Jackson Free Press

Bundle up this afternoon and head to the historic Farish Street district for an evening of holiday celebration. At 4 p.m., join the Farish Street/Main Street Project for the annual tree-lighting ceremony in the park at the corner of Farish and Hamilton streets. Then, at 7 p.m., head the Alamo Theater (333 N. Farish St.) for "A Night of Music Artistry," when the Mississippi Jazz Foundation presents their sixth annual event. The show features Grammy nominee Kirk Whalum and Mississippi recording artist Michael Burton. Tickets are $35. For more entertainment options, visit the JFP Events Calendar for dozens of options every day.

Grab the kids Saturday morning and head to the Jackson Medical Mall (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.) from 9 a.m. until noon for "Fun with Santa." In the afternoon, plan on spending the day at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science (2148 Riverside Drive) to take in the "Monsters of the Deep" exhibit with a lecture at 1 p.m., and enjoy the Florence Elementary School Celebration Singers at 3 p.m. Then take a break from the holiday hustle and bustle by dropping by Butterfly Yoga at 4 p.m. for a relaxing session of restorative yoga. $25 in advance; $35 at the door. On Sunday, head to BRAVO! Restaurant (Highland Village, South Plaza, Upper Level) at 4 p.m. for a champagne tasting; $75. Yum! Find the details on all of these events and more on the Best Bets page.

For music lovers, this weekend in Jackson offers the area's best and brightest. Tonight, check out the "Merry Christmas Jackson" CD-release party at Eudora Welty Commons. The lineup includes Taylor Hildebrand, Lizzie Wright, Wooden Finger, The Smug Knights, Emily Baker, Laurel Isbister and Jason Bruce starting at 8 p.m. with Josh Hailey hosting Christmas Karaoke at 11 p.m. For something a little more family oriented, on Saturday at 4 p.m., head to St. Philip's Episcopal Church to hear the Mississippi Boychoir Christmas Concert. Where can you find all the musical happenings in Jackson? On the JFP Music Listings page, of course. The myriad of choices includes everything from spoken word and hip hop, to blues, jazz, country, rock and classical. And be sure to check out Herman's Picks for details on some great shows in town this week and next.

And you've got to eat, right? When you're making plans for lunch or dinner this weekend (or anytime, really), make sure to include the many local favorites listed on the JFP Restaurant Listings and the Menu Guide. If your personal favorite isn't listed, do them a favor and e-mail the particulars to [e-mail missing].

The JFP provides so many ways to entertain yourself, from Gallery Listings to the local JFP Movie Finder, you're sure to find a Jackson area happening to suite you. The JFP means you'll never have to say, "There's nothing to do," in Jackson.

Is something missing? To make sure your event is listed on the JFP calendars, send the information to [e-mail missing] or [e-mail missing], or add your event yourself. It's easy!