Celebrate Christmas in the heart of Orchard Road. Catch musical and arts performances by schools and groups, including hip hop dance, modern dances, a cappella choir, carolling, brass bands and more.
Where: Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza, Orchard Road MRT: Somerset/Orchard When: Till Wed , 7pm (7.30- 8pm: appearance by Santa Claus and Santarina: have a souvenir photo taken with them and take home this special gift costing $7) Admission: Free Tel: 6733-0337
Anniversary
ELVIS PRESLEY'S 74TH BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY DINNER
Fans of rock icon Elvis Presley can celebrate his 74th birthday anniversary with an eight-course Chinese dinner, performances by Singapore's own Elvis Presley, Wilson David, and core singers from the Singapore First Elvis Fan Club and catch a screening of Presley's Aloha From Hawaii concert.
Where: Hotel Royal, Jade Room, 36 Newton Road
MRT: Novena When: Jan 8, 5.30 - 11pm (5.30pm: screening of Elvis Presley's Aloha From Hawaii concert with dinner starting at 7pm) Admission: $40 Tel: 9686-3806 (Daniel Chan) Info: There will be lucky draws and quizzes E-mail dcelvis_meetup@yahoo.com.sg to book or visit www.elvis_meetup.com/169/about
Art
CATMASUTRA 5 BY PAUL MYSH
Quirky, amusing and karmic, local artist Paul Koh's paintings take you into the 'in-between' world of the CatmaSutra cat where innocence and mischief go hand in hand. They are displayed together with a feline series, A Blue Beginning, by fellow artist Michelle Chang featuring a cat on a quest to rid itelf of blues.
Where: Utterly Art Exhibition Space, 229A South Bridge Road, Level 2, diagonally opposite the Ari Mariamman Temple, Pagoda Street Exit MRT: Chinatown When: Till Sun , noon - 8pm (Mon - Sat), noon - 5.30pm (Sun), closed at 5.30pm on Wed (Christmas Eve) and closed on Thu (Christmas Day) Admission: Free Tel: 6226-2605 Info: E-mail utterlyart@pacific.net.sg
A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
Singapore landmarks, such as The Raffles Hotel, are depicted in the watercolour series of local artist Dick Lim.
Where: d'Art Studio, Blenheim Court 02 -03, 5 Westbourne Road, Wessex Estate off Portsdown Road MRT: Buona Vista When: Till Dec 31, 11. 6pm (Mon - Sat & public holidays), 1.30 - 6pm (first, second and third Sundays), closed on 4th and 5th Sundays Admission: Free Ino: www.d-artstudio.com.sg
'TROPICAL ART' by SINGAPORE ARTISTS
This art exhibition by a group of Singapore artists with various artistic styles depict their rich imagination and creativity.
Where: Cape of Good Hope Art Gallery, MICA Building 01 - 06, 140 Hill Street MRT: City Hall/Clarke Quay When: Till Dec 31, 11am - 7pm daily Admission: Free Tel: 6733-3822
MAN, HEROES, MYTHS & GODS
The wild and imaginative works of Thai artists Jirapat Tatsanasomboon and Kamol Tamseewan will change your view of Thai contemporary art.
Where: Mulan Gallery 02 -33, Tanglin Shopping Centre. Tanglin Road MRT: Orchard When: Till Jan 8, 11am - 6.30pm (Mon - Sat), 1- 6pm (Sun) Admission: Free Tel: 6738-0810
JOEY PIZIALI IN VISIBLE LIGHT
The artworks of San Francisco artist Joey Piziali use materials such as billboards, tape and spray paints to suggest alternative versions of reality.
Where: Collectors Contemporary, 5 Jalan Kilang Barat 01 -03 Petro Centre MRT: Bukit Merah/Queenstown When: Till Jan 24 next year, 11am - 7pm (Tue - Sat), closed on Sun Admission: Free Tel: 6878--0103
INSPIRATIONS FROM KAMPONG GLAM (POTTERY EXHIBITION)
Get inspired by this premier pottery exhibition featuring pottery by well-known Singapore potter Ismail Jalil, the artist-in-residence at the Malay Heritage Centre pottery studio, and other artists such as Ahmad Bakar, a lecturer at the Lasalle College of the Arts.
Where: Malay Heritage Museum (former Istana Kampung Glam), Gallery Nine, Kampong Glam MRT: Bugis When: Till Jan 31, 10am - 6pm (Tue - Sun), 2- 6pm (Mon) Admission: Free Tel: 6391-0466 Info: www.malayheritage.org.sg
Charity
CHESTNUTS FOR A MERRY GOOD CAUSE
'Tis the season for sharing. Give a voluntary donation to the Thian Leng Old Folks Home at Traders Hotel and the hotel will give you free warm roasted chestnuts in the spirit of giving.
