spinster aunts, an older brother who believes he is a Teddy Roosevelt-reincarnate, and another murderous, plastic-surgery loving brother who has disfigured his own face to hide past crimes. Mortimer Brewster also has to decide if he wants to marry the woman of his dreams or move on to a life of bachelorhood. It’s hilarious, it’s unconventional, and it’s a must-see show.

Purchase tickets here.

Jack & the Beanstalk*

Presented by: Prairie Fire Children's Theatre

Camp dates: August 15-20

Performance dates: August 19 & 20

Why you should see it: “Fee-fi-fo-fum!” And thus begins the most exciting tale of a giant who lives in a castle in the sky, a towering bean plant, magic beans, and a boy named Jack. This classic English fairy tale will transport you back to an enchanting, charming, and simpler time.

Register here.

*For all camp theater shows, the Prairie Fire Children’s Theater will provide instruction, costumes, music, and sets. Upon completion of registration, all registered children will be invited to perform on stage. Auditions will take place on the first day of camp while rehearsal and performance dates will be announced shortly.

Don’t miss out on these exciting and memorable theater shows! Visit the Lakeville Community Events Calendar for more information on wonderful creative classes for children and adults this summer.