Out & About Calendar - Dec. 19-24

LEISURE

CHATTANOOGA GHOST TOURS - The Little Curiosity Shoppe, 138 Market St. $15 adults, $10 ages 12 and younger. 423-821-7125.

* Fridays, Dec. 20 and 27: Holiday Lights & Spirits Tour, enjoy downtown's holiday lights while on tour, 6:30 p.m.

* Fridays-Saturdays until March 1: Walking tours through downtown, ghost hunts through University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Citizens Cemetery, 7:30 p.m.

CHATTANOOGA HOLIDAY MARKET - Chattanooga Convention Center, 1100 Carter St. Chattanooga Market moves its 200 vendors indoors for gift market, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22 (final weekend). 423-648-2496.

CHRISTMAS BAZAAR - Mars Theatre, 117 N. Chattanooga St., LaFayette, Ga. Gift market sponsored by Northwest Georgia Arts Guild, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21. 423-315-4335.

DRIVE-THROUGH NATIVITY - Friendship Baptist Church of Hixson, 7227 Moses Road. Bring the family to see Nativity scene with live animals, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 21-22. 423-842-0982

DR PEPPER CLASSIC - McKenzie Arena, 720 E. Fourth St. UTC Men's Mocs basketball hosts teams from MTSU, University of Maine and Grand Canyon in annual tournament, 4:30-9:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 29; 7-9 p.m. championship, Monday, Dec. 30. $8-$10. 423-266-MOCS.

ENCHANTED GARDEN OF LIGHTS - Rock City Gardens, 1400 Patten Road, Lookout Mountain. Holiday light show with nightly music performances, 6-9 nightly through Jan. 4 (closed Christmas Eve night, open Christmas night). $19.95 adults, $11.95 children. 706-820-2531.

GENEALOGY RESEARCH - Chattanooga Public Library's Northgate Branch in Hixson. "Researching Your Civil War Ancestor," free seminar led by Mary Helms, 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, Dec. 21. 423-757-5310.

HILLTOP CHRISTMAS - Hilltop Farm, 8235 Highway 58. Reindeer and elk, sleigh ride through Christmas lights and visit with Santa, 6:30-10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Dec. 20-21. $15 adults, $8 children under 10; some activities have additional $5 fees. 423-488-3956.

HIKES - Led by Soddy-Daisy Hiking Club. Bring water and snack. Carpool locations given for those who want to meet group. 423-842-3619.

* Saturday, Dec. 21: Retro Hughes to Upper Leggett, slightly strenuous eight miles, meet at Durham Street parking lot in Soddy-Daisy, 9 a.m.

* Tuesday, Dec. 24: No hike.

* Saturday, Dec. 28: Flipper Bend, slightly strenuous eight miles, meet at Walmart in Soddy-Daisy, 9 a.m.

HOLIDAYS UNDER THE PEAKS - Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. Daily programs on aquarium animals, Scuba Santa at 11 a.m. Friday-Saturday, Dec. 20-21. Free with regular aquarium admission $24.95 adults, $14.95 child ages 3-12. www.tnaqua.org.

LIGHTS UP ON THE LAKE - James H. "Sloppy" Floyd State Park, Summerville, Ga. Drive-through illuminated scenes at picnic area by lake, Fridays-Sundays through Dec.29. $5 parking if you walk through. 706-857-0826.

MCKAMEY FUNDRAISER - The Flying Squirrel Bar, 55 Johnson St. Ten percent of night's sales will be donated to McKamey Animal Center, 5 p.m.-3 a.m. today, Dec. 19. 423-648-8393.

MEET 'N' GREEK - The Church on Main, 1601 Rossville Ave. Chattanooga Alumni Panhellenic Association sponsors free reception for any Chattanoogan collegian in a sorority at UTC or an out-of-town school to mix and mingle, 4-5 p.m. today, Dec. 19. Wear letter shirts. ChattPanhellenic@gmail.com.

NEW YEAR'S DAY BRUNCH - Broad Street Grille, 1201 Broad St. Champagne brunch includes omelets, Belgian waffles, roast beef, black-eyed pea salad, collards, eggs benedict, fried green tomatoes, pork with hoppin' John, seafood pasta, cheese blintzes and dessert bar, Jan. 1. $24.95 adults, $13.95 children, free for children 6 and under. Reservations: 423-424-3700.

OOLTEWAH FARMERS MARKET - Ooltewah Nursery & Landscape Co., 5829 Main St. Open 3-5 p.m. Thursdays. 423-238-9775.