Buy any of more than 30,000 copies of the Good Life Recipe Book at any of the NTUC Fairprice supermarkets and hypermarket in Singapore and help raise more than $100,000 for The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund which helps needy schoolchilden here.
Where: All NTUC FairPrice supermarkets and hypermarkets in Singapore When: While stocks last Admission: Pay $12.80 for the book or $3.90 with purchases of $25 and above Tel: 1800-5522-722 (9am - 5pm on weekdays) Info: The book contains 16 innovative recipes by local celebrity chefs, including Violet Oon, Chan Kwok, Sam Leong, Angelo Sanelli and Chookiat Kantha who collaborated with Fairprice and Peter Knipp Holdings in this project for the needy.
BLOOD DONATION DRIVE
Save a precious life. Donate blood during this festive season and school holidays when there is a 10 per cent drop in blood collection. This blood donation drive is being held by the Singapore Red Cross.
Where: Qian Hu Fish Farm, 71 Jalan Lekar, Sungei Tengah MRT: Choa Chu Kang When: Sat , 11am - 3pm Tel: 6220-0183 Info: You can also donate blood at the Bloodbank @ HSA, 11 Outram Road MRT: Outram. Info: www.donorweb.org
AN EN-DEERING GREEN CHRISTMAS
Save the planet and celebrate a green Christmas at the Night Safari. Donate books and toys to children from the Make-A-Wish Foundation at the Night Safari's Green Hut, and catch musical performances by percussion players using recycled materials.
Where: Night Safari, 80 Mandai Lake Road MRT: Choa Chu Kang/Yishun When: Till Sat , 7pm - midnight Admission: $22 (adults) & $11 (children aged three to 12)
Tel: 6269-3411
SWOP!
Swop items, such as second-hand clothes, books, CDs, shoes and accessories, for a worthy cause. Take along at least five items and exchange them for other items at this charity swapping event. The proceeds will go to Transient Workers Count Too, a non-profit organisation which helps foreign workers and maids.
Where: The Other Side, an arts space at 66 Rowell Road MRT: Farrer Park/Little India When: Sunday , 4 - 6pm Admission: $5 Tel: 6319-2792 (Tessa Wong) Info: http://swop.wordpress.com
BEAR A BEAR, BLESS A LIFE
Adopt a limited-edition charity bear or bunny from Spinelli for $39.90. All proceeds will go to Mustard Seeds, a non-profit organisation for needy children and the elderly in the Asia-Pacific region. You will also receive a $5 Spinelli Coffee beverage voucher.
Where: All 27 Spinelli outlets islandwide When: Till Sun , usual store opening hours Tel: 6339-7538 Info: The charity bear or rabbit comes with a costume and for an extra $8, your furry friend will get a passport and a gift box. Visit www.spinellicoffee.com
TREE OF JOY & LUV BY LEE HWA JEWELLERY
Share your love with sick children this Christmas. Buy a Destinee Joy & Luv charm from Lee Hwa Jewellery at Bugis Junction's Malay Street and five per cent of sale proceeds will go to the Children's Cancer Foundation. Replicas of the charms are displayed at a designer Tree of Joy & Luv there.
Where: Bugis Junction, Malay Street, Level 1, in front of InterContinetal Singapore MRT: Bugis When: Till Jan 4: 10am - 10pm Admission: Free Tel: 6557-6557
WILL THE BULL CHARGE IN THE YEAR OF THE OX?
Get insights from Hong Kong's Feng Shui Grand Master Raymond Lo on the coming Chinese Year of the Ox. For each premium ticket sold for this session, Singapore Pools will donate $50 to the President's Challenge, which helps more than 40 charities, including the needy and the disabled.
Where: Singapore Conference Hall, Singapore Chinese Orchestra Concert Hall, 7 Shenton Way MRT: Tanjong Pagar When: Jan 8, 7.30 - 9.15pm Admission: $20 (standard ticket) & $68 (premium ticket) Tel: 6786-6688 Info The premium ticket includes a special pre-event dinner, a private group interaction session with Raymond Lo and a goodie bag. Visit www.singaporepools.com.sg
Christmas
12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS (OPEN HOUSE)
This Christmas get updated on history and culture. For 12 days from today you get free entry to six galleries at the National Museum of Singapore to view the permanent and on-going exhibitions including as the VOOM Portraits by Robert Wilson and Doubleness: Photography by Chang Chien-Chi.
Where: National Museum of Singapore, Stamford Road MRT: Dhoby Ghaut When: Wed - Jan 4 next year, 10am - 6pm Admission: Free Tel: 6332-3659 Info: Children can have fun at craft activities on Christmas Day and there will be guided tours of the Singapore Living Galleries on New Year's Day.
