Dateline Wharton
Upcoming events in and around our community

DAV Super Raffle

The Disabled American Veterans of Wharton County is holding a 100 Gun Super Raffle. Tickets are $20 each with the drawing held Dec. 3. Proceeds will benefit the DAV Chapter 72 Transportation Fund. The raffle is being sponsored by Everyday Heroes Inc. For tickets, contact Bruce Williams at 979-282-9837 or Chester Houston at 979-531-0916.

Wharton Farmers' Market

The Wharton Farmers' Market continues this weekend at the Wharton Courthouse Square. The market features garden fresh food and handmade craft items and will be held from 9 a.m. to noon each Saturday through mid-December.

The Nutcracker Suite

East Bernard's Keller Academy Performing Arts will present their version of Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker Suite at the Plaza Theatre on the Square in Wharton this Friday and Saturday, Dec. 1-2. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $8. Reservations are strongly recommended: call 979-282-2970 or visit www.whartonplazatheatre.org

Ballroom dancing

Ballroom dancing will be held on Fridays, Dec. 7 and 14 at the First Presbyterian Church, 1602 John Knox. The charge is $3 per person. Couples and singles are welcome.

Candlelight Christmas

On Saturday, Dec. 1, step back in time to the 1850s with an evening tour of the Varner Hogg Plantation House and experience the magic of a Victorian Christmas. Crafts for the children, such as ornament painting and silhouette making, as well as refreshments will be available. Santa himself will also be present to listen to Christmas wishes and to take photos with visitors of all ages. Tours of the house, given by docents in period dress, will be free to the public from 6-8 p.m. Come and enjoy the beauty of the holiday season with Varner-Hogg. For additional information, contact Angela Pfeiffer at 979-345- 4656 opt. 5, ext. 3.

WCJC Music Major's recital

The WCJC Music Department will present a Music Major's Recital at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 2. The recital will take place at the Horton Foote Theatre in the Fine Arts Building. This recital is a requirement for vocal and instrumental music majors as a part of their degree plan in music. Instruments will include voice, piano, tuba, and flute. This recital is a Center for the Arts Presentation and is free to the public.

Halos and Holly

Grace Community Fellowship will be hosting the A.D. Players National Touring Company at a Ladies Christmas Drama and Dessert Party at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 3 at Grace Community Fellowship, located at 1900 E. Boling Highway. The A.D. Players will perform "Halos and Holly," which is a collection of short Christmas plays written by Jeannette Clift George. "Halos and Holly" ranges from the solemn to the silly and back again. It compares contemporary Christmas dilemmas such as shopping for a spouse, shopping with a spouse or just shopping period with sometimes warm or poignant reminders of what the first "Christmas" might have been like. Tickets are $10 per person. For tickets or questions, call Lisa Hathway at 979-332-3835 or the church office at 979- 332-3999.

WISD Christmas Bazaar

The Wharton ISD is hosting a Christmas Bazaar featuring various crafts and holiday gift ideas prepared by the district's Preschool Programs for Children with Disabilities and Academics for Life Classes from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 5 at the WISD Central Office. During the bazaar, many of the students that prepared the crafts will be singing holiday songs during the sale. Caroling will include the Dawson students at 9:30 a.m., Hopper students at 10 a.m. and Sivells at 10:30 a.m. The the central office staff is providing cookies and refreshments and there will be a holiday raffle featuring items donated by local businesses. Proceeds will benefit enrichment and community activities for the students.

First Baptist Blood Drive

'Tis the season for sharing - and for holiday hugs. The First Baptist Church - Wharton is holding a blood drive from 3:30-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 5 in the church fellowship hall. Those who donate or attempt to donate in the month of December will be able to write notes of well-wishes to patients spending the holidays in the hospital. Notes from gold-level Commit for Life members will be attached to cuddly stuffed animals and hand-delivered to patients. To schedule an appointment, visit www.giveblood.org and enter sponsor code 0772 or contact Herb Mccown at 979-532-3774.

WCJC Concert

The WCJC Music Department will present the annual Christmas Candlelight Concert at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 6 at the First Baptist Church in Wharton. The WCJC Concert Choir and Chamber Singers will be joined by the Sivells Third Grade Choir and a community handbell choir. This is a Center for the Arts Presentation. The concert is free to the public.

WHS parents

To all parents of the 2008 graduating class of Wharton High School, table drawing for the annual Senior Serve Fund Raising Dinner and Talent show will be held on Monday, Dec. 10, in the Wharton High School Cafeteria. Doors will open at 6 p.m.and table drawings will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m. If you are planning to attend Senior Serve on Saturday, Feb. 2, it is important to come to this meeting.

Boling Christmas Parade

The entry deadline for this year's Boling Christmas Parade is Saturday, Dec. 8. The parade is hosted by the Boling Fire and Rescue Department and Ladies Auxiliary and scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15 on Texas Street in Boling. After the parade, Santa will be at the Boling Fire Station for photos and refreshments will be served. For more information, call Lee Mrunstik at 979- 657-8716.

B&G Club registration

The Boys & Girls Club of Wharton is now registering for the 2007-2008 After-School Program. Membership fee is $20 per person and operating hours are from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The club is open for kids ages six to 12 and is open until 7 p.m. for teens.

East Bernard Masonic Lodge

The East Bernard Masonic Lodge No. 817 meets the third Thursday of each month. There is a meal, open to the public, served starting at 6:30 a.m. with a lodge only meeting at 7:30 p.m. The lodge building is located at 715 Morris St. in East Bernard.For more information, call Michael McKinnon at 713-542-1148.

Community Calendar

A calendar of local events is maintained by the Wharton Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture. Before scheduling an event, check with the chamber for possible conflicts. And notify the chamber, 532-1862, as early as possible to get your event on the calendar. There is no charge.

Dateline Wharton is a calendar of upcoming events in Wharton and surrounding communities. Normally space permits only events that will occur in the next two weeks. It is intended for special activities open to the public rather than regularly recurring meetings.