SOUTHERN SCUFFLE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT - McKenzie Arena, 720 E. Fourth St. Mat Mocs welcome 33 teams to tournament, including defending NCAA champion Penn State, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Jan. 1-2. $5-$25. 423-266-6627.

TRAIN RIDES, BLUE RIDGE, GA. - Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, 241 Depot St., Blue Ridge, Ga. Santa Express includes Christmas story, singing carols with elves and visit from Santa, each child receives a railroad souvenir. Layover in McCaysville, Ga., and Copperhill, Tenn., to eat and shop, 4-8 p.m. daily through Saturday, Dec. 21. $38 ages 13 and older, $22 for ages 2-12. 877-413-8724.

TRAIN RIDES, CHATTANOOGA - Departing from Tennessee Valley Railroad, 4119 Cromwell Road. 894-8028, www.tvrail.com.

* Missionary Ridge Local: Six-mile, 55-minute ride through East Chattanooga to TVRM's repair shop. Departures 10:40 a.m., 12:05, 1:15, 2:25 p.m. Saturdays only in December. $16 adults, $10 ages 3-12.

* North Pole Limited: Refreshments, storytelling, sing-alongs and Santa gives present to each child on train ride. Departures 5:45, 7:30 and 9:15 p.m. Dec. 20-22. $24 all ages.

WINTER WILDLIFE CRUISE - River Gorge Explorer, 1 Broad St. Prime viewing of wintering bald eagles from the vantage point of the river; bring binoculars and dress appropriately for the weather, 2-4 p.m. Dec. 28. Aquarium members: $24 adults, $18 children 12 and younger. Nonmembers: $29 adults, $21.50 children 3-12, $18 children under 3. Reservations required: 423-262-0695.

CHILDREN/TEENS

CREATIVE DISCOVERY MUSEUM - 321 Chestnut St. $11.95 adults and children. 423-756-2738, www.cdmfun.org. Winter hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday (closed most Wednesdays). Holiday hours: Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day; open regular hours New Year's Eve and noon-5 p.m. New Year's Day.

* Annual free admission days, today and Friday, Dec. 19-20.

* Holiday Shoppe, with helpers for children to find gifts for family and friends, 1-3 p.m. today-Monday, Dec. 19-23.

* Gingerbread House Workshops, 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22 (these still had openings at press time). $25 members, $45 nonmembers. Registration required: 423-648-6045, 423-648-6040.

* "Winter Wonders" exhibit, through Jan. 20.

SMALL FRY MINI-PROGRAMS - Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. Programs for young children accompanied by their parent/caregiver, 10:15-11 a.m. today, Dec. 19. Free with regular admission. www.tnaqua.org.

WINTER ZOOBRRRNATION CAMP - Chattanooga Zoo, 301 N. Holtzclaw Ave. One-day educational adventures covering such topics as hibernation and animal adaptations, with animal encounters, crafts, games, lunch and snacks, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 20-21, 30-31, Jan. 2-4. Choose single days or entire series. Two age groups: kindergarten through second grade and third through fifth grade. $30 members, $40 nonmembers. After-care available 2-5 p.m. for additional $15 per day, $65 per week. www.chattzoo.org/educationa/camps.

DANCES

BALLROOM - The Ballroom, 7001 Middle Valley Road. Learn ballroom dancing no partner required, Saturdays. Group class, 7:30 p.m., $5. Dancing 8:30 p.m., $10.Casual dress. 423-394-6428.

BALLROOM - Ballroom Magic Dance Center, 4200 N. Access Road. Dance, 8:30-10:30 p.m. Fridays. $10. 423-771-3646.

NEW YEAR'S EVE DANCE - Marcella Center, 117 Washington Road, Sweetwater, Tenn. Food, professional photos, champagne and music, Dec. 31. Tickets, $15 per person, sold in advance: 423-337-0075.

RHYTHM BALLROOM - The Ballroom, 7001 Middle Valley Road. Learn fundamentals of rumba, cha cha, East Coast Swing, 6 p.m. Mondays, 8 p.m. Wednesdays. $5. Casual dress; no partner required. www.the ballroomathixson.com.

SHAG - Elks Lodge, Graysville Road at East Brainerd Road. $5 members, $7 guests, free to first-time guests. 7 p.m. Thursdays. gdelett@epbfi.com.

BOOKS/AUTHORS

PRUETT'S SIGNAL MOUNTAIN MARKET - 1210 Taft Highway. Photographer and pilot Ron Lowery signs copies of "Tennessee River: Sparkling Gem of the South," a collection of aerial photographs he has taken over 13 years from his custom-built, open-cockpit plane, 4-6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20. 423-886-2044.

Upcoming Events