HE SATISFIES: A CHRISTMAS MUSICAL
This musical features three stories depicting the lives of three individuals who journey in life to seek God. By the Singapore Charismatic Church.
Where: The Arts House, Play Den, Old Parliament House, 1 Old Parliament Lane MRT: Raffles Place When: Wed , 7.30pm, Thu , 4pm Admission: Free Tel: 6332-6919
CHRISTMAS CAROLLING IN STORES
Get into the spirit of Christmas at the Kinokuniya Bookstore with Christmas evergreens performed by the award-winning a cappella group TAS Youth Voices with singers aged from 13 to 18.
Where: Kinokuniya Singapore Main Store, Takashimaya shopping centre, Ngee Ann City, Orchard Road MRT: Somerset/Orchard
Enjoy a Christmas Eve buffet dinner with your loved ones and be charmed by melodious Christmas carolling. You can tuck into traditional Christmas favourities, such as roasted turkey, and gammon ham as well as chilli crab and steamed cod with preserved olive.
Where: Traders Hotel, Cafebiz, 1A Cuscaden Road MRT: Orchard When: Wed , 6.30 - 10.30pm Admission: $88 (adult) & $44 (child) and $118 (adult) with free flow of beer and champagne Info: You can listen to Christmas carols from 7.45 - 8.15pm on Wed (Dec 24) www.shangri-la.com
CHRISTMAS DAY OPEN HOUSE
Have a fun-filled day with your family at this Open House where you can learn more about Singapore's heritage and culture.
Where: Singapore Philatelic Museum, 23-B Coleman Street MRT: City Hall/Clarke Quay When: Thu , 9am - 7pm Admission: Free Tel: 6337-3888 Info: Check out exhibitions such as Comics and Superheroes, Dragons, Treasures and Masterpieces and A Rat's Tale. Visit www.spm.org.sg
TRIPPY CHRISTMAS EVE BASH
Enjoy retro-tunes spun by a guest DJ this Christmas Eve as you down specials such as 12-in-one tray shooters and clink glasses of beet from the 'shuttle' (beer tower).
Where: Acid Bar, Alley Bar and Outdoors Cafe & Bar, Peranakan Place, 180 Orchard Road MRT: Somerset When: Wed : from 8pm till late Admission: Free (pay for food and drinks including a platter of fried from $8, $68 per beer 'shuttle' (beer tower), 12-in-one tray shooters at $25 Info: www.peranakanplace.com
BIG BAND NIGHT: A SWINGING CHRISTMAS
Celebrate Boxing Day on Friday with a toe-tapping selection of popular jazz big band swing classics and Christmas favourites by the Windworkz Big Band, a 10-piece local band.
Welcome to the world of elves at the Grand Park Hotel here. Showcased here are two prize-winning displays of the Elves' World complete with ferris wheels and a Wishing Tree with attached signs inviting people to adopt a needy children from WorldVision. These displays were designed by two teams of students from the Raffles Design Institute for the inaugural 'Christmas By The Park' Competition.
Where: Grand Plaza Park Hotel, Coleman Street MRT: City Hall When: Till Dec 31: 24-hour hours Admission: Free Tel: 6732-1111/6336-3456 Info: You can get leaflets from World Vision from the bottom of the Wishing Tree to find out how to adopt a needy child via WorldVision
MY MEMORABLE CHRISTMAS
An exhibition of Christmas cards and stamps featuring the winning entries of the recent Design Christmas Card Competition organised by the Singapore Philatelic Museum for children aged seven to 12.
Where: Singapore Philatelic Museum, 23-B Coleman Street MRT: City Hall/Clarke Quay When: Till Jan 4, 1 - 7pm (Mon, 9am - 7pm (Tue - Sun) Admission: $5 (adults), $4 (children aged three to 12 and senior citizens aged 60 and above), free for senior citizens every Mon Tel: 6337-3888 Info: www.spm.org.sg
PARTY AND STAY PACKAGE
Treat your family to Orchard Hotel's Merriment Party & Stay Package with stay in a Superior or Deluxe Room and wake up to a spectacular buffet spread.
Where: Orchard Hotel, Orchard Road MRT: Orchard When: Till Jan 31, Admission: $225 a night in a superior room or pay $20 extra for a Deluxe Room Tel: 6734-8595/6739-6588 Info: E-mail reservations@orchardhotel.com.sg
Club
'KING OF SWING' JEREMY MONTEIRO WITH GREG FISHMAN
Singapore King of Swing Jeremy Monteiro will perform with Greg Fishman, a saxophonist from Chicago with a passion for Brazilian music, who has 10 albums under his belt.
Where: The Regent Singapore, The Bar, Level 2, 1 Cuscaden Road MRT: Orchard When: Till Thu , 9pm - 11.55pm, Fri 26, 9.30pm - 12.25am. Admission: Free (pay for drinks) Tel: 6725 3240. Info: www.fourseasons.com
Contest
HEINEKEN LITE PEG GREETING ON THE WALL CONTEST
Take part in a contest to create the best Lite Peg (plastic stick) greeting on the Heineken Lite Peg Greeting Wall, an installation around the Clarke Quay Fountain for a chance to win a year's supply of Heineken beer. The installation is there till New year's Eve (Dec 31). Just create a greeting and alert the Heineken photographer to snap a picture of it.
Info: The contest runs from Wed - Sat & next Wed from 8pm to midnight at Clarke Quay. Visit www.heineken.com.sg for details and to check on your winning status after Jan 7 next year and send e-greetings cards with the virtual Lite Peg wall.
NUTCRACKER DREAM CASTLE
Guess the weight of the chocolate and number of nuts used to create Orchard Hotel's giant Nutcracker Dream Castle and you mught win a weekend stay for two in the hotel's luxurious Signature Club room. The castle is made up of 5,000 assorted nuts, 150kg of dark chocolate, 2300 eggs and 385kg of icing sugar among other ingredients.
Where: Orchard Hotel Lobby, Orchard Road MRT: Orchard When, Till Thu , 11am - 9pm daily Admission: Free Tel: 6734-7766 Info: The Festive Castle houses Christmas goodies such as Christmas Stollen, cakes, Roast Turkey and hampers. You can snap a photo of the castle and the four life-sized Nutcracker Soldiers in the background. Visit www.orchardhotel.com.sg
'KEEP THE DREAM ALIVE' ART COMPETITION
Create artworks showcasing your dreams in this art competition and you might take home prizes such as design software worth $3,300, art courses for children worth $200, book vouchers of as much as $250 in this competition. You have to buy an art competition kit at $15 each, with part of the proceeds going to the Business Times Budding Artists Fund which gives artistically gifted children a chance to explore artistic programmes. Open to children and those above 13. Organised by boutique design agency Yellow Octopus Pte Ltd.
Info: The competition is divided into three categories - a Children's Category 1 for children aged four to eight, Children's Category 2 for those aged nine to 12 and an Open Category for those aged 13 and above. Buy the art competition kits at The Arts House and Basheer Graphic Books store at 04-19 Bras Basah Complex, Closing date: submit entries by Feb 14 to Yellow Octopus Pte Ltd, 85A Owen Road, Singapore 218899 Tel: 6298-9920 Info: www.keepthedream alive.yolo.sg and the Budding Artists Fund website, www.baf.sg
Gig
A VACANT AFFAIR
Local band A Vacant Affair perform music from their new CD. Part of the Esplanade's Late Night programme.
Where: Esplanade Recital Studio MRT: City Hall
When: Fri, 9.30pm Admission: $28 Tel: 6348-5555
Shopping
SHOPPING REWARDS
Spend $50 at Raffles City shopping centre and you might drive home in a 1.4-litre Peugeot 207 Vive hatchback car in a grand draw or a seven-day stay for two at any Marriott Rewards Participating Hotels & Resorts in California in a fortnightly draw.
Where: Raffles City Shopping Centre, 252 North Bridge Road MRT: City Hall When: Till Sun , 10am - 10pm Admission: Free Tel: 6318-0238 Info: Visit www.rafflescity.com
Show
FROM ART TO HEART (A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY)
This international photographic exhibition by leading photographers tells the story and struggles of more than 2,000 children from more than 30 countries who have been helped by Israeli doctors and nurses from Save A Child's Heart (SACH), an Israeli-based international humanitarian project which provides life saving surgery and follow-up care for children from developing countries.
Where: The National Library, Promenade, Level 8, Victoria Street MRT: Bugis When: Till Dec 29, 10am - 9pm
Admission: Free Tel: 6834-9262
Tour
SINGLES' CONNECT NIGHT BUS TOUR
Singles can come attired in red, green or gold and join this bus tour to make new friends.
Where: meet at Newton Hawker Centre for this bus tour to places, such as Mount Faber and Henderson Waves bridge at Henderson Road MRT: Newton When: Fri , 8pm - 12.30am Admission: $20 with a snack pack Tel: 9823-2289 Info: E-mail singlesconnectevent@yahoo.com.sg or visit singlesconnect.org.sg
Web
CHAT WITH STAR BLOGGERS
Want to know our star bloggers better? Chat with them from 9 to 10pm.
Info: Visit www.stomp.com.sg/starblog
Compiled by Magdalene Lum
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